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 Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thursday, February 15, 2007
2 Nephi 31
Christ is the Way
In this chapter, Nephi teaches that Jesus did what he did to show us the way of happiness. Christ baptized to show us that everyone must be baptized. Even though he did not need it, he still did it to show us that all men must be baptized to enter in the Kingdom of God. He simply states in verse 12, “follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.”
Nephi lists what we must do to follow Christ. We must:
· follow with full purpose of heart
· not act hypocritical
· not deceive God
· intently repent of our sins
· witness to the Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ
· be baptized
If we do these things, then we will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be baptized by fire and have the ability to speak with the tongue of angels.
Then after all that, we must endure to the end.
Enduring to the End
Only after we repent and begin to follow Christ by being baptized have we entered the gate to the straight and narrow path. Next, Nephi poses a question in verse 19, "after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done?" He answers his own question, "nay."
To endure to the end, we must:
· press forward with a steadfastness in Christ
· have a perfect brightness of hope
· have a love of God
· have a love of all men
· feast on the words of Christ
Press forward with a Steadfastness in Christ
When I read the words "press forward," I am reminded of those people in Lehi's dream who pressed forward "that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree." Or those people who pressed forward, caught hold of the rod and then press forward even more through the mist of darkness "clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree. (1 Nephi 8:21, 24, 30) Pressing forward is not walking or striding. To me it means that a person is advancing forward only with effort … that if that person did not make a concerted effort to move, he would fall back.
I imagine a person trying to walk into a strong wind. Without an anchor or something to hold on to in order to move forward, that person would not advance. Holding onto that anchor or rod of iron is what Nephi meant when he said "with a steadfastness in Christ." We may make an individual effort to move forward, but without that anchor or without Christ in our lives, our efforts are in vain. We would constantly be blown off course without an anchor.
Elder Ballard gave a good analogy when he referred to this scripture.
"Have you ever watched a large ship weigh anchor? It is fascinating to see and hear the massive links of chain screeching against the metal bow of the ship as the anchor is raised. Now, the metal links of the anchor chain are incredibly heavy, but their weight is slight when compared to the total weight of the ship. Still, if an anchor is placed properly on the bottom of the sea, it can a hold a giant ship fast, even in rough seas.
"Just as ships need anchors to keep them from drifting away on the open seas, people need spiritual anchors in their lives if they are to remain steadfast and not drift into the sea of temptation and sin. Faith in God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the main anchor we must have in our lives to hold us fast during times of social turbulence and wickedness that seem to be everywhere today." (“Steadfast in Christ,” Ensign, Dec 1993, 50)
A Perfect Brightness of Hope
Without hope, there is despair. When despair creeps into our lives, we become less and less motivated to move forward until at last we stop and die. Entering into the straight and narrow path means difficult times are ahead … temptations. This is why Christ tells us we must enter the path with full purpose of heart and why we are constantly reminded to endure to the end. In order to endure to the end, we must have hope that we will arrive at our destination.
We must always hope. We must never give up on the Gospel of Christ.
President Hinckley gave a wonderful talk to those who have entered the path. In it, he referred to three things that everyone in the Church needs. 1) A friend, 2) an assignment and 3) constant nourishment by the good word of God (Moroni 6:4). ("A Perfect Brightness of Hope: To New Members of the Church,” Ensign, Oct 2006, 2–5)
Don't ever be afraid to offer hope to others. There are plenty of people who offer the seeming realities of despair. We must fight these depressing opinions and be a light to all those around us. Offer a positive and bright testimony of the gospel the next time you have a chance to share your testimony in fast and testimony meeting or wherever you feel inspired to do so. Be hopeful!
A Love of God and all Men
The first great commandment is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all they soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37).
The second commandment is to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:39).
We must strive to develop charity as Moroni taught us, then we will love God and all men (Moroni 7:44-47).
Feast on the Words of Christ
In today's society, it seems as though we feast on food for our bodies yet fast from food for our souls. Not only should we feast on the words of Christ, but we should "delight in fatness" (2 Nephi 9:51).
One of the counselors in our stake (Riding) spoke in our ward, one Sunday, about reading the scriptures. I have always remembered one point he made during this talk. He prefaced his point by saying that he didn't want us to feel guilty about not reading the scriptures. Yes, we ought to feel guilt for not reading the scriptures, but he wanted us to set that aside for the moment. He gave an example of how sometimes we catch the end of a favorite song on the radio and we only hear the last 20 seconds of it. We might think, "shoot, I just missed my favorite song." He compared that to missing opportunities to read the scriptures. I think what he was trying to say is that we shouldn't feel guilty for missing our scripture study time, but we should feel let down that we missed an opportunity to read the scriptures … it is a subtle difference and I hope I'm making sense in describing his point.
In that subtle difference lays the difference between reading the scriptures and feasting. We should want to read and study the scriptures.
In this chapter, Nephi teaches that Jesus did what he did to show us the way of happiness. Christ baptized to show us that everyone must be baptized. Even though he did not need it, he still did it to show us that all men must be baptized to enter in the Kingdom of God. He simply states in verse 12, “follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.”
Nephi lists what we must do to follow Christ. We must:
· follow with full purpose of heart
· not act hypocritical
· not deceive God
· intently repent of our sins
· witness to the Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ
· be baptized
If we do these things, then we will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be baptized by fire and have the ability to speak with the tongue of angels.
Then after all that, we must endure to the end.
Enduring to the End
Only after we repent and begin to follow Christ by being baptized have we entered the gate to the straight and narrow path. Next, Nephi poses a question in verse 19, "after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done?" He answers his own question, "nay."
To endure to the end, we must:
· press forward with a steadfastness in Christ
· have a perfect brightness of hope
· have a love of God
· have a love of all men
· feast on the words of Christ
Press forward with a Steadfastness in Christ
When I read the words "press forward," I am reminded of those people in Lehi's dream who pressed forward "that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree." Or those people who pressed forward, caught hold of the rod and then press forward even more through the mist of darkness "clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree. (1 Nephi 8:21, 24, 30) Pressing forward is not walking or striding. To me it means that a person is advancing forward only with effort … that if that person did not make a concerted effort to move, he would fall back.
I imagine a person trying to walk into a strong wind. Without an anchor or something to hold on to in order to move forward, that person would not advance. Holding onto that anchor or rod of iron is what Nephi meant when he said "with a steadfastness in Christ." We may make an individual effort to move forward, but without that anchor or without Christ in our lives, our efforts are in vain. We would constantly be blown off course without an anchor.
Elder Ballard gave a good analogy when he referred to this scripture.
"Have you ever watched a large ship weigh anchor? It is fascinating to see and hear the massive links of chain screeching against the metal bow of the ship as the anchor is raised. Now, the metal links of the anchor chain are incredibly heavy, but their weight is slight when compared to the total weight of the ship. Still, if an anchor is placed properly on the bottom of the sea, it can a hold a giant ship fast, even in rough seas.
"Just as ships need anchors to keep them from drifting away on the open seas, people need spiritual anchors in their lives if they are to remain steadfast and not drift into the sea of temptation and sin. Faith in God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the main anchor we must have in our lives to hold us fast during times of social turbulence and wickedness that seem to be everywhere today." (“Steadfast in Christ,” Ensign, Dec 1993, 50)
A Perfect Brightness of Hope
Without hope, there is despair. When despair creeps into our lives, we become less and less motivated to move forward until at last we stop and die. Entering into the straight and narrow path means difficult times are ahead … temptations. This is why Christ tells us we must enter the path with full purpose of heart and why we are constantly reminded to endure to the end. In order to endure to the end, we must have hope that we will arrive at our destination.
We must always hope. We must never give up on the Gospel of Christ.
President Hinckley gave a wonderful talk to those who have entered the path. In it, he referred to three things that everyone in the Church needs. 1) A friend, 2) an assignment and 3) constant nourishment by the good word of God (Moroni 6:4). ("A Perfect Brightness of Hope: To New Members of the Church,” Ensign, Oct 2006, 2–5)
Don't ever be afraid to offer hope to others. There are plenty of people who offer the seeming realities of despair. We must fight these depressing opinions and be a light to all those around us. Offer a positive and bright testimony of the gospel the next time you have a chance to share your testimony in fast and testimony meeting or wherever you feel inspired to do so. Be hopeful!
A Love of God and all Men
The first great commandment is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all they soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37).
The second commandment is to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:39).
We must strive to develop charity as Moroni taught us, then we will love God and all men (Moroni 7:44-47).
Feast on the Words of Christ
In today's society, it seems as though we feast on food for our bodies yet fast from food for our souls. Not only should we feast on the words of Christ, but we should "delight in fatness" (2 Nephi 9:51).
One of the counselors in our stake (Riding) spoke in our ward, one Sunday, about reading the scriptures. I have always remembered one point he made during this talk. He prefaced his point by saying that he didn't want us to feel guilty about not reading the scriptures. Yes, we ought to feel guilt for not reading the scriptures, but he wanted us to set that aside for the moment. He gave an example of how sometimes we catch the end of a favorite song on the radio and we only hear the last 20 seconds of it. We might think, "shoot, I just missed my favorite song." He compared that to missing opportunities to read the scriptures. I think what he was trying to say is that we shouldn't feel guilty for missing our scripture study time, but we should feel let down that we missed an opportunity to read the scriptures … it is a subtle difference and I hope I'm making sense in describing his point.
In that subtle difference lays the difference between reading the scriptures and feasting. We should want to read and study the scriptures.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
2 Nephi 18
Waters of Shiloah
The metaphor used here (v. 6-8) contrasts the peaceful waters of Shiloah (Christ) to that of the destructive Euphrates (Assyrians). Instead of choosing Christ and having peace, Israel will be destroyed for choosing evil.
Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid
The Lord promised Israel that he would fight their battles for them (as demonstrated in Joshua 10:10-11, 25) and that they should not form alliances with other countries … they should form an everlasting alliance with God. But they grew wicked and formed alliances with neighboring countries and were cursed.
In verse 9, the Lord warns them that if they associate themselves with these countries, they will be “broken in pieces.” He also tells Israel in verse 12, “neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” What I find interesting about this statement is that the Lord doesn’t say, “fear not,” he says fear not their fear. Sometimes I get caught up in the worries of the world. I worry about finances; I worry about work; I worry about other things. In other words, I worry about things that a person who is not spiritually inclined worries about. Instead, what I ought to worry about is if I am doing what is right; am I keeping the commandments. If I obey the Lord, then all these other worries will take care of themselves (or the Lord will help me take care of them … he will fight my battles). I need not form an alliance with worldly ideas. The only alliance I need to make is with the Lord.
The reason this is significant to me is because as I lay in my bed this morning, I began to think of all the things I needed to do. I have some real concerns with regards to buying our new home and how will be able to meet the new financial demands. We’ve felt that buying this new home is the right thing to do. My wife has not really had any concerns, while I, on the other hand, have been worried about it. I also was thinking about my job at work and some concerns in that area. While I was worrying about these things, I was about to begin a prayer in my mind asking Heavenly Father for help with all these worries. Then these words came to my mind, “count your blessings.” I stopped and began to count my blessings. Then I knew that everything would be fine. After all that, I got up and began to read the scriptures and this chapter when I came across these verses (v. 9-13). It was so clear now … I simply need to trust in the Lord. That calm reassurance that the Lord had given me before (D&C 6:22-24) came to me again. I need not fear their fear (or the world’s fear). I simply need to trust in the Lord.
A Stone of Stumbling
I had never really thought of what a stumbling block or stone is before. This morning, after reading from gospeldoctrine.com, I had a much better understanding. This is what I read:
Going back to the commentary on forming an alliance with the Lord, we learn that when we form that alliance, we must “wait upon the Lord” and the Lord will protect us. Elder Hales referred to this verse in his October 1998 General Conference talk when he said, “The Lord is the ultimate caregiver. We must surrender ourselves to the Lord. In doing so, we give up whatever is causing our pain and turn everything over to Him…When pain, tests, and trials come in life, draw near to the Savior. ‘Wait upon the Lord,…look for him’ (Isa. 8:17; 2 Ne. 18:17). ‘They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint’ (Isa. 40:31). Healing comes in the Lord’s time and the Lord’s way; be patient.
“Our Savior waits for us to come to Him through our scripture study, pondering, and prayer to our Heavenly Father….As we are strengthened and healed, we can then lift and strengthen others with our faith.” (Ensign, November, 1998).
Seek unto their God
The last part of this chapter warns Israel against seeking after “wizards that peep and mutter” (v. 19). Just as we should not seek alliances with the world to solve our troubles, neither should we seek spiritual counsel from other sources other than the Lord.
The metaphor used here (v. 6-8) contrasts the peaceful waters of Shiloah (Christ) to that of the destructive Euphrates (Assyrians). Instead of choosing Christ and having peace, Israel will be destroyed for choosing evil.
“Isaiah describes and then contrasts two forms of waters—the soft, rolling waters of Shiloah, located near the temple mount of Jerusalem, and the waters of the Euphrates, a great river that often floods out of control. The waters of Shiloah are controlled and inviting, whereas the Euphrates is dangerous and destructive. The waters of Shiloah bring life to those who drink them; the Euphrates brings death to those who are swept up in its flood. Isaiah's images of the two waters are symbolic: the former represents Jesus, the King of Heaven, who is likened to the waters of life; the latter is the king of Assyria, who leads his great, destructive armies and ‘cover the earth [like a flood . . . and] destroy the inhabitants thereof’ (Jer. 46:8). Inasmuch as the inhabitants of Judah had rejected Jesus, or the waters of Shiloah, the Lord setThe message we are to receive from these verses is that if we choose Christ, we will be protected and blessed. We will be happy and content with the manageable and predictable waters of Shiloah. But if we choose to go down forbidden paths, then our agency is taken away and we cannot control the destructive forces that rage in our lives.
upon them the king of Assyria, or the strong and mighty waters of the river that would overflow their banks and cover the entire land with its destruction.” (Donald W. Parry, Jay A. Parry, and Tina M. Peterson, Understanding Isaiah [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 83 as taken from Commentaries on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. by K. Douglas Bassett, [American Fork, UT: Covenant Publishing Co., 2003], 137)
Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid
The Lord promised Israel that he would fight their battles for them (as demonstrated in Joshua 10:10-11, 25) and that they should not form alliances with other countries … they should form an everlasting alliance with God. But they grew wicked and formed alliances with neighboring countries and were cursed.
In verse 9, the Lord warns them that if they associate themselves with these countries, they will be “broken in pieces.” He also tells Israel in verse 12, “neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” What I find interesting about this statement is that the Lord doesn’t say, “fear not,” he says fear not their fear. Sometimes I get caught up in the worries of the world. I worry about finances; I worry about work; I worry about other things. In other words, I worry about things that a person who is not spiritually inclined worries about. Instead, what I ought to worry about is if I am doing what is right; am I keeping the commandments. If I obey the Lord, then all these other worries will take care of themselves (or the Lord will help me take care of them … he will fight my battles). I need not form an alliance with worldly ideas. The only alliance I need to make is with the Lord.
The reason this is significant to me is because as I lay in my bed this morning, I began to think of all the things I needed to do. I have some real concerns with regards to buying our new home and how will be able to meet the new financial demands. We’ve felt that buying this new home is the right thing to do. My wife has not really had any concerns, while I, on the other hand, have been worried about it. I also was thinking about my job at work and some concerns in that area. While I was worrying about these things, I was about to begin a prayer in my mind asking Heavenly Father for help with all these worries. Then these words came to my mind, “count your blessings.” I stopped and began to count my blessings. Then I knew that everything would be fine. After all that, I got up and began to read the scriptures and this chapter when I came across these verses (v. 9-13). It was so clear now … I simply need to trust in the Lord. That calm reassurance that the Lord had given me before (D&C 6:22-24) came to me again. I need not fear their fear (or the world’s fear). I simply need to trust in the Lord.
A Stone of Stumbling
I had never really thought of what a stumbling block or stone is before. This morning, after reading from gospeldoctrine.com, I had a much better understanding. This is what I read:
I will wait upon the LordA man who stumbles on a rock falls on his face. He may get up again, curse, and kick the offending stone, but in doing so he only further bruises himself. The rock is never injured; the man has neither the power nor the strength to destroy the rock. His misfortune has come by looking beyond the mark, whereby he misses the rock completely, stumbles clumsily, and falls spiritually. For the Israelites, the path of righteousness was obstructed by just such a ‘stone of stumbling’ and ‘rock of offense.’
The Lord of Hosts became a stumbling block for the Jews both in the days of Isaiah and in the days of his mortal ministry. They were offended with by the wisdom, power, and authority of Jesus of Nazareth. This stumbling came because they did not understand the reason the Law of Moses was given. As Paul explained ‘Because they (the Jews) sought it (the law of righteousness) not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed’ (Rom 9:32-3).
‘But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may
stumble.’ (Jacob 4:14)
Neal A. Maxwell
“A stumbling block is defined as involving ‘something repugnant to one's prejudices’ (The Oxford English Dictionary)…A stumbling block of the Jews of Jesus' day, for instance, was their expectations about what the Messiah would do, such as emancipating them politically. To them, Jesus was not an emancipator, and his death was an unfulfilling stumbling block. This irony had been prophesied. The Greeks, on the other hand, regarded the whole idea of a resurrecting messiah as foolishness. (See Isaiah 8:14; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:8; 2 Nephi 18:14.)” (A Wonderful Flood of Light [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1990], 71.)
Going back to the commentary on forming an alliance with the Lord, we learn that when we form that alliance, we must “wait upon the Lord” and the Lord will protect us. Elder Hales referred to this verse in his October 1998 General Conference talk when he said, “The Lord is the ultimate caregiver. We must surrender ourselves to the Lord. In doing so, we give up whatever is causing our pain and turn everything over to Him…When pain, tests, and trials come in life, draw near to the Savior. ‘Wait upon the Lord,…look for him’ (Isa. 8:17; 2 Ne. 18:17). ‘They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint’ (Isa. 40:31). Healing comes in the Lord’s time and the Lord’s way; be patient.
“Our Savior waits for us to come to Him through our scripture study, pondering, and prayer to our Heavenly Father….As we are strengthened and healed, we can then lift and strengthen others with our faith.” (Ensign, November, 1998).
Seek unto their God
The last part of this chapter warns Israel against seeking after “wizards that peep and mutter” (v. 19). Just as we should not seek alliances with the world to solve our troubles, neither should we seek spiritual counsel from other sources other than the Lord.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
2 Nephi 7
Like many of the Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi, I struggle a bit to find ways to apply the scripture to my life. Most of the verses seem to deal with prophesies regarding Christ. This chapter deals with a few prophecies.
Bill of Divorcement & Shortened Hand
For some understanding of verses 1-3, I suggest reading the explanation found here. It seems to give an adequate explanation of what Isaiah is talking about.
The Tongue of the Learned
Verse 4 refers to Christ's knowledge of the scriptures. John 7:15 talks about how people "marvelled" at how much Jesus knew. Another good cross reference to this is Luke 2:46-47 in which we read how Jesus as a child listened to and asked questions of "doctors" in the temple. Verse 47 says, "And all that heard him were astonished at his understandings and answers."
I Was Not Rebellious
Once Christ's ears and understanding were opened to the Spirit, he knew his calling and chose not to rebel. Contrast this to Jonah, who when the Lord called him, he sought to hide from the Lord (Jonah chapters 1-3).
Do we prayerfully accept callings within the Church or do we seek excuses to avoid callings? Do we live as we ought to so that we are worthy to accept callings or do our un-repented sins keep us from serving? We must check ourselves for rebellion if we are called.
Face Like a Flint
Christ did not shrink before the trials that were placed upon him. He was smitten on the back and spat upon, but he did not flinch.
How do we face our trials? Do we have faith that we will be delivered or do we whine and complain about how hard life is? Do we simply try to get through the trial or do we seek the Lord's will in knowing what he would have us learn?
Sparks in Darkness
I really like the last two verse of this chapter. Verse 10 and 11 say, "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light?
"Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand—ye shall lie down in sorrow."
Verse 10 seems to refer to trusting in the Lord. The Lord asks us to believe in him, to trust in him and to take those steps in the darkness.
But there are some of us who cannot accept this and think that we must have some light so that we see where we are going. And so we try to light our own fire and our own fire is small and cannot show us the complete path. If we decide to tread the path on our own with our own fire, then the Lord warns us that we will suffer.
And so the point of verses 10-11 is that we must trust in the Lord to show us the way if we are to avoid spiritual injury.
Bill of Divorcement & Shortened Hand
For some understanding of verses 1-3, I suggest reading the explanation found here. It seems to give an adequate explanation of what Isaiah is talking about.
The Tongue of the Learned
Verse 4 refers to Christ's knowledge of the scriptures. John 7:15 talks about how people "marvelled" at how much Jesus knew. Another good cross reference to this is Luke 2:46-47 in which we read how Jesus as a child listened to and asked questions of "doctors" in the temple. Verse 47 says, "And all that heard him were astonished at his understandings and answers."
I Was Not Rebellious
Once Christ's ears and understanding were opened to the Spirit, he knew his calling and chose not to rebel. Contrast this to Jonah, who when the Lord called him, he sought to hide from the Lord (Jonah chapters 1-3).
Do we prayerfully accept callings within the Church or do we seek excuses to avoid callings? Do we live as we ought to so that we are worthy to accept callings or do our un-repented sins keep us from serving? We must check ourselves for rebellion if we are called.
Face Like a Flint
Christ did not shrink before the trials that were placed upon him. He was smitten on the back and spat upon, but he did not flinch.
How do we face our trials? Do we have faith that we will be delivered or do we whine and complain about how hard life is? Do we simply try to get through the trial or do we seek the Lord's will in knowing what he would have us learn?
Sparks in Darkness
I really like the last two verse of this chapter. Verse 10 and 11 say, "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light?
"Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand—ye shall lie down in sorrow."
Verse 10 seems to refer to trusting in the Lord. The Lord asks us to believe in him, to trust in him and to take those steps in the darkness.
But there are some of us who cannot accept this and think that we must have some light so that we see where we are going. And so we try to light our own fire and our own fire is small and cannot show us the complete path. If we decide to tread the path on our own with our own fire, then the Lord warns us that we will suffer.
And so the point of verses 10-11 is that we must trust in the Lord to show us the way if we are to avoid spiritual injury.
Monday, November 06, 2006
1 Nephi 18
Nephi is a great prophet. He is the prime example of obedience, courage, discipline and faithfulness. After all the trials and tribulations he and his family went through to get to the ocean, you would think that Laman and Lemuel would be more supportive and believing. Despite their criticism of Nephi building a ship, the task was accomplished. Now that they were on the boat, they began to celebrate rudely.
It is really no stretch of the imagination that Laman and Lemuel and the others began to sing and dance and speak with "much rudeness" because they were bored. Plus, after laboring in the wilderness for several years, sitting idly on a ship must have been very difficult. How many times have we heard the saying "idle hands are the devil's workshop?" I remember my dad telling that to me a lot when I was a kid, especially when I said, "I'm bored." Instead of doing something constructive (such as reading the brass plates), they began to sing and dance and speak very rudely.
When Nephi exhorted them to be humble, they tied him up with cords. For three days and nights, in the violent storm, being tossed about, soaking wet and most likely without food, Nephi endured the torture. Not until on the forth day when they were about to capsize did Laman and Lemuel untie Nephi. Here is the lesson – Nephi looked unto God and praised him all day long. He did not even utter a word of complaint. After he prayed, the storm stopped and there was a great calm. Nephi doesn’t say what happened after the storm, but I imagine there was a lot of silence aboard the ship. I think that Laman and Lemuel had their tails between their legs.
What I learned from this whole chapter was that there are hard ways of doing things and easy way of doing things. Nephi could have easily scolded or even thrown Laman and Lemuel off board for tying up the “captain.” But he did not. Instead, he did what was most difficult – not complain and humbly supplicate the Lord for help. As I thought of this event, I began to think back to other chapters when Nephi could have taken the easy way out. He could have chosen not to return to Jerusalem twice. He could have given into his instincts and not killed Laban. Instead, he chose to do what the Lord commanded him and almost always, what the Lord commands is not easy. To do the ‘hard’ thing requires courage and discipline. It requires restraint when passion could easily be displayed. It requires determination when forward action needs to be taken.
As I thought of these qualities, I remembered the saying in the Notre Dame football locker room – “Play like a champion today.” A champion does not take the easy way out. He courageously disciplines himself to do what is right, to do it correctly, and to do it well.
Consistency is another attribute Nephi possesses.
Nephi consistently chose the right. He consistently listened to and obeyed the Lord. He never wavered (or at least we're not told when he wavered). Nephi wasn't remembered because he did ONE great thing. He is remembered for keeping the steady course and being an anchor.
I've been thinking about this idea a lot lately. Two little inspirational stories come to mind. First, I was reading a gentleman's blog a few months ago. He documented his failures and successes in following a chess tactics training regimen. He successfully finished that program. After that, he started another blog to document his plan to lose weight and to exercise more. In one of those posts, he talks about how anyone can run for an hour or bike for two hours or go to the gym for 4 hours, but the true test lies in being able to exercise day-in and day-out over a long period of time … a year or a lifetime. That has always stuck with me. I fall into the category of showing flashy brilliance for a day and then fade away for an entire week!
The other story comes from the movie Rocky. Rocky gets this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to box the champion Apollo Creed. There's practically no way Rocky can win. He trains his best, but deep down he knows that Apollo could knock the head right off him. The night before the fight, Rocky goes to The Spectrum and looks around. He goes home and gets in bed.
Rocky: I can't do it.
Adrian: What?
Rocky: I can't beat him.
Adrian: Apollo?
Rocky: Yeah. I been out there walkin' around, thinkin'. I mean, who am I kiddin'? I ain't even in the guy's league.
Adrian: What are we gonna do?
Rocky: I don't know.
Adrian: You worked so hard.
Rocky: Yeah, that don't matter. 'Cause I was nobody before.
Adrian: Don't say that.
Rocky: Ah come on, Adrian, it's true. I was nobody. But that don't matter either, you know? 'Cause I was thinkin', it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.
It is such a great scene. That is what we have to do in life in all that we do … go the distance. We don't need or have to go for the knockout. But the real challenge is whether we can go the distance or not … whether we can endure to the end or not; whether we can obey, study, pray day in and day out.
This is what Nephi did. He consistently kept on the road and endured.
ps ... I am pretty amazed that I can fit a reference to football, chess and Rocky in a single Book of Mormon commentary post.
It is really no stretch of the imagination that Laman and Lemuel and the others began to sing and dance and speak with "much rudeness" because they were bored. Plus, after laboring in the wilderness for several years, sitting idly on a ship must have been very difficult. How many times have we heard the saying "idle hands are the devil's workshop?" I remember my dad telling that to me a lot when I was a kid, especially when I said, "I'm bored." Instead of doing something constructive (such as reading the brass plates), they began to sing and dance and speak very rudely.
When Nephi exhorted them to be humble, they tied him up with cords. For three days and nights, in the violent storm, being tossed about, soaking wet and most likely without food, Nephi endured the torture. Not until on the forth day when they were about to capsize did Laman and Lemuel untie Nephi. Here is the lesson – Nephi looked unto God and praised him all day long. He did not even utter a word of complaint. After he prayed, the storm stopped and there was a great calm. Nephi doesn’t say what happened after the storm, but I imagine there was a lot of silence aboard the ship. I think that Laman and Lemuel had their tails between their legs.
What I learned from this whole chapter was that there are hard ways of doing things and easy way of doing things. Nephi could have easily scolded or even thrown Laman and Lemuel off board for tying up the “captain.” But he did not. Instead, he did what was most difficult – not complain and humbly supplicate the Lord for help. As I thought of this event, I began to think back to other chapters when Nephi could have taken the easy way out. He could have chosen not to return to Jerusalem twice. He could have given into his instincts and not killed Laban. Instead, he chose to do what the Lord commanded him and almost always, what the Lord commands is not easy. To do the ‘hard’ thing requires courage and discipline. It requires restraint when passion could easily be displayed. It requires determination when forward action needs to be taken.
As I thought of these qualities, I remembered the saying in the Notre Dame football locker room – “Play like a champion today.” A champion does not take the easy way out. He courageously disciplines himself to do what is right, to do it correctly, and to do it well.
Consistency is another attribute Nephi possesses.
Nephi consistently chose the right. He consistently listened to and obeyed the Lord. He never wavered (or at least we're not told when he wavered). Nephi wasn't remembered because he did ONE great thing. He is remembered for keeping the steady course and being an anchor.
I've been thinking about this idea a lot lately. Two little inspirational stories come to mind. First, I was reading a gentleman's blog a few months ago. He documented his failures and successes in following a chess tactics training regimen. He successfully finished that program. After that, he started another blog to document his plan to lose weight and to exercise more. In one of those posts, he talks about how anyone can run for an hour or bike for two hours or go to the gym for 4 hours, but the true test lies in being able to exercise day-in and day-out over a long period of time … a year or a lifetime. That has always stuck with me. I fall into the category of showing flashy brilliance for a day and then fade away for an entire week!
The other story comes from the movie Rocky. Rocky gets this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to box the champion Apollo Creed. There's practically no way Rocky can win. He trains his best, but deep down he knows that Apollo could knock the head right off him. The night before the fight, Rocky goes to The Spectrum and looks around. He goes home and gets in bed.
Rocky: I can't do it.
Adrian: What?
Rocky: I can't beat him.
Adrian: Apollo?
Rocky: Yeah. I been out there walkin' around, thinkin'. I mean, who am I kiddin'? I ain't even in the guy's league.
Adrian: What are we gonna do?
Rocky: I don't know.
Adrian: You worked so hard.
Rocky: Yeah, that don't matter. 'Cause I was nobody before.
Adrian: Don't say that.
Rocky: Ah come on, Adrian, it's true. I was nobody. But that don't matter either, you know? 'Cause I was thinkin', it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.
It is such a great scene. That is what we have to do in life in all that we do … go the distance. We don't need or have to go for the knockout. But the real challenge is whether we can go the distance or not … whether we can endure to the end or not; whether we can obey, study, pray day in and day out.
This is what Nephi did. He consistently kept on the road and endured.
ps ... I am pretty amazed that I can fit a reference to football, chess and Rocky in a single Book of Mormon commentary post.
Monday, October 30, 2006
1 Nephi 16
I have read these two chapters (16 & 17) over and over again. I think they are critical chapters. In them, Nephi’s testimony is strengthened and Laman and Lemuel’s testimonies are revealed to be very weak and shallow. I think these two chapters are defining chapters in the history of Nephi and his brothers.
After Nephi received the great vision of the Tree of Life, his faith was tested once again. This time, he was tested physically and spiritually. Physical suffering led to spiritual growth. His bow broke and his brother’s bows had lost their spring and they could not use them to hunt animals. Consequently, the entire family suffered hunger and pain. The whole family, including Lehi, began to complain to the Lord. Nephi rises above all the complaining and speaks to his family and tells them to not complain. After exhorting them, he makes another bow and set of arrows. Nephi understood the patriarchal order and went to his father to ask him where he should hunt for food. By now, the Lord had chastised Lehi and he had humbled himself. In fact, the voice of the Lord had come and spoken to them all and chastised them for murmuring. They were instructed to look on the Liahona, whereupon Nephi found where he should find food for his family. Nephi obeys and does indeed find food to feed his family.
How do we react to tough times in our lives? Do we shrink and murmur about our station in life or do we stand tall and strong and face our challenges like Nephi did? Nephi must have felt bad about breaking his bow. He suffered hunger just like the rest of the family, but he chose not to complain. He controlled his feelings and stood stalwart and faced the challenge. The Lord knew that they were going to be fed. He knew that they would not die. He wanted to test them, to test their faith in Him. Nephi was the only one who passed the quiz.
Just another little note from this chapter; the voice of the Lord came to them two times in this chapter alone! And when His voice came, it was not to give them a wonderful revelation or comforting words. It came to chastise them for not being humble and for sinning. They did not want to learn what the Lord wanted them to learn and consequently, the Lord had to speak to them directly in order for them to understand. How often do we have to be chastised with verbal reprehension? Are we not sufficiently humble to seek what the Lord wants us to learn?
The Liahona
The Liahona is a curious thing to think about. Why did the Lord give them the Liahona? They seemed to be getting along fine without the compass. I personally tend to think that Lord gave them the Liahona for two reasons. First, He foresaw that they would be entering a difficult stretch of their journey and they needed direct guidance from the Lord. Since the Lord is an efficient engineer of souls, he made the compass to not only guide the family, but he made it so that the ball only worked according to their faith. Secondly, I think that the Liahona was given to the family for the benefit of Laban and Lemuel. The Lord had sent an angel to warn them, he had spoken directly to them and He spoke through Nephi to them. They were given many chances to believe. And now the Lord was giving them yet another more visible reason to believe in Him. Essentially the family did not have to trust in the Lord and then hope that their feet would lead them to the promised land. Rather, if they exercised their faith, the compass would actually show then in no uncertain terms where they should take their journey.
After Nephi received the great vision of the Tree of Life, his faith was tested once again. This time, he was tested physically and spiritually. Physical suffering led to spiritual growth. His bow broke and his brother’s bows had lost their spring and they could not use them to hunt animals. Consequently, the entire family suffered hunger and pain. The whole family, including Lehi, began to complain to the Lord. Nephi rises above all the complaining and speaks to his family and tells them to not complain. After exhorting them, he makes another bow and set of arrows. Nephi understood the patriarchal order and went to his father to ask him where he should hunt for food. By now, the Lord had chastised Lehi and he had humbled himself. In fact, the voice of the Lord had come and spoken to them all and chastised them for murmuring. They were instructed to look on the Liahona, whereupon Nephi found where he should find food for his family. Nephi obeys and does indeed find food to feed his family.
How do we react to tough times in our lives? Do we shrink and murmur about our station in life or do we stand tall and strong and face our challenges like Nephi did? Nephi must have felt bad about breaking his bow. He suffered hunger just like the rest of the family, but he chose not to complain. He controlled his feelings and stood stalwart and faced the challenge. The Lord knew that they were going to be fed. He knew that they would not die. He wanted to test them, to test their faith in Him. Nephi was the only one who passed the quiz.
Just another little note from this chapter; the voice of the Lord came to them two times in this chapter alone! And when His voice came, it was not to give them a wonderful revelation or comforting words. It came to chastise them for not being humble and for sinning. They did not want to learn what the Lord wanted them to learn and consequently, the Lord had to speak to them directly in order for them to understand. How often do we have to be chastised with verbal reprehension? Are we not sufficiently humble to seek what the Lord wants us to learn?
The Liahona
The Liahona is a curious thing to think about. Why did the Lord give them the Liahona? They seemed to be getting along fine without the compass. I personally tend to think that Lord gave them the Liahona for two reasons. First, He foresaw that they would be entering a difficult stretch of their journey and they needed direct guidance from the Lord. Since the Lord is an efficient engineer of souls, he made the compass to not only guide the family, but he made it so that the ball only worked according to their faith. Secondly, I think that the Liahona was given to the family for the benefit of Laban and Lemuel. The Lord had sent an angel to warn them, he had spoken directly to them and He spoke through Nephi to them. They were given many chances to believe. And now the Lord was giving them yet another more visible reason to believe in Him. Essentially the family did not have to trust in the Lord and then hope that their feet would lead them to the promised land. Rather, if they exercised their faith, the compass would actually show then in no uncertain terms where they should take their journey.
Monday, October 16, 2006
1 Nephi 11
Belief
In this chapter, Nephi discusses faith and belief, something Laman and Lemuel did not have! In verse 4, the Spirit asked Nephi if he believed the things his father saw. Nephi’s response was that he did in fact believe all of his father’s teachings. Contrast this with Laman and Lemuel’s beliefs. In chapter 15 verse 9 they told Nephi that the Lord does not reveal things to them or in other words, they did not believe that the Lord could reveal things unto them. They simply did not believe that it could be done. Nephi, however, believed.
Belief is not only central to understanding the Gospel and the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is also vital when striving to obtain other desires. As I am typing up my commentary that I wrote as a missionary, I see that many of the things that I desired as a missionary have been fulfilled. I can testify that belief is central to obtaining any blessing that one hopes to receive.
This is what I wrote as a missionary a number of years ago: “Now a little personal commentary. I feel I need to build my faith up as far as baptizing and finding people. I believe that Elder Edwards and I will baptize. Some things are going. We found a lady (Mirium Garcia) the other day and we hope to baptize her in January. But mostly my faith right now is hoping and praying that some inactive members we are working with will come back and be active.
“Last night I talked to my brother Richard on the phone about my housing and schooling. Getting an education and job and doing well puts a lot of stress on me. But I have a lot of faith that I can reach my goals. I believe in myself that I will reach my goals.
“I also have faith that my brother Gary will come back and be with us as a family again. I also believe in my friend Crissy that she will continue to go strong and be faithful in the Church the rest of her life.
Today, as I read this commentary that I wrote as a missionary, I can testify that most of those things have been fulfilled. I graduated from college and got a job with with a large company. Elder Edwards and I did not baptize while together, but one of the people we found, Claudia Leal Garcia, was baptized after I left Coban. The first Christmas I was home from my mission, Gary miraculously and unexpectedly came back into the family. Crissy, the last I heard of her, fulfilled an honorable mission to Germany. I believed that all of those things would happen, and most of them have happened.
Belief is a very strong force.
General Notes Regarding This Chapter
In Lehi’s dream, we read about all the symbolism. Nephi, who sees the same dream as his father, fills in some details. He gives us the meaning of the symbols and he goes into greater detail about the mortal life of Christ.
Nephi sees Mary. He sees Christ’s birth. He sees Christ’s ministry. He sees John the Baptist baptize Jesus. He sees the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove. He sees the Twelve Apostles of Christ. He sees angels minister to men. He sees Christ heal many people. He sees the crucifixion. Lastly he sees the world gather together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb as well as the destruction of the world and its pride.
What does each symbol represent?
The Tree of Life = the love of God
The Fountain of Living Waters = the love of God
The Iron Rod = the word of God
The Large and Spacious Building = the world and the wisdom and pride thereof
Verse 35 caused me a little confusion. It says, “behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” When I read that, I was puzzled. Isn’t the house of Israel supposed to defend and help the apostles of the Lamb? I found the following quote that helps explain the verse:
So this verse really foreshadows the Apostasy.
In this chapter, Nephi discusses faith and belief, something Laman and Lemuel did not have! In verse 4, the Spirit asked Nephi if he believed the things his father saw. Nephi’s response was that he did in fact believe all of his father’s teachings. Contrast this with Laman and Lemuel’s beliefs. In chapter 15 verse 9 they told Nephi that the Lord does not reveal things to them or in other words, they did not believe that the Lord could reveal things unto them. They simply did not believe that it could be done. Nephi, however, believed.
Belief is not only central to understanding the Gospel and the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is also vital when striving to obtain other desires. As I am typing up my commentary that I wrote as a missionary, I see that many of the things that I desired as a missionary have been fulfilled. I can testify that belief is central to obtaining any blessing that one hopes to receive.
This is what I wrote as a missionary a number of years ago: “Now a little personal commentary. I feel I need to build my faith up as far as baptizing and finding people. I believe that Elder Edwards and I will baptize. Some things are going. We found a lady (Mirium Garcia) the other day and we hope to baptize her in January. But mostly my faith right now is hoping and praying that some inactive members we are working with will come back and be active.
“Last night I talked to my brother Richard on the phone about my housing and schooling. Getting an education and job and doing well puts a lot of stress on me. But I have a lot of faith that I can reach my goals. I believe in myself that I will reach my goals.
“I also have faith that my brother Gary will come back and be with us as a family again. I also believe in my friend Crissy that she will continue to go strong and be faithful in the Church the rest of her life.
Today, as I read this commentary that I wrote as a missionary, I can testify that most of those things have been fulfilled. I graduated from college and got a job with with a large company. Elder Edwards and I did not baptize while together, but one of the people we found, Claudia Leal Garcia, was baptized after I left Coban. The first Christmas I was home from my mission, Gary miraculously and unexpectedly came back into the family. Crissy, the last I heard of her, fulfilled an honorable mission to Germany. I believed that all of those things would happen, and most of them have happened.
Belief is a very strong force.
General Notes Regarding This Chapter
In Lehi’s dream, we read about all the symbolism. Nephi, who sees the same dream as his father, fills in some details. He gives us the meaning of the symbols and he goes into greater detail about the mortal life of Christ.
Nephi sees Mary. He sees Christ’s birth. He sees Christ’s ministry. He sees John the Baptist baptize Jesus. He sees the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove. He sees the Twelve Apostles of Christ. He sees angels minister to men. He sees Christ heal many people. He sees the crucifixion. Lastly he sees the world gather together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb as well as the destruction of the world and its pride.
What does each symbol represent?
The Tree of Life = the love of God
The Fountain of Living Waters = the love of God
The Iron Rod = the word of God
The Large and Spacious Building = the world and the wisdom and pride thereof
Verse 35 caused me a little confusion. It says, “behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” When I read that, I was puzzled. Isn’t the house of Israel supposed to defend and help the apostles of the Lamb? I found the following quote that helps explain the verse:
“The world is still fighting the apostles of the Lamb because they represent the truth and the world rejects the truth. Even those of the house of Israel at times will gather to fight against the twelve: ‘And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb’ (v 35). This verse describes the apostasy following Christ's ministry in Jerusalem. The Apostasy was caused by the pride and wisdom of the world, but it will not stand forever: ‘And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb’ (v 36). The world still fights the Twelve Apostles and their teaching with its own wisdom, but it will eventually fall, and the pride that motivates the fight will be the cause of that fall.” (Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., Fourth Nephi through Moroni: From Zion to Destruction [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1995], 210.]
So this verse really foreshadows the Apostasy.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
1 Nephi 9
Chapter 9 is a short chapter and almost seems like a "housecleaning" chapter in that Nephi explains why he is maintaining two sets of records. So, what can we learn from this chapter and apply to our lives?
Record Keeping
The mere fact that Nephi informs us that he maintains records can apply to us. We've been counseled many times to keep a journal. Spencer W. Kimball wrote an article in the October 1975 New Era magazine entitled "The Angels May Quote From It." In this article, President Kimball offers many reasons for keeping a journal.
Personally, I've been able to keep a fairly active journal since I was a kid. The first few entries about snowball fights with my sister and playing softball and catch with my dad bring back lots of memories as I go back and read them.
Personal journals offer a person so much insight. A lot can be learned by going back and reading past entries. They often help me in making decisions … especially when I am trying to solve a personal problem that extends over several weeks or months or even years. Probably the biggest benefit for me is that my faith increases by keeping a journal. For example, when I was a college student, I was really concerned about what major I should choose, what career I should follow and who I should marry. I extensively wrote about these things and what I was feeling at the time and what I was doing about it. It wasn't until after the trial of my faith did I clearly see the hand of the Lord in my life. So as I go back and read those entries, my faith is strengthened and I know in whom I trust.
Trust in the Lord
In a somewhat related matter to the topic of keeping a journal, Nephi does not know why the Lord commanded him to make a 2nd set of records on which he makes an account of his ministry. But he trusts the Lord and knows that when the Lord commands, it is for a wise purpose. Just imagine if Nephi had not obeyed this commandment. We would not have had his wonderful writings and teachings.
Nephi also understands that the Lord sees all and knows all from the beginning to the end and as such, he knows how to prepare a way for the children of men to receive immortality and eternal life.
Record Keeping
The mere fact that Nephi informs us that he maintains records can apply to us. We've been counseled many times to keep a journal. Spencer W. Kimball wrote an article in the October 1975 New Era magazine entitled "The Angels May Quote From It." In this article, President Kimball offers many reasons for keeping a journal.
Personally, I've been able to keep a fairly active journal since I was a kid. The first few entries about snowball fights with my sister and playing softball and catch with my dad bring back lots of memories as I go back and read them.
Personal journals offer a person so much insight. A lot can be learned by going back and reading past entries. They often help me in making decisions … especially when I am trying to solve a personal problem that extends over several weeks or months or even years. Probably the biggest benefit for me is that my faith increases by keeping a journal. For example, when I was a college student, I was really concerned about what major I should choose, what career I should follow and who I should marry. I extensively wrote about these things and what I was feeling at the time and what I was doing about it. It wasn't until after the trial of my faith did I clearly see the hand of the Lord in my life. So as I go back and read those entries, my faith is strengthened and I know in whom I trust.
Trust in the Lord
In a somewhat related matter to the topic of keeping a journal, Nephi does not know why the Lord commanded him to make a 2nd set of records on which he makes an account of his ministry. But he trusts the Lord and knows that when the Lord commands, it is for a wise purpose. Just imagine if Nephi had not obeyed this commandment. We would not have had his wonderful writings and teachings.
Nephi also understands that the Lord sees all and knows all from the beginning to the end and as such, he knows how to prepare a way for the children of men to receive immortality and eternal life.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
1 Nephi 5
I've never thought of it before … but Lehi's great faith is demonstrated again in this chapter.
Obviously Sariah loved her sons and was concerned for them when they went back to Jerusalem to retrieve the plates. But she was also greatly concerned for her own welfare. We can only assume that if Jacob had been born, he was still very young. With all the sons back in Jerusalem, Lehi and the rest of his family were probably helpless, should danger greet them.
Why didn't Lehi simply send two of the sons and keep the other two with the rest of the family? Perhaps it was a strategic move on Lehi's part. He asked Laman and Lemuel to go back and get the plates, but they murmured. Next he asked Nephi to go along as if he were saying to him, "I know you'll get the job done because of your faith in God." Then, maybe he felt that Samuel could learn some things from Nephi and so he sent Sam along for the ride. If nothing else, perhaps Lehi had hoped that some of Nephi's faith would rub off on the rest of his sons.
Regardless of the reasons for sending off all his sons on this mission, Lehi did it in faith. He was taking a risk. If they did not return, the rest of the family could possibly die. But his faith was not weak. Lehi's faith was so strong, he was absolutely convinced that they would arrive at the promised land. He tells his wife, "I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness" (v. 5).
The chapter ends with a few thoughts about preservation. When you find something good, you want to hold on to it as long as you can … you want to preserve it. Joseph, although sold into Egypt by his brothers, was preserved by the Lord. The Lord knew Joseph was good. Joseph eventually prospered and was in a position to preserve his father and family. If it had not been for Joseph, the Israelite nation might never have been born. Even as Joseph preserved his father, so the brass plates allowed Lehi and his family to preserve the commandments of God and as the commandments were preserved and as Lehi's family obeyed them, they too were preserved.
Lehi vowed to preserve the plates. They would never be "dimmed" from un-use. He would search them and keep them bright so that they would be preserved for later generations. He would eventually pass them on to Nephi. Whether implied or stated explicitly, Nephi took upon the responsibility to keep the brass plates bright. This would be a command to all the descendents of Nephi.
What ought we to preserve? We should preserve our testimonies by sharing and fortifying them. We should preserve our families by holding FHE in our homes, reading the scriptures every day, holding family prayer, attending church as a family. We should preserve our covenants by partaking of the sacrament every week, returning to the temple regularly and keeping our covenants all the time. All these things are simple and small (Alma 37:6), but by regular maintenance we would bring about the salvation of our souls and our families'.
Obviously Sariah loved her sons and was concerned for them when they went back to Jerusalem to retrieve the plates. But she was also greatly concerned for her own welfare. We can only assume that if Jacob had been born, he was still very young. With all the sons back in Jerusalem, Lehi and the rest of his family were probably helpless, should danger greet them.
Why didn't Lehi simply send two of the sons and keep the other two with the rest of the family? Perhaps it was a strategic move on Lehi's part. He asked Laman and Lemuel to go back and get the plates, but they murmured. Next he asked Nephi to go along as if he were saying to him, "I know you'll get the job done because of your faith in God." Then, maybe he felt that Samuel could learn some things from Nephi and so he sent Sam along for the ride. If nothing else, perhaps Lehi had hoped that some of Nephi's faith would rub off on the rest of his sons.
Regardless of the reasons for sending off all his sons on this mission, Lehi did it in faith. He was taking a risk. If they did not return, the rest of the family could possibly die. But his faith was not weak. Lehi's faith was so strong, he was absolutely convinced that they would arrive at the promised land. He tells his wife, "I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness" (v. 5).
The chapter ends with a few thoughts about preservation. When you find something good, you want to hold on to it as long as you can … you want to preserve it. Joseph, although sold into Egypt by his brothers, was preserved by the Lord. The Lord knew Joseph was good. Joseph eventually prospered and was in a position to preserve his father and family. If it had not been for Joseph, the Israelite nation might never have been born. Even as Joseph preserved his father, so the brass plates allowed Lehi and his family to preserve the commandments of God and as the commandments were preserved and as Lehi's family obeyed them, they too were preserved.
Lehi vowed to preserve the plates. They would never be "dimmed" from un-use. He would search them and keep them bright so that they would be preserved for later generations. He would eventually pass them on to Nephi. Whether implied or stated explicitly, Nephi took upon the responsibility to keep the brass plates bright. This would be a command to all the descendents of Nephi.
What ought we to preserve? We should preserve our testimonies by sharing and fortifying them. We should preserve our families by holding FHE in our homes, reading the scriptures every day, holding family prayer, attending church as a family. We should preserve our covenants by partaking of the sacrament every week, returning to the temple regularly and keeping our covenants all the time. All these things are simple and small (Alma 37:6), but by regular maintenance we would bring about the salvation of our souls and our families'.
Monday, October 02, 2006
1 Nephi 4
In my mind, this chapter is very controversial. A person can read this chapter and take it to an extreme and fail to keep the commandments. But on the other hand, we can learn very valuable lessons from Nephi's accounting of how he retrieved the plates of brass.
The chapter begins where the previous chapter left off … namely Nephi responding to the question Laman and Lemuel posed. Nephi tries to shore up the courage and faith of his brothers. He draws upon scripture and notes the faith of Moses. But, Laman and Lemuel were still angry at him and reluctantly followed Nephi back to Jerusalem.
Nephi goes solo into the city. He doesn't know where to go, but goes nevertheless. He trusts in the Spirit. Some might argue that Nephi didn't have a plan. To which I say, "Yes he did! His plan was to follow the promptings of the Spirit." He may not have mapped out his steps into the city, but he knew that if he put forth the effort, the Lord would direct him. It is in action and doing that we demonstrate our faith in God.
He happens upon an unconscious Laban. One of the first things he notices is Laban's sword. He takes it out and admires it. As he admires the fine sword, the Spirit impresses upon him the need to kill Laban! Nephi protests the admonition. He even shrinks (perhaps this means that he takes a step away from Laban as if he were avoiding the temptation to kill him).
The Spirit responds back, "Behold the Lord hat delivered him into thy hands." Nephi reasons that Laban had tried to kill him and his brothers. Laban did not keep the commandments. And he had taken their property away.
A third time, the Spirit speaks, "Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."
Upon hearing these words, Nephi remembers the constant admonition from the Lord, "Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise." How can his children and grandchildren keep the commandment if they do not have a the scriptures? The fate of an entire nation depends upon the outcome of his struggle with the Spirit. How else would the Lord deliver the plates into Nephi's hands? Perhaps there was no other way.
What I learn from this is that the Spirit and the Lord can touch our hearts in highly specific ways. Despite all our reasoning, we still know within the heart of our hearts that it is the Spirit that is speaking to us and not our reasoning. The lesson learned here is not only that we should always obey the Lord, but it is also that the Lord will communicate to us in a very special way that only we can understand. In other words, the Spirit will speak to my mind in such a specific manner that only I can fully appreciate the message received. Because of past experiences and past revelations that only the Spirit would know about (us), the Spirit can communicate to us in a highly specialized manner. He will bring to our minds things that we would normally not think of.
Nephi is convinced and slays Laban. He immediately knows what to do next and sets out to accomplish that which the Lord had commanded him to do.
Here, another lesson can be learned. There have been times in my life when I have struggled to find an answer from the Lord … much like Nephi. I seemingly get bogged down and "argue" with the Spirit. But as soon as I cease to "kick against the pricks" and go with the Lord, then my way is opened up and I accomplish much. Such was the circumstance with Nephi. As soon as he decided to do what the Lord commanded him to do, he seemed to have an easier time … as if the way he should carry on were opened to him in his mind and he knew exactly what needed to be done.
The mission was accomplished and Lehi rejoiced in his sons' return.
The chapter begins where the previous chapter left off … namely Nephi responding to the question Laman and Lemuel posed. Nephi tries to shore up the courage and faith of his brothers. He draws upon scripture and notes the faith of Moses. But, Laman and Lemuel were still angry at him and reluctantly followed Nephi back to Jerusalem.
Nephi goes solo into the city. He doesn't know where to go, but goes nevertheless. He trusts in the Spirit. Some might argue that Nephi didn't have a plan. To which I say, "Yes he did! His plan was to follow the promptings of the Spirit." He may not have mapped out his steps into the city, but he knew that if he put forth the effort, the Lord would direct him. It is in action and doing that we demonstrate our faith in God.
He happens upon an unconscious Laban. One of the first things he notices is Laban's sword. He takes it out and admires it. As he admires the fine sword, the Spirit impresses upon him the need to kill Laban! Nephi protests the admonition. He even shrinks (perhaps this means that he takes a step away from Laban as if he were avoiding the temptation to kill him).
The Spirit responds back, "Behold the Lord hat delivered him into thy hands." Nephi reasons that Laban had tried to kill him and his brothers. Laban did not keep the commandments. And he had taken their property away.
A third time, the Spirit speaks, "Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."
Upon hearing these words, Nephi remembers the constant admonition from the Lord, "Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise." How can his children and grandchildren keep the commandment if they do not have a the scriptures? The fate of an entire nation depends upon the outcome of his struggle with the Spirit. How else would the Lord deliver the plates into Nephi's hands? Perhaps there was no other way.
What I learn from this is that the Spirit and the Lord can touch our hearts in highly specific ways. Despite all our reasoning, we still know within the heart of our hearts that it is the Spirit that is speaking to us and not our reasoning. The lesson learned here is not only that we should always obey the Lord, but it is also that the Lord will communicate to us in a very special way that only we can understand. In other words, the Spirit will speak to my mind in such a specific manner that only I can fully appreciate the message received. Because of past experiences and past revelations that only the Spirit would know about (us), the Spirit can communicate to us in a highly specialized manner. He will bring to our minds things that we would normally not think of.
Nephi is convinced and slays Laban. He immediately knows what to do next and sets out to accomplish that which the Lord had commanded him to do.
Here, another lesson can be learned. There have been times in my life when I have struggled to find an answer from the Lord … much like Nephi. I seemingly get bogged down and "argue" with the Spirit. But as soon as I cease to "kick against the pricks" and go with the Lord, then my way is opened up and I accomplish much. Such was the circumstance with Nephi. As soon as he decided to do what the Lord commanded him to do, he seemed to have an easier time … as if the way he should carry on were opened to him in his mind and he knew exactly what needed to be done.
The mission was accomplished and Lehi rejoiced in his sons' return.
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