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.
Showing posts with label Charity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charity. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thursday, February 08, 2007
2 Nephi 26
Nephi's Prophecies Continued
Nephi continues with a few prophecies in this chapter. He tells of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. He also tells that Christ will visit the Nephites in America. I have watched a few Discovery Channel specials on Nostradamus. He was also a prophet in that he foresaw things to happen. From what I have seen and heard, he prophesied about doom and gloom. Compare him to Nephi and other Book of Mormon prophets and you will find that Nephi also prophesied about destruction, but not all of his prophesies were about war and destruction. He also prophesied about glorious things to come such as the birth of Christ as well as the resurrection.
Christ is the Law
In 3 Nephi 1:24, we read that certain people were trying to convince everyone else that the Law of Moses was fulfilled. But they did not understand the scriptures. Nephi plainly explains that when Christ would manifest himself to the children of Lehi, then they should heed "the words which he shall speak unto [them]" and that those words "shall be the law which [they] shall do" (2 Nephi 26:1).
Sell Themselves for Naught
In verse 10, Nephi says that his people will “sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction.” The question I pose is, “what do you sell yourself for?” Do you sell your time to things that have no worth? Do you give more of your time to work, hobbies and other people than you do your family or the Church? This is an interesting concept to think about – that of selling yourself. You must not think of this in terms of money, although you can. For greater applicability, you must think of selling yourself in terms of time, talents and means. I think what Nephi is saying here is that you shouldn’t sell yourself for nothing of value in return. If you sell all your time to playing games or to your career or your hobby, you will receive nothing of eternal value in return. What you will receive is an empty home, a saddened wife, dysfunctional children and ultimately eternal misery – all because you sold yourself for nothing. Look at the opposite – if you sell your time to your family, the Church and service, your reward will be great. And when you compare the amount of yourself you sell to your family, the Church and service to the reward you will receive, you will know that you are getting the better end of the deal. For what you will receive will far outweigh what you will sell yourself for.
Flaxen Cord
The temptations of Satan are ever so subtle. They begin innocently and sometimes hardly register on our spiritual RADAR. But if we do not watch ourselves and our thoughts and our words and our deeds (Mosiah 4:30), then Satan will ever so gently cast his flaxen cord around our neck unnoticed. Then that cord begins to thicken until we are bound "with his strong cords forever" (2 Nephi 26:22).
C.S. Lewis penned in The Screwtape Letters, "The safest road to Hell … is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without turnings, without milestones, without signposts."
The Atonement
The next part Nephi talks about is what Christ gave to us. You can think in terms of selling oneself in this instance too. Christ sold himself to the will of his Father. Christ then offered the Atonement to everyone. In verse 25 he says, “Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.” In verse 27 Nephi states that Christ has given us the Atonement for free. Clearly Nephi is talking in monetary terms here as he did in verse 25. The Atonement is not free in the sense time and sacrifice. One must use (spend) his or her time on this earth to repent, obey the commandments of God and keep the covenants they have made. He must give the Lord a contrite heart and broken spirit (3 Nephi 9:20).
Priestcrafts Defined
2 Nephi 26:29 defines priestcrafts as thus: "that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion."
Obviously there are many religions and churches whose founder's purpose is to gain money. Just here in the metroplex where I live there are "mega-churches." I'm sure that many of the members use the donations to help the poor, but I wonder how much money the clergy make.
Priestcrafts can also be found in the Church. Whenever a Sunday School teacher seeks to be a light unto himself, he is practicing priestcraft. He seeks not the welfare of his students but rather he seeks the glory of being viewed as intelligent. There is a fine line between "gospel scholarship" and priestcrafts.
I don't know what the Prophet's stance is on marketing the Gospel, but I've always been leery of conferences and merchandising that members pay for. I know that what some of these companies and conferences do is good, but should we pay to have the Gospel (or parts of the Gospel) taught to us? That is just my personal opinion.
Charity
One of the greatest commandments we are to obey is to have charity “which charity is love. And except [we] should have charity [we are] nothing” (2 Nephi 26:30). We are not to labor or sell ourselves for money; rather we are to sell ourselves to charity. If we “labor for money” (meaning all our life is consumed in the pursuit of money), we will be nothing. If we labor for charity, we will inherit the Kingdom of God.
One of my favorite quotes about charity I first heard while I was in the MTC as a full-time missionary in June 1995. This quote is by Marvin J. Ashton who was in the Quorum of the Twelve. He said,
Nephi continues with a few prophecies in this chapter. He tells of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. He also tells that Christ will visit the Nephites in America. I have watched a few Discovery Channel specials on Nostradamus. He was also a prophet in that he foresaw things to happen. From what I have seen and heard, he prophesied about doom and gloom. Compare him to Nephi and other Book of Mormon prophets and you will find that Nephi also prophesied about destruction, but not all of his prophesies were about war and destruction. He also prophesied about glorious things to come such as the birth of Christ as well as the resurrection.
Christ is the Law
In 3 Nephi 1:24, we read that certain people were trying to convince everyone else that the Law of Moses was fulfilled. But they did not understand the scriptures. Nephi plainly explains that when Christ would manifest himself to the children of Lehi, then they should heed "the words which he shall speak unto [them]" and that those words "shall be the law which [they] shall do" (2 Nephi 26:1).
Sell Themselves for Naught
In verse 10, Nephi says that his people will “sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction.” The question I pose is, “what do you sell yourself for?” Do you sell your time to things that have no worth? Do you give more of your time to work, hobbies and other people than you do your family or the Church? This is an interesting concept to think about – that of selling yourself. You must not think of this in terms of money, although you can. For greater applicability, you must think of selling yourself in terms of time, talents and means. I think what Nephi is saying here is that you shouldn’t sell yourself for nothing of value in return. If you sell all your time to playing games or to your career or your hobby, you will receive nothing of eternal value in return. What you will receive is an empty home, a saddened wife, dysfunctional children and ultimately eternal misery – all because you sold yourself for nothing. Look at the opposite – if you sell your time to your family, the Church and service, your reward will be great. And when you compare the amount of yourself you sell to your family, the Church and service to the reward you will receive, you will know that you are getting the better end of the deal. For what you will receive will far outweigh what you will sell yourself for.
Flaxen Cord
The temptations of Satan are ever so subtle. They begin innocently and sometimes hardly register on our spiritual RADAR. But if we do not watch ourselves and our thoughts and our words and our deeds (Mosiah 4:30), then Satan will ever so gently cast his flaxen cord around our neck unnoticed. Then that cord begins to thicken until we are bound "with his strong cords forever" (2 Nephi 26:22).
C.S. Lewis penned in The Screwtape Letters, "The safest road to Hell … is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without turnings, without milestones, without signposts."
The Atonement
The next part Nephi talks about is what Christ gave to us. You can think in terms of selling oneself in this instance too. Christ sold himself to the will of his Father. Christ then offered the Atonement to everyone. In verse 25 he says, “Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.” In verse 27 Nephi states that Christ has given us the Atonement for free. Clearly Nephi is talking in monetary terms here as he did in verse 25. The Atonement is not free in the sense time and sacrifice. One must use (spend) his or her time on this earth to repent, obey the commandments of God and keep the covenants they have made. He must give the Lord a contrite heart and broken spirit (3 Nephi 9:20).
Priestcrafts Defined
2 Nephi 26:29 defines priestcrafts as thus: "that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion."
Obviously there are many religions and churches whose founder's purpose is to gain money. Just here in the metroplex where I live there are "mega-churches." I'm sure that many of the members use the donations to help the poor, but I wonder how much money the clergy make.
Priestcrafts can also be found in the Church. Whenever a Sunday School teacher seeks to be a light unto himself, he is practicing priestcraft. He seeks not the welfare of his students but rather he seeks the glory of being viewed as intelligent. There is a fine line between "gospel scholarship" and priestcrafts.
I don't know what the Prophet's stance is on marketing the Gospel, but I've always been leery of conferences and merchandising that members pay for. I know that what some of these companies and conferences do is good, but should we pay to have the Gospel (or parts of the Gospel) taught to us? That is just my personal opinion.
Charity
One of the greatest commandments we are to obey is to have charity “which charity is love. And except [we] should have charity [we are] nothing” (2 Nephi 26:30). We are not to labor or sell ourselves for money; rather we are to sell ourselves to charity. If we “labor for money” (meaning all our life is consumed in the pursuit of money), we will be nothing. If we labor for charity, we will inherit the Kingdom of God.
One of my favorite quotes about charity I first heard while I was in the MTC as a full-time missionary in June 1995. This quote is by Marvin J. Ashton who was in the Quorum of the Twelve. He said,
“Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses and shortcomings, having patience with someone who has let us down, or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other” ("The Tongue Can be a Sharp Sword," Ensign, May 1992, 18).
I am trying to develop charity in my life. There are things that upset me, but I am trying hard not to let those small things get to me so much. I think that the truest form of charity you can practice is in marriage. In marriage, everything is magnified.
I hope whoever is reading this will sell them selves to the will of the Father. Give yourself to charity which is the true love of Christ. Understand that the true love of Christ is giving your self to others – serving and loving others. Also, remember that the most important people you will serve and love will be those closest to you – your family, your spouse, and your children.
The Mercy of the Lord
In my commentary on 2 Nephi 24, I had a section entitled "The Shepard vs. The Prison Keeper" wherein I contrasted the mercy of the Lord to that of Satan's. Chapter 26 has several other support references to this thought.
In verse 15 towards the end of the verse it reads, "and all those who have dwindled in unbelief shall not be forgotten." The Lord warns the Nephites and Lamanites that if they do not repent, they will become scattered by the Gentiles. But even after all of that, the Lord is still merciful and does not let them dwindle forever. One of the reasons the Lord prepared the Book of Mormon was to help those who dwindled in unbelief.
In verse 24 we read that the Lord loves the world and he does not do "anything save it be for the benefit of the world." Satan, on the other hand, desires nothing more than the destruction and eternal damnation of the world.
Lastly, in the final verse of the chapter (33), Nephi tells us that the Lord denies nobody from partaking of the Atonement. In God's eyes, everyone has equal access to the Atonement regardless of race or status.
Sins of Commission
Verse 32 summarizes seven sins we must not commit: lying, stealing, taking the name of God in vain, envying, having malice, contending with others and committing whoredoms. These are somewhat similar to the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments are:
Thou shalt have no other God before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Thou shalt not covet.
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