Book of Mormon Inspection

2 Nephi 3

2012-01-11T22:01:00.000-06:00

December 17, 2006 - Original Post

A Choice Seer

Lehi tells his son Joseph about their forefather Joseph who was sold into Egypt. Through Joseph, many nations are blessed. From Joseph’s posterity would come Joseph Smith.

We learn many things that Joseph Smith would do. Verse 12 talks about how the Book of Mormon and the Bible would be joined together to confound false doctrines and to establish the truth. This prophecy has come true. Today, millions of copies of the Bible and Book of Mormon can be found scattered around the world. In some sets, they are even bound together as one book.

We learn that Joseph will declare repentance unto the Lamanites. Shortly after the Church was established, missionaries were sent to the Native Americans. Today, missionaries are found all over the world declaring repentance. Even I was able to take part in the fulfillment of this revelation as I served in Central American among the ancestors of the Mayans. The church in Central and South America truly is blossoming like a rose (D&C 49:24).

In summary, Joseph would “do much good, both in word and in deed” (v. 24).

Personal Application

There is not much in this chapter that can be directly applied to my life. What strengthens my testimony when I read this chapter is that I have a chance to reflect on the life and mission of Joseph Smith. The work that he did on this earth is really quite miraculous when you consider all that he did.

The greatest testimony I have of the Prophet Joseph Smith is the translation of the Book of Mormon. I firmly believe that he received the gold plates from Moroni and that he translated them through the power of God. Every time I read the Book of Mormon and consider how it came to be, I know it in my heart that no one man wrote this book. It was written my many different prophets and compiled by Mormon and Moroni. Then by the power of God, Joseph Smith translated the book.

And just as verse 12 so wonderfully states, the Book of Mormon and the Bible have indeed grown together to establish the truth once again.

January 11, 2012 - Addition

2 Nephi 3:9-10 caught my attention today.

If you were to look at a timeline, Joseph of Egypt comes first, then Moses, then Lehi and Joseph (son of Lehi) and then Joseph Smith.

2 Nephi 3:7 begins Joseph of Egypt's prophesy about Joseph Smith and Moses.

In verse 9, he says "And he [Joseph Smith] shall be great like unto Moses, whom I have said I would raise up unto you, to deliver my people, O house of Israel."

In verse 10 he continues, "And Moses will I raise up, to deliver thy people out of the land of Egypt."

So, according to the Book of Mormon, Joseph of Egypt not only say the Israelites being held captive, but he saw and knew the name of Moses.

The Maxwell Institute has a nice little article about this prophesy: "Joseph's Prophesy of Moses and Aaron"

More info on this link as well.

2 Nephi 1

2012-01-07T12:51:00.000-06:00

November 29, 2006 - Original Post

In light of September 11th’s events, this chapter has more meaning now than ever. Once again, the Lord’s words prove true.

Lehi was talking to his eldest sons, Laman and Lemuel. In verse 6 and 7 he tells them the curse and blessing of the land. No one will come to this land unless directed by the Lord. All the people of the Book of Mormon were directed by the Lord to come to this land. We also learn that the Pilgrims and other groups of people came from Europe to this land by the will of the Lord. In the next verse (7) he tells them that if the people who live in this land will serve God and keep His commandments, then they will always be a free people and they would never be brought into captivity. But if the people of the land rebel against God, then the land will become cursed. This means America will never be invaded and held captive. What I told my wife earlier is true – that if the terrorists wanted to hurt the United States, then the best thing they could have done was to leave us alone and we would have sinned ourselves to the cursing of the land.

Lehi recites the promise of the Promised Land twice in this chapter. Anyone who lives in the Promised Land must keep the commandments of God and they will prosper and be blessed. But if they do not keep the commandments of God, they will be “cut off” from the presence of God and the land will become cursed. I’ve often heard from other people (not just from the scriptures) that America will destroy itself. No one will ever invade America. Just as the Romans, the fall will come from within.

Lehi concludes his counsel to his sons with a plea – “arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity.” I’ve always liked this verse. This verse is a good reminder to stand tall and not to be a scrub which President Hinckley has said before.

We need to be united as Lehi said. Since the attack on America, we have united in such a manner as never before seen in the history of the United States. My wife's dad said that he has never seen the country so united and patriotic before. People have donated blood, food, money and time to help those victims of the attack. We are truly united at this time. Unity is a strong force.

January 7, 2012 - Addition

Desire; Anxiety

These two words struck me. Ever since I read Elder Maxwell's and Elder Oaks' talks on "Desire", I've been taking note of the context whenever I see the word (see "According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts" and "The Desires of Our Hearts" and "Desire")

Desire and anxiety seemed to be linked. All the things that you want (desire) are the same things that you worry about - they you think constantly of - that gnaw at you and drive you to do things.

For Lehi and just about any good parent, the desire of his heart was for his children to keep the commandments. Therefore, what kept him awake at night (anxiety) was Laman and Lemuel's murmuring and disobedience.

What are the true desires of your heart? What makes you do things? What drives you? Are those things aligned with the will of the Father?

Not only will be we judged of our works and thoughts, but we will also be judged of our desires.

Both Elder Maxwell's and Oaks' talks discuss ways to reconcile our desires with the will of the Father.

Another Word about the Promised Land Covenant

Verse 10 goes beyond that mere promise of obedience = prosperity, disobedience = cut off from the Lord ... it states that when the people reject Jesus Christ, then not only will they not prosper, but their land will be taken from them; they'll be "smitten" and "scattered" and blood will be shed.

The lesson: stay on the sunny side of life. Keep the commandments.

About This Blog

2012-01-07T11:53:00.000-06:00

September 19, 2006 - Original Post

I kept a Book of Mormon journal while I was a missionary. In it, I provided personal commentary and insights to my reading of the Book of Mormon. It continues to be a work in progress. There is so much to ponder and to apply from the teachings found in the Book of Mormon.

I could only place part of Elder Maxwell's quote regarding the Book of Mormon in my blog subtitle. The entire quote captures how I feel about studying the Book of Mormon:

"For my part, I am glad the book will be with us "as long as the earth shall stand." I need and want additional time. For me, towers, courtyards, and wings await inspection. My tour of it has never been completed. Some rooms I have yet to enter, and there are more flaming fireplaces waiting to warm me. Even the rooms I have glimpsed contain further furnishings and rich detail yet to be savored. There are panels inlaid with incredible insights and design and decor dating from Eden. There are also sumptuous banquet tables painstakingly prepared by predecessors which await all of us. Yet, we as Church members sometimes behave like hurried tourists, scarcely venturing beyond the entry hall to the mansion" (Neal A. Maxwell, The Book of Mormon: A Great Answer to "The Great Question" December 31, 2003 link to entire talk).

This blog will share my insights that I have gathered from reading this scripture over the past 10 or so years of my life.

I invite anyone who reads this blog to share their thoughts and experiences regarding the teachings found in The Book of Mormon.

January 7, 2012 - Addition

It's been a few years since I finished a focused reading and commentary of the Book of Mormon. As I read the Book of Mormon this year and as we study it in Sunday School class, I will be resiving posts. I'll note the date of the original post as well as revisions. I'll also republish those posts I update with the most current date so they "float" to the top of the blog.

Feel free to leave comments. Comment moderation is turned on, so spam and hardened-opinon comments won't appear. I'd prefer to approve comments that are honest; thought-provoking or faith-building.

Thanks for stopping by.

1 Nephi 20

2012-01-04T12:30:00.000-06:00

November 13, 2006 - Original Post

For the next few chapters, Nephi records the words of Isaiah. The “Isaiah chapters” are difficult mostly because of the language … it is so different. It’s a rarity that I get much out of these chapters … but sometimes I do.

In verse 10, the Lord tells Jacob and his people that he has refined them and has chosen them in the furnace of affliction. What this means to me is that “God’s people” were chosen because their faith was put to a test and they were proven to be faithful. All sorts of trails and persecutions were thrown at them, yet they did no curse God, but endured and were even strengthened. Because they were strengthened, they were able to accomplish much for the Lord.

I guess I’m a sports nut because I always think of sports analogies when it comes to the scriptures. My uncle ran a marathon while I was on my mission. We also had a couple of friends recently run a marathon. Anyway, I’ve heard that running a long distance race and successfully enduring it is a spiritual experience. It’s a spiritual experience because you go through a type of refiner’s fire … you think that you cannot succeed … you see this almost impossible goal, yet step by step, day by day you work towards that goal. You endure heat, pain, cold, rain, fatigue and other ailments. But when you cross that finish line, you feel a wonderful sensation. I’ve never done it so I don’t know what it feels like. But I’ve done other things in my life that have been a sort of a refiner’s fire.

The MTC is one. Going on a mission is another. Any type of training regimen is a type of a refiner’s fire. But real refiners' fires are those trials that people go through. The early Saints and the persecution is another type. In summary … anything that stretches and strengthens you is a refiner’s fire … it makes you more pure at whatever you are doing. Fasting is another example.

I liked verses 12 and 13. The Lord is the first and the last. He created the earth and his hand spans the universe. He is Lord of the Universe and all that is in it. When I read this today, I felt this sense of greatness in the person I worship. I have reservations in worshiping anything … we’ve been trained our whole lives to not worship idols and riches and things or even people. But the one person and thing we can worship is God. We can give ourselves to him … wholly. If I am going to do that … give that much commitment, then that person had better be all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving. That person is God. And these two verses tell us the type of person we worship.

Verse 17 & 18 were also really good. God loves us and wants us to prosper. He wants to teach us all that he knows. But we have to be willing to accept him and his teachings. If we are obedient to him, then we will have true, lasting peace. Verse 18 says that our peace would be as the river and waves of the sea. I didn’t think a river or sea was too peaceful when I read this. So I got out the NIV translation of the bible and the footnote said that the peace would be abundant and overflowing like water is to a river and the waves of the sea. That makes complete sense. Another blessing of obedience is that our posterity will last forever.

And the last note of interest in this chapter is verse 22. The Lord simply states that there is no peace for the wicked. I am listening to some relaxing music while I type this and I feel peaceful. I don’t feel too stressed right now. I’ve enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon for a few minutes this morning. It would be nice if I had a chance to do this every day. It is peaceful. I can barely imagine what the peace the Lord can give us.

January 4, 2012 - Addition

On Suffering and Purifying

There is a mash-up quote from James Allen that I think of several times a day. It goes like this: "The man who shrinks from self-crucifixion can never accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. The sole and supreme use of suffering is to purify; to burn out all that is useless and impure."

There is so much stuff to think about, to do, to be entertained by, to read, to study, to watch, to listen to ... it is endless. It is easy to be overloaded with things today. As such, I try to constantly evaluate if what I'm doing is worthwhile or if it is useless. Also, for those things I truly desire, I try to ask myself what I would be willing to do to accomplish it? If it really is worthwhile, am I willing to suffer for it?

Link to Isaiah Blog

1 Nephi 20 is also Isaiah 48. See my commentary on Isaiah 48 here.

November 30, 2011 - Finished Book of Mormon

2011-11-30T16:44:00.001-06:00

There was a Brother Cal Henline in the ward we lived in several years ago and I remember him bearing his testimony about how he's read the Book of Mormon X amount of times in his life ... I don't recall the number, but it was high. He was proud of that fact. I was impressed with his effort. I could tell he wanted to be able to report to God, someday, that he was faithful in reading the Book of Mormon in his life.

A few years before Brother Henline bore that testimony, I was sitting in Primary with my Sunbeams, and Sister Vallery, the Primary president, was telling us how she has read the Book of Mormon every day of her life since she was a young woman. I was really impressed with that!

Many years before her testimony, back in Oregon, I walked into our home around 4:30pm. The house was quiet; it was autumn. I looked to my left into the living room and there in his recliner with a couch pillow on his lap and his copy of the Book of Mormon on that pillow, sat my dad - quietly reading the Book of Mormon. I remember thinking, "I want to be just like my dad."

I try to be more like Brother Henline; I want to read the whole Book of Mormon every year - perhaps more times if can manage.

I try to be more like Sister Vallery and not let a day go by without opening and reading from the Book of Mormon.

I try to seek those quiet moments like my dad, and read the Book of Mormon. I want my kids to see me study the scriptures too. I've been more conscious lately in trying to find opportunities to read my scriptures at home so my children can see me and want to follow my example.

Today, I accomplished, in a small degree, all three of those desires.

After I finished the Book of Mormon again today, I find that it is still true!

And I, like Moroni, admonish anyone reading this, to read and study the Book of Mormon. Read it. Recommit to reading it. Pray about it. It will make your life better.

Moroni 10

2011-11-30T16:40:00.000-06:00

July 27, 2007 - Original Post

The Book of Mormon Challenge

Moroni begins his final chapter with a challenge. He asks us to “remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men” from the time of Adam to his day. He asks us to ponder in our hearts the mercy of the Lord and “these things” meaning the writings of Mormon and Moroni.

And when we “receive these things,” then we must ask our Heavenly Father “if these things are not true.” And if we ask in the name of Christ, having faith in Christ and with a sincere heart and real intent, then the Holy Ghost will manifest the truth of the Book of Mormon to us.

For me, I’ve always felt the Book of Mormon is true. It is ingrained within me and is a part of me. I can’t imagine what my life would be without it. I truly love the Book of Mormon. Notwithstanding these facts, I’ve felt the desire to pray about the Book of Mormon. I still feel a desire to pray about the Book of Mormon every time I finish reading it. Each time I do so, my testimony of it grows stronger. I think of all the lessons and spiritual experiences I’ve had while reading and pondering the Book of Mormon. And when I think of those things, my testimony grows.

While I was a missionary in the MTC, I finished reading the Book of Mormon and desired to have the Holy Ghost manifest to me the truth of the Book of Mormon before I embarked on a mission to Guatemala. Early in the morning, I got up and went out in the hallway to have some time to myself. I read Joseph Smith’s history that morning and then prayed about the Book of Mormon. After I finished praying, I simply knew it … I was just happy. Everything seemed to fall into place and I simply knew at that moment that the Book of Mormon is a true book and that Joseph was a true prophet and that the Church is the true church of Christ today. It was a happy moment in my spiritual life.

Spiritual Gifts

The Spirit of God to teach the word of wisdom (Moroni 10:9, 1 Cor. 12:8, D&C 46:17)

Elder Oaks describes this gift as the gift to wisely apply knowledge or the gift of judgment. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Spiritual Gifts,” Ensign, Sep 1986, 68)

Teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit (Moroni 10:10, 1 Cor. 12:8, D&C 46:18)
The D&C elaborates on this gift by adding, “that all may be taught to be wise and have knowledge.” I have seen many Sunday School teachers and seminary teachers and others exercise this gift. My parents have this gift. I have always sought this gift and feel that I have had it while teaching others on my mission as well as training missionaries in the MTC.

Exceedingly great faith (Moroni 10:11, 1 Cor. 12:9)

We have seen many of the Book of Mormon have this gift. The first example that comes to my mind is the old Lamanite king who Aaron taught. The old king believed Aaron’s words and exercised faith and was converted. (see Alma 22)

The gifts of healing (Moroni 10:11, 1 Cor. 12:9, D&C 46:19-20)

In the first area I served as a missionary (Pinares del Norte, Guatemala City), the sister who cooked our meals had this gift. Almost every morning while I ate her breakfast, some woman would bring her child over to this hermana to have the child be healed. I asked the hermana about this and she told me she has the gift of healing. She doesn’t know how it came to be, but that she just knows what ails a person and can heal them with remedies. I knew I was in good hands after I saw her heal these children.

Work mighty miracles (Moroni 10:12, 1 Cor. 12:10, D&C 46:21)

Miracles are all around us. What we need is to see them and recognize them. Just this evening, the kids and I read out of the Friend a story about a little boy who had pneumonia and meningitis and was hospitalized. The ward and even his little friends fasted for him. The doctors and his parents did not know if he would survive. But the faith of those fasting and praying for him miraculously healed him. (Susan Denney, “Jake’s Miracle,” Friend, Oct 2007, 16–17)

Gift of prophesy (Moroni 10:13, 1 Cor. 12:10, D&C 46:22)
Who can really dispute the gift of prophesy that President Hinckley possesses. He has forewarned and warned us of many things. He counseled us to get our homes in order. He taught us time and time again of the importance of the family and how the world attacks it. At least in my mind, I see his counsel and warnings as the gift of prophesy. He truly is able to lead us away from danger far before it is imminent.

Beholding of angels and ministering of spirits (Moroni 10:14, 1 Cor. 12:10)

Nephi and Alma and many others of the Book of Mormon had this gift. Joseph Smith seemed to have this gift too as he was taught by many different angels. I think that many who are close to the Spirit can have this gift when we do work for others in the temple. In counseling me to regularly attend the temple, my patriarchal blessing teaches me “that the veil between this life and the spirit world is thin.” I know I am not the only one who truly knows that truth.

Interpretation of tongues (Moroni 10:15-16, 1 Cor. 12:10, D&C 46:24-25)

How could the work of the Lord roll forward without this gift? Many missionaries and interpreters have received this gift and have used it as it was intended. The Book of Mormon and other Church publications are translated into dozens of languages. Just the General Conference page has almost 70 different language options.

Come Unto Christ

The clarion call of the Book of Mormon is that Christ lives and that we must come unto him. Moroni teaches us to come unto Christ “and be perfected in him.” (Moroni 10:32)

We must deny ourselves of ungodliness. We cannot expect to be God’s people if we do not strive to be like him. We must be different from the world. We must be the light and we are required to lead by example.

We must love God with all our might, mind and strength. In all that we do and in all that we think, we must exert the maximum effort in order for God’s grace to be sufficient.

If we do these things, then we are sanctified (Moroni 10:33) and our sins are remitted. Then we are holy and without spot.

As missionaries, we were often told that we had two years to work and the rest of our lives to think about it. The intent of that counsel was to help us to never tire of working … we were to squeeze every ounce out of our time. The same is true with lives. This life is too short and we have too much to accomplish in that short span. We must give God our all.

Moroni’s words are quite an inspiration and pep talk to go out and get to work.

Carry on, carry on, carry on (Hymn 255).

November 30, 2011 - Addition

I wanted to make Moroni 10:32 a little more meaningful and "down-to-earth"

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him"
To me, this means 'seek Christ; learn of Christ and strive to be like him.'

"deny yourselves of all ungodliness"
To me, this means we need to examine our lives and find those actions, words and thoughts that are not in alignment with the gospel of Christ and then seek to de-emphasize them in our lives - to work toward ridding them from our life - to deny them existence in our actions, words and thoughts - to suffocate 'the bad'

"love God"
Mosiah 2:17 - to love God means to love our neighbor. To love our neighbor means to serve them.

"with all your might, mind and strength"
To me, this implies we have to "lay it all on the line" - we have to "do our best" - we have to "care" Some fear having their hearts hurt by being offended and instead of confronting that fear, they choose to dis-engage - they choose to not be hurt. But if we don't "care/do our best/lay it all on the line" then we will miss out on valuable lessons; essentially we circumvent the growing process. Doing your best is not just a Boy Scout motto - it is a critical ingredient to our eternal salvation. Without it, we will not attain the grace of God.

Only after we seek Christ and deny ungodliness in our life and give it our all is his grace sufficient for us.

Elder Richard G. Scott Quote on Book of Mormon

2011-11-22T15:54:00.001-06:00

In his October 2011 General Conference talks, Elder Richard G. Scott said,

"those who consistently read the Book of Mormon are blessed with an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a greater resolve to obey His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the divinity of the Son of God."

Amen!

Ensign October 2011 - All About the Book of Mormon

2011-09-22T15:39:00.001-05:00

I was really excited when I got the mail today. The October 2011 Ensign is all about the Book of Mormon!

I am especially looking forward to reading the Ensign this month.

Since it's been so long since I've posted on this blog, I think that as I read each of the articles this month, I will post my thoughts and commentary on them here.

Now for a couple of side notes ... our family, a few months ago, finished reading the Book of Mormon for the first time. It took us a long, long time, but we did it. We celebrated with a BBQ and swim party after we had finished.

Also, the missionaries invited us to share the Book of Mormon with our neighbors. My wife and I both prayed about it. I ended up sharing 'my' copy with our neighbors. I think she had somone in mind too, but on the day she was to give a copy to her friend, the friend's son ended up getting hurt, so she never got the chance.

Lastly, I wonder if we'll get a 'Book of Mormon' talk this General Conference. It's been a while since we've had one there - especially by one of the Apostles. The last Apostle to speak on the subject was of course the unforgettable talk by Elder Holland (October 2009). I don't recall any talks specifically about the Book of Mormon from the 2010 and 11 conferences.

Book of Mormon: An Apostle's Introduction

2011-05-24T09:39:00.001-05:00

1 Nephi 8

2011-03-26T08:45:00.001-05:00

March 26, 2011

For quite some time, I've been toying with the idea of a personal scorecard to help me keep track of my daily goals and efforts. I finally made that a reality just yesterday and I've begun keeping score.

I don't think it's a coincidence that I came across 1 Nephi 8:30 on the same day I finalized my personal scorecard.

"But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."

When I read that verse, the phrases "caught hold", "press their way forward", and "continually holding fast" really stood out. To me, these imply that we don't leap ro jog along to the tree. Rather, it almost sounds like a hard-fought ground battle where you have to really earn an inch. It sounds like any person holding fast to that iron rod will intimately know every inch of that bar. They don't just hold on to it a bit at arms length and occasionally let go while they run along the path. There might even have been wind along that path and that to let go means immediate losses. Perhaps the dark mist was so thick, you could not see the rod even if you were holding on to it. There may have been zero visibility.

Anyway ... the phrases I mentioned implied certain things to me:

1) Daily, hourly ... constant reinforcement and recommitment
2) Constantly watching, assessing and adjusting

Those things, to me, sound a lot like what a scorecard accomplishes.

October 7, 2006

This chapter dicusses the tree of life vision that Lehi received. I’ve always thought that this could be an inspiring movie or film clip. Maybe someday someone will make it a reality.

In chapter 8 verse 12, Lehi reaches the tree and eats the fruit. After eating, he is “desirous that [his] family should partake of it also.” We shared this scripture often when we asked for references from members (referring to when I was serving as a full-time missionary). They have eaten of the fruit of the gospel and should be desirous that others enjoy the fruit or gospel.

Also, fathers can learn from the example of Lehi, in that we are to teach our family the gospel and then lead them by example. Upon eating of the fruit, Lehi immediately looked for his wife and children.

Lehi also sees the fate of many groups of people in his dream. In verse 21 he sees “numberless concourses of people … pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree.” He sees others commence in the path that leads to the tree, but then lose their way because of the mist of darkness. Others he sees catch hold of the iron rod and press forward until they reach the tree. Upon eating of the fruit, “they cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed” (v. 25). He also sees a large group of people occupying the great and spacious building. These mock and point the finger of scorn at those eating of the fruit (v. 27). And after some partake of the fruit, they look up to the building and see the people mocking them and some who see this mocking become ashamed. Feeling ashamed, these leave the security of the tree and become lost in “forbidden paths” (v. 28). Others were faithful and diligently sought the iron rod. Once they found it, they never let go until they reach the tree and eat of the fruit (v. 30). He also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards the great and spacious building and instead of reaching their goal, they either drown in the fountain or become lost in “strange roads” (v. 31-32).

It seems that there are three main groups: those who eat of the fruit and are not ashamed; those who eat the fruit and are ashamed and end up either becoming lost or finding the great and spacious building and end up mocking the others; and then there are those who are simply lost, never finding the tree and never reach the spacious building.

Obviously those who are truly happy and find real joy are the ones who find the tree and eat of the fruit and are not ashamed. Some of these people find the tree relatively easily. Others must work … they must press and cling to the iron rod. Once they reach the tree, they fall down with exhaustion and gladly eat of the fruit. We can see the similarities between these people in Lehi’s dream and those faithful saints who humbly keep the commandments and constantly serve others. They are the true disciples of Christ. How do they do it? They cling to the iron rod which is the word of God (Hymn 274). They read and study the scriptures every day and strive to apply the Saviors teachings in their lives. Once they do that, then they find the fruit and are happy. Lehi does not hide the fact that reaching the tree is hard work. He mentions “pressing forward” a number of times.

The other group of people are those who reach the tree, eat of the fruit and then become ashamed, either out of pure shame or because of the mocking and finger-pointing from those in the building. What does ashamed mean? It means feeling inferior, inadequate or embarrassed. Usually this feeling comes because one is not confident in his beliefs. He is more concerned about what others think of him rather than deriving feelings of approval from within or even from Above. It seems to me that feelings of shame (from living the Gospel) arise out of immaturity or unbelief. Of course, shame has its place in society. A man ought to be ashamed of himself if he did not use good manners, swore, abused others or cheated on his wife. In those instances, shame can be used to correct bad behavior. But in the Gospel context, we ought not to be ashamed of living a Christ-life life. Romans 1:16 teaches us that we should not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

The last group of people never find the tree. We can probably assume that since they never find the tree, they never bothered to look for it or even desire to look for it. I tend to think that these are those who are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). They may stumble upon the truth, but since they don’t desire to really know it, they discount it. In addition to lack of desire, Satan will do all he can to keep people blind to the truth of the Gospel.

Verses 33 and 34 are wonderful verses. I really love them! These two verses contain the perfect solution for the saints of God when confronted with persecution. In my mind’s eye, I see Lehi in his tent telling his family about his dream. I see his white beard and hair and his hands trembling a little as he explained how great the multitude was that entered into that worldly building. And upon entering they pointed the finger of scorn at Lehi and those eating of the fruit of the tree of life. I can almost see lavishly dressed women and young men laughing and jaunting at those humble people below. Then, as Lehi continued, he gave the solution to the world’s persecutions. I can hear his trembling yet powerful and majestic prophetic voice similar to President Benson’s say, “but we heeded them not.” Every time I read that part and picture it in my mine, chills run down my spine. Lehi goes on to explain that “as many as heeded them, had fallen away." Those in the building were so prideful, that in stead of living up to the example of the true followers of Christ, they persecuted them in hopes of making the followers of Christ give up their quest for righteousness so that the prideful can feel better in sinning. As I read the Book of Mormon and look at Church history, it is the same. The saints were persecuted by the prideful – buy why? If the saints were so good and righteous and did not bother any one else, living in peace, why the persecution? It was pride. The prideful people didn’t want to improve or change their lives or standards of living so instead of living up to the example, they tried to eliminate the example.

Regarding verses 24 and 25, how many times in our lives, as saints, do we feel the Spirit or have a spiritual experience and then turn around and deny it? Not that we say that we deny it, but we deny it with our actions. I think Nephi put it best when he said in 1 Nephi 19:7 that men trample under their feet their God. He goes on to say that what he means by trample under their feet is that they set at naught the things of God. In other words, they think that the things of God are not to be taken seriously; they think that it is “good counsel” or advice, but not a commandment. The purpose of spiritual experiences is to help up progress towards perfection, not to just feel good. If we do not learn from our spiritual experiences, then we are looking at that building feeling ashamed that we took of the fruit of the tree of life. We trample God under our feet and set at naught his counsels. I am not proud of the few times I have had spiritual experiences, and then fell into temptation’s power the very next day. I feel much like Nephi when he expresses, “I desire to rejoice, [but] my heart groaneth because of my sins” (2 Nephi 4:19). Thank Father in Heaven for sending his son so that we can repent and receive forgiveness of our sins and correct our behavior. I hope that I will always learn from my spiritual experiences, and not set them at naught.

1 Nephi 7

2011-03-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

March 24, 2011

While reading 1 Nephi 7:8-12 today, the thought occur ed to me that Nephi internalized what the Lord had done for him and their family. Whereas, Laban and Lemuel had not.

Let me back up a bit. The past week or so, I've felt like I've been in a funk. It usually happens after an extremely busy or stressful week. When I'm in this funk, it's as though I'm in a daze and lack motivation to keep up with my goals ... everything seems to unravel ... I seem to forget the reasons for my drive and motivation.

So when I read this passage, I was subconsciously asking the question, "What made Nephi's motivation never fail? Why was he always on the up ... on the go? When Laman and Lemuel went into one of their lapses, Nephi's frustrations come out ... and when he's speaking, it's as if he's telling them what they need to do so that they don't forget why they are doing the things they are doing.

Nephi essentially lists out all the things he repeatedly thinks about ... the things he has settled in his heart. To me, it sounds a like like an exercise in counting blessings.

So that is what I learned today ... when I'm feeling low; when the wind seems to have been emptied from my sails, I'm going to count my blessings.

October 5, 2006
As I read about Nephi and his brothers going to Jerusalem again and then Laman and Lemuel’s rebellion (along with the two sons and two daughters of Ishmael) I loved how much faith Nephi showed. He was truly courageous to stand up against four other men … not just men, but family and friends. He had so much faith and believed in the prophecies of his father that he boldly testified to the others that they too would be destroyed if they returned to the city of Jerusalem. He even reminded them of their agency to choose whether to go back or stay. But for some reason, they did not go back! After all their murmurings about having to leave home and how difficult life was in the wilderness, when they were finally reminded of their agency to go back, they chose not to! Instead they wanted to kill Nephi. Could this be the real source of their complaining? Maybe they didn’t want to leave the city, so they complained, but what may have really nagged at them in their heart of hearts was Nephi’s righteousness. Nephi was the example and his example was pushing the two complainers to do better when they knew they had to, but did not want to follow. Their idea or solution was not to live up to Nephi’s example but to eliminate the source of their discomfort. With Nephi around, they had to live up to his example, but if they kill him, they would not have to have that constant push on their conscience or so they thought.

I’ve seen in my own life many times in school where the lazy kids pick on the smart kids for their extra efforts to achieve good scores and grades. When the smart kids (or achievers) do their best, it makes the lazy kids look bad. Now the lazy kids don’t want to look bad, so they pick on the achievers in hopes the achievers will get discouraged and slow their pace down. They simply do not want to take responsibility for their actions. They want a free ride in life. Laman and Lemuel wanted a free ride to the Promised Land. They never bothered to ask the Lord for a confirmation of Lehi’s revelations. In stead they piggy-backed on the efforts of the rest of the traveling family. Part of the Lord’s plan for us is to go through adversity. The challenge of adversity is what builds character and makes us stronger and more perfect. Laman and Lemuel were worried about “looking bad.” They hoped to destroy Nephi so that their conscious would not be afflicted.

What I also love about this chapter is Nephi’s charity. After the big dispute and after the Lord loosened the cords that bound Nephi, the daughters of Ishmael calmed the two hot heads. When they returned to their senses, they begged Nephi for forgiveness. They even bowed down before Nephi. Nephi being the loving brother and diligent disciple of Christ, “frankly forgave them.” He truly loved his enemies. He took advantage of their humbled state and exhorted them to pray to God and ask forgiveness of their sins. Even though Nephi would see the outcome of his brothers (in his vision) he and his seed labored diligently to teach Laman and Lemuel’s posterity the ways of the Lord. Nephi is an excellent example of charity, patience, and how to bring others unto Christ.

The incident in the wilderness in this chapter was another step for Nephi in becoming a prophet. His charity, patience, and his ability to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost were tested and proven. At one point, he practically encourages his brothers to go back to Jerusalem. But once they chose to stay with Nephi, he did not constantly remind them of the choice to go back. In stead, he continued to try to help them understand the dealings of the Lord. He could have easily provoked Laman and Lemuel to return to Jerusalem. That would have been two less headaches to deal with. But, he developed his patience and charity and loved and worked with and taught Laman and Lemuel. Sometimes the toughest people to get along with are those closest to you. Nephi is a wonderful example of being your brother’s keeper.

One other thing that I noticed is that Nephi did not tell his parents what went on in the wilderness or at least the Book of Mormon doesn’t say that he told them. I think that Nephi really loved his brothers and wanted the best for them. He didn’t hold grudges against them and he did not remember every evil act they committed against him. He simply loved them and exhorted them to do what was right.

Quick Comment

2011-03-23T08:26:00.000-05:00

If there are any people who read this blog ... I wanted to briefly comment about something.

I just started reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish the other day. The plan is to read for 15 minutes or so. I've been studying the NT along with the Sunday School lessons, but I felt I needed the Book of Mormon time too. As I'm reading it this time, I've found that I've been getting some more insights. So I'm posting updates to the original posts so all my commentary on a chapter is found in one post. I'll note the date of each of the sections I wrote.

Another Testament of Jesus Christ

2010-04-09T15:18:00.004-05:00

I finished reading the Book of Mormon on April 6. For this most recent reading, I started March 8 and read about 18 pages a day, finishing in less than a month. I've never read the Book of Mormon that quickly before.

Jesus Christ

The one thing that stood out to me as I read it "quickly" this time was how much of it is indeed centered around Jesus Christ. Mormon did a spectacular job compiling thousands of years of records into one book with one central theme: Jesus Christ. All the prophets, from Lehi to Mormon, were concerned about was teaching the people about Jesus Christ.

In General Conference last week, Elder Bednar made a very interesting comment related to this. He said, "The Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth because it centers upon the Truth (see John 14:6; 1 Nephi 13:40), even Jesus Christ, and restores the plain and precious things that have been taken away from the true gospel (see 1 Nephi 13:26, 28–29, 32, 34–35, 40). The unique combination of these two factors—a focus on the Savior and the plainness of the teachings—powerfully invites the confirming witness of the third member of the Godhead, even the Holy Ghost. Consequently, the Book of Mormon speaks to the spirit and to the heart of the reader like no other volume of scripture." ("Watching with All Perseverance")

Abinadi

As always, the one person who fascinated me the most was Abinadi. This one man, who left Zarahemla to go to the Land of Nephi with Zeniff, seemingly comes out of obscurity to denounce King Noah and to call that subset of Nephites to repentance. For a few days in King Noah's court, the whole remaining history of the Nephites and Lamanites would be decided. Abinadi would die by fire. Alma would repent and go on to be the means of organizing the church and would leave a trail of posterity from Alma the Younger to Nephi the Disciple. The other priests of Noah, including Amulon, would become dissenters and stir up the Lamanites for decades and would be the cause of so many wars and bloodshed. So impressed was either Mormon's dad or grandfather, that both Mormon and his father were named after the Waters of Mormon, which is where the first members of the church Alma organized were baptized. I am truly awed whenever I think of the lasting effects of Abindi's choice to call King Noah to repentance.

Elder Koichi Aoyagi and the Book of Mormon

2010-04-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt taken from Elder Koichi Aoyagi's talk from General Conference last week.

Living alone, far from my hometown and the people I knew, I became lonely and strayed from the Church. One day I received a postcard from a Church member back home. She wrote that she had heard I was not attending Church meetings. She quoted a scripture and invited me to return to church. I was overwhelmed by the words of the scripture. This helped me realize that maybe I had lost something important, and I pondered and struggled for many days. This also caused me to remember a promise the missionaries had made to me: “If you read the Book of Mormon and ask in fervent prayer if the promise found in Moroni is true, you will know the truth through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (see Moroni 10:4-5)

I realized that I was not praying with all of my heart and decided to do so. One morning I woke up early, knelt in my small apartment, and prayed sincerely. To my surprise, the confirmation of the Holy Ghost came upon me as promised. My heart burned, my body shook, and I was filled with joy. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, I learned that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, live and that They truly appeared to Joseph Smith. I made a commitment in my heart to repent and faithfully follow Jesus Christ for the rest of my life.

This spiritual experience changed my life completely! I decided to serve a mission out of gratitude to the Lord and to the Church member who rescued me. Following my mission, I was sealed in the temple to a wonderful girl, and we have been blessed with four children. Not coincidentally, this is the same girl who saved me by sending a postcard to that lonely apartment in Yokohama many years ago. I remain ever grateful for the mercy of the Lord and the help of this Church member, who invited me to once again come unto Christ. (see Matthew 11:28)

Source: April 2010 General Conference, "Helping Hands, Saving Hands"

False Doctrines

2010-03-22T09:23:00.001-05:00

False Doctrines

"And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life. (Alma 1:4)

"But as to the people that were in the land of Ammonihah, they yet remained a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people; and they repented not of their sins, ascribing all the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil; for they were of the profession of Nehor, and did not believe in the repentance of their sins." (Alma 15:15)

"Not withstanding they believed in a Great Spirit, they supposed that whatsoever they did was right." (Alma 18:5)

"And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the managment of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime." (Alma 30:17)

What These Verses Imply

All of mankind will not be saved. There will be those who will not inherit eternal life - ever.

Believe in repentance - it will save you.

We cannot do anything we want. There are consequences to our actions.

Christ could and did atone for our sins. The atonement is real.

We can commit crimes against the law of God.

"In Search of Something Better"

2010-03-17T08:42:00.001-05:00

"The Book of Mormon: 'Our Story'" is another fantastic insight about the Book of Mormon over at Jeff Lindsay's blog. In it he describes how he was in a missionary discussion and one of the missionaries said that the Book of Mormon is 'our story' because just as Lehi and his family migrated from Jerusalem to the New World, these missionaries and those who they were talking to had migrated from China, Taiwan, the Marshall Islands and Mexico to the Promised Land.

Just as Lehi, King Mosiah, Zeniff , Limhi and Alma, the Anti-Nephi-Lehis, the Mulekites and the Jaredites migrated to a better place, so too are we trying to get to a better place .... from this mortal life to Eternal Life.

Stiff Necked and High Heads

2010-03-15T12:55:00.001-05:00

I've been immersing myself in the Book of Mormon again. In an effort to take my reading 'up a knotch' I've decided to read 18 pages a day. It takes me about 30 minutes to read 18 pages and that's about right for meeting the commandment of reading the Book of Mormon 30 minutes a day. If you're mathematically astute, you'll know that 18 pages a day equates to reading the Book of Mormon in 30 days. My short-term goal is to read it 3 times in 3 months.

The first go-around is just to get re-immersed in it. The 2nd time will focus on Christ in the Book of Mormon. I'm using a "missionary copy" of the Book of Mormon, so marking it up however I want won't be so "costly." The 3rd go-around will be a focus on personal application and revelation ... I'll read it through the prism of my current problems and challenges to get answers and direction.

Anyway - on to my comment about the term 'stiff necks' and 'high heads.' I know they mean obstinateness and pride. But as I was reading it today in Jacob 2:13, it hit me ... if you have a stiff neck, you can't move your head. If you can't move your head, you won't see others as easily. In a spiritual sense, if you can't (or won't) move your head, then you will not see others who are in need and therefore you will not be able to serve others. You are focused on your own personal appearance and status rather than focusing on serving others. I don't know why it took me so long to make that connection, but it finally hit home to me this time.

Articles on the Book of Mormon by the Prophets

2009-10-19T07:43:00.004-05:00

This is an old post (first published February 2007), but I just updated it to include the link to Elder Holland's powerful testimony regarding the Book of Mormon. I'll reference the Ensign article once it is published here in a week or so. I've also updated the date of the post to bump it to the top of the blog.

********

There are numerous articles that cite the Book of Mormon. What I am trying to capture here, however, are articles about the Book of Mormon. I'll continue to add to this list as I come accross articles from the prophets.

Testimonies

"We Add Our Witness" Ensign, March 1989, 5 : Testimonies of the Prophet and Quorum of the Twelve.
"Testimonies of the Book of Mormon" Ensign, Jan 2004, 7-9 : more testimonies from prophets.
"A Consistent Prophetic Call" Ensign, Aug 2005, 7 : prophets' call to read the Book of Mormon

Marion G. Romney

“The Book of Mormon,” Ensign, Aug 2005, 8–11

Ezra Taft Benson

"The Keystone of Our Religion" Ensign, Jan 1992, 2
"The Book of Mormon is the Word of God" Ensign, Jan 1988, 2
"Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon" Ensign Oct 2005, 60-62
“A New Witness for Christ,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 6

Neal A. Maxwell

“‘By the Gift and Power of God’,” Ensign, Jan 1997, 36

Gordon B. Hinckley

"The Power of the Book of Mormon" Ensign, Jun 1988, 2
“A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, Aug 2005, 2–6

Thomas S. Monson

James E. Faust

"Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon" Ensign, Jan 1996, 2
“The Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, Jan 2004, 2–6
“The Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, Nov 1983, 9

Boyd K. Packer
“The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ—Plain and Precious Things,” Ensign, May 2005, 6
“The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 62

L. Tom Perry
“Blessings Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 6

Russell M. Nelson
“A Treasured Testament,” Ensign, Jul 1993, 61
“A Testimony of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, Nov 1999, 69
“Scriptural Witnesses,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 43–45

Dallin H. Oaks
'"Another Testament of Jesus Christ’,” Ensign, Mar 1994, 60
“All Men Everywhere,” Ensign, May 2006, 77–80

M. Russell Ballard

Joseph B. Wirthlin
“The Book of Mormon: The Heart of Missionary Proselyting,” Ensign, Sep 2002, 13

Richard G. Scott
“The Power of the Book of Mormon in My Life,” Ensign, Oct 1984, 7

Robert D. Hales
“Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 24–27

Jeffrey R. Holland
“Mormon: The Man and the Book, Part 1,” Ensign, Mar 1978, 15
“Mormon: The Man and the Book, Part 2,” Ensign, Apr 1978, 57
“‘For a Wise Purpose’,” Ensign, Jan 1996, 12
Jeffrey R. Holland, “Safety for the Soul,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 88–90

Henry B. Eyring
“The Book of Mormon Will Change Your Life,” Ensign, Feb 2004, 9

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

David A. Bednar

Quentin L. Cook

D. Todd Christofferson

Neil L. Anderson
“The Book of Mormon: The Great Purveyor of the Savior’s Peace,” Ensign, Jan 2008, 34–39

"The Most Useful Piece of Knowledge" by Elder Christensen

2009-01-23T12:26:00.002-06:00

Read Elder Clayton M. Christensen's moving testimony of how he found out the Book of Mormon is true.

His invitation:

For those of you who may still be living on the testimonies of others, I invite you to set aside an hour every day and find out for yourself if the Book of Mormon is true, because it will change your heart as it has changed mine. Then someday you’ll be able to go to the place where you lived at the time that God revealed this to you and point at it for your children and spouse and say, “That’s a sacred place because that’s where I learned that Jesus is the Christ.”

Clayton M. Christensen, “The Most Useful Piece of Knowledge,” NewEra, Jan 2009, 40–42

United States Divided

2008-12-29T09:26:00.005-06:00

As I've written previously, the Book of Mormon is written for our day. It gives us insight into what we should expect leading up to the Second Coming of Christ.

One of the events that happened in Book of Mormon times before Christ visited them was the destruction of the government and the people dividing into "tribes" as described in 3 Nephi 7:1-7. Every time I read this passage, I wondered if something similar would ever happen to the United States.

Joseph Smith has prophesied, according to many people, that the United States government would be on the brink and that the Constitution would hang by a thread (read "What do we know about the purported statement of Joseph Smith that the Constitution would hang by a thread and that the elders would save it?" D. Michael Stewart, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, June 1976, 64–65)

So with all this in mind, I was honestly surprised to see an article link from a major US News site that read "Professor Predicts end of USA". The article appears on the Wall Street Journal and is entitled "As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.
In Moscow, Igor Panarin's Forecasts Are All the Rage; America 'Disintegrates' in 2010"

I'm not sure if that link will stay hot, so I'll post the article in its entirety here:

By ANDREW OSBORN
MOSCOW -- For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010. For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument -- that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. -- very seriously. Now he's found an eager audience: Russian state media.

In recent weeks, he's been interviewed as much as twice a day about his predictions. "It's a record," says Prof. Panarin. "But I think the attention is going to grow even stronger."
Prof. Panarin, 50 years old, is not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry's academy for future diplomats. He is invited to Kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media as an expert on U.S.-Russia relations.

But it's his bleak forecast for the U.S. that is music to the ears of the Kremlin, which in recent years has blamed Washington for everything from instability in the Middle East to the global financial crisis. Mr. Panarin's views also fit neatly with the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is returning to its rightful place on the world stage after the weakness of the 1990s, when many feared that the country would go economically and politically bankrupt and break into separate territories.

A polite and cheerful man with a buzz cut, Mr. Panarin insists he does not dislike Americans. But he warns that the outlook for them is dire.

"There's a 55-45% chance right now that disintegration will occur," he says. "One could rejoice in that process," he adds, poker-faced. "But if we're talking reasonably, it's not the best scenario -- for Russia." Though Russia would become more powerful on the global stage, he says, its economy would suffer because it currently depends heavily on the dollar and on trade with the U.S.

Mr. Panarin posits, in brief, that mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation will trigger a civil war next fall and the collapse of the dollar. Around the end of June 2010, or early July, he says, the U.S. will break into six pieces -- with Alaska reverting to Russian control.

In addition to increasing coverage in state media, which are tightly controlled by the Kremlin, Mr. Panarin's ideas are now being widely discussed among local experts. He presented his theory at a recent roundtable discussion at the Foreign Ministry. The country's top international relations school has hosted him as a keynote speaker. During an appearance on the state TV channel Rossiya, the station cut between his comments and TV footage of lines at soup kitchens and crowds of homeless people in the U.S. The professor has also been featured on the Kremlin's English-language propaganda channel, Russia Today.

Mr. Panarin's apocalyptic vision "reflects a very pronounced degree of anti-Americanism in Russia today," says Vladimir Pozner, a prominent TV journalist in Russia. "It's much stronger than it was in the Soviet Union."

Mr. Pozner and other Russian commentators and experts on the U.S. dismiss Mr. Panarin's predictions. "Crazy ideas are not usually discussed by serious people," says Sergei Rogov, director of the government-run Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies, who thinks Mr. Panarin's theories don't hold water.

Mr. Panarin's résumé includes many years in the Soviet KGB, an experience shared by other top Russian officials. His office, in downtown Moscow, shows his national pride, with pennants on the wall bearing the emblem of the FSB, the KGB's successor agency. It is also full of statuettes of eagles; a double-headed eagle was the symbol of czarist Russia.

The professor says he began his career in the KGB in 1976. In post-Soviet Russia, he got a doctorate in political science, studied U.S. economics, and worked for FAPSI, then the Russian equivalent of the U.S. National Security Agency. He says he did strategy forecasts for then-President Boris Yeltsin, adding that the details are "classified."

In September 1998, he attended a conference in Linz, Austria, devoted to information warfare, the use of data to get an edge over a rival. It was there, in front of 400 fellow delegates, that he first presented his theory about the collapse of the U.S. in 2010.

"When I pushed the button on my computer and the map of the United States disintegrated, hundreds of people cried out in surprise," he remembers. He says most in the audience were skeptical. "They didn't believe me."

At the end of the presentation, he says many delegates asked him to autograph copies of the map showing a dismembered U.S.

He based the forecast on classified data supplied to him by FAPSI analysts, he says. He predicts that economic, financial and demographic trends will provoke a political and social crisis in the U.S. When the going gets tough, he says, wealthier states will withhold funds from the federal government and effectively secede from the union. Social unrest up to and including a civil war will follow. The U.S. will then split along ethnic lines, and foreign powers will move in.

California will form the nucleus of what he calls "The Californian Republic," and will be part of China or under Chinese influence. Texas will be the heart of "The Texas Republic," a cluster of states that will go to Mexico or fall under Mexican influence. Washington, D.C., and New York will be part of an "Atlantic America" that may join the European Union. Canada will grab a group of Northern states Prof. Panarin calls "The Central North American Republic." Hawaii, he suggests, will be a protectorate of Japan or China, and Alaska will be subsumed into Russia.

"It would be reasonable for Russia to lay claim to Alaska; it was part of the Russian Empire for a long time." A framed satellite image of the Bering Strait that separates Alaska from Russia like a thread hangs from his office wall. "It's not there for no reason," he says with a sly grin.

Interest in his forecast revived this fall when he published an article in Izvestia, one of Russia's biggest national dailies. In it, he reiterated his theory, called U.S. foreign debt "a pyramid scheme," and predicted China and Russia would usurp Washington's role as a global financial regulator.

Americans hope President-elect Barack Obama "can work miracles," he wrote. "But when spring comes, it will be clear that there are no miracles."

The article prompted a question about the White House's reaction to Prof. Panarin's forecast at a December news conference. "I'll have to decline to comment," spokeswoman Dana Perino said amid much laughter.

For Prof. Panarin, Ms. Perino's response was significant. "The way the answer was phrased was an indication that my views are being listened to very carefully," he says.

The professor says he's convinced that people are taking his theory more seriously. People like him have forecast similar cataclysms before, he says, and been right. He cites French political scientist Emmanuel Todd. Mr. Todd is famous for having rightly forecast the demise of the Soviet Union -- 15 years beforehand. "When he forecast the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1976, people laughed at him," says Prof. Panarin.

I'm not sure if I believe all of this or not. But it is very interesting to see that the idea of the United States disintegrating is being talked about and even being considered not insane these days.

My original commentary on 3 Nephi 7 & 8

Organizing Blog

2008-07-22T07:24:00.003-05:00

Over the next few days, I'll be organizing this blog to make it easier to navigate.

Before upgrading to the current template, I used to have an index containing a direct link to each post. I'll be recreating that index. You can see the index on the right hand column towards the bottom.

I'm also going to be labeling each post according to the subject matter of the post. This part will take the longest.

Lastly, I might add some other side-bar content ... but I've not decided if and what to add.

The Crux of My Testimony and Life

2008-03-08T19:28:00.004-06:00

It has been just over five months since I finished reading the Book of Mormon and completed my "inspection" (commentary) of it. Since then, I've started working my way through Isaiah and posting my thoughts on a blog about what I've been learning.

But as many know, Isaiah is very difficult to read. Sometimes I have a lot of gumption and can pound out a few chapters a week. Other times, I have low or no desire to read and study Isaiah. I'm currently in a bit of slump, but I'm still determined to finish it.

So I've been in somewhat of a funk when it comes to feeding my testimony. I greatly missed that daily study of the Book of Mormon.

During this same time, I've continued to read lots of LDS blogs. There are a LOT of ideas and insights out there in the Internet when it comes to LDS culture, scriptures, gospel doctrine and church history. When it comes to Church History, it seems to me that many peoples' testimonies have either weakened or been lost because they found something out about the Church's history that has shocked them.

This is somewhat understandable. From July of last year until about December, I was reading Rough Stone Rolling by Richad Bushman (buy book at Amazon and B&N). I admit, I learned a lot of things from that book that I either had not heard of before or if I had, I did not know much about the subject.

Now that I have set up what kind of situtation I found myself in, I can tell you what I have recently begun to do (again). I used to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish almost every day a few years ago. It was a habit I started after President Hinckley suggested to us missionaries in Guatemala that we read the Book of Mormon in Spanish the rest of our lives. With his passing, I recalled this specific counsel he gave to a group of about 600 of missionaries in 1996. So I decided to read el Libro de Mormon each night before I go to sleep. After reading a chapter, I say my prayers and then go to sleep.

The difference in my attitude and spiritual life has been dramatic. I cannot fully express the tremendous effect reading the Book of Mormon has in my life. Since I've begun reading that special book again, I have felt steadier, more in control and at greater peace with myself than before. I LOVE READING THE BOOK OF MORMON! It is one of the most simplest and most fulfilling pleasures in my life.

I was prompted to post this tonight after reading an excellent post over at Mormanity (Jeff Lindsay's blog). His latest post discusses how some people seem to focus too much on issues such as polygamy and other less discussed Church history topics. These same people, however, fail to focus on the several witnesses of the Book of Mormon. If you have a minute, read the entire post: Troubled by Mormon History?

Just as the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religon, it is the crux of my testimony and perhaps my life. If I don't read the Book of Mormon on a regular basis, then nothing seems to flow so well ... I get stuck in ruts and I don't feel settled or at peace. But when I add this unique ingredient to my life, then everything seems better. I am happier, I feel at peace, guided, in balance and whole.

Indeed the Book of Mormon is the crux of my testimony and life. I can't live without it.

My Testimony

2007-10-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

I finished posting the last commentary to the blog last night on October 9, 2007. The commentary and insights have come a long way since December 12, 1996 in Coban Guatemala. It has taken me many tries to complete this little project to my liking. And I'm sure that I will continue to revise it through the years. To me, it is a treasure and will help me more easily remember all that the Lord has taught me while I've read this sacred book.

Today was a beautiful north Texas fall day. I had to work the night shift last night and so when I came home from work, I fell asleep and then got up around 1:00pm. By then, it was clear and dry and 80 degrees outside. As usual, I went on my run … today's route would be four miles.

I hadn't had much time to myself, so I was looking forward to spending my time in prayer while I ran. As I started to run, my thoughts turned to my family. I began to say a prayer in my head. I thanked our Heavenly Father for my beautiful children and my lovely wife. I let my mind wander thinking of all the blessings we have received. Indeed I feel so blessed and sometimes wonder why I should deserve those blessings.

I asked for forgiveness of my sins and shortcomings. I expressed my gratitude for the feelings of goodness within my heart and how I wish I always had them with me to help me resist temptations. I asked for strength to always choose the right.

Then I began to pray about the Book of Mormon. I told Heavenly Father that I love the book and how it has brought me joy in my life. I told Him that I know that by reading the Book of Mormon and following its teachings, I have learned the true way to happiness. And then something extraordinary happened. I told our Father in Heaven that even if all the evidence in the world came out against the Book of Mormon and that it were proven to not be true without any doubt, I would still believe in the Book of Mormon … I would still read it and I would still love it; I would still follow the teachings found therein. I would never "trample" on (see 1 Nephi 19:7) the Book of Mormon. I simply could not do it; I love the book too much to ever turn my back to it.

Unexpectedly, while I was running, tears welled up in my eyes and my heart began to thump a little harder. It was if a curtain was lifted and I could see. I began to cry out loud. I felt the Holy Ghost tell me that what I had determined in my heart was what Heavenly Father desired of me. Immediately, the words of Mormon in 3 Nephi 6:14 came to my mind, "They were firm, and steadfast, and immovable." I felt at that moment that Heavenly Father was pleased with me and He told me that I was on the right path. It was such a peaceful and powerful feeling. It was real to me and I shall never forget it.

I know the Book of Mormon is true. I love it dearly. Because I know the Book of Mormon is from God, I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church on the earth today. I also know the prophet who leads the Church is a prophet of God. I know these things are true and knowing that makes me happy. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Moroni 8 & 9

2007-10-09T20:38:00.000-05:00

Mindful of you

One of my favorite scriptures is Moroni 8:3. My father would sometimes begin his letters to me by quoting this verse. “I am mindful of you always in my prayers.” Whenever I read those words, I think of my father kneeling by the kitchen table and humbly praying to our Father in Heaven for me. I often kept that image and thought in my mind when I was serving as a missionary.

Baptism

Mormon teaches that little children must not be baptized because they are innocent in Christ, meaning they cannot sin. When they reach the age of accountability, then they should be baptized. D&C 68:25-28 teaches us that the age of accountability is eight years of age. We also learn from D&C 68 that parents are to teach their children the doctrine of the gospel and to pray.

Labor Diligently

In Moroni 9:6, Mormon exhorts Moroni to never cease to labor teaching the Nephites to repent. We too must never cease to labor, but to diligently labor. We must not serve in spurts and then “rest” a bit. Rather, we must be steady in our service to others. I remember Elder Ballard discussing this topic recently in a General Conference. He taught, “While there may be times when our Church callings require more intense effort and unusual focus, we need to strive to keep things in proper balance. We should never allow our service to replace the attention needed by other important priorities in our lives. Remember King Benjamin’s counsel: “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength” (Mosiah 4:27).” (M. Russell Ballard, “O Be Wise,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 17–20)

Mormon Chose to Hope

Despite mentioning all the horrendous things the Lamanites and Nephites were doing, Mormon still had hope. Mormon’s words to his son ring full of hope. “My son, be faithful in Christ … may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hop of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.” (Moroni 9:25)

Moroni 7

2007-09-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

Peaceable Followers of Christ

Peaceable is a very interesting word. There are several synonyms for the word: serene, harmonious, calm, quiet, compliant. Each one of those synonyms represents what it means to follow Christ’s teachings. It seems that these saints to whom Mormon was talking demonstrated that they were really Christians by they way they treated other people.

In my mind, a true Christian does not cause discord. He serves quietly and anonymously. He does not speak loudly, but lives a reverent life. He complies with the commandments and willingly follows Christ’s teachings. He prays fervently and studies the scriptures diligently. I often think of my parents as peaceable followers of Christ. My Sunbeam teacher, Grace Nelson, was a true peaceable follower of Christ. There are many peaceable followers of Christ among us, but you must watch carefully for them, because they will not stand out in the world’s sense.

Pray With Real Intent

If we are praying aimlessly and giving no thought for what we are thankful for and what we stand in need of, then our prayers will not reach heaven. It will profit us nothing. When we pray, we must mean it. We must have a purpose to our words. They must be thoughtful. We ought to meditate when we pray and we ought to really search our souls for the things we are thankful for and the things we desire of our Father. If we do not pray with real intent, we are not really praying. We are just saying words.

The Devil Fights God Continually

The word that stands out in Moroni 7:12 is continually. The devil will never stop fighting that which is good. But opposite of the devil is God who also invites and entices us to do good continually. Galatians 6:9 counsels us to “not be weary in well doing.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13 gives similar counsel. We must endure to the end and never tire in striving to do good. As we strive to do good, our Father in Heaven will help us.

Judgment and Spirit of Christ

Each of us knows the difference between right and wrong. This is called the Spirit of Christ. Since we know wrong from right, we are given the change to judge between good and evil. The task is simple yet hard to complete. Anything that invites and entices to do good comes from Christ. Anything that persuades and entices us to do evil and to deny the Christ is of the devil. Therefore, we must choose the good and shun the evil. As we continually choose the good, our ability to choose the good becomes stronger and we become a child of Christ. (Moroni 7:19)

How Faith in Christ Began

Men began to have faith in Christ when God sent angels who in turn ministered to men. Just within the pages of the Book of Mormon we read of Nephi’s vision and how an angel ministered to him. (see 1 Nephi 11) King Benjamin was taught by an angel before he taught the Nephites. (see Mosiah 3:2) We also are very familiar with the story of Alma and the angel that visited him more than once. (see Mosiah 27; Alma 8:14)

Not only have angels ministered to men, but our Heavenly Father and Christ have taught men. We have just read about the brother of Jared and how Christ showed Himself to him hundreds of years before Christ was mortal. Thus these seeds are planted among men and we begin to have faith in Christ.

But what about those of us today … Christ has already appeared. How are we to exercise faith in Christ? My favorite part of an Apostle’s talk is his testimony. If you are tuned into the Spirit and listen closely, the Holy Ghost will testify in your heart the truthfulness of the words of the Apostles’.

I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll mention it again. One of the most powerful testimonies I’ve heard came from Elder Henry B. Eyring shortly after he was called to be an Apostle. He gave a talk at the MTC while I was training there. I do not remember the subject of his talk. But what has remained with me all these years is the spirit I felt when he bore his testimony. I know that he really knows that Christ lives. And as such, I know that Christ lives.

Angels Minister Today

Mormon taught that angels have not ceased to minister to men. (Moroni 7:29) He teaches that angels are subject to God and according to His command they show “themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.” (Moroni 7:30) Those who are taught by angels are taught the gospel of repentance. Those who are taught are then commanded to preach to men. They are to preach repentance and to teach men to fulfill the work of God. They are to bear testimony of Christ. Thus “the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ.” (Moroni 7:32)

Pre-requisites of Faith and Hope

Mormon teaches that in order for a man to have faith and hope, he must be meek and lowly of heart. In other words, he must be a peaceable follower of Christ.

He must also confess that Jesus is the Christ and he must have charity.

Charity

Suffereth long – to me, this means that when placed under a trail or persecution, we do not retaliate. We suffer or endure through the trail or persecution asking God what He wants us to learn from it. We are quick to praise God and slow to complain.

Kind – If we are kind to others, then we have charity. Are we kind to disobedient children? Are we kind to drivers who cut us off? Are we kind to those who offend us? Can we at least treat others with decent respect?

Envieth not – If we have envy, then we are jealous or spiteful or malicious. To have charity means we should not covet other’s possessions or status in life. If we are “keeping up with the Jones” then we do not have charity. If we are constantly comparing our lot in life to others’ then we do not have charity. If we experience scheudenfraude (happy about another’s demise or ill luck), then we probably don’t have charity.

Is not puffed up – being “puffed up” means that we’re flaunting ourselves. When we are pompous, it tends to put others down and that is not charity. Puffing yourself up implies that you are putting others down.

Seeketh not her own – this is similar to being puffed up. If we are constantly looking out for ourselves without regard for others, then we are seeking after our own.

Is not easily provoked – this one is similar to suffereth long. At times, others may try to make us angry … they are trying to aggravate and goad us into fighting back. But if we do not fall for this tactic, then we are beginning to have charity.

Thinketh no evil – a person who does not think evil is pure in heart. A child does not think evil.

Rejoiceth not in iniquity – There are those who glory in their sinful life. They take delight in exercising their agency to the full extent.

Rejoiceth in the truth – On the other hand, there are those who love the truth and who want to be happy and seek true happiness for others. These rejoice in the truth.

Beareth all things – I think in this definition, we are to bear the trials and tribulations the Lord places on us. I don’t think the Lord expects us to tolerate all kinds of sin and iniquity. We are to allow others the use of their agency, but we can use our agency to exhort others to repentance. I am reminded of the Prophet Joseph Smith when he was in jail; he had to endure all kinds of taunting and vile talk. One night in the Richmond Jail, as guards in “dreadful blasphemies and filthy language” boasted of their participation in the Saints’ persecution, Joseph rebuked them in the name of Jesus Christ in a “voice of thunder”: “SILENCE, ye fiends of the infernal pit. … Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS INSTANT!” The “quailing guards … begged his pardon.” Parley wrote, “Dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains, at midnight, in a dungeon in an obscure village of Missouri.” (Parley P. Pratt, Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt (1985), 179–80 see also Matthew J. Grow, “The Extraordinary Life of Parley P. Pratt,” Ensign, Apr 2007, 56–61)

Believeth all things – Along the same lines of bearing all things, we are to believe all things the Lord teaches us. Obviously we are not to believe the lies Satan and his angels would have us believe. Rather, we ought to believe that Christ lives and we are to believe all that Christ has taught and we are to believe in his prophets and apostles. We are to be as a little child and be “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19)

Hopeth all things – We must always have hope. We hope for a better world. We hope our children will choose the right when they are on their own. We hope they will marry in the temple. We hope they will serve and be faithful all their lives. We hope we will be a family forever. We hope that all the gospel offers us and our family will be realized. We must always hope. Without hope, we’d be in constant despair.

Endureth all things – Not only are we to endure what this life throws at us, but we are to endure it well. There are so many people who are bitter about their lot in life. We may not be able to choose what will happen to us, but we can always choose how we will react to it.

Pray for Charity

Charity is a gift from God. We can do our best to practice charity, but ultimately we must diligently pray for it. And we must pray with all our heart that God bestows this gift on us.

Moroni 6

2007-09-27T13:55:00.000-05:00

Determination to Serve Christ to the End

After we are baptized, we must endure to the end. We can never give up or forsake our commitments. Elder Hales gave a wonderful talk in the April 1998 General Conference. He said, “We learn to endure to the end by learning to finish our current responsibilities, and we simply continue doing it all of our lives. We cannot expect to learn endurance in our later years if we have developed the habit of quitting when things get difficult now.” (Robert D. Hales, “‘Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure’,” Ensign, May 1998, 75)

Nourished by the Good Word of God

If ever there were a scripture for fellowshipping and home teaching and visiting teaching, Moroni 6:4 would be it. The pattern for a new member entering the Gospel is for him to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost and then endure to the end. To help him endure to the end, the members must nourish him with the good word of God … in other words, he must have home teachers and he must be fellowshipped at church. By having the members help this new convert, the convert is kept in the right way and is watched. We as home and visiting teachers must exhort him or her to continually pray and study the scriptures. The bishop ought to extend the convert a calling to keep him or her active in the ward. President Hinckley’s 1999 talk discusses what we as members need to do (see Gordon B. Hinckley, “Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,” Ensign, May 1999, 104)

Manner of Conducting Meetings

In the days of the Nephites, meetings were conducted “after the manner of the workings of the Spirit.” (Moroni 6:9) If the Sprit directed them to sing, they would sing. If the Spirit directed them to preach, they would preach. Today our meetings are much more structured. But that does not mean the bishop or whoever is presiding over the meeting cannot call upon someone to bear testimony or to alter the course of the meeting.

I think the concept here is that we follow the Spirit in our meetings. This can apply to us individually when we are giving a talk or lesson. If we’ve prepared something but later during the lesson or talk we feel we should say it differently or to say something else or hold something back, then we should follow the promptings of the Spirit. I’ve had this happen to me many times. Something might pop into my head and it fits perfecting into what I’m trying to convey … so I’ll say it. We never know when someone will be touched by what we say.

In the last General Conference (April 2007), President Monson noted the following event while he was giving a talk, “During the message I delivered at general conference in October 1975, I felt prompted to direct my remarks to a little girl with long, blonde hair, who was seated in the balcony of this building. I called the attention of the audience to her and felt a freedom of expression which testified to me that this small girl needed the message I had in mind concerning the faith of another young lady.

“At the conclusion of the session, I returned to my office and found waiting for me a young child by the name of Misti White, together with her grandparents and an aunt. “As I greeted them, I recognized Misti as the one in the balcony to whom I had directed my remarks. I learned that as her eighth birthday approached, she was in a quandary concerning whether or not to be baptized. She felt she would like to be baptized, and her grandparents, with whom she lived, wanted her to be baptized, but her less-active mother suggested she wait until she was 18 years of age to make the decision. Misti had told her grandparents, “If we go to conference in Salt Lake City, maybe Heavenly Father will let me know what I should do.”

“Misti and her grandparents and her aunt had traveled from California to Salt Lake City for conference and were able to obtain seats in the Tabernacle for the Saturday afternoon session. This was where they were seated when my attention was drawn to Misti and my decision made to speak to her.

“As we continued our visit after the session, Misti’s grandmother said to me, “I think Misti has something she would like to tell you.” This sweet young girl said, “Brother Monson, while you were speaking in conference, you answered my question. I want to be baptized!”

“The family returned to California, and Misti was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through all the years since, Misti has remained true and faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Fourteen years ago, it was my privilege to perform her temple marriage to a fine young man, and together they are rearing five beautiful children, with another one on the way.” (Thomas S. Monson, “Tabernacle Memories,” Ensign, May 2007, 41–42)

Moroni 1-5

2007-09-26T13:37:00.000-05:00

Moroni’s Last Thoughts

Moroni thought that after summarizing the Jaredite history that he’d be close to death. But he found that he had more time to “write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites.” (Moroni 1:4)

How can I apply Moroni 1 to my life? Moroni thought that his life would have already been taken by the time he gets to writing his last thoughts. So instead of giving up and “resting”, he decides to write more! He wants to write more things that perhaps they “may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites.” Moroni didn’t lose sight of his goal and he made the best use of his time and energy.

Christ Gives Power to Confer the Holy Ghost

Jesus gave the Nephite apostles the power to confer the Holy Ghost. After a person is baptized, Melchizedek priesthood holders lay their hands on the person’s head and confer upon him the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Ordinations

Moroni 3 teaches how the Nephite apostles ordained elders, priests and teachers.

The Sacrament

Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the sacrament.

I’ve always wanted to do this … have a side-by-side comparison of the blessing of the bread and water to clearly see this similarities and differences.

Both bless and sanctify the emblems.

Both identify the emblem it represents. The water blessing adds that it was shed for us.

In both blessings, we make a covenant … we witness unto God.

In the bread blessing, we pecifically promise that we are willing to take upon us His name and keep his commandments.

In the water blessing, we witness unto God that we will (DO) remember Christ.

Finally, if we are willing to take upon us His name and willing to keep his commandments and willing to remember Him (and do remember Him), then we’ll always (bread) have his spirit with us.
In a church meeting back in November 2004, President Gary Riding of our Stake Presidency asked us to do one thing every week to help us sanctify ourselves. He suggested that either Saturday night or Sunday morning, we sit down and review our past week. Then we identify ways in which we can improve and be better sons and daughters of God. Then we should improve on those things for the next week. Then during the Sacrament, we need to sing the song and read and listen to the words of the hymn. We should think of Jesus and how we can be more faithful to him and how we can remember him. President Riding also suggested that if we have small children, that each parent trade off each week when it comes to tending to them. In this way both of us can have a chance every other week or so, to completely reflect during the sacrament.

Ether 13-15

2007-09-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

Ether 13 talks about how the land upon which we live is a choice land above all other lands in the world. We learn from Ether 13:2 that it became a choice land after the great flood. In Ether 13:3 we learn that this land will be the place where the New Jerusalem will be built. I’ve always taken an interest in these verses because my patriarchal blessing states, “you will be involved in the gathering of Israel and in the preparation for the building of the New Jerusalem here upon the earth.” I don’t know to what extent I’ll be involved in the preparation for the building of the New Jerusalem.

Scriptures, Quotes and Notes on The New Jerusalem

The Old Jerusalem in New Times

Zechariah 14 describes what will happen to Jerusalem before the Second Coming of Christ. The Lord will fight for Israel and He will stand on the Mount of Olives. He will be King over all the earth. Referring to Jerusalem, Zechariah 14:11 says, “And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”

Isaiah 65:17-25 “I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.” There will be peace on the earth and the wolf and the lamb will feed together. This passage refers to the Jerusalem in Israel.

The New Jerusalem

These two passages refer strictly to the Old Jerusalem. There will also be a New Jerusalem built in the Western hemisphere.

Isaiah explains that the old Jerusalem and new Jerusalem will be world capitols where one will administer the law and the other will preach the word. Isaiah 2:2-3 says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us ago up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (see also Micah 4:1-7)

Joel also mentions two world capitols, “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:30-32)

“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

“So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.” (Joel 3:16-17)

The Lord told Enoch, “And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah;

“And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;

“And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem. (Moses 7:60-62)

John the Revelator saw the New Jerusalem, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:2-3)

Ether, the Jaredite prophet prophesied of the New Jerusalem, “And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

“Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.

“And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel.

“And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.” (Ether 13:3-6)

Modern revelation says the following of the New Jerusalem, “And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;

“And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

“And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

“And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.

“And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

“And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.” (D&C 45:66-71)

“The graves of the saints shall be opened; and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem; and they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever." (D&C 133:56.) Among other things they shall sing:

The Lord hath brought again Zion;
The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel
According to the election of grace,
Which was brought to pass by the faith
And covenant of their fathers.

The Lord hath redeemed his people;
And Satan is bound and time is no longer.
The Lord hath gathered all things in one.
The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.
The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.

The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength;
And truth is established in her bowels;
And the heavens have smiled upon her;
And she is clothed with the glory of her God;
For he stands in the midst of his people.

Glory, and honor, and power, and might,
Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,
Justice, grace and truth, and peace,
Forever and ever, Amen.
—D&C 84:99-102

In D&C 84:2-3 we learn of the location of the New Jerusalem, “Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.

“Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased.”

Another Nephite and Jaredite Parallel

The Land is Cursed

In Ether 14:1, we read of a great curse on the land. “If a man should lay his tool or his sword upon his shelf, or upon the place whither he would keep it, behold, upon the morrow, he could not find it.”

The Nephites were cursed similarly. “And behold, if a man hide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall say—Let it be accursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it up—behold, it shall be accursed.” (Helaman 12:18)

Helaman 13:31, 33, 36 and Mormon 1:18 document the curse on the land as well.

Endless War

The war among the Jaredites became very bloody. Coriantumr became the target for many warriors, but he would not die. “So great and lasting had been the war, and so long had been the scene of bloodshed and carnage, that the whole face of the land was covered with the bodies of the dead … [there were] none left to bury the dead.” (Ether 14:21-22)

The Final Battle

Coriantumr was injured by Shiz. During his recovery, “he began to remember the words which Ether had spoken to him.” (Ether 15:1) Two million people had already died. He tried to make peace with Shiz, but the people did not desire peace and the war continued.

For four years, all the people were gathered to one place to battle … men, women and children. They finally met. Every day for a week, the people battled. The numbers grew smaller until there were only a handful of people left. “Satan had full power over the hearts of the people” and they continued to fight. Finally, all men were killed except for Shiz and Coriantumr. Coriantumr then cut off the head of Shiz and the battle was finally won.

Ether witnessed the last scene, made a record and hid it so that the people of Limhi would find it. Coriantumr eventually recovered from the war and lived among the people of Zarahemla for about nine months. (Omni 1:20-22)

Ether 12

2007-09-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

Faith, Hope and Charity

This chapter is Moroni’s discourse on faith, hope and charity.

I’ve tried to really understand how faith, hope and charity all relate. I think I finally understand how these three attributes combine to become the “fountain of all righteousness.” (Ether 12:28)

Ether 12:4 sums up how the three attributes relate. A person comes to believe in God with a hope in a better place (better than this life or earth that we are on). This hope comes from having faith. This hope, which comes from faith, makes an anchor for our souls. We are not swayed by the persuasions of the world; rather we are persuaded that there is a better life that we can attain if we do what is right. Believing that if we do what is right, we’ll obtain a better place, we therefore choose good works, thus faith turns into charity.

Later on in Ether 12:6, Moroni explains a little more about how to obtain faith. He says that “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen.” So we begin with hope (not a sure hope); just simple hope. What do we hope for? We hope for a better world than this. We hope that we’ll live with Christ and God. We hope that we will be with our family and loved ones forever. We hope that Christ’s mission was real and that we will attain forgiveness of sins so that we are pure and can live with God. We hope for a better life. We hope that everything that we’ve been taught is true, because if these things are true, then we will have a better life – we will be eternally happy. So this simple hope turns into faith. We hope for these things, but we do not see them nor are we 100% sure that they are true or real. We have faith in them. Now, going back to Ether 12:4, if we believe in God or if we have faith in God, then our hope is more sure. With can hope with a for a better world with a surety. This sure hope comes from faith. This sure hope also anchors our souls into doing good. Now comes the trial of our faith (Ether 12:6). If we are sure in our faith and hope in God, then we will do as he has commanded us. Our faith is put on trial. Do you have faith? Prove it! I will prove my faith through my works. My faith will be put on trial through my works. After we do, then we receive a witness.

To summarize: simple hope leads to faith, faith (especially in Christ) leads to sure hope, sure hope anchors our souls because we believe if we do what is right, we’ll receive blessings, so we put our faith on trial by showing God that we keep his commandments (enter charity) and as we keep his commandments, God witnesses to us that the things we hope for are indeed true and our hope and faith turn into knowledge. Hope, faith and action lead to charity and a witness.

Elder Maxwell calls this sure hope “ultimate hope.” “For a variety of reasons, brothers and sisters, today’s society seems to struggle in order to be hopeful. The associated causes and effects co-mingle ever so subtly.

“Our everyday usage of the word hope includes how we “hope” to arrive at a certain destination by a certain time. We “hope” the world economy will improve. We “hope” for the visit of a loved one. Such typify our sincere but proximate hopes.

“Life’s disappointments often represent the debris of our failed, proximate hopes. Instead, however, I speak of the crucial need for ultimate hope.

“Ultimate hope is a different matter. It is tied to Jesus and the blessings of the great Atonement, blessings resulting in the universal Resurrection and the precious opportunity provided thereby for us to practice emancipating repentance, making possible what the scriptures call “a perfect brightness of hope” (2 Ne. 31:20).” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Nov 1998, 61)

Examples of Faith and Hope

In all the examples that Moroni cites, the believers acted upon their faith. Alma and Amulek taught the people in faith knowing that God would protect them. At the opportune time, God delivered them from the prison according to the prayers of Alma.

Nephi and Lehi acted on their faith by believing that they could convert bloodthirsty Lamanites. So powerful was their faith, that they converted thousands of Lamanites and in this way regained the Nephite lands which were at the center of their battles.

Ammon and his brethren believed that they could convert the Lamanites of their day. They hoped that they could be the means of saving many souls. The Lord wrought a great change among many Lamanites through the work of Ammon, Aaron, Omer and Himni.

Another example from the Bible is that of Moses. I don’t know if this is scripture, but I’ve heard that Moses had to take a few or even quite a few steps into the Red Sea before the waters would part. Can you imagine what faith he had to have had? He could not doubt. He could not be thinking, “I hope this works!” He knew that God would deliver them and he took a course of action that led God to help them. He acted on his faith. This is the same with all the other prophets who have preached and made prophesies and who have wrought miracles. They had faith in God, nothing doubting, that God would deliver them.

“And neither at any time has any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believe in the Son of God.” (Ether 12:18)

Consider the Prophet Joseph Smith. When he was considering which church to join, he had a degree of hope of finding the correct one to join. He didn’t feel right about any church, but he did not let the matter drop. He pressed on and read the Bible and found the passage of James. In his heart stirred emotions and a swelling of faith that God would be good on his word and that if God promised something, God would deliver. Joseph challenged God on His promise and acted on faith. He went to the Grove and prayed. He was seized and he was delivered. He saw God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ. There in that meeting, Joseph received wisdom, just as God had promised. Joseph hoped, had faith, acted and then received a witness.

Our Weaknesses

Later in the chapter, Moroni talks about weaknesses and how if we are humble, we will know of our weaknesses and the Lord will help us to make those weaknesses into strengths.

Neal A. Maxwell also discussed this point in the same talk. “Because God wants us to come home after having become more like Him and His Son, part of this developmental process, of necessity, consists of showing unto us our weaknesses. Hence, if we have ultimate hope we will be submissive, because, with His help, those weaknesses can even become strengths (see Ether 12:27).

It is not an easy thing, however, to be shown one’s weaknesses, as these are regularly demonstrated by life’s circumstances. Nevertheless, this is part of coming unto Christ, and it is a vital, if painful, part of God’s plan of happiness. Besides, as Elder Henry B. Eyring has wisely observed, “If you want praise more than instruction, you may get neither” (“To Choose and Keep a Mentor,” Addresses Delivered at the 1993 Annual University Conference, Brigham Young University [1993], 42).” (Maxwell, Ensign Nov. 1998)

This is a tremendous sermon on hope, faith and charity. I encourage anyone to read and ponder the words found in Ether 12.

Ether 9-11

2007-09-25T14:28:00.000-05:00

Jaredites Nearly Destroyed

Because of the secret combinations among the Jaredites, they are nearly wiped out. The war between the sons of Akish and Akish lasted many years and destroyed “nearly all the people of the kingdom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omer.” (Ether 9:12)

The Righteousness of Emer

Once Akish and his sons were destroyed, Omer was restored as king of the land. His son Emer became king and prospered in the land because of his righteousness. Emer “saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.” (Ether 9:22)

Jaredite Cycle

We often refer to the Nephite Cycle as the cycle where the Nephites would be righteous for many years and then turn wicked, were punished and then turned back to righteousness again and the cycle would begin anew. It seems that the Jaredites had their own cycles. After nearly being destroyed, the Jaredites repented and prospered before turning again to secret combinations.

In Ether 9:26 we read the great-grandson of Emer, whose name was Heth, “began to embrace the secret plans again of old, to destroy his father.”

Prophets began to cry repentance to the people (Ether 9:28), but the people and the king simply killed the prophets.

A dearth was sent by the Lord to the land and people began to die. Poisonous serpents pursued the people and the beasts. “When the people saw that they must perish they began to repent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lord.” (Ether 9:34) When they humbled themselves, the Lord sent rain again to the land and the people were preserved.

In Ether 10, we read how the cycle continues to repeat over and over again.

Nephite and Jaredite Parallels

Riplakish and Noah

There are many similarities between Riplakish and King Noah. Both had many wives and concubines and laid heavy taxes on the people to support themselves and their wives and concubines. (Mosiah 11:6 and Ether 10:5) Both built lavish buildings and thrones and had them ornamented with many fine things. (Mosiah 11:8 and Ether 10:6-7)

Robbers in the Land

In Ether 10:33 we learn that the Jaredites had robbers among them and that these robbers adopted the old plans referring to the secret oaths and promises. The king of the land at the time (Com) fought them much, but he was not able to prevail against them.

The Nephites and Lamanites were also plagued with many robbers and fought them much too. (3 Nephi 2:11-19)

Prophesy of Complete Destruction

Both the Nephites and Jaredites were warned by prophets that if they did not repent, they would be completely destroyed from the face of the land. (Helaman 13:10 and Ether 11:6)

Another People to Possess the Land

In both the Nephite and Jaredite histories, it was foretold that another people would possess the land. (1 Nephi 13:14 and Ether 11:21)

Ether 8

2007-09-24T15:14:00.000-05:00

Secret Plans to Obtain Kingdoms and Great Glory

Secret combinations enter into the Jaredites’ hearts in Ether 8:8-9 when the daughter of Jared (a wicked man) sees that her father is sad because he has lost his kingdom. She tells him of the ancient secret plans which are mentioned in the records the Jaredites brought with them. She dances for Akish and Akish desires her for a wife. Jared asks Akish to kill the King Omer and then Akish can have the daughter of Jared. Akish then administers the secret oaths to his friends and family and thus the secret combinations begin among the Jaredites.

Moroni teaches us that these evil practices have been passed down from Cain who was “a murderer from the beginning.” (Ether 8:15) Moroni explains that the devil has kept up these secret oaths.

Moroni warns all nations in Ether 8:22 that those nations who embrace these secret combinations, will eventually be utterly destroyed. This is manifest among the Jaredites and among the Nephites and Lamanites.

I have wondered to what extend secret combinations have crept into our (American) government and businesses. Some have suggested that powerful business men and government officials are behind many of the wars our country has fought. Some have suggested these same individuals are responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks, thus prompting a new war among the people of the earth. Personally, I don’t know if these accusations are true or not. But it would not surprise me if at some future day we find out that secret combinations in our government and/or businesses have been responsible for many of the wars and destructions we see on the news today.

Moroni’s loud warning is for all of us: “O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you.” (Ether 8:23) Note how he phrases this warning … we should not suffer that these combinations get above us, implying that they are in our leadership positions.

In Ether 8:26, Moroni is commanded of the Lord to write these warnings so that someday, evil might be overcome and Satan will have no power over the children of men again.

A Modern Prophet’s Testimony

Ezra Taft Benson said in 1988, “I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. (See D&C 1:14–16; D&C 84:49–53.) It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world. (See Ether 8:18–25.)

“I testify that the church and kingdom of God is increasing in strength. Its numbers are growing, as is the faithfulness of its faithful members. It has never been better organized or equipped to perform its divine mission.

“I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer’s leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil. As these conflicts rage, either secretly or openly, the righteous will be tested. God’s wrath will soon shake the nations of the earth and will be poured out on the wicked without measure. (See JS—H 1:45; D&C 1:9.) But God will provide strength for the righteous and the means of escape; and eventually and finally truth will triumph. (See 1 Ne. 22:15–23.) (Ezra Taft Benson, “I Testify,” Ensign, Nov 1988, 86)

Ether 5-7

2007-09-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

The Three Witnesses

This chapter almost reads like a revelation from the Doctrine and Covenants. It seems as though Moroni were directing his words specifically to Joseph Smith.

After or as this chapter was being translated, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris asked Joseph to inquire of the Lord about these three witnesses. These three gentlemen later were shown the gold plates by Moroni. Moroni also showed them the Sword of Laben, the Liahona and the Urim and Thummim. (See D&C 17)

The Jaredites Cross the Sea

In chapter 6, we resume the account of the Jaredites crossing the great ocean. They travel for 344 days on the water (Ether 6:11). When they arrived at the Promised Land, they bowed themselves down on the land and were humbled and cried. Is this not symbolic of our journey through life? After a long, tough journey, will we not bow ourselves before the Lord and shed tears of joy before the Lord?

The Brother of Jared’s Counsel

The people want a king and the Brother of Jared warns that kingships will lead to captivity. (see Ether 6:22-23) His prophesy is fulfilled many times.

The first king established is Orihah. Orihah passed the kingship to his son Kib. Kib had a son named Corihor. Corihor rebelled against his father and eventually took the king captive, thus fulfilling the Brother of Jared’s prophecy in just a few years. (see Ether 7:5)

Ether 4

2007-09-24T14:10:00.000-05:00

The Benjamin-Mosiah Name Change

In original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 21:28 and Ether 4:1 both refer to King Benjamin. In subsequent editions, Benjamin was changed to Mosiah.

The Maxwell Institute at BYU has the following under its FAQ section:

“King Benjamin's death is recorded in Mosiah 6:5, so why does the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon have him living at a later time (see Mosiah 21:28 and Ether 4:1), while subsequent editions changed the name to Mosiah in the later references?

“King Benjamin lived for three years after his son Mosiah2 was made king. It was at the end of these three years that the expedition was sent to the Land of Nephi, where the plates of Ether were found. After relinquishing his kingship, Benjamin may have continued to act as a seer for the three-year interval. The chronology in this part of the book is not all that clear. We do not know how long Ammon and his brethren were in the Land of Nephi. It could have been only a matter of weeks or months. It is not inconceivable then, that Benjamin passed away shortly after their return, which still would have been "after three years" (Mosiah 6:5). It is certainly possible that the keeper of the record of Zeniff or Mormon and Moroni (Ether 4:1) may have erred in compiling the records. After all they were mortals, capable of making mistakes (which both Mormon and Moroni admitted). The issue of whether the individual was Mosiah or Benjamin is not that important as far as salvation is concerned (the Bible displays similar apparent anomalies). It is also possible that this was an example of a scribal error, later corrected by Joseph Smith the translator.

“It is interesting that the Bible has a situation similar to that found in the Book of Mormon. We read in 1 Kings 14:29-15:5 that Abijam (also called Abijah, as in the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 12:16) became king of Judah after the death of his father Rehoboam and that, despite his sins, the Lord preserved his kingship for the sake of his ancestor David. Then, in the verses that follow (1 Kings 15:6-7), we read, "And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam." The name Rehoboam is anachronistic, since he was dead and the passage was intended to describe events in the days of his son Abijam. The error is actually corrected in a few Hebrew manuscripts and in the Peshitta (Christian Syriac) version to read, "And there was war between Abijah the son of Rehoboam." The parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 13:2 reads, "And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam." (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/faq.php?id=14&table=questions)

Never Were Greater Things Shown to Man

In Ether 4, Moroni continues his narration with some commentary of his own. He tells us that there were never greater things shown to man than to the Brother of Jared. (Ether 4:4) He tells us that he has sealed his writings concerning the things which the Brother of Jared has seen. (Ether 4:5)

The Power of God

In Ether 4:9, we are reminded of the great power that God has over his domain of which the Earth is a part. He can make the heavens open and shut. He can cause earthquakes and he can cause the Earth to burn. This knowledge is important to have since it reminds us that God is all-powerful; and that if we do not keep his commandments, he can destroy us. In this age of independence, we could do well to remember that God is still our Maker and that if we choose not to obey His law, then we will suffer the consequences.

Whatsoever Thing Persuadeth Men to do Good is of God

The Lord persuades men to do good. This is one of the ways we can tell if something is of God or of the devil. If it persuades us to be good and to do good, then it is of God. If it persuades us to do evil, then it is of the devil. (Ether 4:11-12 see also Moroni 7:17)

Found Faithful

“Blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day.” (Ether 4:19) Just as the parable of the workers, there are those who are called to labor in the fields all day and there are those who are called to labor in the field in the final hour. (see Matthew 20:1-16) What is important is that we are found laboring in the field when the Lord comes. Our eternal destination does not depend on how far you’ve walked on the path, but that you are on the path and that you are moving forward.

Ether 3

2007-09-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Stones of Light

In Ether 3, the Brother of Jared goes into a large mountain and melts rock to make 16 clear, white, small stones and then takes them before the Lord. He asks the Lord to touch them and he believes that if the Lord touches them, then they will be lit up and will provide light for them.

The Faith of the Brother of Jared

The faith of the Brother of Jared was so great, that he saw the finger of the Lord. The Lord then revealed himself to the Brother of Jared. From that point on, the Lord could not withhold anything from the Brother of Jared.

I find his faith fascinating as I read about his faith in Ether 3:4, 5 and 12. He says, “I know,” “We know,” and “I know” in each respective verse. His faith is almost to the point of knowledge when the Lord reveals himself. At that point, he has knowledge and no longer has faith. We also learn that he is redeemed from the fall – he is brought back into the presence of the Lord.

Because of the Brother of Jared’s faith, the Lord revealed to him everything … all that has been and all that will be “even unto the ends of the earth.” (Ether 3:25) This seems to be the same vision Nephi and John the Revelator saw too.

Urim and Thummim

In Ether 3:23, the Lord gives him two stones, the Urim and Thummim, to be sealed up with his account of his personal visitation. These stones are to be the means of translating his sealed record of the Lord. D&C 17:1 states that the Urim and Thummim that Joseph Smith used are these two stones. How they fell into the hands of Moroni, we do not know. When we first learn of how the 24 gold plates of the Jaradites are obtained by the people of Limhi, there is nothing said of two stones. Later on, we learn that King Mosiah had the gift of seership. We do not know if he had a separate set of Urim and Thummim. I would imagine that at some point, these stones fell into the Nephite prophet’s hands and then were eventually passed down to Moroni who passed them to Joseph Smith.

Ether 2

2007-09-21T16:38:00.000-05:00

Deseret

In Ether 2:3, we learn that deseret means honey bee. I always found this interesting since during my mission, I learned K’ekchi (Mayan dialect) and the word for bee in K’ekchi is ser. Take off the de and et from deseret and you have ser! But I'm not a linguist and so this is simply interesting to me.

Divine Explorers

"And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been." (Ether 2:5)

The Decree from God

As with the Nephites and every other nation that possessed the Promised Land, the Jaredites were warned of God that if they did not serve God, they would be "swept off" when they are fully ripened in iniquity. (Ether 2:8-10)

At this point, Moroni makes it a point to remind us Gentiles that unless we repent, we too will be "swept off."

Barges, Air holes and Light

In Ether 2:6, we learn that they had built barges in which they did cross many waters including the "sea in the wilderness" (Ether 2:7). At some point they arrive at the ocean (or the "great sea that divideth the lands" Ether 2:13) and dwelled there for the space of four years. At the end of those four years, the Lord came to the Brother of Jared and chastised him for three hours for not praying. Then the Lord told him to build more barges. After they had built the barges, the Brother of Jared
went to the Lord and asked him two questions. One, how will they see in the barges because of the lack of light and two, how will they breath. The Lord responds to his second question immediately by giving the solution of making a hole in the top and bottom and putting corks in them. Again, the Brother of Jared did as he was told and then posed the question of light in the barges to the Lord again. The Lord responds by asking the Brother of Jared what he would like him (the Lord) to do.

At this point, my next question comes up. If they had built barges previously, why were the issues of breathing and light not discussed with the Lord? My only guess is that they had a pretty good idea of what they could endure. They probably arrived at some large body of water and figured that they could reach the other side without light and with the air already in the barges. This idea may be supported by the fact that when they arrived at the ocean, they stayed there for four years and probably did not do much in the manner of ship-building. They did not act until the Lord chastised the Brother of Jared. Whereas the other bodies of water were probably manageable in their view and they figured they could cross without major risk.

Another way of looking at it is perhaps after building these barges, they endured the lack of air and light and when confronted with crossing the ocean, the brother of Jared realized that this next crossing would take a long time compared to previous crossings.

Ether 1

2007-09-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

Personal Questions about the Jaredites

The Book of Ether is a really interesting history of a people who were not confounded by the Lord at the building of the Tower of Babel. Instead of being cursed with the rest of the people, Jared asks his brother to plead before the Lord that he would not curse them. The Lord does not curse them and instead promises to take them to a promised land.

It is here that I pose the first of many questions that I hope I might be able to answer or someday find the answer to them. Maybe I can do some more reading and research on this to find out, but I can’t help but ask this: Why were Jared and his brother and their families not cursed? Were they not helping build the Tower of Babel? If they were not helping and were just afraid of being cursed, then everything makes sense. Perhaps they were not taking part in the building, but the vast majority of the people were and therefore if the vast majority of the people were not going to be able to understand each other, then there may have not been any point in staying in that land. I don’t know … this is all speculation.

The Greatest Nation on Earth

The Lord promises them that they will be taken to the Promised Land and that they will be the greatest nation of the earth.

In reading about the Olmecs and ancient civilizations in Mexico, I came across a book (“Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs, 5th ed.” By Michael D. Coe and Rex Koontz) on amazon.com. One of the summaries mentioned this about the Olmec civilization, “Prof. Coe presents recent archeology showing that Mexico had developed the elements of a true civilization between 2300 B.C. - 1800 B.C. This Olmec Civilization predates the Jewish presence in Israel and occurred before there was a single town or city in all of Western Europe.
“(By the time Solomon built the First Temple in Isreal in 960 B.C., the Olmec capital at San Lorenzo was already over 400 years old.)”

If indeed if the Jaredites and the Olmecs were one and the same, then it would appear that the Lord’s promise was fulfilled.

Jaredites Origins

Joktan

"Some have suggested that the Jaredites may have been descendants of Shem. The reasoning is as follows. Moroni begins his abridgement of the Book of Ether by saying that he is omitting those parts of Ether's record that are had in the Bible; he says he will begin where the biblical record leaves off. He then begins with a genealogy, going from Ether back to Jared. This may imply that his point of departure from the biblical record is also a genealogy.

"In the Bible, Genesis 10 lists the descendants of Shem (Shem - Arphaxad - Salah - Eber). Shem's great-grandson Eber (or, Heber) is said to have two sons, Peleg and Joktan (or, Yoktan), noting that in their day, the earth was divided. The record briefly lists Joktan's children but then his line dead-ends. The record returns to Peleg and follows his line after telling the tower of Babel story.

"Some interpret "the earth was divided" to mean that the covenant line was divided into two groups, one of which went to America. They point out that one of Joktan's sons is named "Jerah," which is similar to Jared. They propose that Moroni's genealogy of Ether begins where Genesis 10 leaves off. Some have further hypothesized that the word Yucatán is derived from Joktan. (The above is from an uncited Wikipedia entry. I searched Gospelink.com and found similar claims in Reynolds and Sjodahl's work. See Commentary on the Book of Mormon vol. 6 George Reynolds and Janne M Sjodahl)

Olmecs

"Some Mormon scholars have argued for substantial parallels between the Jaredites and the Olmecs. For example, one scholar pointed to writings by an ancient Native American historian Ixtlilxochitl who wrote in his history about a group of people who came from the great tower to Mesoamerica. According to Ixtlilxochitl's writings, they lived in an area in the northern parts of the land along the Gulf Coast of Mexico." (Allen 1989, 55)

The above quote is also from Wikipedia. The citation is incomplete and so I assume it is citing Joseph L. Allen's Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon which was published in 1989.

Adding to this hypothesis is the following section from the Wikipedia entry for the Tower of Babel:

"Various traditions similar to that of the tower of Babel are found in Central America. One holds that Xelhua, one of the seven giants rescued from the deluge, built the Great Pyramid of Cholula in order to storm Heaven. The gods destroyed it with fire and confounded the language of the builders. The Dominican friar Diego Duran (1537-1588) reported hearing this account from a hundred-year-old priest at Cholula, shortly after the conquest of Mexico.

"Another story, attributed by the native historian Don Ferdinand d'Alva Ixtilxochitl (c. 1565-1648) to the ancient Toltecs, states that after men had multiplied following a great deluge, they erected a tall zacuali or tower, to preserve themselves in the event of a second deluge. However, their languages were confounded and they went to separate parts of the earth.

"Still another story, attributed to the Tohono O'odham Indians, holds that Montezuma escaped a great flood, then became wicked and attempted to build a house reaching to heaven, but the Great Spirit destroyed it with thunderbolts. (Bancroft, vol. 3, p.76; also in History of Arizona)"

In that first paragraph, it mentions Xelhua, one of the seven giants. In reading Ether 1:34 today, I noted that it said the brother of Jared was a "large and mighty man."

Mormon 9

2007-09-19T07:50:00.000-05:00

Racked with a consciousness of guilt

Moroni warns us that we'd be better off repenting of our sins and changing our ways in this life rather than facing God and being "racked with a consciousness of guilt." (Mormon 9:3) He teaches us that we'd be more miserable in the presence of God than with the damned souls of hell and that our nakedness (not being clothed in purity … see 2 Nephi 9:14) would be like a flame of unquenchable fire. (Mormon 9:5)

We are not helpless with regard to being racked with a consciousness of guilt. We can do something about this matter in this life. We can repent and turn to God.

Man is the Variable, Not God

Many people say that God has changed. They think that since there are not many miracles occurring today that God has changed. It seems that many preachers in Joseph Smith's era taught that God had revealed all to the biblical prophets and that he no longer dealt in revelations or miracles. This notion is incorrect. God does not change his modus operandi. Rather it is the natural man who varies and changes. We think God has changed when indeed he is "the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Mormon 9:9)

Mormon later explains that "the reason why he [God] ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief." (Mormon 9:20) Again, the natural man is the one who changes his beliefs. God does not change.

Ask and ye shall receive

One of the most repeated messages in the scriptures is the message of asking God and receiving. Mormon repeats this important message in Mormon 9:21.

"Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ is shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."

When we do ask of our Father, we must "doubt not, but be believing." (Mormon 9:27)

Work out your own salvation

God will never take away our agency. No man will be forced to Heaven. He had given His son so that we have a chance to repent. Christ has done His part and now all that is left to be done is if we repent and keep the commandments. We are responsible for our salvation. Through the grace of God, the way is made possible. But we must do our part.

As Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:12-15)

More Counsel from Mormon

"Be wise in the days of your probation." In other words, don't waste time in sin. Repent and keep the commandments.

"Strip yourselves of uncleanness." Is our desire like the Lamanite king who Aaron taught in that we desire to "give away all [our] sins" to know God? (Alma 22:18)

"Ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation." How often do we pray that we are not lead into temptation? I think that if we prayed for this more often, we'd see a significant increase in our purity.

"Serve the true and living God." In our prayers, we should also ask for strength in our efforts to serve others.

Reformed Egyptian

There seems to be a lot of academic studies on the Book of Mormon being written in reformed Egyptian. Moroni explains in Mormon 9:32-33 that were they able to write in Hebrew, there would have been no imperfections. Instead, the Book of Mormon writers used reformed Egyptian to perhaps save on space.

The "I Have a Question" section in the October 1986 Ensign does a pretty good job of explaining the writing process of the Book of Mormon historians.

Below are some pictures from the Reformed Egyptian Wikipedia entry.

Mormon 8

2007-09-17T13:22:00.000-05:00

In chapter 8, Moroni begins to finish what his father intended to finish. We learn from Moroni that Mormon was hunted by the Lamanites and killed.

Moroni's Concern

In Mormon 8:12, Moroni seems to express concern about imperfections in the record. But he quickly counsels that whoever does not condemn the Book of Mormon for its imperfections, "the same shall know of greater things than these."

In Ether 12:22-29 we read that Moroni expressed this same concern to the Lord. The Lord then instructed Moroni that, "fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness … I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me - the fountain of all righteousness."

The Worth of the Plates

We learn in Mormon 8:14 that the gold plates upon which the Book of Mormon is written are of no monetary worth because of “the commandment of the Lord.” The real worth of the Book of Mormon is vastly more valuable than its price in actual gold.

The Eternal Purposes of the Lord Shall Roll On

The next few verses of chapter 8 deal with the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the modern world. Just as we read in Church history, many people tried to get the plates for money and to destroy the work of the Lord. But as Mormon 8:22 states, “the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled.”

Joseph Smith latter wrote in the Wentworth Letter,

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (History of the Church 4:540)

The Revelations of God

Wise counsel is given in Mormon 8:33 – “look … unto the revelations of God.” We must look to and understand the revelations of God so that we are prepared for them, for they will come to pass. Heavenly Father, in essence, has given us the answers to the exam and all we need to do is to prepare for it.

Earlier, Moroni counsels us to "search the prophecies of Isaiah." (Mormon 8:23) Nephi and other prophets from the Book of Mormon have given us the same counsel. Even Christ, when he visited the Nephites, commanded them to study Isaiah.

Moroni's Criticism to Us

Moroni concludes chapter 8 with scathing warnings to us in the latter days. He warns us of becoming obsessed with fine apparel and clothing. He warns us to avoid strifes and malice and persecutions. He warns against pride and the love of money and substance. He tells us that we should be more concerned with adorning the poor with food and clothing than adorning our churches. I particularly love the part in Mormon 8:38 when he says, “why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies – because of the praise of the world?”

D&C 105:3-5 says, "But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them;

"And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom;

"And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself."

Mormon 7

2007-09-14T00:16:00.000-05:00

Mormon's Last Words

Chapter seven are the last words we read from Mormon. As many previous Nephite prophets, Mormon was continually concerned about the welfare of the Lamanites. His final words are directed to the descendants of the Lamanites with the hope that the Lamanites would some day return to the gospel of Christ.

Delight No More in the Shedding of Blood

Mormon 7:4 says, "lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you."

We live in an age where we hear of wars and rumors of wars (see D&C 45:26). We are taught that this trend will continue until the 2nd Coming of Christ. I fear we are a blood-thirsty society. We want justice and revenge. I often wonder what our nation's reaction would be if after being attacked we did not fight back. I think there would be a huge outcry of rage and the people would demand that we fight back. I know we are taught to defend ourselves and we would not be in the wrong for doing so, but I wonder if our nation has crossed the line in the past and in recent years.

Endless Happiness

One scripture that I really love from this chapter is verse 7. Mormon explains that Christ has brought to pass the redemption of the world and if people repent of their sins and are found guiltless (notice that he did not say perfect) at the last day, then they will dwell in the kingdom of God forever “in a state of happiness which hath no end.” In plain words, Mormon tells us what we are aiming for in this life. If we prove ourselves worthy to live with God, we’ll be eternally happy. What a blessing!

4 Nephi & Mormon 1-6

2007-09-13T00:28:00.001-05:00

A Timeline

For the books of 4 Nephi and Mormon, I will give a timeline summary since there is so much that goes on over many years. Also, there isn’t much in doctrine in these chapters so a summary is in order.

AD 34 – The Disciples of Christ have formed a church of Christ in all the lands.
AD 36 – All the people in all the lands have been converted. Zion is established and the people live the law of consecration.
AD 37 - The Disciples perform all kinds of miracles by healing the sick.
AD 38-59 - Cities are rebuilt, the people wax strong and multiply, no contention in the land.
AD 100 - All the Disciples have died except the Three. Others ordained in their stead.
AD 110 - The first generation passes away. Nephi gives plates to his son Amos.
AD 194 - Amos gives plates to his son Amos. Amos the Elder dies.
AD 200 - The second generation passes away.
AD 201 – Pride begins to enter the hearts of some. Costly apparel and jewelry and the fine things of the world are the people’s desires. The law of consecrations ceases. They begin to deny the true church of Christ.
AD 210 – Many different churches are established in the land. These churches defile the true gospel of Christ. False churches persecute the true church. False churches seek to kill the disciples of Christ.
AD 230 – A great division occurs among the people. “-ites" re-enter into the culture. The people of God are called the Nephites, while those who do not belong to the true church of God are called Lamanites, Lemuelites, Zoramites, etc.
AD 240 – The wicked begin to outnumber the righteous.
AD 260 – The secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton re-enter among the people. Even the Nephites begin to be proud in their hearts because of their riches.
AD 305 - Amos gives plates to his brother Ammaron. Amos the Younger dies.
AD 300 – Gadianton Robbers are widespread. Both the Nephites and Lamanites are wicked.
320 AD – Ammaron hides all the sacred records. The Book of 4 Nephi ends.

About AD 320 - Ammaron instructs Mormon (age 10) to take the plates when he turns 24. He is to write all that he has seen.
About AD 322 – Mormon, age 11, is taken by his father (also named Mormon) to the land of Zarahemla. War breaks out between the Nephites and Lamanites. Wickedness prevails among the people. The Lord takes away His disciples. Miracles cease.
About AD 326 – Mormon is visited by the Lord Jesus Christ. The land is cursed and people lose what they hide. Mormon is appointed head of the Nephite army at age 16.
AD 327 – Lamanite army advances on the Nephites.
AD 330 – Nephites successfully defend themselves with 42,000 against an army of 44,000. The Nephites do not have godly sorrow for their sins. Their sorrow is the sorrow of the damned. The day of grace has passed for them.
AD 345 – Nephites flee before Lamanites to the city of Jashon which is near the land where the records are. Mormon obtains records and makes a full account of the wickedness of the people. Nephites are continually pursued and hunted.
AD 346 – Nephites defeat Lamanite army of 50,000 with an army of 30,000.
AD 350 – Nephites are given the land northward and Lamanites are given the land southward. Temporary peace is reached. Mormon cries repentance among the people, but they do not listen.
AD 360 – King of Lamanites sends epistle to Mormon stating that war is looming.
AD 361 – Lamanites come to battle at City of Desolation. The Nephites beat them
AD 362 – Nephites beat Lamanites again. Nephites are so prideful of their victories, Mormon refuses to be their leader. Mormon instructs us that we will be judged at the judgment-seat of Christ.
AD 363 – Nephites are repelled and Lamanites take possession of the City of Desolation..
AD 364 – Nephites beat back Lamanites are the City of Teancum.
AD 366 – Lamanites continue to attack. The land is one continuous scene of bloodshed.
AD 367 – Nephites repel Lamanites.
AD 375 – Lamanites come against the Nephites will all their power and the Nephites are swept off and never regain victory. Nephites hold at Boaz, but Lamanites overwhelm them on the second advance. The Nephites are slaughtered. Mormon takes all the records from the hill Shim. At some point, Mormon takes leadership of the army again
AD 380 – Another big battle ensues and Nephites flee.
AD 384 – All the Nephites are gathered for one final battle. Mormon buries all the records in Cumorah and gives the plates to Moroni. The Lamanites destroy all but 24. Over a quarter of a million Nephites die in one day’s battle.
AD 400 – Moroni finishes Mormon’s work and buries the plates. Lamanites hunt down the remainder of the Nephites and those who will not deny the Christ.

Mormon's Lament

"O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

"Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.

"O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!

"But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.

"And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.

"O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy." (Mormon 6:17-22)

3 Nephi 29 & 30

2007-09-12T23:45:00.001-05:00

Spurn

To spurn means to reject or to snub or scorn or despise or to disdain. I imagine what the Lord means when he says "if ye shall spurn at his doings he will cause that it shall soon overtake you" (3 Nephi 29:4) is that we will become obsessed with spurning the Lord's doings that we will lose all reason and fail to see our shortcomings and eventually we will fall.

When the Israelites were bitten by fiery serpents, Moses raised the brazen serpent so that the people, if the looked on it, would be healed. But many spurned this counsel and consequently died.

We must be careful not to ridicule the Savior's teachings, else we become obsessed and begin to kick against the pricks and we are overcome with our own pride.

A Cry to Repentance

"Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel." (3 Nephi 30:2)

3 Nephi 27 & 28

2007-09-12T21:48:00.001-05:00

The Plain Gospel

In 3 Nephi 27:13-17, Jesus summarizes the Gospel. Christ came into the world to do His father's will. He suffered and died for men. We then have a choice to accept Jesus or reject Him. Those who accept Him and endure to the end are saved, while those who reject Him will not be saved.

Marvin J. Ashton said, "The truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ are plain, precious, and powerful. The lives of the worthy are plain, precious, and powerful." (Marvin J. Ashton, “The Power of Plainness,” Ensign, May 1977, 66)

No Unclean Thing

3 Nephi 27:19 is a very important verse to remember and to read often. “No unclean thing can enter into his (God’s) kingdom…” If we expect to live eternally with God, then we must act as he does and keep his commandments and repent.

Judged By the Scriptures

How will we know what we’ll be judged on? We read the scriptures. For out of the scriptures we find what we’ll be judged by. This life is an open book test. We have the requirements right before us and if we but read what they are and then apply them to our lives, then we’ll be saved (see 3 Nephi 27:25-26).

The Straight and Narrow

Being elite on this earth doesn’t amount to much. The only elite group that really counts is the final one that finds its way to the gate at the end of the straight and narrow path. All other "races" are nothing compared to this one. The only judge that matters is God (see 3 Nephi 27:33).

Wo unto them

3 Nephi 28:34-35 – We read of a great condemnation in these verses. If we do not receive (obey) Jesus or his servants, then it will have been better that we were never born! We will not be able to avoid the justice of an offended God.

Where much is given, much is required. (D&C 82:3)

Translated Beings (Transfigured)

A translated being is a person who is changed so that he does not experience pain or death or even temptation until his resurrection to immortality (see "Guide to the Scriptures" Translated Beings).

3 Nephi 28:39 states, "there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could have no power over them … the powers of the earth could not hold them." They were beyond this world, yet in it.

3 Nephi 26

2007-09-10T10:13:00.001-05:00

Judgment Day

3 Nephi 26:4 talks about Judgment Day. Every person will stand before God to be judged of his or her works. If their works were good, then they will be resurrected to eternal life. If not, then to damnation (lack of progress).

We will not only be judged according to what we have done in this life, but we will be held accountable for our thoughts and the desires of our hearts. See Alma 12:14 and Alma 41:3. “Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.” (2 Nephi 9:39)

Greater Things if we Accept the Book of Mormon

3 Nephi 26:9 says that if we would study the scriptures (more specifically the Book of Mormon), then God would bless us with additional scriptures or “greater things.”

We are reminded in D&C 84:49-58, “And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.

“And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.

“For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.

“And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

“And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

“Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

“And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

“And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

“That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.”

He Loosed Their Tongues

One of the many miracles Jesus gave the Nephites was to let their children speak. It is interesting to think that Jesus did not tell the children what to say. The children already knew and have that perfect faith inherent within them. All that Jesus did (what an understatement) was to loose their tongues so that they could communicate what they knew and felt.

And when they were able to communicate, “they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he [Christ] had revealed unto the people.” (3 Nephi 26:14) It is no wonder, then, that Jesus teaches us “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:4-6, see also Mark 9:43, Luke 17:2)

The tender primary song teaches us:

Jesus once was a little child,
A little child like me;
And he was pure and meek and mild,
As a little child should be.
So, little children,
Let’s you and I
Try to be like him,
Try, try, try.
(Children’s Songbook, 55)

Elder Jay E. Jensen shares the following, “When I was a young seminary teacher, one of my students approached me about her assignment to prepare a devotional for the class. She said she wanted to bring her married sister to class with a newborn daughter and have her sing a song about the child. I agreed. Her sister announced the number, and my student accompanied her on the piano. Standing in front of the class, the young mother held her daughter in her arms and, looking at her, began to sing these words:

Do you know who you are—little child of mine—
So precious and dear to me?
Do you know you’re a part of a great design
That is vast as eternity?
Can you think for a moment how much depends
On your holding the “Iron Rod”?
Your life is forever—worlds without end—
Do you know you’re a child of God?
(“To a Child,” words and music by Ora Pate Stewart [Fernwood, 1964])

“All the students were touched by what they saw and heard. It was a heavenly scene. I cannot talk about it today without having tender feelings surfacing.” (Jay E. Jensen, “Little Children and the Gospel,” Ensign, Jan 1999, 30)

3 Nephi 24 & 25

2007-09-09T16:10:00.001-05:00

The Doctrine of Elias

3 Nephi 24:1 says, "I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me."

From the July Ensign "I Have a Question" section, Keith W. Perkins provides a couple of quotes that shed light on this doctrine. "Elias is a title for 'forerunner.' The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that 'when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work, holding the keys of the power of Elias, it was called the doctrine of Elias, even from the early ages of the world' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 335–36). Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of the various messengers who brought their keys of authority to the Prophet Joseph Smith, then added that those messengers, 'all taken together, are the Elias of the Restoration. It took all of them to bring to pass the restoration of all the keys and powers and authorities needed to save and exalt man' (The Millennial Messiah [1982], 120)."

Return to Me

3 Nephi 24:7 says, “Return to me and I will return to you.” This is the Lord telling us if we turn to him, he will turn to us. Our efforts in turning to the Lord will not be overlooked.

One way we can show the Lord that we return to him is by paying tithing.

Tithing

3 Nephi 24:8-11 refer to tithing and fast offerings. My favorite part is how we will be blessed so much that we won’t have room to receive all the blessings. Also, the “devourer” is rebuked for our sakes.

We may ask "what doth it profit" (3 Nephi 24:14) us to pay tithing? I have certainly asked this question before. When we were college students and our wages were little, our tithing check seemed little too. But after we graduated and began to earn a salary and began living in the real world, our tithing checked increased along with our salary. As the years went by, we saw friends and neighbors buy large homes and new cars. And they would furnish their homes extravagantly. We wondered how they afforded such a lifestyle. Naturally, I concluded that many of these people, not being members of the Church, had an "extra" 10% of income compared to us. If we did not pay tithes and fast offerings, we could easily afford the new cars and fancy furniture and nice clothes. But we choose to pay tithes and fast offerings. We know the blessings far outweigh what we could buy with that "extra" money.

Additionally, we are taught when we pay tithing to the Lord, the Lord will "discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (3 Nephi 24:18)

Hearts Turned

3 Nephi 25:6 – The hearts of the children will be turned to the hearts of their fathers and vice versa. This is the spirit of Elijah or the spirit of genealogy and doing temple work for our dead kindred. This work is so important for not only our dead, but for the salvation of the world; for if we do not do this work, the whole world would be destroyed at the coming of the Lord.

3 Nephi 23

2007-09-09T12:52:00.001-05:00

Study Isaiah and the Scriptures

We are commanded by the Lord to “search these things diligently.” He refers to the writings of Isaiah, but this can be applied to all the scriptures.

The Bible dictionary notes (under Isaiah), "Isaiah is the most quoted of all the prophets, being more frequently quoted by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John (in his Revelation) than any other O.T. prophet. Likewise the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants quote from Isaiah more than from any other prophet. The Lord told the Nephites that “great are the words of Isaiah,” and that all things Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel and of the gentiles would be fulfilled."

It goes on to say, "The reader today has no greater written commentary and guide to understanding Isaiah than the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. As one understands these works better he will understand Isaiah better, and as one understands Isaiah better, he more fully comprehends the mission of the Savior, and the meaning of the covenant that was placed upon Abraham and his seed by which all the families of the earth would be blessed."

Perhaps when I have completed my "inspection" of the Book of Mormon, I will take the time to study Isaiah … maybe even enroll in the BYU Independent study course (Teachings of Isaiah) offered there.

Another option is to use the (Old Testament) Institute manual as a guide to studying Isaiah.

Search the Prophets

Jesus also commanded the Nephites (and commands us) to “search the prophets.” To me, this means that we are to search the teachings of the prophets. Every month the Ensign is published and contains the words of the prophets. Every six months, the members of the Church virtually gather to listen to the prophets. LDS.org is a rich repository of many of the prophets' writings. There is so much to read, learn and study.

Secure Sources

There are so many sources of information and disinformation. Not only must we search and gain knowledge, but we must be careful where we obtain our knowledge and information. The beauty of the organization of the Church is that the prophet have a "direct line" of communication with the Savior. In turn, we have a "direct line" from the prophets. The Savior laid organized this line of communication as described in 3 Nephi 23:14. Jesus taught his apostles and then the apostles are commanded to teach the people.

3 Nephi 21 & 22

2007-09-09T12:48:00.001-05:00

Joseph Smith

3 Nephi 21:10 references Joseph Smith. It says that he shall be marred because of wicked people. Yet, the Lord will heal him and the Lord will show the people that his wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

This last part of the verse is so true. There seems to be many of those who are against the Church who absolutely cannot fathom how an obscure 14-year old boy could see God and Jesus Christ and then go on to translate an ancient record. They seem to try just about anything to discredit Joseph Smith. But Joseph is proof that the wisdom of God is greater than the cunning of the devil. The work will continue to grow.

On a similar note, one of my MTC teachers told us more than once that the Church must be true because if it weren't the missionaries would have destroyed it a long time ago … meaning that the Church continues to prosper despite the knuckle headedness of many youthful 19-year olds.

Idolatry

In 3 Nephi 21:14-19, the Lord warns the Gentiles (us) that if we do not repent and forsake our idols, we and our idols will be destroyed.

One of the assignments I had in a biology class in college was to read Spencer W. Kimball's talk "The False Gods we Worship" (Spencer W. Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, Jun 1976, 3). He defined idolatry as "whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn't also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry."

If you've not read this talk before, I encourage you to read it in its entirety. Here are a few more relevant quotes.

He also says, "Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Therefore, in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the “arm of flesh” and in “gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know” (Dan. 5:23)—that is, in idols."

He continues, "The Lord has blessed us as a people with a prosperity unequaled in times past. The resources that have been placed in our power are good, and necessary to our work here on the earth. But I am afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds and acres and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them as false gods, and they have power over us. Do we have more of these good things than our faith can stand? Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment portfolios, property, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the like to guarantee carnal security throughout, it is hoped, a long and happy life. Forgotten is the fact that our assignment is to use these many resources in our families and quorums to build up the kingdom of God—to further the missionary effort and the genealogical and temple work; to raise our children up as fruitful servants unto the Lord; to bless others in every way, that they may also be fruitful. Instead, we expend these blessings on our own desires, and as Moroni said, “Ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not.” (Morm. 8:39.)"

He quotes D&C 1:16, "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon."

And here is one last quote that I found particularly interesting, "We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching:

"'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

"'That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:44–45.)'"

No Weapon Against Thee Shall Prosper

In 3 Nephi 22:17 we learn that the kingdom of God will prevail over all and that “no weapon that is formed” against the kingdom of God and his people will prosper.

“No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (Joseph Smith Jr., “The Wentworth Letter,” Ensign, Jul 2002, 27)

3 Nephi 20

2007-09-08T14:29:00.001-05:00

Cease Not to Pray in Your Hearts

In 3 Nephi 20:1, Jesus commands the people to cease not from praying in their hearts. We ought to pray formally every day (individually and as a family), but we also ought to keep a prayer in our hearts. What that means is that we should constantly involve our Father in Heaven in the details of our lives.

For example, a few years ago, I had a small project at work that I was assigned to do. The project was creating a database of contacts for our hundreds of servers. To me, it was somewhat of a big project and I had to learn new things. I distinctly remember sitting at my desk at the onset of my project and wondering how I was going to create the complex code and design. But I took it step by step and along the way, I said plenty of little prayers in my heart. A few weeks later I finished and was praised by many of my peers.

The New Jerusalem

3 Nephi 20:22 talks about the New Jerusalem. My patriarchal blessing says "you will be involved in the gathering of Israel and in the preparation for the building of the New Jerusalem here upon the earth." I don't know if that is a "generic" statement meaning that I (along with every other member of the Church) am involved in the missionary work or if it means something more specific with the logistics of preparation for the building of the New Jerusalem. But whenever the scriptures refer to the New Jerusalem, my ears perk up. This verse says that the powers of heaven will be with the New Jerusalem.

D&C 45:66-75 says, " And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;

"And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

"And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

"And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.

"And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

"And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.

"And now I say unto you, keep these things from going abroad unto the world until it is expedient in me, that ye may accomplish this work in the eyes of the people, and in the eyes of your enemies, that they may not know your works until ye have accomplished the thing which I have commanded you;

"That when they shall know it, that they may consider these things.

"For when the Lord shall appear he shall be terrible unto them, that fear may seize upon them, and they shall stand afar off and tremble.

"And all nations shall be afraid because of the terror of the Lord, and the power of his might. Even so. Amen."

Moses: Foreshadow of the Millennial Christ

In 3 Nephi 20:23, Christ declares, "I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me"

Moses not only was a type of the Mortal Christ, but he was a type of the Millennial Christ in the Last Days.

The following table is from http://www.gospeldoctrine.com/3Nephi20.htm

Plagues of Egypt	Apocalyptic Destruction of Wicked
Waters of Egypt turned to blood. (Ex. 7:20)	The rivers and fountains of waters…became blood. (Rev. 16:4)
Frogs covered the land of Egypt. (Ex. 8:6)	Three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon. (Rev 16:13)
Plagues of lice and flies. (Ex. 8:17,24)	God will send forth flies and maggots. (DC 29:8)
All the cattle of Egypt died. (Ex. 9:6)	Desolation upon the cattle and sheep. (Joel 1:15-20)
Plague of boils upon man and beast. (Ex. 9:10)	There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men hich had the mark of the beast. (Rev. 16:2)
Plague of hail and fire (Ex. 9:23)	Men scorched with fire and a plague of great hailstones. (Rev. 16:8,21)
Locusts covered the face of the whole earth. (Ex. 10:14-15)	There came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth. (Rev. 9:3-10)
A thick darkness in all the land for three days. (Ex. 10:22)	The Sun became black as sackcloth. (Rev. 6:12)
The firstborn males are killed. (Ex. 12:29-30)	The third part of men are killed by fire, smoke, and brimstone. (Rev. 9:18)
Pharaoh’s army destroyed by water. (Ex. 14:28)	Saint’s enemies destroyed by fire. (1 Ne. 22:17)

Be Ye Clean

In 3 Nephi 20:41 Jesus commands us: “be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” This is referring to personal purity.

President Hinckley just spoke of this subject in the April 2007 General Priesthood session (Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘I Am Clean’,” Ensign, May 2007, 60–62). He related the dream Joseph F. Smith had and how in that dream he was reproved by the Prophet Joseph for being late. But Joseph F. Smith confidently responded, "Yes, but I am clean - I am clean!" He then counseled us to be clean in our language, our thoughts and our body and our dress.

His Visage Was so Marred

While in his mortal ministry, Christ suffered and was lowly in appearance. As Isaiah wrote, " He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Mosiah 14:3) But when He comes again, we will see Him in glory and dominion.

Bruce R. McConkie wrote, " In these words we see a triumphant millennial Christ -- one whose visage was marred and whose form was mangled when he dwelt among men -- we see him in glory and dominion, in whose presence kings remain silent and before whom their mouths are shut. We see his cleansing blood sprinkle all nations, with devout men everywhere turning to the saving truths that they have not before heard and to the words of truth that they have not theretofore considered.” (The Mortal Messiah, p. 344)"

3 Nephi 19

2007-09-08T11:47:00.001-05:00

Christ Ministers

The chapter begins with the people preparing for the next arrival of Jesus. Christ ascended into heaven and left the people to ponder the things he had taught them. They prepared for his next arrival.

After the people had gathered, the Apostles prayed to God and then assembled the people into several groups and then taught them the same things that Jesus had taught them. The Nephite apostles did just as the modern day apostles do – they teach the same teachings of Christ.

After they ministered, they prayed for the Holy Ghost. After that, they all were baptized as Jesus had commanded them. After all the apostles were baptized, fire came down from heaven and angels ministered to them. Shortly after, Jesus himself came down and was with them. The rest of the chapter is about how Jesus and the multitude prayed. Mostly it was about how Jesus prayed for them.

They Prayed to Christ

A few key things to note – in 3 Nephi 19:22, we learn from Jesus that the people prayed to him rather than God because Christ was in their presence. As was noted earlier in the chapter, the people were praying to God as is normally the case. But we learn from this chapter that it is appropriate to pray to Christ when he is physically present.

Desire

In Christ's presence, the people prayed. As 3 Nephi 19:24 notes, "they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire."

The Nephites knew what to pray for because they desired what God desired. So it is with us … we must train our desires so that they are aligned with God's desire. In other words, we must seek and do God's will.

Neal A. Maxwell gave a wonderful talk on desires (Neal A. Maxwell, “‘According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts’,” Ensign, Nov 1996, 21). There are a couple of quotes from this talk that I found insightful.

"The absence of any keen desire—merely being lukewarm—causes a terrible flattening (see Rev. 3:15). William R. May explained such sloth: 'The soul in this state is beyond mere sadness and melancholy. It has removed itself from the rise and fall of feelings; the very root of its feelings in desire is dead. … To be a man is to desire. The good man desires God and other things in God. The sinful man desires things in the place of God, but he is still recognizably human, inasmuch as he has known desire. The slothful man, however, is a dead man, an arid waste. … His desire itself has dried up' (“A Catalogue of Sins,” as quoted in Christian Century, 24 Apr. 1996, 457)."

So firstly, we must have desire … we must at least be active and we must at least be striving. If we are not, then we are apathetic and as the quote states, we are an 'arid waste.' If we are at least moving, then God can do something with us. Saul was active in his persecution of the saints. God was able to use Saul's desires and redirect them for good.

We too must channel our desires towards God's will. If we but have a desire to change - to repent, God will take that desire and help it to grow. The challenge for us, therefore, is to decide to desire righteousness.

The second quote from Neal A. Maxwell says, "It is up to us. Therein lies life’s greatest and most persistent challenge. Thus when people are described as “having lost their desire for sin,” it is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to “give away all [their] sins” in order to know God (Alma 22:18)."

One With Christ and God

Another thing that is interesting to me, is that Jesus prayed to the father that the people might be one with him (Jesus) as he is one with God. To me, this presents a concrete image of the “chain of command” if you will. If we are to become like God, as he has intended us to be, then we must follow Christ and his example. For Christ knew God and did nothing but the will of the Father. In a very literal sense, his purpose was one and the same with God. And so our lesson from this chapter is that our purpose should be one and the same of Christ’s purpose. How do we accomplish this? We live the teachings of Christ. We do his will. We keep his commandments. As we do his will, in essence we are doing the will of the Father.

The entire chapter is a great example of how a people, in just a few days, came to a oneness with Christ. Christ came into their midst and taught them his teachings. The people loved him and desired to be more like him. After he left, they prayed for the Holy Ghost to guide them and to teach them the will of Christ. When he returned, he continued to teach them through words and example. He showed them how to pray to God and to obtain a knowledge of the will of God. By the end of the chapter, the people had become (perfectly?) one with Christ that they understood what Christ was praying for, yet they could not utter it with words. They understood with their hearts.

3 Nephi 18

2007-09-08T08:49:00.000-05:00

The Sacrament

In 3 Nephi 18:7, he says that the bread symbolizes his body. He has already shown the people his body. He tells them that when they partake of the bread, they will remember his body. And if they remember his body, they will remember him and if they remember him, they will have his spirit to be with them. After partaking of the bread, Jesus commanded them to drink of the wine. He instructed them that when they drank the wine, they were showing the Father that they were willing to do that which Jesus had commanded them. He then told them that the wine symbolized his blood, which he has shed for us. Also when we drink the wine, we witness to the Father that we will remember Christ and that if we remember Christ, we will have his spirit with us.

To me, the sacrament is special. What I have learned while reading this is that the bread will help me to remember Christ. The bread is served first to help me remember Christ. As I remember Christ, I will remember what he did for me. What did he do for me? The answer to that question is symbolized in the wine or water. Christ atoned for my sins. When he atoned for my sins, he sweated great drops of blood from every pore of his body. The wine and water represent the blood he spilt for me. And just as he showed the father his willingness to do whatever the Father asked him to do, so we are showing the father that we are willing to do whatever Jesus asks us to do when we partake of the wine. So again, the bread helps us to remember so that we have the spirit with us and when we drink the water, we are symbolically telling God that we are willing and will do whatever he or his son Jesus Christ ask us to do. The bread is for memory and the water is for action.

Personal Prayer

In 3 Nephi 18:15, Jesus teaches his disciples and the people to “watch and pray always.” This is a basic teaching of the Gospel. For me, I must strive to pray always by praying regularly in the morning and evening both personally and with my family and with my wife. Not only can I pray then, but I should strive to seek Heavenly Fathers help and blessings during my workday and other activities.

Family Prayer

In 3 Nephi 18:21, he tells the people to pray in their families. We pray as a family after we read our scriptures together every night. After we pray as a family, we make sure our children say their own prayers.

Attending Church Meetings

In 3 Nephi 18:22, Jesus instructs the people to meet together often. We would frequently share this scripture with less active members during my mission. Although some people think otherwise, we are commanded by Jesus to attend our church meetings including Stake Conference, General Conference, Priesthood Meetings and any other meeting related to the Church. A sign of a solid, dedicated member is one who regularly and near perfectly attends all his meetings.

Fellowshipping

In 3 Nephi 18:29-32, Jesus teaches his disciples the standard of administering the sacrament. They should never allow, knowingly, a person to unworthily partake of the sacrament. If they know of a person who is unworthy to partake of the bread and water, they should pray for that person and help him and teach him so that that person may become worthy to partake of the sacrament.

While serving a mission, we always taught our investigators the meaning of the sacrament and then told them that after they were baptized, they could partake of the bread and water, but not until after baptism. As for taking the sacrament unworthily, I have always been taught (since my mission) that only your bishop should really tell you when you should not partake of the sacrament. If you feel that you should not partake of the sacrament, then you should see the bishop and work out any confession or repentance. At that point, he will direct you as to whether to partake of the sacrament or not (see M. Russell Ballard, “A Chance to Start Over: Church Disciplinary Councils and the Restoration of Blessings,” Ensign, Sep 1990, 12).

No Contention

In 3 Nephi 18:34, Jesus tells them why he has given them these commandments. He does not want there to be any disputations among them. We are to be united as a people and we are to obey the commandments of Jesus.

Apostles Given the Authority

In 3 Nephi 18:37, we read that Jesus gave the apostles the power and authority to give the Holy Ghost or in other words, the gift of the Holy Ghost. Authority is always important because Christ’s church is an organized church.

3 Nephi 17

2007-09-08T06:36:00.000-05:00

The Home

After delivering his sermon, Jesus instructs the people to go to their homes and ponder the things that he taught them that day. He also tells them to ask God to help them understand his teachings and also to help them prepare for further instruction and teaching.

I find it very interesting that Jesus tells them to ponder his teachings in their homes. The home is the central location where teachings are internalized and learned. In our homes we read the scriptures, ponder, meditate and pray. The home is the most sacred place for our souls. The entry for temple in the Bible Dictionary states, “Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.”

Christ Delays

After commanding them to return to their homes, Jesus looked at the multitude and saw that they had tears in their eyes. Christ demonstrated perfect compassion and invited the sick and afflicted to come unto him so that he could heal them. He healed every one of them. What I learn from this is that Christ could have continued with his “work” by visiting the lost tribes. But he delayed his visit to them and stayed with the Nephites a little longer. I too must realize that when the need arises and I have a choice between my “work” and giving compassionate service, I should do as Christ did.

Christ Heals

Christ not only healed those in Jerusalem, the Americas and undoubtedly where the Lost Tribes lived, but he can still heal any of us today. I've often wondered if Christ were to visit me today how I could be healed. I've always have had problems with my right leg and my back's alignment. I try to imagine how it would be to be perfectly healed … no more pain or worries about this comparatively small ailment. I think I would have the same reaction as the Nephites … I would worship Him and kiss his feet.

More importantly, Christ can heal our souls. We all have sinned and have damaged our souls in some manner. Christ can take away that pain and emotional scars that sin has left behind. Of course we have to believe and have faith in Christ in order for him to heal us. Do we really believe that we can emotionally be healed if we repent and seek Christ's healing?

For more on Christ as a healer, read Russell M. Nelson, “Jesus Christ—the Master Healer,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 85.

Christ Weeps

"And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

"And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

"And when he had done this he wept again." (3 Nephi 17:20-22)

3 Nephi 16

2007-09-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

The Gathering of Israel

The Tenth Article of Faith

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

Bruce R. McConkie

“The Lost Tribes are not lost unto the Lord. In their northward journeyings they were led by prophets and inspired leaders. They had their Moses and their Lehi, were guided by the spirit of revelation, kept the law of Moses, and carried with them the statutes and judgments which the Lord had given them in age past. They were still a distinct people many hundreds of years later, for the resurrected Lord visited and ministered among them following his ministry on this continent among the Nephites. (3 Ne. 16:1-4; 17:4.) Obviously he taught them in the same way and gave them the same truths which he gave his followers in Jerusalem and on the American continent; and obviously they recorded his teachings, thus creating volumes of scripture comparable to the Bible and Book of Mormon. (2 Ne. 29:12-14.)

“In due course the Lost Tribes of Israel will return and come to the children of Ephraim to receive their blessings. This great gathering will take place under the direction of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for he holds the keys of ‘the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.’ (D. & C. 110:11.) Keys are the right of presidency the power to direct; and by this power the Lost Tribes will return, with ‘their prophets’ and their scriptures to ‘be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.’ (D. & C. 133:26-35.)” (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 455-8)

Neal A. Maxwell

“…the splendid Book of Mormon advises that a third scriptural witness is yet to come from the lost tribes (see 2 Nephi 29:12-14). Its coming is likely to be even more dramatic than the coming forth of the second testament. Those who doubt or disdain the second testament of Christ will not accept the third either. But believers will then possess a triumphant triad of truth (see 2 Nephi 29:12-14). Were it not for the Book of Mormon, we would not even know about the third set of records!

“We do not know when and how this will occur, but we are safe in assuming that the third book will have the same fundamental focus as the Book of Mormon-‘that . . . their seed [too] ... may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer’ (3 Nephi 16:4). If there is a title page in that third set of sacred records, it is not likely to differ in purpose from the title page in the Book of Mormon, except for its focus on still other peoples who likewise received a personal visit from the resurrected Jesus (see 3 Nephi 15:20-24; 3 Nephi 16:1-4).

“Thus, in the dispensation of the fullness of times there is not only a ‘welding together’ (D&C 128:18) of the keys of all the dispensations, but there will also be a ‘welding together’ of all the sacred books of scripture given by the Lord over the sweep of human history. Then, as prophesied, ‘my word also shall be gathered in one’ (2 Nephi 29:14). Then there will be one fold, one shepherd, and one stunning scriptural witness for the Christ!” (Book of Mormon Symposium Series, First Nephi, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 15)

Ensign Articles

Paul K. Browning, “Gathering Scattered Israel: Then and Now,” Ensign, Jul 1998, 54–61

3 Nephi 15

2007-09-03T23:32:00.000-05:00

Christ Fulfils the Law of Moses

"Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses." (3 Nephi 15:4)

"Behold, I do not destroy the prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verify I say unto you, shall be fulfilled." (3 Nephi 15:6) To me, this verse means that the prophets understood the whole plan of salvation and they understood that the Law of Moses would lead the people to the true law … Christ. So it is understandable that just because Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses that it does not mean all things have been completed. There are many things that must come to pass before the great plan is complete.

Jesus continues, "the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled." (3 Nephi 15:8)

Look unto me and endure to the end

In His mortal ministry, Christ gave the parable of the sower to teach us that we must endure to the end. (Mark 4:2-14).

What must we endure? We must endure the trials, the temptations of the devil, the sacrifices required of us, the service and the doctrine.

Some lose faith when loved ones suffer. Others give in to temptation. Other members will complain of the sacrifices required of the Lord. Service never ends. Some will complain about how service is never-ending. As Elder Ballard once said, "No matter what your family needs are or your responsibilities in the Church, there is no such thing as 'done.'" (M. Russell Ballard, “O Be Wise,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 17–20). Lastly, there are those who will become offended by a bishop or doctrine. These too lose faith. There are so many ways that we can fall short, but we must endure. I am reminded of King Benjamin's last words, "And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them."

"But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." (Mosiah 4:29-30)

Other Sheep

The Lord has many folds. The Bible teaches us of one fold. The Book of Mormon teaches us of another. And still there are more folds. Someday we will not only have to carry to church the Bible, the Book of Mormon and D&C, but we will carry with us the scriptures of the Lost tribes of Israel.

"And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews." (2 Nephi 29:13)

The bringing forth of new scripture will be preceded by the return of the lost ten tribes. I found an article by an LDS member who wrote about this. He does a good job summarizing the scriptures that foretell this great event. (See article entitled "A Volcanic Highway for the Lost Tribes?" by John P. Pratt - http://www.meridianmagazine.com/sci_rel/050915volcano.html)
To summarize in one sentence, it seems that the return of the lost tribes will be a miraculous event that will be even bigger than when Israel was led out of Egypt

3 Nephi 14

2007-09-03T01:32:00.000-05:00

Teachings of Christ continued

If you do not judge, you will not be judged

I think this is more at mercy. If you are merciful to people, you will obtain mercy. If you are merciless to people, you will not obtain mercy.

Elder Oaks gave an excellent talk on judgment. He identified two kinds of judgment: final judgment and intermediate judgment.

Of final judgment he said, " I believe that the scriptural command to “judge not” refers most clearly to this final judgment, as in the Book of Mormon declaration that “man shall not … judge; for judgment is mine, saith the Lord” (Morm. 8:20).

"The effect of one mortal’s attempting to pass final judgment on another mortal is analogous to the effect on an athlete and observers if we could proclaim the outcome of an athletic contest with certainty while it was still under way. A similar reason forbids our presuming to make final judgments on the outcome of any person’s lifelong mortal contest.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “While one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard; … He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, … ‘not according to what they have not, but according to what they have,’ those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 218)." (Dallin H. Oaks, “‘Judge Not’ and Judging,” Ensign, Aug 1999, 7)

Regarding this quote by Joseph Smith … in the business world, this appears to be the standard too when it comes to audits. In the IT industry and in our company, there isn't necessarily a rule book for everyone to follow. Rather, committees are formed and pass a set of regulations. When audit comes along, they will not judge whether we are following good practices or not, instead they will look at what rules we've applied to ourselves and then judge us according to those rules.

To bring this back to the Gospel … it matters not how many commandments have ever been given. What is important is what commandments we have been given in our dispensation and if we have been taught them and if we have kept them.

Ask and it shall be given

This references prayer. If we lack knowledge, then we should ask and God will grant it to us. As the saying goes, it never hurts to ask.

This counsel is perhaps the most often repeated declaration in the scriptures. If the Lord repeats it so much, then there must be something to it.

Do unto others as you would have them do to you – the Golden Rule

If I want to be loved, then I should love.

Enter the straight gate

If you want to enter the kingdom of God, you must enter at the entrance. You will not obtain the kingdom of God if you do not follow the given rules.

The cliché goes "all roads lead to Rome." But with regards to the Kingdom of Heaven … only one road leads there.

Beware of false prophets

Always listen to the authorized servants of God. Never put your trust in people who seem to have the spirit of God with them. Follow those who are authorized to teach the gospel.

Produce good fruit (works)

In order to produce good fruit (works), then one must be good himself. You cannot be evil and produce good fruit and vice versa.

All can hear the words and teachings of Christ, but who will heed them?

Only those who heed his teachings will benefit from them. Those who do not do the teachings of Christ will perish.

3 Nephi 13

2007-09-02T23:35:00.000-05:00

Teachings of Christ continued

Give to the poor, but do it privately

Do not make it known that you give to the poor. Modern day application: pay your tithes and offerings privately (don't announce how much you pay).

In a broader sense, the Savior is also teaching us about motivation to serve. We should not serve to be seen of men. Rather we should serve because we love God.

In Elder Oaks first General Conference talk (Dallin H. Oaks, “Why Do We Serve?,” Ensign, Nov 1984, 12), he gave six reasons as to why we serve. From basest to noblest, the reasons are:

For earthly reward

For a personal desire to obtain good companionship

Out of fear of punishment

Out of a sense of duty or loyalty to friends or family traditions

Hope for an eternal reward (the joy of the fruits of our labor)

For "a more excellent way"; because we have charity - we love God and our fellow men

Pray to God. When you pray, pray in secret; when you pray, do not repeat in vain

Modern day application: pray every day privately. Find a quiet place to reflect, meditate and pray to God. Do not mindlessly say the same prayer and ask for the same things over and over again. Deliberately pray … honestly think about what you are thankful for and what you need from your Father in Heaven. Pray sincerely.

Elder Scott offered this counsel in his April 2007 General Conference talk, " Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father. You are His precious child whom He loves perfectly and wants to help. As you pray, recognize that Father in Heaven is near and He is listening.

A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it." (Richard G. Scott, “Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer,” Ensign, May 2007, 8–11)

Forgive others

Modern day application: don't hold grudges. Don't be so easily offended. Give others the benefit of the doubt.

Fast to be seen of God, not of men

Don't let it be known that you are fasting. Modern day application: while fasting, don't complain of hunger pains and starving with others. Act as though the fasting day is like any other day. Be cheerful, but humble. For me, I should not complain of headaches. I should endure cheerfully and focus on the spiritual blessings of the fast.

Do not accumulate treasures on earth; lay up treasures in Heaven

Modern day application: find joy in the spiritual things of life. Do not let greed and materialism get a hold of your heart. Do not enter spending races with neighbors.

We can learn as much as we can or want to in this life. No matter what will happen, we will take that knowledge with us. It is ours to keep. Robbers cannot break in and steal it nor will it become corrupted by rust. If we render service, we will lay up blessings in heaven for ourselves.

Teachings of Christ to his Apostles

Don't worry about what to eat, drink or what you will wear

Use your whole efforts towards the teaching of repentance and God. Give your undivided attention to the building of the kingdom of God.

Seek first to build up the kingdom, and all other blessings will follow

3 Nephi 12: Part II

2007-09-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

Other Teachings of Christ

Be the salt of the earth

The "I Have a Question" section from the April 1999 Ensign does a wonderful job of explaining what this teaching means.

To summarize, in the Law of Moses when sacrifices were offered, the animal flesh or fruit or smoke was not given to the Lord. Rather it was the smell or savour that was given and was pleasing to the Lord. To make the smell sweet, salt was sprinkled on the offering.

As the article points out, "It is clear that under the new covenant the followers of Christ, as “salt,” are responsible for extending gospel blessings to the whole earth. “When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant,” the Lord explains, “they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men” (D&C 101:39). It is our privilege and blessing to lovingly lead our brothers and sisters to Christ, helping them receive their covenant blessings. As we do so, we become the figurative salt that makes it possible for them to offer the acceptable sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In addition, our own covenant sacrifice of time, talents, and means is pleasing to the Lord."

Therefore, to be the salt of the earth means we are to love and lead and be missionaries in all that we do.

Just as a side thought … how interesting it is that the restored Church is headquartered in Salt Lake City Utah.

Be the light of this people

The second part of this lesson is that we should be the light to the people (be an example of righteousness). The point of this (in my understanding) is that we need to show our works and be in the world but not of it. We could not "salt" the earth if we lived in an isolated environment. We need to be "out and about" showing our light and not in some remote land where we could not influence those not of our faith.

Believe in Christ

Believe his teachings and follow them. The first principle of the Gospel is faith in Jesus Christ.

Repent of your sins

Repent of breaking commandments that Christ has given us. The commandments are found in this very chapter of 3 Nephi.

Have a broken heart and contrite spirit

Be humble and willing to submit to the teachings of Christ.

Do not be angry with your fellow man

Do not call him a fool (stupid, idiot) or any names. If you do, you will be in danger of hell's fire.

Lynn G. Robbins said the following, "A cunning part of his [Satan's] strategy is to dissociate anger from agency, making us believe that we are victims of an emotion that we cannot control. We hear, “I lost my temper.” Losing one’s temper is an interesting choice of words that has become a widely used idiom. To “lose something” implies “not meaning to,” “accidental,” “involuntary,” “not responsible”—careless perhaps but “not responsible.”

“He made me mad.” This is another phrase we hear, also implying lack of control or agency. This is a myth that must be debunked. No one makes us mad. Others don’t make us angry. There is no force involved. Becoming angry is a conscious choice, a decision; therefore, we can make the choice not to become angry. We choose!

To those who say, “But I can’t help myself,” author William Wilbanks responds: “Nonsense.”

“Aggression, … suppressing the anger, talking about it, screaming and yelling,” are all learned strategies in dealing with anger. “We choose the one that has proved effective for us in the past. Ever notice how seldom we lose control when frustrated by our boss, but how often we do when annoyed by friends or family?” (“The New Obscenity,” Reader’s Digest, Dec. 1988, 24; emphasis added). (Lynn G. Robbins, “Agency and Anger,” Ensign, May 1998, 80)

Before you come unto Christ, reconcile all your differences with your neighbors or acquaintances

Do not let disagreements last. The longer you wait to resolve differences, the harder it becomes to repent. Work out problems quickly before the problems grow too big to handle.

Do not look upon women (men) to lust after

It is natural to glance, but do not dwell on uninvited thoughts and be quick to turn away to resist further temptation.

Divorce is bad

Divorce is only good if it resolves a greater evil (unfaithful spouse, abuse).

Do not forswear (falsely swear)

You should be so honest in all that you say, that you should not even need to swear! When you say yes, it should mean yes. When you say no, it should be no.

If you are offended, do not seek revenge

First, let him treat you badly again and let the sting of his conscience rebuke him. If his conscience does sting him, he will repent and a friend will be gained. If his conscience does not sting him, leave him to God. Do not let anger and hate dwell in your heart. It may corrupt you more than the person that offended you. Leave it to God to handle. Always forgive.

Be kind to those who are in need

Lend to the borrower. Give to the beggar.

Do not hate your enemies, rather pray for them, and even serve them

If you can truly love your enemies, then you will have charity.

I will always remember the story President Hinckley related in his talk (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Forgiveness,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 81) about a woman who forgave a 19-year-old who threw a frozen turkey into the woman's car.

The news article from which President Hinckley read the account said, “How would you feel toward a teenager who decided to toss a 20-pound frozen turkey from a speeding car headlong into the windshield of the car you were driving? How would you feel after enduring six hours of surgery using metal plates and other hardware to piece your face together, and after learning you still face years of therapy before returning to normal—and that you ought to feel lucky you didn’t die or suffer permanent brain damage?

“And how would you feel after learning that your assailant and his buddies had the turkey in the first place because they had stolen a credit card and gone on a senseless shopping spree, just for kicks? …

“This is the kind of hideous crime that propels politicians to office on promises of getting tough on crime. It’s the kind of thing that prompts legislators to climb all over each other in a struggle to be the first to introduce a bill that would add enhanced penalties for the use of frozen fowl in the commission of a crime.

“The New York Times quoted the district attorney as saying this is the sort of crime for which victims feel no punishment is harsh enough. ‘Death doesn’t even satisfy them,’ he said.

“Which is what makes what really happened so unusual. The victim, Victoria Ruvolo, a 44-year-old former manager of a collections agency, was more interested in salvaging the life of her 19-year-old assailant, Ryan Cushing, than in exacting any sort of revenge. She pestered prosecutors for information about him, his life, how he was raised, etc. Then she insisted on offering him a plea deal. Cushing could serve six months in the county jail and be on probation for 5 years if he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault.

“Had he been convicted of first-degree assault—the charge most fitting for the crime—he could have served 25 years in prison, finally thrown back into society as a middle-aged man with no skills or prospects.

“But this is only half the story. The rest of it, what happened the day this all played out in court, is the truly remarkable part.

“According to an account in the New York Post, Cushing carefully and tentatively made his way to where Ruvolo sat in the courtroom and tearfully whispered an apology. ‘I’m so sorry for what I did to you.’

“Ruvolo then stood, and the victim and her assailant embraced, weeping. She stroked his head and patted his back as he sobbed, and witnesses, including a Times reporter, heard her say, ‘It’s OK. I just want you to make your life the best it can be.’ According to accounts, hardened prosecutors, and even reporters, were choking back tears” (“Forgiveness Has Power to Change Future,” Deseret Morning News, Aug. 21, 2005, p. AA3).

Ryan Cushing was sentenced to six months in jail, five years probation and five years psychiatric help and community service.

Be perfect like Christ who is like God

3 Nephi 12: Part I

2007-09-01T21:23:00.000-05:00

The Beatitudes

Be poor in spirit --> you shall receive kingdom of heaven

See also Romans 8:17, D&C 84:38, D&C 56:18

Poor in spirit means that we are spiritually dependant on God. It means we know our need for God.

Mourn --> you shall be comforted

Russell M. Nelson said, "The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life." (The Gateway We Call Death, p. 22-24)

Be meek --> you shall inherit the earth (see Articles of Faith v. 10)

“…meekness has a metabolism that actually requires very little praise or recognition-of which there is usually such a shortage anyway.

“…Meekness also protects us from the fatigue of being easily offended. There are so many just waiting to be offended. They are so alerted to the possibility that they will not be treated fairly, they almost invite the verification of their expectations! The meek, not posted on such a fatiguing alert, find rest from this form of fatigue.

“…Bruising as the tumble off the peak of pride is, it may be necessary…Meekness enables us, after a tumble, to pick ourselves up but without putting others down blamefully.

“…The deserving and blessed meek will not only eventually inherit the earth, they will do so when this planet is really worth inheriting!”

“…If meek, we will place all we have on the altar of the Lord and will not ask for a receipt!” (Neal A. Maxwell, Meek and Lowly, pp. ix, 55, 57, 58, 95, 207)

Hunger and thirst after righteousness --> you shall be filled with the Holy Ghost

What would you do if you were literally dying of hunger and thirst? What if you were a mother or father of little children who needed food and water and who were going to die if they did not eat or drink? What would you do? I would imagine I would do just about anything to feed my family. Jean Valjean was so desperate that he stole bread to feed his family.

I can recall going outside to run for exercise one hot summer day. It may have been foolish of me to run out in the heat at the time, but I wasn't too concerned at the time. I was on the last stretch of the run and I was thirsty. I was not simply thirsty; rather I was deliriously thirsty. All I could think about was water. I was desperate. Thirst was my only motivation to get back home. Thirst is what drove me to finish that day.

Are we just as motivated to seek righteousness or are we passive? Jesus taught us to truly desire righteousness.

Be merciful --> you shall obtain mercy (at the judgment seat and in this life)

One of mercy's synonyms is forgiveness. I will never forget the last talk President Faust gave in General Conference (April 2007). It was perhaps the most emotional talk by a general authority I've seen.

We must have mercy and forgive if we are to live in peace. If we let revenge and hate decay our souls, our lives will indeed by hell. We can always choose to have mercy.

Be pure in heart --> you shall see God

Elder Wirthlin said the following, "To be without guile is to be pure in heart—an essential virtue of those who would be counted among true followers of Christ. He taught in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8; see also 3 Ne. 12:8). He revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that Zion is the pure in heart (see D&C 97:21) and that a house is to be built in Zion in which the pure in heart shall see God (see D&C 97:10–16).

"If we are without guile, we are honest, true, and righteous. All of these are attributes of Deity and are required of the Saints. Those who are honest are fair and truthful in their speech, straightforward in their dealings, free of deceit, and above stealing, misrepresentation, or any other fraudulent action. Honesty is of God and dishonesty of the devil; the devil was a liar from the beginning. Righteousness is living a life that is in harmony with the laws, principles, and ordinances of the gospel." (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Without Guile,” Ensign, May 1988, 80).

President Kimball said the following, "Zion is 'every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God.' (D&C 82:19.) As I understand these matters, Zion can be established only by those who are pure in heart, and who labor for Zion, for 'the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.' (2 Ne. 26:31.)" (Spencer W. Kimball, “Becoming the Pure in Heart,” Ensign, May 1978, 79) He then went on to outline how the Church can become pure in heart.

Be a peacemaker --> you shall be called a child of God

Elder Nelson said, "Now, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what does the Lord expect of us? As a Church, we must “renounce war and proclaim peace.” (D&C 98:16) As individuals, we should “follow after the things which make for peace.” (Romans 14:19) We should be personal peacemakers. We should live peacefully—as couples, families, and neighbors. We should live by the Golden Rule. We have writings of the descendants of Judah as now merged with writings of the descendants of Ephraim. (Ezek. 37:16-19; 2 Nephi 3:12) We should employ them and expand our circle of love to embrace the whole human family. We should bring divine love and revealed doctrines of restored religion to our neighbors and friends. We should serve them according to our abilities and opportunities. We should keep our principles on a high level and stand for the right. We should continue to gather scattered Israel from the four corners of the earth and offer the ordinances and covenants that seal families together forever. These blessings we are to bring to people of all nations." (Russell M. Nelson, “‘Blessed Are the Peacemakers’,” Ensign, Nov 2002, 39)

Be persecuted --> you shall receive the kingdom of heaven and the reward therein

“I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priestcraft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, suborned judges and jurors, and the authority of perjured executives, backed by mobs, blasphemers, licentious and corrupt men and women—all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938, p. 304.)

What the Beatitudes boil down to is one word: humility.

3 Nephi 11

2007-08-31T23:47:00.000-05:00

V. 3-6: Open Your Ears and Look
The Nephites hear a voice coming from heaven. The voice is not harsh or loud. It pierced them to the "center." It took them three times before they understood it. On the third time, they opened their ears and the looked with their eyes towards the sound. How many times are we distracted by other things that we close our ears to and look the other way from the direction of our leaders' counsel? If we do not open our ears and look to our leaders for direction, we will not understand what the Lord would have us do.

V. 11: The Will of the Father
Christ announced to the Nephites that he is the light and life of the world. Without him, we would all be lost forever just as we would be doomed to die on a world without light. The planet would be too cold to live on and vegetation would not grow. We would die of either cold or hunger. Additionally, Christ told the Nephites that he fulfilled his father's will "in all things from the beginning."

How many times do I seek my own will rather than the will of God? (Too many I'm afraid.) But think upon this idea of doing the Father's will. What are our reasons for not doing the Father's will? I imagine that we are seeking other ways to find happiness. We may be focused on obtaining material wealth. We may be afraid that if we devote our precious time and resources to the Father's will, we will never achieve anything of our own. But if we seek the Father's will in all things, we will inherit all that Heavenly Father possesses or in other words, "the kingdom of God" (v. 38). So really, it is in our best interest to seek the will of the Father so that one day, we will inherit "the kingdom of God."

V. 14-15: Come Forth Unto Me
Christ invites the people to learn for themselves that He is indeed the Christ that was prophesied of to come. He invites them to thrust their hands into his side. This is in reference to when the Roman guards went to break his legs so that he would die of suffocation; they found that Christ was already dead. They took a spear and pierced his side and blood and water came gushing out (John 19:34). He invites the Nephites to feel the prints of the nails that were driven in his hands, wrists and feet. The individual who would feel his marks would know that Christ is indeed the "God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth" and that he has died for the sins of the world. We learn from 1 Nephi 11:33 that Nephi knew that Christ would be crucified. This knowledge would have been passed down from prophet to prophet and from prophet to people so that the people would know the true Christ. One day, each of us will know that Jesus is the Christ. Everyone will confess that he is the Christ. For the individual who is righteous enough, I imagine that one day he or she will experience the same intimate manifestation the Nephites enjoyed. He or she will feel the marks of Christ and know for sure that Christ is his or her personal Savior.

V. 21-28: The Authority and Manner of Baptism
After the Nephites feel the marks of the Savior, Jesus calls Nephi and gives him power to baptize in Christ's name. Christ also exhorts them not to have disputations among themselves. Jesus clearly outlines the procedure of baptism. The person must repent before baptism. He then must "go down and stand in the water." The baptismal prayer is pronounced and then the person is "immersed" in the water. God's kingdom is a kingdom of order. The ordinance that allows a person into God's kingdom then ought to be well organized and ordained from God. Here in these verses, Christ clearly establishes the standard for baptism into God's kingdom. There must have been some disagreements among the Nephites prior to Christ's coming since Jesus exhorts them to not dispute.

V. 29-41: The Doctrine of Christ
Jesus then teaches the people his doctrine – both what it is and what it is not. He first teaches them that his doctrine is not to have the spirit of contention. The doctrine of contention is of the devil. Satan would have the children of God stirred up in anger one with another. But Christ's doctrine is to do away with such contention. In place of contention is the doctrine of faith, repentance, baptism and becoming like a little child. The qualities of a little child are precious. A little child is humble, meek, obedient, willing to submit and loving. I tend to think of my children when I read this doctrine. They are quick to say "I'm sorry." They are obedient, kind and loving.

3 Nephi 9 & 10

2007-08-27T15:52:00.000-05:00

Follow the Prophets

I think the whole purpose of these two chapters is to convince the reader to follow the prophets.

In chapter 9, several times Mormon says that the people were destroyed because the killed the prophets and saints. It is a graphic chapter about those who completely disregarded the prophets. This is quite a warning to us in this day and time.

Chapter 10 talks about how the prophets were correct in their prophecies. It also talks about how blessed those people are who follow the prophets.

There is a fantastic article in the July 200 Ensign (Following the Prophets: A Book of Mormon Perspective) that talks about following the prophets. The author uses the Book of Mormon as an example of how people were blessed by following the prophets and how people were cursed for not following the prophets.

Christ’s Pleas

Who can ignore the pleas of Christ for his people to turn to him by repenting?
V. 13 – “return unto me, and repent of your sins”
V. 14 – “come unto me … mine arm of mercy is extended towards you … blessed are those who come unto me.”
V. 21 – “I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.”
V. 22 – “whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive … repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.”
C. 10 V. 6 – “return unto me with full purpose of heart.”

The invitation is clear to those who survived the destruction. They have a chance to begin a new life, if you will. They are given a second chance to repent and make things right.

These verses testify to the mercy of Christ and God. The Nephites were in an awful state of wickedness and were mostly destroyed. After the destruction, they were granted mercy – a chance to change and truly repent of their sins.

As a small note on chapter 10 – verse 18 states that at the “ending of the thirty and fourth year” Christ appeared to the Nephites and Lamanites who remained alive in the land. Remember that the great destruction took place at the beginning of the 34th year. It seems that most of the 34th year, the people were probably repairing and getting their lives back in order when Christ appeared to them at the temple in Bountiful.

3 Nephi 7 & 8

2007-08-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

The Nephites’ Return to Pride

3 Nephi 7 begins in year 30. The chief judge or governor was assassinated and the people who killed him failed in establishing a king. The Nephite government was completely dismantled and all the people divided up into tribes. Verse 8 sums up pretty well the state of the people, "thus six years had not passed away since the more part of the people had turned from their righteousness, like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire."

The tribe that consisted of the people who destroyed the government was led by a man named Jacob. This tribe fled to the northern lands to set up a kingdom.

The prophets were continually persecuted, but did continue to declare repentance despite being stoned and being cast out. Nephi was receiving visits from angels on a daily basis. His faith was so strong that he even raised his brother from the dead. The people seethed with anger at Nephi and the other prophets.

Year 32 continued in the same manner as year 30 and 31. But interestingly enough, in year 33 "there were many … that were baptized" (3 Nephi 7:26). This would correspond to the last year of Christ's ministry in Jerusalem.

Chapter 8 tells of the great destruction of the Nephite cities and the three days of darkness which was prophesied by Samuel the Lamanite. All the destruction began in year 34 in the 1st month on the 4th day of the month. The three hours of destruction were followed by three days of darkness.

3 Nephi 6

2007-08-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

3 Nephi 6 begins in the year 26. During years 22, 23, 24 and 25, the people were returning to their lands and getting their lives back in order after destroying the GR. Year 26 is when they pick up where they left off before the great battle with the GR. In year 27, the people established "great order in the land" (v. 4).

Classes and Ranks

As the people prosper, they develop class systems. There are many merchants (businessmen?), lawyers and officers (government officials?). In 3 Nephi 6:12, the people begin to distinguish themselves by "ranks." This clearly points to pride. Without pride, the people would see each other as neighbors and not as poor and rich, intelligent and uneducated, black and white. Our society today distinguishes between different colors or classes. It is true that not everyone is equal in chances for learning or in wealth. But these things do not matter when it comes to judgment day. What will matter then is if we served our fellowmen and if we kept the commandments. If we find ourselves in a position where we are better educated than others or if we have more means that others, then we need to recognized that we have been blessed of God and that God in turn expects us to serve those who are less fortunate. Where much is given, much is required. (D&C 82:3)

The Church Broken Up

3 Nephi 6:14 talks about how this inequality broke the church. It says, "there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up … the church was broken up in all the land." My guess is that just as there were different "ranks" among all the people, there were also different "ranks" among the members of the church. This pride caused a rift in the membership which eventually caused the church to be broken up. I can't imagine exactly how the church was broken up during those times, but I can imagine how "ranks" could cause a major rift in a ward.

To illustrate how ranks could break a church, we could say that there is an uprising in part of the church membership concerning tithing. Some members say that they will not pay tithing unless their children are accepted into BYU. Their assumption being that a lot of the tithing funds go towards the funding of operations at BYU. The leaders of the church would probably take a stand and continue to fund BYU while various members of the church refuse to pay their tithing. These members in turn lose their temple recommends and thus an entire anti-Mormon movement begins. Now this is an absurd example, but the point is that any issue can help cause people to be prideful. And when pride enters, the fall is soon to come. What can we learn from this? We can take this lesson from the Nephites and strive to not be prideful. The opposite of pride is charity. If we seek this gift from God, then pride will not have sway over us.

The Humble Lamanites

Contrast the Nephites' pride to the few Lamanites who were genuinely humble. In 3 Nephi 6:13 it says they were "exceedingly humble." They "would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God." In 3 Nephi 6:14 it says they were "converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it." They were "firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord."

Inspired Men

In 3 Nephi 6:20 men, who were inspired from heaven, started to preach to the people. The prideful people did not like these men and they were angry with them. They were so angry with these men sent from heaven that they secretly put them to death without the consent of the governor of the land. Someone issued a complaint against these people who secretly murdered. These lawyers and chief priests who killed the prophets were taken before the judge. Because of their many family members in high places, the guilty were let free. And not only were they let free, but they also sought to assassinate the governor and establish a king. This would prove to be the entire disintegration of the Nephite government which had lasted over 100 years.

Pride is not

Pride is not patient. Pride is not kind. Pride envies. Pride is puffed up. Pride seeks his own interests. Pride is easily provoked. Pride thinks evil. Pride takes joy in iniquity, lying and deception. Pride does not bear nor endure all things. Pride does not believe and has no hope.

There is not optimism in pride. All pride accomplishes is the tearing down of things. Pride does not build up. People with a doomsday outlook on life will be prone to the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Life is too short to live grumpily and prideful. We need to have a positive outlook on life and look for the good in others. We need to life and not tear down. We need to encourage and support and strive to accomplish good things in life.

Book of Mormon Written for Our Day

2007-08-22T13:41:00.000-05:00

I've grown up with the notion that the Book of Mormon parallels our day. This is why I've pointed out similarities between the Nephite and Lamanite histories and what is going on in our day.

I did some searching of past talks to find out what prophets have said regarding this notion.

The single biggest evidence I found came from President Benson.

In his talk "The Keystone of our Religion" President Benson mentioned three reasons for why we should make the study of the Book of Mormon a life-long pursuit.

He says,

The second great reason why we must make the Book of Mormon a center focus of study is that it was written for our day. The Nephites never had the book; neither did the Lamanites of ancient times. It was meant for us. Mormon wrote near the end of the Nephite civilization. Under the inspiration of God, who sees all things from the beginning, he abridged centuries of records, choosing the stories, speeches, and events that would be most helpful to us.

Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. Nephi said: “The Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation.” (2 Ne. 25:21.) His brother Jacob, who succeeded him, wrote similar words: “For [Nephi] said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation.” (Jacob 1:3.) Enos and Jarom both indicated that they too were writing not for their own people but for future generations. (See Enos 1:15–16; Jarom 1:2.)

Mormon himself said, “Yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel.” (Morm. 7:1.) And Moroni, the last of the inspired writers, actually saw our day and time. “Behold,” he said, “the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.” (Morm. 8:34–35.)

If they saw our day, and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?”

And there is example after example of how that question will be answered. For example, in the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to Christ’s coming to America. By careful study of that time period, we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet.

From the Book of Mormon we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war. From the Book of Mormon we see the evils of secret combinations portrayed in graphic and chilling reality. In the Book of Mormon we find lessons for dealing with persecution and apostasy. We learn much about how to do missionary work. And more than anywhere else, we see in the Book of Mormon the dangers of materialism and setting our hearts on the things of the world. Can anyone doubt that this book was meant for us and that in it we find great power, great comfort, and great protection?

His sentiments, with regard to the Book of Mormon being written for our day, have been echoed by other General Authorities. The main point is that we need to learn from the Nephites' mistakes. We can read about how the Nephites fell because of pride and materialism and how they defeated their enemies. We would be wise to take to heart the lessons the Nephites struggled to learn.

As the cliché goes, those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.

3 Nephi 4 & 5

2007-08-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

Summary of the Great Battle

To summarize the last few chapters on a timeline, we can read in chapter 2 verse 11 that the GR had become numerous and were killing a lot of people. This was in the year 13 (since the sign of Christ's birth). In year 16, Lachoneus is governor of the Nephites and the GR leader is Giddianhi. Giddianhi sends an epistle to Lachoneus and demands that the Nephites surrender themselves and their land to the GR. Lachoneus does not surrender, but exhorts the people to repentance. He also instructs the people, in year 17, to gather together in one place. In year 18, the GR begin to come out of their hiding places. In year 19, the final battle begins (chapter 4 verse 5), and this is where I begin with this commentary.

The Nephites have enough food to last seven years. They are all gathered together in one place and their armies are placed around the body of people. When the GR finally come to the battle, they are dressed so as to appear frightful to the Nephites. The Nephites prayed earnestly when they saw the GR armies advancing. The Nephites had truly been humbled and had repented of their sins. The Lord was with them. The battle that ensued was the greatest battle since the days of Lehi – which means it was the greatest battle ever as far as the number of people who were killed. The Nephites beat them and then pursued the GR. Giddianhi was killed.

Next, the GR laid siege, but it will prove fruitless. Finally, the GR decide to head to the northern parts of the land. The Nephites are aware of the GR's plans and they cut them off. The new GR leader was Zemnarihah. When the Nephites captured Zemnarihah and the GR, they took Zemnarihah and hung him to death and then cut the tree. It was a great victory for the Nephites. Once again, we learn the valuable lesson that when a people put their trust in God, God will deliver them – God will fight and win their battles.

Gadianton Robbers Taught the Gospel

The people were very happy that the GR were finally defeated. They took the remainder of the GR and tossed them in prison and taught them the gospel (3 Nephi 5:4). If they repented, they were set free. If they did not repent, they were executed. Finally, the majority of the people were living in righteousness.

Mormon's Commentary

The rest of chapter 5 is comprised of comments by Mormon. He tells us that he is named after the place of Mormon where Alma the Sr. taught the people and baptized them. I find it interesting to note what he says in verse 12. He writes, "… Alma did establish the church among the people, yea the first church which was established among them after their transgression." I imagine that he was referring to the transgression of the Nephites in the Land of Nephi under the kingship of King Noah. But it is also interesting to note that when Alma and his followers rejoined the Nephites in Zarahemla and King Mosiah, Alma was appointed head of the church! Wouldn't there have been a church leader already established in Zarahemla? Perhaps King Mosiah was also the church leader and delegated these responsibilities to Alma knowing that shortly thereafter, he (King Mosiah) would be dissolving the line of Kings and establishing a council of judges. Of course when this happened, Alma was chosen to be the Chief Judge too. We may never know all the motives behind the decisions made, but at least this much we know – that Alma the Senior was a great prophet and man. His faith was incredible as he changed his life (and the history of the Nephites for that matter!) after listening to the mighty words of Abinadi.

The other comments Mormon made were regarding the gathering of Israel. I don't have anything to say at this time regarding those comments.

3 Nephi 3

2007-08-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

I've written various comments on 3 Nephi 3 over the years. Below are my comments with the date that they were written.

This is a wonderful chapter about following the prophets, strength in unity and purity.

The Gadianton robbers were wrecking havoc on the Nephites until finally the leader of the GR wrote to Lachoneus demanding that the Nephites give up their land and possessions. Of course his whole epistle was a complete farce. Giddianhi said that the Nephites could be brothers and partakers with the GR, but this was after he explained why the GR were offended – because their rights to leadership were taken away. Do you think for a second that the GR would not enslave the Nephites? Yet they said they would not!

Lachoneus, who was a prophet, commanded the people to gather into one part of the land with all their possessions. He then exhorted them to repent or else they would never be delivered from the GR. I think that today is much the same. The brethren exhort us to repent and keep the commandments. They also tell us that we must gather oft to pray and partake of the sacrament and to learn and to bear testimony. They instruct us on how to be pure and clean. As will be read later, the Nephites were delivered because they listened to the prophets.

I recently read an article in the July Ensign that talked about following the prophets and how people were affected when they followed the prophets and when they did not. This is just a reference to read that article.

Written June 28, 2000

I have fascinated more and more every day I read these chapters. The parallel between this time of the Nephites and our time is frighteningly similar. The main thug we have been fighting is Osama bin Laden. He has declared war on the United States numerous times. He inspires other thugs like himself to make war upon the free and peaceful people of the United States. Giddianhi is no different. They are all the same. They want to live an archaic life and throw the whole world back into the middle ages. They are not for progress. They are for the tearing down and wrecking havoc. They do not want peace.

We are far from defeating terrorism. I doubt it will ever be defeated. Just as the GR were defeated numerous times, yet they still came back with greater power. It is true that the Nephites and Lamanites defeated the GR this time. But later in the history of the Nephites, the GR reappear and prove to be the entire destruction of the Nephites. The people went from being wealthy, blessed and prosperous to being reduced to a war-loving group of wanderers.

Written September 7, 2003

"Feeling for your welfare"

In 3 Nephi 3:5, Giddianhi tries to flatter Lachoneus by voicing his concern for Lachoneus. Being far removed from the situation, we the readers, plainly see that Giddianhi is a liar and is not truly concerned for Lachoneus' welfare. But at the time, it may have been a little more foggy. It may have appeared to Lachoneus and the Nephites that they were indeed going to be defeated … that the only two choices they had were either death or to join the Gadianton Robbers.

Giddianhi was wise in trying to persuade Lachoneus and the Nephites to give up willingly. If they were successful in persuading the Nephites, it meant that the GR would not lose men and resources in trying to defeat the Nephites. From his perspective, he probably reasoned that his robbers could squash the Nephites … that the Nephites would not last long against his thousands and tens of thousands of warriors. Giddianhi probably thought it would be a waste to kill all those Nephites and squander all the resources. It would be better to have the Nephites willingly give in to them … why should the Nephites sacrifice their lives for so little? It was pointless to fight.

But Lachoneus saw through the lies and subtle reasonings. The GR, despite Gaddianhi's "concerns" for the Nephites, wanted to conquer. They wanted to be the rulers … they wanted the Nephites to pay homage to them, much like the Lamanite king forced Limhi and his people to pay heavy taxes. The Nephites were not interested in survival only to live as slaves. They wanted freedom and they were not going to give Giddianhi the pleasure of being his subjects.

And so Lachoneus did not even reply to Giddianhi's epistle. Instead, he went to work and immediately began to persuade the people to repent and prepare for battle. His Herculean efforts succeeded in gathering the people in one body in one land (3 Nephi 3:25). All the Nephites gathered in between Zarahemla and Bountiful and there they were going to hold out until the end.

Written August 20, 2007

3 Nephi 2

2007-08-16T00:59:00.000-05:00

"The people began to forget"

The big point of this entire chapter is found in the first two verses – “the people began to forget.” How many times do I forget a wonderful, spiritual experience and I begin to err and sin. One of the many lessons I learned in Guatemala was with President Ramos. After a very spiritual interview, President Ramos identified the Spirit and then told me that whenever I have a spiritual experience, I must strive to keep the Spirit with me as long as possible. I’ve noticed before, too, that after a powerful spiritual experience, temptations and distractions come more quickly and often. I often remember thinking how temptations would come after an excellent missionary discussion or testimony meeting.

I imagine that the only way to keep the spirit with you is to work harder than before to have spiritual experiences. Soon enough, trials will come, which if approached with faith and a good attitude will make you stronger in the spirit. The only way to get through a trial is by prayer and faith. This whole process reminds me of that talk by Elder Maxwell in the June 1996 Ensign. I think I still have that article.

Another point is that after the Nephites began to forget, they also began to disbelieve. Satan had tricked them into thinking that men made all these signs and wonders. How often do I attribute the miracles of God to men? I believe that we sometimes think that we got an ‘A’ in a class or that we got the job, and we forget whose breath it is that gives us life. Other times we know that we could not have done a certain thing without the help of God, yet we take the credit.

Nephite Cycle

In this chapter we see the Nephites slip into their cycle once again. After the sign of Christ’s birth (year 91), the Nephites repented and most of them were righteous. But in a matter of four years (year 95), the Nephites were “less and less astonished at a sign or wonder” (verse 1). Then in verse 2 it says “thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again.”

In verses 5-7 we read of the change in dating systems. It has been 100 years since the days of king Mosiah, 609 years since Lehi and left Jerusalem and 9 years since the sign of Christ’s birth. The Nephites now reckon their time according to the sign of Christ’s birth.

In year 13 there are many wars and contentions. The GR are very strong and threaten the destruction of the Nephites. The GR are so strong and wrecking so much havoc that the Nephites and Lamanites are “compelled” to fight them. In verse 12 it reads that they must fight the GR to defend their families, rights, religion, privileges, freedom and liberty. This sounds a lot like when Captain Moroni fought the Lamanites with his Standard of Liberty.

Gadianton Robbers and Terrorists

Another note about the Nephites and Lamanites taking up arms against the GR – I remember reading these verses about the GR as a missionary and high school student. I always wondered who the GR would be in our day and time. Then September 11, 2001 came and our eyes were opened. Now, there is no doubt in my mind who the modern day GR are. They are the terrorists who fight in the same manner as the GR did. Not as a nation with its armies, but as a bunch of thugs who are loosely organized, but great in number and insanity.

Now what I wonder about is when the day will come that the free people of the world will be threatened with destruction just as the Nephites were threatened with destruction (verse 19).

3 Nephi 1

2007-08-16T00:16:00.001-05:00

Nephi Departs

Nephi the son of Helaman departs out of the land (3 Nephi 1:2). What could it have been like for Nephi to work all those years never to see that the people truly repent of their sins? He may have left because the people were so hardened. Nephi, the son of Helaman was one of the most faithful and hard-working prophets in the Book of Mormon.

The Power of the Word

As stated, the prophecies began to be fulfilled – every whit. What the Lord declares is what will be. In 3 Nephi 1:13, the Lord responds to Nephi’s prayer. The Lord says, “I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken.” This is very powerful. Are we not also trying to establish our character to the point that what we say will be? Honesty takes on a whole new meaning in this light. If our words match our actions, then eventually our word will be powerful like unto the Lord’s word.

When we covenant to do something, we need to do it so our words have meaning. We should not make idle threats. We should make promises and keep them. Our words will eventually become our actions and the Lord will be with us. And when the Lord is with us, we like Nephi the son of Helman, will receive power from heaven and what we declare will be the will of the Lord. That is how we gain power from the Lord – keeping our word.

Satan Tears Down

In 3 Nephi 1:22, Satan put lies in the hearts of the people so that they would harden their hearts and not believe in the signs that had been given. As always, Satan tries to tear down rather than build up. There are many people who are this way – they are negative and try to tear down people’s beliefs rather than build up and be positive. Negativism never accomplished much.

The Rising Generation

Finally in 3 Nephi 1:29, the rising generation “became for themselves and were led away by some who were Zoramites, by their lyings and their flattering words to join the Gadianton robbers.” How heart-breaking it must have been for the parents of these children. But the Lord will never force us to be obedient. As the verse says, they “became for themselves” and therefore chose for themselves. Agency is key. We must make decisions for ourselves. We also must accept the consequences of our decisions.

Helaman 16

2007-08-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

Nephites Falter Again

I find myself in disbelief at the attitude of the Nephites. After the prophecies of Nephi and Samuel, the people still did not believe. There were some who believed and repented, but most of them did not. Even when I know what is going to happen next in the Book of Helaman, I still think that the Nephites are going to pull themselves out of sin, just like they have done many times before. But like a person aging, the older they get, the harder it is to change their ways. Each time the Nephites dip down into that terrible cycle, the harder it is for them to come back up. They will recover two more times but they will not recover after that. The recovery becomes too long and too steep. Also, the times they do recover and repent, are short. The only bright side to this commentary is that the Lord's hand is ever-extended to the Nephites. They will always have the chance to change!

False Reasoning

The Nephites began to reason among themselves that Christ didn’t exist. Through some unknown, strange line of reasoning, they believed that the sign of God would never come to the world, let along to the Americas. In 2 Nephi 26:9 and Alma 16:20, previous Book of Mormon prophets teach the people that Christ would visit them in the Americas. Somewhere along the line, this bit of knowledge was lost among the Nephites.

How much do we reason in like manner today? Do we find ourselves rationalizing a sin? Faith is the antidote to rationalization. We must develop our testimonies to the point that we do not doubt the counsels or revelations of the prophets. We do not develop our testimonies with blind faith. Instead, we put to trial our faith and we prove the word of God. We plant a seed, nourish it and then we see that it is a good seed. We will eventually come to a point in the nourishment process where we know with certainty because our minds have been opened. We must then continue our pursuit to know the truth. Thus, bit by bit we come to know that the prophets speak the truth and we can trust them and follow them.

Hardened Hearts

The people hardened their hearts against that which is good and against that which is to come.

We too, in today’s world, tend to harden our hearts against good things. We watch too much TV rather than read the scriptures. We waste time playing video games rather than spend quality time with our family. In other words, when we harden our hearts against good, we really are turning our backs to good things and to turn our back to good things means that we turn to things that are of lesser importance.

Helaman 15

2007-08-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

The Lord Chastens Those He Loves

The Lord will humble us or chasten us because he loves us. Sometimes we need to be hit in the head to knock some sense in us and to get us back on the right path. We must remember when we have a humbling experience that Heavenly Father doesn’t want to knock us down so that we stay down. He does it so that we get back up and do better. We become stronger that way and we learn to humble ourselves.

Repentance Brings Freedom

Another point I enjoyed was the idea that faith in Christ and repentance brings us true freedom and happiness. The only way to remain out of the bondage of Satan is to repent. First you have to be humble, then repent, then you are free.

Fear to Sin

Another thing I learned is that I need to “fear to sin.” I think many times I justify in doing a little evil now and again, but the Lamanites feared to sin so much that they would rather die than to sin. How dedicated as I to not sinning and in turn doing good? Not nearly as much as the Lamanites.

More Prophecies from Samuel

As I read chapter 15 this time, I noted that Samuel makes a couple of more prophecies. He warns the Nephites that their houses will become desolate and their women will suffer if the Nephites do not repent. As evidenced in Mormon chapter 4, these prophecies come true.

Another point I noted when reading today was Samuel telling the Nephites that the salvation came to the Lamanites through the Nephites and now it is the Lamanites who must 'save' the Nephites. I can't help but think of North American missionaries going and preaching to Central and South Americans for two years. Their salvation came through the preaching of North American missionaries. Now the church is thriving and growing tremendously in South America. I believe the members are very diligent and faithful. If not now, there will come a time when we will have Latin general authorities and prophets preaching repentance to us, just as Samuel the Lamanite preached to the Nephites.

Samuel makes another prophecy about the restoration of the Lamanites. In Helaman 15:11, Samuel prophecies that the Lamanites will be restored again to the knowledge of truth after they have dwindled in unbelief. D&C 49:24 contains a prophecy from Joseph Smith, which says that “before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.”

Finally, in this chapter we see again the Lamanites burying their weapons of war (verse 9). They would rather suffer themselves to be killed than to take up arms and kill others. The Anti-Nephi-Lehis did this and now we read of this new generation of Lamanites who take upon themselves the 'bear-no-weapon' oath. I am fascinated with their complete faith and dedication to keeping the commandments!

Helaman 14

2007-08-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

Samuel the Lamanite continues in this chapter by prophesying of Christ’s birth and death. The reason he does so is first, he is a prophet and prophets prophesy, but they always prophesy for a purpose which leads to my second point. Why did Samuel make these prophecies?

No Cause for Unbelief

In Helaman 14:28, Samuel explains that there will be so many wonders and signs given that there will be no cause for doubting and that if they do not believe those signs and wonders, they will be condemned and they will be responsible for their own condemnation.

In other words, Samuel is saying that there will be so many signs that if the people don’t believe in them and repent, then they are pretty stupid and will have to reap the consequences.

It is like a teacher telling you exactly what will be on the final exam and that your whole grade depends on this final exam. The students would be pretty ignorant not to study the given material.

Prophets tell us what to beware of and what to do to gain salvation. I think prophets know and see much more than we think. They interpret what they know into the things we must change and do.

I think it is symbolic how Samuel was standing on the city wall when he prophesied all these things. He saw the big picture and the Lord told him what to say to the Nephites.

The Prophecies

I wanted to briefly add to this commentary the things Samuel prophesied. I think the previous entry accurately describes what I got out of this chapter this time around.

Sign of Christ's coming:
1. Great lights in heaven.
2. The night before Christ comes to earth; there will be a day, a night and a day of light.
3. A new star will appear.
4. Many signs and wonders in heaven.
5. The people will be amazed at the signs and fall to the earth.

Signs of Christ's death:
1. Thunder, lightening, earthquakes, tempests, general destruction of the land.
2. Darkness for three days.
3. The resurrection of many saints who will appear unto many people.

As I stated before, every one of these prophecies came true.

Helaman 13

2007-08-06T11:56:00.000-05:00

The Curse of the Land

Samuel seems to talk a lot about riches, treasures, gold and silver in this chapter. He also tells the people how the land is cursed so that they lose their treasures and they cannot find them when they look for them.

I was trying to think of how this could be applied in our day. While I was reading this chapter, I wondered “why don’t they put their riches in a type of bank or safe?” Then it hit me. Today, a widespread loss of wealth might occur if the stock market crashed or if other financial markets suffered. In a sense, that could be today’s curse of the land.

Wickedness Never Was Happiness

Samuel warns the people that they have sought happiness in doing iniquity. Alma taught this principle earlier when he said that wickedness never was happiness. Samuel warns the people that happiness in doing iniquity is contrary to the nature of righteousness. In other words, there is a difference between joy and pleasure. Finding pleasure in doing iniquity eventually leads to utter sadness while finding pleasure in serving, praying and doing Christ-like things leads to complete and full joy. Samuel warns the people about finding pleasure in doing iniquity. He says that it is contrary to God and therefore contrary to our eternal happiness.

A Great Prophet

I have wondered why is Samuel considered to be such a great prophet? The other times I read about Samuel, I focused on his cry of repentance to the people … a pretty common cry for Book of Mormon prophets. But this time, I noticed all the prophecies of Samuel. Every single one of his prophecies came true. The first one in chapter 13 is about the Nephites being completely destroyed in 400 years (Helaman 13:5). We later read in Mormon that this came true. This is really the only one in this chapter. The rest can be found in the next chapter which I'll document when I get there.

The City of Gideon

Another thing that I wondered about was the city of Gideon (Helaman 13:15). Out of curiosity, I looked up in 3 Nephi 9 where Christ tells the people what happened to the various cities. I expected to find in 3 Nephi 9 that the city of Gideon was burned by fire or that it was flooded or something horrific. But to my surprise, I did not find anything about the city of Gideon. I looked Gideon up in the index and read the references. Gideon was a contemporary to Alma the elder. Gideon led the people against the wicked King Noah. He almost killed King Noah, but was stopped when King Noah plead for his life when he saw the armies of the Lamanites approaching. Gideon spared him. After the people of Alma returned to Zarahemla, the anti-Christ Nehor and Gideon got into an argument in the which they drew swords and Nehor killed Gideon. Later, a city was established in a valley named after Gideon. This city was east of the river Sidon. The last instance of the name Gideon (man, valley or city) is mentioned is in Helaman 13 when Samuel pronounces a 'wo' on the people that inhabit the city of Gideon. Interestingly enough, it is not mentioned in 3 Nephi.

Did the people of the city of Gideon repent after Samuel the Lamanite pronounced a 'wo' on them? We'll probably never know. But the fact that the city of Gideon is not mentioned in the list of destruction in 3 Nephi is a good sign that they may have repented.

Agency

Lastly, I wondered why Samuel told the people that their "days of probation are past" (Helaman 13:38). He continues in the same verse, "your destruction is made sure." Why even preach to them if they are already hell-bound?

My explanation would be that he preached to the people because, first, the Lord commanded him to and second, every soul's worth is great (D&C 18). If Samuel's preaching saved a handful of people that heard him that day, then it was all worth the trouble. Also, no matter what we've done in our past, we always have a choice today. As bad as a position the Nephites were in, they still had a choice … they could always choose to repent.

As I stated with the city of Gideon, there is a very good chance that thye decided to change the day they listened to Samuel.

A third reason he preached to the people despite their guaranteed destruction was so that they would know of the signs of the coming of Christ. As will be read in the next chapter, Samuel makes many prophecies about the birth and death of Christ.

Helaman 12

2007-08-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

Unsteadiness and Scripture Study

How true and correct are the words of Mormon’s commentary! In my own life, I have been blessed tremendously. Yet, I become prideful and I begin to do things I shouldn’t and I forget whose hand has blessed my life.

Mankind’s heart is unsteady. It is no wonder the prophets counsel us to read and study the scriptures every day and to pray often every day. Our hearts need the anchor of prayer and scripture study in our lives to keep us on the paths of righteousness.

Recently, I came across an article in the August 2007 Ensign entitled “Savoring the Scriptures”. The article had a quote from Marion G. Romney. He said, “As I began to practice law, members of my family were a little uneasy. They were afraid I would lose my faith. I wanted to practice law, but I had an even greater desire to keep my testimony, and so I decided upon a little procedure which I recommend to you. For thirty minutes each morning before I began the day’s work I read from the Book of Mormon. … I know that it kept me in harmony … with the Spirit of the Lord. … It will hold us as close to the Spirit of the Lord as anything I know.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1949, 36, 41)

I really needed to read this chapter today. I needed to remember how important it is for me to read the Book of Mormon and to pray every day. I needed to remember what happens to those who forget the Lord and his mercy.

Trample Under Their Feet

The phrase “trample under their feet the Holy One” occurs a few times in the Book of Mormon – 1 Nephi 19:7, Alma 5:53, Helaman 12:2 and 3 Nephi 28:35.

This seems to be a figurative term symbolizing our willful disrespect for things that are holy and sacred.

To trample the Holy One means to willfully not listen to God’s counsels or the counsels of His prophets.

The Nothingness of Man

I really like Bryan Richards commentary on this subject. I will include it here.

“When it comes to the value of human existence, there is a doctrinal dichotomy which deserves some discussion. In the Mormon Church, the doctrine is commonly taught that all of God’s children are very literally sons and daughters of God with the same divine potential as their spiritual parents. Scriptures which confirm this principle teach that ‘we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together’ (Rom 8:16-17, see also Gal 4:1-7; Jn10:33-36). As his children, the Lord has asked us to remember that ‘the worth of souls is great in the sight of God’ (DC 18:10).

“On the other hand, Mormon reminds us about the great nothingness of man, that we are even ‘less than the dust of the earth.’ Well you can’t get much more worthless than that! Moses concluded that ‘man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed’ (Moses 1:10). Benjamin asked, ‘Can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth’ (Mosiah 2:25).

“Well, which is it? Are we worth less than the dust of the earth, or do we have great intrinsic worth as heirs of God? Can both of these things be true simultaneously? Mormon helps us to understand this doctrine. He explains that the dust moves according to the commands of God, but that man, by virtue of his agency, is the only being in the universe which defies the commandments of God. Therefore, as sinners, we are less than the dust of the earth.

“Our potential, however, is divine. It was this great transformation, from sinner to joint-heir, to which Paul referred, ‘the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant (or slave)…in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son…to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons…and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’ (Gal 4:1-7) The proud need to be taught that they are less than the dust of the earth. If any boast of their divine potential, it is because they do not understand that such a glorious potential is available to them not because of their greatness but because of the condescension of Christ. As the Master in all things, Christ understands both ends of this great dichotomy, for he was God, yet he was forced to suffer all things—in effect, he was made lower than the dust of the earth that we might be glorified. ‘He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth’ (DC 88:6).

“What a piece of work is a man!…in action how like
an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of
the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what
is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me; no,
nor woman neither.”
(Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2)

Saved or Cast Out

“Blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.” (Helaman 12:23)

“But we read that in the great and last day there are some who shall be cast out, year, who shall be cast off from the presence of the Lord.” (Helaman 12:25)

“Save for those few who defect to perdition after having known a fulness, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness.” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Brilliant Morning of Forgiveness,” Ensign, Nov 1995, 18)

Helaman 11

2007-07-31T12:19:00.000-05:00

Famine and Fasting

Nephi pleads with the Lord that the people don’t die by the sword rather that they die by hunger. In essence, Nephi is forcing the people to collectively fast. Whenever I truly fast, I am greatly humbled. I have found that I am more passive and willing to submit myself to the will of God when I fast. Not only am I more submissive, but I grow closer to the Spirit. My mind is quieter.

As we fast and grow closer to the Savior, we must strive to always remember His sacrifice. After spiritual experiences, we must be wary of temptations. We must avoid what the Nephites did time and time again. They humbled themselves and then studied the scriptures, only to fall away again. Why did they fall away? They fell because they did not follow the counsels of the prophets.

Contentions Concerning Doctrine

In Helaman 11:22, it says they contended over some points of the doctrine which had been laid down by the prophets.

What does this mean? It means that at some point in time before, the prophets clarified some points of the doctrine. Even today we will hear prophets counsel us again and again about points of the doctrine. Many times they are explicit about what we are to understand. They explain to us how we are to interpret the doctrine. They are the living oracles who see further and clearer than we.

The prophets then, as the prophet today, can settle contentions because they receive revelation. During this time in the Nephite history, the prophets were "having many revelations daily." (Helaman 11:23)

How different the Book of Mormon would have been if the Nephites would have followed the prophets!

Regarding contention, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said this, "It is noteworthy that the Savior did not limit his teaching about disputations and contention to those who had wrong ideas about doctrine or procedure. He forbade disputations and contention by everyone. The commandment to avoid contention applies to those who are right as well as to those who are wrong.” (Book of Mormon Symposium Series, 4 Nephi – Moroni, p. 177)

The Nephite Cycle in a Chapter

One time while reading this chapter, I noted what went on in the Nephite history in one decade. Chapter 11 is a perfect example of the Nephite cycle in one decade. The chapter begins in the Nephite year 72.

In year 73, Nephi asks the Lord to bring a famine to the land. Note that it only took one verse for Nephi to ask this of the Lord. Then for the next two years the Nephites suffer. Finally in year 75 the people ask Nephi to ask the Lord to stop the famine. This time, it takes Nephi seven verses to ask the Lord to stop the famine. In year 76, the famine ends.

For four years, the Nephites prosper and have peace. Then in year 80 the dissentions begin again and the GR are reborn. Basically, the GRs are terrorists as verse 32 points out. The Nephites and Lamanites send their armies to destroy the GRs twice, but fail both times. The chapter ends in year 85 with the people “ripening again for destruction.”

So in the space of 13 years (from year 72 to year 85) we see in this one chapter the Nephites go from being wicked, to being humbled, to having prosperity and peace, to dissentions, to war and finally to wickedness again. It took the Nephites thirteen years for one complete cycle.

Helaman 10

2007-07-30T15:57:00.000-05:00

Unwearyingness

Nephi was indeed a mighty prophet to have the Lord give him these powers! Because Nephi was diligent and sought the Lord’s will with “unwearyingness” the Lord gave Nephi power to seal things in heaven and on Earth. The key word in this chapter is unwearyingness. This is the type of attitude the Lord wishes that we all have when it comes to building His kingdom on the earth.

Repentance

Repentance is a lot like exercise and keeping the body fit. If we exercise on a daily basis, then our bodies stay fit and toned. Once our bodies are in shape, keeping them fit requires little effort compared to getting them fit. But once we stop exercising regularly, our bodies fall out of shape. When we begin exercising again, the road to fitness is very difficult at first, but with persistence and discipline, we are fit again.

Therefore, we must repent on a daily basis. I recall reading something by Elder Eyring which talked about daily repentance. He knelt every night and asked Heavenly Father where he had gone amiss that day and then he repented of it. This greatly improved his spiritual sensitivity. In another talk (Henry B. Eyring, “Because of Your Steadiness,” Ensign, May 1988, 39), he mentions a quote, from President George Q. Cannon, that he keeps with him. President Cannon counseled, "Some people have an idea that because they have entered the waters of baptism and repented of their sins then that is an end of it. What a mistake! We need to have this spirit of repentance continually; we need to pray to God to show us our conduct every day. Every night before we retire to rest we should review the thoughts, words, and acts of the day and then repent of everything we have done that is wrong or that has grieved the Holy Spirit. Live this way every day and endeavor to progress every day. (Gospel Truth, Jerreld L. Newquist, ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987, p. 129)

If we try to do this every night when we pray, then we will become more keenly aware of the spirit and learn where we can improve in our life.

Helaman 9

2007-07-29T21:51:00.000-05:00

The Five

After Nephi tells the people that the Chief Judge has been murdered, five men go to find out if it is true. Once they arrive on the scene, they see that the Chief Judge is dead and they are astonished and pass out.

After the funeral, the five men rebuked and confounded the judges as the judges tried to make it look like the five had worked with Nephi. The judges were not satisfied and wanted to make Nephi look the fool. They had Nephi arrested and they began to question him.

The Wickedness of the Judges

The audacity of the judges is really quite amazing. Obviously they want to silence Nephi because he testifies of their wickedness. If Nephi is right, then the judges are evil and will lose power. They offer Nephi money and his life if he will but agree that he sent a man to kill the judge (Helaman 9:20). They aren’t even interested in executing the law.

Another Sign

Nephi proves to them again that he is a prophet sent from God. He tells them who killed the chief judge and even how to question him by making it look like Nephi is not a true prophet. They went to Seantum’s place and did as Nephi instructed and found that Seantum confessed just as Nephi predicted. Nephi was liberated and more importantly, was proven to be a true prophet from God.

Some Believe

The hardness of the Nephites was incredible. Despite Nephi’s two prophecies regarding the murder of the Chief Judge and the capture of the murderer, only some people believed.

The main point of this chapter, in my opinion, is not that Nephi is a true prophet. Rather by Nephi giving the people signs in order that they might believe him it shows that the people’s destruction is imminent. For as the Savior has taught, a wicked and adulterous generation seek after signs (Matthew 16:4).

Helaman 8

2007-07-27T13:43:00.001-05:00

Look and Live

The main message Nephi was trying to portray to the people in this chapter is "look and live." Exactly halfway through the chapter, Nephi talks about the brazen serpent that was raised in the wilderness while the Israelites were wandering. The Israelites were bitten by some sort of serpent. Moses instructed them that they could be healed if they but look at the brazen serpent. That serpent is symbolic of Christ. Just as the Israelites looked on the serpent, they lived. If we look upon Christ, we too will live forever.

To take this symbolism one step further – a prophet (Moses) was the one that told the people how to be healed. In this chapter, Nephi is trying to persuade them that he too is a prophet and that he is trying to help them repent. Nephi lists the numerous other prophets who have tried to help the people gain eternal life through repentance.

Evidence of Destruction of Jerusalem

I think verse 21 is a crucial verse. Laman, Lemuel and all those who doubted Lehi's prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem were proven to have doubted unwisely. One giant piece of evidence comes from one of the sons of King Zedekiah whose name was Mulek. All of Mulek's brothers were killed by the invading King of Babylon – Nebuchadnezzar (see 2 Kings 25). Mulek survived, escaped Jerusalem and was guided to the Americas where later his people were discovered by Mosiah I (Omni 1:15). Here the Nephites had evidence of Jerusalem being destroyed just as Lehi prophesied.

Lay Up Treasures

In verse 25, Nephi talks of laying up treasures in heaven rather than on Earth. To me this means doing what is morally right on earth so that Heavenly Father will reward you with eternal life. Also, to me this means that all your possessions can be taken from you, but what you learn and your knowledge cannot be taken from you. This reminds me of the scripture in D&C 130:18-19 which states, “whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.”

Chief Judge Murdered

Lastly, in this chapter, Nephi will prove to the people that he is truly is a prophet of God. He tells them that the chief judge was murdered by his brother and that they both belonged to the GR. In the next chapters, we will see that only a prophet could have told the people the things Nephi told them.

Helaman 8

2007-07-27T13:43:00.000-05:00

Helaman 7

2007-07-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

Chapter 7 is short, but it shows exactly how the Nephites were progressing towards destruction. Here we read of the seeds of destruction beginning to grow stronger.

In verse 5, we read that the GR have infiltrated the government completely and how they condemn the righteous because they are righteous. Meanwhile, the guilty are set free because of their money. In today's terms, the guilty are set free because they can afford the most devious lawyers.

As I am thinking of this, I am reminded of the Lord's statement that says that when the majority of the people are wicked, then they are ripe for destruction (see Alma 10:19; Helaman 5:2). Just this summer, the Supreme Court ruled that sodomy was legal (Lawrence v. Texas). Here in the great state of Texas, we had a law that made sodomy illegal. When two men were caught, they were arrested and fined. They in turn sued the State of Texas since they felt they did not have equal rights as heterosexual couples. The suit went all the way to the Supreme Court. The SC should have sent it back to Texas to let the people of Texas decide, but the SC wanted to make a political statement. They decided to make sodomy legal. Now, as part of their decision, they stated that the general sentiment of public opinion of what you do in the privacy of your own home is private and that the government cannot dictate what you do therein. The fact that the SC rules according to general sentiment of the public is another debate. But the point that I'm making here is that to some degree, what the SC judges as the general sentiment of the public is generally an accurate assessment. If you can gage what the SC rules on morality as the morality of the citizens, then we are heading for a ripening of destruction. Now, since this decision came out, the Congress and the President are working on a measure to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman We are in a point in history where we have to define marriage in terms of sex whereas the sex of the two people getting married has always been implied.

At the same time we are faced with these moral issues, I think and feel that many people are becoming firmer in keeping the commandments rather than slipping into the moral decline that the rest of the world seems to be heading to. I think an accurate way to describe these stalwart people is found in Helaman 7:7. They are "easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity … quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord."

Just as God's work and glory is to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man, Satan's goal is to "hurl away [our] souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo" (verse 16).

Lastly, the word 'repent' is repeated 9 times in the last 12 verses.

Helaman 6

2007-07-23T13:52:00.002-05:00

The Nephite Cycle

The "Nephite Cycle" continues in this chapter. After repenting and then prospering for many years, the Nephites again began to be wicked. Verse 17 notes that the Lord had blessed them so long with riches that they were not stirred up to anger and they began to be prideful. In other words, they didn't have time to fight wars nor did they want to fight wars. Everyone was obsessed about lifting themselves above others. (Helaman 6:17)

How Secret Combinations are Introduced

Verse 26 has an interesting lesson. The secret combinations were not thought up by a man; rather those ideas were placed in man's heart by Satan. I remember reading in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith something about how the saint or anyone for that matter does not understand spirits. Joseph Smith said, “there always did, in every age, seem to be a lack of intelligence pertaining to this subject” (page 203). This is related to this verse, because it is through a spirit that we are influenced. I believe that all ideas are inspired. Now those inspirations may come from God or they may come from Satan. The idea of secret combinations was not new. It was placed in man's heart long before it was introduced among the Nephites. Satan simply re-introduced the idea into Gadianton's heart.

Verse 32 – "… space of not many years…" The Nephite cycle was growing ever so shorter with each passing cycle.

Hardened vs. Willing Heart

This morning, I read a blog post by my cousin's wife about her thoughts on Helaman 6:36. She had some really good insight into this verse. So I read Helaman 6:36 as well as the preceding two verses.

Mormon contrasts the hardened Nephites with the willing Lamanites. Helaman 6:34-36 says, "And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.

"And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.

"And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words."

She cross-referenced the word "willingness" to Exodus 25:2 and 2 Corinthians 8:12. Then she noted that "willingly" in Exodus 25:2 is cross-referenced to the Topical Guide entry of Initiative. She comments, "Do I take the initiative to ask and find out what the Lord wants, rather then wait till the last minute and decide to follow him when things get difficult, or complain and make excuses? I have experienced both scenarios and I can say that I have felt the blessings of taking the initiative and being willing. Not only do I experience great blessings but my faith is strengthened."

Regarding taking the initiative in keeping the commandment and following the will of God, there are two people who are great examples of keeping this counsel … President Henry B. Eyring and our current stake president Gary Riding.

When President Eyring was called to the Apostleship, there was an article in the September 1995 Ensign that talked about his life. There are two sentences I remember from this article. In talking about his father Matthew Eyring said, "My father has told us that there are two things that he prays for every night. The first is, ‘What blessings do I have that I am not aware of?’ and the second is, ‘Whom can I help?’ And,” Matthew adds, “Dad says there has never been a day that his prayers haven’t been answered.” (Gerald N. Lund, “Elder Henry B. Eyring: Molded by ‘Defining Influences’,” Ensign, Sep 1995, 10)

I am such a laid back person that I’m afraid I feel pretty content with what I have been blessed with. But after rereading part of that quote and also what my cousin's wife said, I wonder how many blessings the Lord has for my family and me that I have not asked for. In her post she says, "I think sometimes it is easy to say, "I don't want any more or I have all that I need." I have met many people who have said this. When we have a willing mind, then I believe our minds are enlightened and the power of the Spirit is able to expand our learning and knowledge."

The other person who I think takes the initiative is our stake president Gary Riding. I have heard him speak on more than one occasion of how he prays for guidance from the Lord. Like President Eyring, he specifically asks the Lord what he needs to do that day … who he can serve. Then he would proceed to give examples of how his prayers have been answered.

One example of his that I remember is when was jogging through the park and came across a man who seemed to be in mental anguish. President Riding felt inspired to stop and talk to the man. I don't remember all the details, but I think the man was having some marital and other problems in his life. A missionary moment ensued and the man was later baptized. After President Riding finished his talk, the man stood up after President Riding and testified how his life was changed because of President Riding's prayers and his willingness to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

So I guess the personal application here is that I need to be more earnest in my prayers, have a willing heart … be willing to accept the Lord's will and then do it, and then be diligent in seeking the Lord's will through daily and constant prayer. Then I need to recognize and heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost through the course of the day. And in order to recognize those promptings, I need to listen. In the July 2008 Ensign in another article about President Eyring, he teaches, "The key to hearing those answers and knowing that God has an interest in our lives, he says, is to develop a listening ear. “We’ve got to be quiet and listen. In my life, when I have failed to receive a clear feeling or have missed the voice of the Spirit, it is because I was too busy, too noisy inside, and too full of my own world.” (Robert D. Hales, “President Henry B. Eyring: Called of God,” Ensign, Jul 2008, 8–15)

Destroying Secret Combinations

How do you destroy secret combinations? The Lamanites had one solution. In verse 37, they hunted the band of robbers and then preached to them the word of God. The verse relates that after teaching them the word of God, the "band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites." This is astounding! Instead of rooting them out and killing them, the Lamanites decided to change the GR's ideologies or beliefs. Once they have different morals, they will no longer want to kill, steal, plunder and so forth. This reminds me of a verse back in Alma 31. Alma 31:5 reads, "the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just … had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword or anything else."

While the Lamanites were "destroying" the GRs with the word of God, the Nephites were uniting with the GRs. The GRs were so powerful that they eventually gained "sole management" of the Nephite government. (Helaman 6:39)

Helaman 5

2007-07-19T14:35:00.000-05:00

I usually spend a couple of days on Helaman 5 because this is one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon. The main reason I love this chapter so much is because it is celestial. Nephi and Lehi appear as if they were standing in fire and angels came down from heaven to minister.

As I have read these past two days, I’ve noticed parts of the chapter that seem to make it a testimony of sorts. It has so many gems in it!

Names

In verse 6, Helaman talks to two of his sons whom he named after Lehi and Nephi. He tells them that when they remember their names, they should remember their first parents and when they remember them, they should remember their works and know that they were good.

Then Helaman admonishes them to do as their first fathers did. I believe that Nephi and his father Lehi were proud of their descendants Nephi and Lehi. They had good works.

Likewise, we have taken upon ourselves the name of Christ … we are Christians. When we remember we are Christian, then we should remember Christ. When we remember Christ, we should remember what he has done for us. And when we remember what he has done for us, we should desire to follow and obey him.

The Rock of Our Redeemer

Verse 12 contains the well-known verse that talks about building your foundation on the rock of Christ. This is such a wonderful analogy. When I read this verse recently, I remembered the story of the Guatemala temple. I forget the name of the pioneer who opened the missionary work in Guatemala (I think it is John O’Donnel). He had a dream where he saw a temple in Guatemala. This disturbed him because he knew of no area in Guatemala that had solid rock strong enough upon which to build a temple. Almost 40 years later, a temple was built in Guatemala City. They had to dig something like a hundred feet to find solid rock, but they did it!

Also, we can substitute rock for revelation in this verse it still applies. If we build our foundation on the revelations of the prophets who are ordained of Christ, then we will not and cannot fall.

The Voice of God

It is interesting to note how the voice of God is described. In Helaman 5:30-31, it says, "it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul - And notwithstanding the mildness of the voice, behold the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison trembled."

Helaman 5:46 says, "And it came to pass that there came a voice unto them, yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper."

3 Nephi 11:3 says, "it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice, nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn."

The account in 3 Nephi continues by saying that the people had to "open their ears" to hear the voice. How often do we block out all other "voices" and open our ears to the voice of the Spirit?

Look to the Prophet

I love the theme of ‘Look to the Prophet’ in this chapter. I remember this lesson first being taught my freshman year in college. My Book of Mormon teacher, Brother Yorgason, talked about the Nephite Aminadab who told the people to “turn and look” at Nephi and Lehi. This is the same answer to many of people’s questions today. They want to know what they must do to have happiness and darkness dispelled. The answer is to “turn and look” to the prophets.

When I read this again, I was reminded of the time President Hinckley visited the missionaries in Guatemala in 1996. I feel that verse 44 describes how I felt when I was listening to President Hinckley as a missionary. I was filled “with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.” (Helaman 5:44)

The day that I heard and felt a prophet’s voice in Guatemala, I shall never forget!

After a Spiritual Experience

Later in verse 49, a commandment is given to those who were converted at that time “to go forth and marvel not, neither … doubt.” I think that after one has had a spiritual experience, Satan will try to tempt him to “marvel” at the experience and to try to rationalize it away. He soon forgets that God has touched his life. But if he would simply believe and doubt not, his faith would increase greatly.

Convinced

Another verse I love when I read this chapter is verse 50. It reads, “the more part of the Lamanites were convinced of them, because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received.” I believe that the time will come that all people will be convinced that the LDS church is the Church of Christ again established in these latter-days. They will come to know and feel that this is the true church on the earth today.

Helaman 5 is such a wonderful chapter!

Helaman 4

2007-07-18T13:49:00.001-05:00

Chapter 4 is a stark contrast to chapter 3. Where the leaders of the church were astonished at the growing numbers, the leaders of the church mourn as they see the "many dissensions in the church." The people began to contend and there was "much bloodshed."

Twice there were a large number of dissenters who tried to persuade the Lamanites to battle the Nephites. They failed the first time, but the second time they were successful. The dissenters and the Lamanites then took possession of Zarahemla and most of the Nephite's land.

What was the cause of this terrible crisis? It was the wickedness and abominations among the people and those who "professed to belong to the church of God." Could the hypocrisy of the "church members" have been the reason for many dissensions? We may never know.

Verse 12 lists all the sins of which the Nephites were guilty. The sins range from oppressing the poor to denying the spirit of prophecy and revelation to lying to dissenting. In today's society, one can easily identify an example of each of the sins by reading the news. On a bright note, I do not believe that the majority of people commit these sins. I believe that the majority of people think these sins are repulsive.

Despite some repentance and successful battle campaign's to regain their lands, the Nephites were still in a predicament. They were outnumbered by the Lamanites and the Lamanites were no longer weak. The Lamanites were now just as powerful as the Nephites and they were more numerous. This caused great fear among the Nephites.

At this point, the Nephites began to remember. They remembered the prophecies of Alma and Mosiah. They found that they had altered the laws of Mosiah and that they were wicked. They were in a state of "unbelief and awful wickedness."

As you read this chapter, you get a sense that the future does not look too good for the Nephites. Thankfully, they had great leaders who helped them get out of the quagmire they put themselves in.

Helaman 2 & 3

2007-07-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

The Gadianton Robbers

What Kishkuman started, Gadianton took to the next level. Gadianton "was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery." (Helaman 2:3) He premeditated and thought out all the strategy of carrying out murders and robbing. He was no common criminal hoping to get a buck from a quick robbery. He made it a profession. Taking it to the next level is what proved to be the legacy of the Gadianton Robbers. They were the mafia and drug cartel in their day.

"And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi." (Helaman 2:13)

The Northward Migration

The year 2007 has proven to be the year about the immigrant. The United States has had a massive influx of Latinos from Mexico, Central American and even South America. There is much political debate about this issue.

The Book of Mormon had its share of a massive migration too. The migrations that took place toward the end of Alma and into the book of Helaman were because of great contentions and dissentions. People were fed up with whatever was going on in Zarahemla. So they moved north to find some form of freedom from these oppressions.

The Church and the People Prosper

During this same period of time, the church grew very rapidly. So many found religion and the church, that even the priests and teachers were astonished by the rapid success.

Because of the great peace found in the land, many people prospered materially. The Lord had poured out blessings on them.

The Gate is Open

Many protest (from all denominations) that our temples should be open to the public and what goes on in them should be made known to all. The leaders of the Church have claimed that what goes on in the temples is not secret, but sacred and that anyone can enter the temple to find out for himself, granted that he is a member of the Church and has proved himself worthy. The gate and temple are indeed open unto all. What prevents people from entering is their faithfulness.

The Word of God: Quick and Powerful

Mormon says, "we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a straight and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked." (Helaman 3:29)

The word of God has a two-fold mission. In the rod, (like the Iron Rod) it can help us and lead us on the straight and narrow path. It guides us and supports us in our journey through this life. It is corrective and supportive.

In the sword, it cuts down the temptations and lies and snares of the devil. It is a defense and weapon.

I can't fully go into all the comparisons, but there are two articles that do delve extensively into the comparisons of the word of God being a rod and a sword.

The first is entitled "Rod and Sword as the Word of God" by John A. Tvedtnes published by the Maxwell Institute at BYU. The second draws on the first and was posted as a blog entry at newcoolthang.com under the post "The Rod Along the Bank (more on Lehi's dream)". Both are excellent articles.

Yield Your Heart to God

No one really likes a fence-sitter. Many of us have done it with something in our life … we sit in the middle not wanting to commit one way or the other. We're afraid of the repercussions. We've been burned before when we've committed ourselves to someone or something only later to have our hearts broken when the other end of the commitment fell through or the deal wasn't what we thought it was when we signed up. So whenever someone or something asks us to be committed to him or her or it, we hesitate. We want to be sure that we fully understand what we're getting into and what we have to do and what we will get. We have to find out if we can trust the other party.

The one person we can fully trust is God. He wants us to be committed to him and in return he will bless us beyond measure. But the enticing of the devil constantly beats in our ears. We think we know what will make us happy, but unless we submit to God, we will never know true happiness. So we sin in our own wish and find that we are not happy. Once we've been disappointed enough times, we may eventually turn to God and submit our heart to him. Thankfully, he will always be there for us.

Elder Maxwell gave a wonderful talk on "Willing to Submit" back in April 1985.