Mountain Bandit Culture
This past week (April 14-20) was one of the most tragic weeks in recent memory. I think I speak for most United States citizens when I saw we are exhausted from all that has gone on this week. Monday, April 15 was the Boston Marathon. Two explosions from home-made bombs (ball-bearings and nails with explosives inside a pressure cooker) went off at the close of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and dismembering and injuring about 200. The search for the suspects began. Because the bombings were in a major city with lots of people, pictures of the events were captured by many, many people. Soon the police and FBI knew who they should be looking for. Then the manhunt began Thursday April 18 ... it turns out the suspects were two Chechen refugees who have been in the US for over 10 years. Another person (an MIT police officer) was killed Thursday night / early Friday morning. The two were pursued and cornered and the older of the two brothers was killed. The younger of the two continued to flee. All day Friday, the entire city of Boston was on lock-down while law enforcement searched. They finally found him hiding in a land-parked boat in someone's back-yard. Thankfully they were able to capture him alive so as to be able to question him to see if he and his brother had outside help.
To add to the point about this being such a tragic week ... on Wednesday April 17, a fertilizer plant exploded in the city of West, Texas. At this time, 14 people have been confirmed dead, but that number may go up significantly. The nation is trying to recover its collective strength after this week.
Anyway - with that background of this week, there were lots of blog posts about the bombings. But one post really caught my attention due to the fact that I've blogged about how today's terrorists are modern-day Gadianton Robbers.
One of the hallmarks of the Gadianton Robbers is that they hide in the hills and wilderness. 3 Nephi 4:1 reads: "And it came to pass that in the latter end of the eighteenth year those armies of robbers had prepared for battle, and began to come down and to sally forth from the hills, and out of the mountains, and the wilderness, and their strongholds, and their secret places, and began to take possession of the lands, both which were in the land south and which were in the land north, and began to take possession of all the lands which had been deserted by the Nephites, and the cities which had been left desolate."
Then there is this blog post "NYT: Let's not forget the Real Victims: Chechen refugees" in which the author cites this NY Time article (Beslan Meets Columbine) and discusses the restlessness and "mountain bandit culture" of Chechens. Specifically he says, "All over the world, it's common for people who live in highly defensible positions, such as mountains, to raid their neighbors, then beat it back to their geographically complex and daunting home turf." He goes on to note several mountain bandit cultures.
April 20, 2013
Summary of the Great Battle
To summarize the last few chapters on a timeline, we can read in chapter 2 verse 11 that the GR had become numerous and were killing a lot of people. This was in the year 13 (since the sign of Christ's birth). In year 16, Lachoneus is governor of the Nephites and the GR leader is Giddianhi. Giddianhi sends an epistle to Lachoneus and demands that the Nephites surrender themselves and their land to the GR. Lachoneus does not surrender, but exhorts the people to repentance. He also instructs the people, in year 17, to gather together in one place. In year 18, the GR begin to come out of their hiding places. In year 19, the final battle begins (chapter 4 verse 5), and this is where I begin with this commentary.
The Nephites have enough food to last seven years. They are all gathered together in one place and their armies are placed around the body of people. When the GR finally come to the battle, they are dressed so as to appear frightful to the Nephites. The Nephites prayed earnestly when they saw the GR armies advancing. The Nephites had truly been humbled and had repented of their sins. The Lord was with them. The battle that ensued was the greatest battle since the days of Lehi – which means it was the greatest battle ever as far as the number of people who were killed. The Nephites beat them and then pursued the GR. Giddianhi was killed.
Next, the GR laid siege, but it will prove fruitless. Finally, the GR decide to head to the northern parts of the land. The Nephites are aware of the GR's plans and they cut them off. The new GR leader was Zemnarihah. When the Nephites captured Zemnarihah and the GR, they took Zemnarihah and hung him to death and then cut the tree. It was a great victory for the Nephites. Once again, we learn the valuable lesson that when a people put their trust in God, God will deliver them – God will fight and win their battles.
Gadianton Robbers Taught the Gospel
The people were very happy that the GR were finally defeated. They took the remainder of the GR and tossed them in prison and taught them the gospel (3 Nephi 5:4). If they repented, they were set free. If they did not repent, they were executed. Finally, the majority of the people were living in righteousness.
Mormon's Commentary
The rest of chapter 5 is comprised of comments by Mormon. He tells us that he is named after the place of Mormon where Alma the Sr. taught the people and baptized them. I find it interesting to note what he says in verse 12. He writes, "… Alma did establish the church among the people, yea the first church which was established among them after their transgression." I imagine that he was referring to the transgression of the Nephites in the Land of Nephi under the kingship of King Noah. But it is also interesting to note that when Alma and his followers rejoined the Nephites in Zarahemla and King Mosiah, Alma was appointed head of the church! Wouldn't there have been a church leader already established in Zarahemla? Perhaps King Mosiah was also the church leader and delegated these responsibilities to Alma knowing that shortly thereafter, he (King Mosiah) would be dissolving the line of Kings and establishing a council of judges. Of course when this happened, Alma was chosen to be the Chief Judge too. We may never know all the motives behind the decisions made, but at least this much we know – that Alma the Senior was a great prophet and man. His faith was incredible as he changed his life (and the history of the Nephites for that matter!) after listening to the mighty words of Abinadi.
The other comments Mormon made were regarding the gathering of Israel. I don't have anything to say at this time regarding those comments.
August 22, 2007
Showing posts with label Missionary Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Missionary Work. Show all posts
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Saturday, March 26, 2011
1 Nephi 8
March 26, 2011
For quite some time, I've been toying with the idea of a personal scorecard to help me keep track of my daily goals and efforts. I finally made that a reality just yesterday and I've begun keeping score.
I don't think it's a coincidence that I came across 1 Nephi 8:30 on the same day I finalized my personal scorecard.
"But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."
When I read that verse, the phrases "caught hold", "press their way forward", and "continually holding fast" really stood out. To me, these imply that we don't leap ro jog along to the tree. Rather, it almost sounds like a hard-fought ground battle where you have to really earn an inch. It sounds like any person holding fast to that iron rod will intimately know every inch of that bar. They don't just hold on to it a bit at arms length and occasionally let go while they run along the path. There might even have been wind along that path and that to let go means immediate losses. Perhaps the dark mist was so thick, you could not see the rod even if you were holding on to it. There may have been zero visibility.
Anyway ... the phrases I mentioned implied certain things to me:
1) Daily, hourly ... constant reinforcement and recommitment
2) Constantly watching, assessing and adjusting
Those things, to me, sound a lot like what a scorecard accomplishes.
October 7, 2006
This chapter dicusses the tree of life vision that Lehi received. I’ve always thought that this could be an inspiring movie or film clip. Maybe someday someone will make it a reality.
In chapter 8 verse 12, Lehi reaches the tree and eats the fruit. After eating, he is “desirous that [his] family should partake of it also.” We shared this scripture often when we asked for references from members (referring to when I was serving as a full-time missionary). They have eaten of the fruit of the gospel and should be desirous that others enjoy the fruit or gospel.
Also, fathers can learn from the example of Lehi, in that we are to teach our family the gospel and then lead them by example. Upon eating of the fruit, Lehi immediately looked for his wife and children.
Lehi also sees the fate of many groups of people in his dream. In verse 21 he sees “numberless concourses of people … pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree.” He sees others commence in the path that leads to the tree, but then lose their way because of the mist of darkness. Others he sees catch hold of the iron rod and press forward until they reach the tree. Upon eating of the fruit, “they cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed” (v. 25). He also sees a large group of people occupying the great and spacious building. These mock and point the finger of scorn at those eating of the fruit (v. 27). And after some partake of the fruit, they look up to the building and see the people mocking them and some who see this mocking become ashamed. Feeling ashamed, these leave the security of the tree and become lost in “forbidden paths” (v. 28). Others were faithful and diligently sought the iron rod. Once they found it, they never let go until they reach the tree and eat of the fruit (v. 30). He also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards the great and spacious building and instead of reaching their goal, they either drown in the fountain or become lost in “strange roads” (v. 31-32).
It seems that there are three main groups: those who eat of the fruit and are not ashamed; those who eat the fruit and are ashamed and end up either becoming lost or finding the great and spacious building and end up mocking the others; and then there are those who are simply lost, never finding the tree and never reach the spacious building.
Obviously those who are truly happy and find real joy are the ones who find the tree and eat of the fruit and are not ashamed. Some of these people find the tree relatively easily. Others must work … they must press and cling to the iron rod. Once they reach the tree, they fall down with exhaustion and gladly eat of the fruit. We can see the similarities between these people in Lehi’s dream and those faithful saints who humbly keep the commandments and constantly serve others. They are the true disciples of Christ. How do they do it? They cling to the iron rod which is the word of God (Hymn 274). They read and study the scriptures every day and strive to apply the Saviors teachings in their lives. Once they do that, then they find the fruit and are happy. Lehi does not hide the fact that reaching the tree is hard work. He mentions “pressing forward” a number of times.
The other group of people are those who reach the tree, eat of the fruit and then become ashamed, either out of pure shame or because of the mocking and finger-pointing from those in the building. What does ashamed mean? It means feeling inferior, inadequate or embarrassed. Usually this feeling comes because one is not confident in his beliefs. He is more concerned about what others think of him rather than deriving feelings of approval from within or even from Above. It seems to me that feelings of shame (from living the Gospel) arise out of immaturity or unbelief. Of course, shame has its place in society. A man ought to be ashamed of himself if he did not use good manners, swore, abused others or cheated on his wife. In those instances, shame can be used to correct bad behavior. But in the Gospel context, we ought not to be ashamed of living a Christ-life life. Romans 1:16 teaches us that we should not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
The last group of people never find the tree. We can probably assume that since they never find the tree, they never bothered to look for it or even desire to look for it. I tend to think that these are those who are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). They may stumble upon the truth, but since they don’t desire to really know it, they discount it. In addition to lack of desire, Satan will do all he can to keep people blind to the truth of the Gospel.
Verses 33 and 34 are wonderful verses. I really love them! These two verses contain the perfect solution for the saints of God when confronted with persecution. In my mind’s eye, I see Lehi in his tent telling his family about his dream. I see his white beard and hair and his hands trembling a little as he explained how great the multitude was that entered into that worldly building. And upon entering they pointed the finger of scorn at Lehi and those eating of the fruit of the tree of life. I can almost see lavishly dressed women and young men laughing and jaunting at those humble people below. Then, as Lehi continued, he gave the solution to the world’s persecutions. I can hear his trembling yet powerful and majestic prophetic voice similar to President Benson’s say, “but we heeded them not.” Every time I read that part and picture it in my mine, chills run down my spine. Lehi goes on to explain that “as many as heeded them, had fallen away." Those in the building were so prideful, that in stead of living up to the example of the true followers of Christ, they persecuted them in hopes of making the followers of Christ give up their quest for righteousness so that the prideful can feel better in sinning. As I read the Book of Mormon and look at Church history, it is the same. The saints were persecuted by the prideful – buy why? If the saints were so good and righteous and did not bother any one else, living in peace, why the persecution? It was pride. The prideful people didn’t want to improve or change their lives or standards of living so instead of living up to the example, they tried to eliminate the example.
Regarding verses 24 and 25, how many times in our lives, as saints, do we feel the Spirit or have a spiritual experience and then turn around and deny it? Not that we say that we deny it, but we deny it with our actions. I think Nephi put it best when he said in 1 Nephi 19:7 that men trample under their feet their God. He goes on to say that what he means by trample under their feet is that they set at naught the things of God. In other words, they think that the things of God are not to be taken seriously; they think that it is “good counsel” or advice, but not a commandment. The purpose of spiritual experiences is to help up progress towards perfection, not to just feel good. If we do not learn from our spiritual experiences, then we are looking at that building feeling ashamed that we took of the fruit of the tree of life. We trample God under our feet and set at naught his counsels. I am not proud of the few times I have had spiritual experiences, and then fell into temptation’s power the very next day. I feel much like Nephi when he expresses, “I desire to rejoice, [but] my heart groaneth because of my sins” (2 Nephi 4:19). Thank Father in Heaven for sending his son so that we can repent and receive forgiveness of our sins and correct our behavior. I hope that I will always learn from my spiritual experiences, and not set them at naught.
For quite some time, I've been toying with the idea of a personal scorecard to help me keep track of my daily goals and efforts. I finally made that a reality just yesterday and I've begun keeping score.
I don't think it's a coincidence that I came across 1 Nephi 8:30 on the same day I finalized my personal scorecard.
"But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."
When I read that verse, the phrases "caught hold", "press their way forward", and "continually holding fast" really stood out. To me, these imply that we don't leap ro jog along to the tree. Rather, it almost sounds like a hard-fought ground battle where you have to really earn an inch. It sounds like any person holding fast to that iron rod will intimately know every inch of that bar. They don't just hold on to it a bit at arms length and occasionally let go while they run along the path. There might even have been wind along that path and that to let go means immediate losses. Perhaps the dark mist was so thick, you could not see the rod even if you were holding on to it. There may have been zero visibility.
Anyway ... the phrases I mentioned implied certain things to me:
1) Daily, hourly ... constant reinforcement and recommitment
2) Constantly watching, assessing and adjusting
Those things, to me, sound a lot like what a scorecard accomplishes.
October 7, 2006
This chapter dicusses the tree of life vision that Lehi received. I’ve always thought that this could be an inspiring movie or film clip. Maybe someday someone will make it a reality.
In chapter 8 verse 12, Lehi reaches the tree and eats the fruit. After eating, he is “desirous that [his] family should partake of it also.” We shared this scripture often when we asked for references from members (referring to when I was serving as a full-time missionary). They have eaten of the fruit of the gospel and should be desirous that others enjoy the fruit or gospel.
Also, fathers can learn from the example of Lehi, in that we are to teach our family the gospel and then lead them by example. Upon eating of the fruit, Lehi immediately looked for his wife and children.
Lehi also sees the fate of many groups of people in his dream. In verse 21 he sees “numberless concourses of people … pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree.” He sees others commence in the path that leads to the tree, but then lose their way because of the mist of darkness. Others he sees catch hold of the iron rod and press forward until they reach the tree. Upon eating of the fruit, “they cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed” (v. 25). He also sees a large group of people occupying the great and spacious building. These mock and point the finger of scorn at those eating of the fruit (v. 27). And after some partake of the fruit, they look up to the building and see the people mocking them and some who see this mocking become ashamed. Feeling ashamed, these leave the security of the tree and become lost in “forbidden paths” (v. 28). Others were faithful and diligently sought the iron rod. Once they found it, they never let go until they reach the tree and eat of the fruit (v. 30). He also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards the great and spacious building and instead of reaching their goal, they either drown in the fountain or become lost in “strange roads” (v. 31-32).
It seems that there are three main groups: those who eat of the fruit and are not ashamed; those who eat the fruit and are ashamed and end up either becoming lost or finding the great and spacious building and end up mocking the others; and then there are those who are simply lost, never finding the tree and never reach the spacious building.
Obviously those who are truly happy and find real joy are the ones who find the tree and eat of the fruit and are not ashamed. Some of these people find the tree relatively easily. Others must work … they must press and cling to the iron rod. Once they reach the tree, they fall down with exhaustion and gladly eat of the fruit. We can see the similarities between these people in Lehi’s dream and those faithful saints who humbly keep the commandments and constantly serve others. They are the true disciples of Christ. How do they do it? They cling to the iron rod which is the word of God (Hymn 274). They read and study the scriptures every day and strive to apply the Saviors teachings in their lives. Once they do that, then they find the fruit and are happy. Lehi does not hide the fact that reaching the tree is hard work. He mentions “pressing forward” a number of times.
The other group of people are those who reach the tree, eat of the fruit and then become ashamed, either out of pure shame or because of the mocking and finger-pointing from those in the building. What does ashamed mean? It means feeling inferior, inadequate or embarrassed. Usually this feeling comes because one is not confident in his beliefs. He is more concerned about what others think of him rather than deriving feelings of approval from within or even from Above. It seems to me that feelings of shame (from living the Gospel) arise out of immaturity or unbelief. Of course, shame has its place in society. A man ought to be ashamed of himself if he did not use good manners, swore, abused others or cheated on his wife. In those instances, shame can be used to correct bad behavior. But in the Gospel context, we ought not to be ashamed of living a Christ-life life. Romans 1:16 teaches us that we should not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
The last group of people never find the tree. We can probably assume that since they never find the tree, they never bothered to look for it or even desire to look for it. I tend to think that these are those who are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). They may stumble upon the truth, but since they don’t desire to really know it, they discount it. In addition to lack of desire, Satan will do all he can to keep people blind to the truth of the Gospel.
Verses 33 and 34 are wonderful verses. I really love them! These two verses contain the perfect solution for the saints of God when confronted with persecution. In my mind’s eye, I see Lehi in his tent telling his family about his dream. I see his white beard and hair and his hands trembling a little as he explained how great the multitude was that entered into that worldly building. And upon entering they pointed the finger of scorn at Lehi and those eating of the fruit of the tree of life. I can almost see lavishly dressed women and young men laughing and jaunting at those humble people below. Then, as Lehi continued, he gave the solution to the world’s persecutions. I can hear his trembling yet powerful and majestic prophetic voice similar to President Benson’s say, “but we heeded them not.” Every time I read that part and picture it in my mine, chills run down my spine. Lehi goes on to explain that “as many as heeded them, had fallen away." Those in the building were so prideful, that in stead of living up to the example of the true followers of Christ, they persecuted them in hopes of making the followers of Christ give up their quest for righteousness so that the prideful can feel better in sinning. As I read the Book of Mormon and look at Church history, it is the same. The saints were persecuted by the prideful – buy why? If the saints were so good and righteous and did not bother any one else, living in peace, why the persecution? It was pride. The prideful people didn’t want to improve or change their lives or standards of living so instead of living up to the example, they tried to eliminate the example.
Regarding verses 24 and 25, how many times in our lives, as saints, do we feel the Spirit or have a spiritual experience and then turn around and deny it? Not that we say that we deny it, but we deny it with our actions. I think Nephi put it best when he said in 1 Nephi 19:7 that men trample under their feet their God. He goes on to say that what he means by trample under their feet is that they set at naught the things of God. In other words, they think that the things of God are not to be taken seriously; they think that it is “good counsel” or advice, but not a commandment. The purpose of spiritual experiences is to help up progress towards perfection, not to just feel good. If we do not learn from our spiritual experiences, then we are looking at that building feeling ashamed that we took of the fruit of the tree of life. We trample God under our feet and set at naught his counsels. I am not proud of the few times I have had spiritual experiences, and then fell into temptation’s power the very next day. I feel much like Nephi when he expresses, “I desire to rejoice, [but] my heart groaneth because of my sins” (2 Nephi 4:19). Thank Father in Heaven for sending his son so that we can repent and receive forgiveness of our sins and correct our behavior. I hope that I will always learn from my spiritual experiences, and not set them at naught.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
3 Nephi 21 & 22
Joseph Smith
3 Nephi 21:10 references Joseph Smith. It says that he shall be marred because of wicked people. Yet, the Lord will heal him and the Lord will show the people that his wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.
This last part of the verse is so true. There seems to be many of those who are against the Church who absolutely cannot fathom how an obscure 14-year old boy could see God and Jesus Christ and then go on to translate an ancient record. They seem to try just about anything to discredit Joseph Smith. But Joseph is proof that the wisdom of God is greater than the cunning of the devil. The work will continue to grow.
On a similar note, one of my MTC teachers told us more than once that the Church must be true because if it weren't the missionaries would have destroyed it a long time ago … meaning that the Church continues to prosper despite the knuckle headedness of many youthful 19-year olds.
Idolatry
In 3 Nephi 21:14-19, the Lord warns the Gentiles (us) that if we do not repent and forsake our idols, we and our idols will be destroyed.
One of the assignments I had in a biology class in college was to read Spencer W. Kimball's talk "The False Gods we Worship" (Spencer W. Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, Jun 1976, 3). He defined idolatry as "whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn't also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry."
If you've not read this talk before, I encourage you to read it in its entirety. Here are a few more relevant quotes.
He also says, "Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Therefore, in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the “arm of flesh” and in “gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know” (Dan. 5:23)—that is, in idols."
He continues, "The Lord has blessed us as a people with a prosperity unequaled in times past. The resources that have been placed in our power are good, and necessary to our work here on the earth. But I am afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds and acres and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them as false gods, and they have power over us. Do we have more of these good things than our faith can stand? Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment portfolios, property, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the like to guarantee carnal security throughout, it is hoped, a long and happy life. Forgotten is the fact that our assignment is to use these many resources in our families and quorums to build up the kingdom of God—to further the missionary effort and the genealogical and temple work; to raise our children up as fruitful servants unto the Lord; to bless others in every way, that they may also be fruitful. Instead, we expend these blessings on our own desires, and as Moroni said, “Ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not.” (Morm. 8:39.)"
He quotes D&C 1:16, "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon."
And here is one last quote that I found particularly interesting, "We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching:
"'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
"'That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:44–45.)'"
No Weapon Against Thee Shall Prosper
In 3 Nephi 22:17 we learn that the kingdom of God will prevail over all and that “no weapon that is formed” against the kingdom of God and his people will prosper.
“No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (Joseph Smith Jr., “The Wentworth Letter,” Ensign, Jul 2002, 27)
3 Nephi 21:10 references Joseph Smith. It says that he shall be marred because of wicked people. Yet, the Lord will heal him and the Lord will show the people that his wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.
This last part of the verse is so true. There seems to be many of those who are against the Church who absolutely cannot fathom how an obscure 14-year old boy could see God and Jesus Christ and then go on to translate an ancient record. They seem to try just about anything to discredit Joseph Smith. But Joseph is proof that the wisdom of God is greater than the cunning of the devil. The work will continue to grow.
On a similar note, one of my MTC teachers told us more than once that the Church must be true because if it weren't the missionaries would have destroyed it a long time ago … meaning that the Church continues to prosper despite the knuckle headedness of many youthful 19-year olds.
Idolatry
In 3 Nephi 21:14-19, the Lord warns the Gentiles (us) that if we do not repent and forsake our idols, we and our idols will be destroyed.
One of the assignments I had in a biology class in college was to read Spencer W. Kimball's talk "The False Gods we Worship" (Spencer W. Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, Jun 1976, 3). He defined idolatry as "whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn't also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry."
If you've not read this talk before, I encourage you to read it in its entirety. Here are a few more relevant quotes.
He also says, "Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Therefore, in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the “arm of flesh” and in “gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know” (Dan. 5:23)—that is, in idols."
He continues, "The Lord has blessed us as a people with a prosperity unequaled in times past. The resources that have been placed in our power are good, and necessary to our work here on the earth. But I am afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds and acres and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them as false gods, and they have power over us. Do we have more of these good things than our faith can stand? Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment portfolios, property, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the like to guarantee carnal security throughout, it is hoped, a long and happy life. Forgotten is the fact that our assignment is to use these many resources in our families and quorums to build up the kingdom of God—to further the missionary effort and the genealogical and temple work; to raise our children up as fruitful servants unto the Lord; to bless others in every way, that they may also be fruitful. Instead, we expend these blessings on our own desires, and as Moroni said, “Ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not.” (Morm. 8:39.)"
He quotes D&C 1:16, "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon."
And here is one last quote that I found particularly interesting, "We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching:
"'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
"'That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:44–45.)'"
No Weapon Against Thee Shall Prosper
In 3 Nephi 22:17 we learn that the kingdom of God will prevail over all and that “no weapon that is formed” against the kingdom of God and his people will prosper.
“No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (Joseph Smith Jr., “The Wentworth Letter,” Ensign, Jul 2002, 27)
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
2 Nephi 30
Believe and Carry
In verse 3, Nephi prophesies that after the Book of Mormon would come forth, the many would believe the words and "carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed." I believe I am proof that this prophesy has been and is being fulfilled. I believe the words of the Book of Mormon and I had the wonderful opportunity of preaching the teachings of the Book of Mormon to the people of Guatemala for two years.
A Great Division
In chapter 30, Nephi talks about the 2nd Coming. One significant verse in this chapter that has always stood out in my mind is verse 10. Nephi tells of a great division among the people. It will be a division of the righteous and the wicked and that once divided, the wicked will be destroyed by fire. This division will happen in the future. A similar division has happened before, in the Book of Mormon. Just before the coming of Jesus to the Nephites, the government was destroyed and the people were divided into tribes of families (3 Nephi 7:2-3). Some were wicked and some were righteous. But the main point was that there was a division of the righteous and the wicked. Once the division was in place, the earthquakes, volcanoes, thunder, lightening and tempests began (3 Nephi 8). All the wicked were destroyed and the righteous were left, or at least those who were righteous as well as those who were willing to repent.
Our day is no different than in the Book of Mormon times. Every day, we divide ourselves by making choices. When we sin or fall to temptation and we do not repent, we move closer to Satan. But if we repent and do those small and simple things (Alma 37:6), our footing becomes more sure on the Lord's side.
In verse 3, Nephi prophesies that after the Book of Mormon would come forth, the many would believe the words and "carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed." I believe I am proof that this prophesy has been and is being fulfilled. I believe the words of the Book of Mormon and I had the wonderful opportunity of preaching the teachings of the Book of Mormon to the people of Guatemala for two years.
A Great Division
In chapter 30, Nephi talks about the 2nd Coming. One significant verse in this chapter that has always stood out in my mind is verse 10. Nephi tells of a great division among the people. It will be a division of the righteous and the wicked and that once divided, the wicked will be destroyed by fire. This division will happen in the future. A similar division has happened before, in the Book of Mormon. Just before the coming of Jesus to the Nephites, the government was destroyed and the people were divided into tribes of families (3 Nephi 7:2-3). Some were wicked and some were righteous. But the main point was that there was a division of the righteous and the wicked. Once the division was in place, the earthquakes, volcanoes, thunder, lightening and tempests began (3 Nephi 8). All the wicked were destroyed and the righteous were left, or at least those who were righteous as well as those who were willing to repent.
Our day is no different than in the Book of Mormon times. Every day, we divide ourselves by making choices. When we sin or fall to temptation and we do not repent, we move closer to Satan. But if we repent and do those small and simple things (Alma 37:6), our footing becomes more sure on the Lord's side.
Friday, January 19, 2007
2 Nephi 11
Chapter 11 is short and is an introduction to the remainder of the Isaiah chapters.
There are just a couple of points I wish to discuss regarding chapter 11.
First, in chapter 11, Nephi establishes the importance of witnesses (v. 3). Just as missionaries (used to) teach in the discussions, in the mouth of two or three witnesses is the word of God established (2 Cor. 13:1). To me it is ironic that some people who say they want “proof” or a sign, when given three or more valid testimonies, they reject the message completely. God will always establish His word with witnesses whether those witnesses be books of scripture, prophets or other testimonies.
The other point that I really like from chapter 11 is in verse 4. Jacob explains that “all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of [Christ].” I have this verse cross-referenced to Moses 6:63 which basically states the same thing, namely that all things in heaven and on earth are made to bear record of Christ.
Here is a short list of things that I consider that typify Christ:
I also remember reading a post from another blogger (Blogger of Jared) about a talk he had listened to that discusses the parallels be Christ and the Book of Mormon. A follow-up post is also a very good read. (*Update - this blog is defunct. Not sure what happened. I found some cached pages on waybackmachine, but not the entire posts).
A search through the gospel library at lds.org proves useful. Symbols from the Scriptures That Testify of Christ, All Things Testify of Him: Understanding Symbolism in the Scriptures, Moses: Witness of Jesus Christ, (one of the authors is Todd B. Parker ... the author of the talk the Blogger of Jared refers to.)
If you can think of anything to add to this list, please leave a comment.
There are just a couple of points I wish to discuss regarding chapter 11.
First, in chapter 11, Nephi establishes the importance of witnesses (v. 3). Just as missionaries (used to) teach in the discussions, in the mouth of two or three witnesses is the word of God established (2 Cor. 13:1). To me it is ironic that some people who say they want “proof” or a sign, when given three or more valid testimonies, they reject the message completely. God will always establish His word with witnesses whether those witnesses be books of scripture, prophets or other testimonies.
The other point that I really like from chapter 11 is in verse 4. Jacob explains that “all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of [Christ].” I have this verse cross-referenced to Moses 6:63 which basically states the same thing, namely that all things in heaven and on earth are made to bear record of Christ.
Here is a short list of things that I consider that typify Christ:
- The seasons typify Christ's death and resurrection.
- Our solar system ... the center of our system is the source of our light just as Christ ought to be the center and source of light for all our souls.
- The atom is designed similiarly ... nucleus, etc.
- The North Pole and North Star are both constant and help us in navigation just as Christ's teachings are constant and if followed will guide us to His presence.
I also remember reading a post from another blogger (Blogger of Jared) about a talk he had listened to that discusses the parallels be Christ and the Book of Mormon. A follow-up post is also a very good read. (*Update - this blog is defunct. Not sure what happened. I found some cached pages on waybackmachine, but not the entire posts).
A search through the gospel library at lds.org proves useful. Symbols from the Scriptures That Testify of Christ, All Things Testify of Him: Understanding Symbolism in the Scriptures, Moses: Witness of Jesus Christ, (one of the authors is Todd B. Parker ... the author of the talk the Blogger of Jared refers to.)
If you can think of anything to add to this list, please leave a comment.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
2 Nephi 2
"he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain" (v. 2)
Consecrate
- to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity: to consecrate a new church building.
- to make (something) an object of honor or veneration; hallow: a custom consecrated by time.
- to devote or dedicate to some purpose: a life consecrated to science.
- to admit or ordain to a sacred office, esp. to the episcopate.
- to change (bread and wine) into the Eucharist.
The way that "consecrate" is used in verse two seems to best fit the first definition. Jacob had experienced many hardships because of his older brothers. Heavenly Father was not going to let those experiences ruin Jacob. Also, Jacob must have decided to not let those bad experiences negatively affect him. Because of his attitude, Heavenly Father was able to turn those bad experiences into a spiritual gain for Jacob.
I tend to think that the hardships heaped on Jacob galvanized his testimony of the Gospel. Some people will become bitter about the trials they face and they collapse under the "pressure." Others confront their trials and plead with the Lord for strength to bear them. Because of the way they react to the trials, their faith increases and they see their spiritual strength increase once the trial has ended. I think this is what Lehi means when he told Jacob that God would consecrate his afflictions for his gain.
Indeed Jacob's faith was so great that he beheld God's glory in his youth (v. 3).
Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit (v. 7)
From Guide to the Scriptures, the topic “broken heart” states, “To have a broken heart is to be humble, contrite, repentant, and meek—that is, receptive to the will of God.”
Contrite - Deeply affected with grief and regret for having done wrong; penitent; as, "a contrite sinner." Contrite derives from Latin conterere "to rub away, to grind" hence "to obliterate, to abase"
There are several references in the scriptures that mention a broken heart and a contrite spirit. I tend to think that a person whose heart is not broken is a person who has a lot of pride. His attitude would be very strong and he would probably not be very receptive to change. I can see a home teacher or bishop counseling this person to come to church or to pay his tithing or to attend the temple or to repent and this person would scoff at these suggestions.
On the other hand, a person with a broken heart and a contrite spirit would be very receptive to suggestions from his bishop, wife or home teacher. Either out of his own meekness or out of compulsion, he sees that his own way is not the best way and he acknowledges that the Lord can better lead him to happiness.
If you dissect the definition of contrite, you can get a pretty good idea about what we should do to our spirits. We must rub away all the pride in our hearts. We must grind our rock-solid egos to sand so that at the Savior’s breath our spirits are swayed. We must obliterate our spirits so that the Lord can build them up to his standard.
Often to correct a mis-aligned bone in a person’s body, the doctor must break it then set it and then let it heal. Jill’s brother had his nose broken many times and it healed incorrectly. To remedy this problem, the doctors broke his nose, corrected it and then let it heal. It looks and feels much better for him now. We must do the same with our hearts … not our physical hearts, but our spiritual hearts … our desires. We must break them so that they have no will. Then we must let the Master Healer take our heart and heal it. Then our desires will be the Lord’s desires.
“How great the importance … “
I still remember watching a video in the MTC depicting the death and resurrection of Christ and then at the end of the video 2 Nephi 2:8 is flashed up on the screen. It was a very moving and motivating video.
I think the reason that video was so motivating and the reason why this verse is so beautiful is because they encapsulate the essences of the Gospel of Christ. Simply put, we cannot return to live with God in the state we are in. The only way we can return to His presence is through the mercy of Christ. Without Christ, we would not even have a chance at redemption.
Verse 10 further explains that because of Christ, we can be brought before God to be judged. The verse also explains a universal truth … there must be a standard in order for happiness and misery to exist.
Everything has its opposite. We cannot be happy without misery. Every deed has either a punishment or reward attached to it. Without that “motivation” what would be our purpose? And if we have no purpose, then God has no purpose. Verse 12 has a very insightful comment, “there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation.” In other words, if no standard existed, then none of God’s creations would have had a purpose.
Verse 13 explains a very important principal in the Mormon doctrine. Some (those who want “freedom” in everything) would say that there should be no laws … no rules. If there were no laws, then there would be no law-breakers and no sinners. And if there are no sinners, then righteousness does not exist. And if there is no righteousness then there is no happiness.
I believe there are two general points of view in the world … those who would have anarchy (only power exists) and those who believe in order. I personally think those civilizations who have prescribed to the order belief (rule of law and morality) have lingered longer and have brought more peace and prosperity to the world than those tribes who want anarchy. God’s kingdom is the ultimate order of peace and prosperity. Satan would have the whole world degrade itself to a sphere of blood-thirsty rapists.
Thankfully there is a God and He is the Standard. Our happiness depends upon Him. He has not left us alone. He has given us His Son and he has given us prophets to teach us the way of happiness so that we might find joy in this life and for eternity.
As verse 25 states, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” This life is not about suffering. It is about finding lasting happiness.
Lastly, we are reminded that we have a choice. We can either choose liberty and happiness or captivity and misery (v. 27).
2 Nephi 2 is a wonderful chapter. It has the plain and precious truths that our world so desperately needs. If you are reading this, please take the time to re-read 2 Nephi 2 and to study it. Think about it and ask Heavenly Father if it is true. I am confident that you will find that the principals in this chapter will help you build a foundation for understanding why God does the things he does.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
1 Nephi 13
What Chapter 13 is About
In essence, this chapter discusses the reasons for why we need the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is God’s answer to Satan’s great and abominable church (GAAC). The goal of the GAAC is to slay the saints of God, torture them, bind them down, yoke them and bring them into captivity (v. 5). How does the GAAC do that? Obviously this slaying and torture is spiritual … Satan seeks to kill our very souls. The only way our souls can be killed is if we give into the temptations of the Devil and in turn end up living a life full of sin and never repenting. And the way the Devil gets us to sin is to teach us false doctrines. False doctrines are as numerous and various as the paths that are not “straight and narrow.” Some doctrines can be completely false while other doctrines can contain an element of truth yet be mixed with false principals. The only way to defend against false doctrines is to teach and apply true and pure doctrines.
Originally the true doctrines of the Gospel were found in the unaltered version of the modern-day Bible. It was written by the Jews (probably not in the strict sense, rather in a broad context). From the Jews, this book went to the Gentiles. After it went to the Gentiles, the GAAC was formed and the book fell into that church’s possession. While in the GAAC’s possession, “many plain and precious things [were] taken away from the book” (v. 28). From the GAAC the book went “forth unto all nations of the Gentiles” (v. 29) including America.
And here is where the problem begins … “because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them” (v. 29). Because correct principals are missing from the Bible, many people develop an un-pure understanding of the true gospel of Christ. And therefore, they err and stumble in sin.
In response to Satan’s subtle plan, God instructed Lehi and his posterity to keep records. Since Lehi’s posterity keeps this commandment, the Lord is able to restore much of the plan and precious parts of his Gospel to the earth. In verse 35 he says, “I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them … these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.”
As we know, the records of Lehi’s posterity are contained in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith, by the power of God, translated these records and now the world has another testament of Jesus Christ. Many will not believe any of the Bible. Therefore the purpose of the Book of Mormon is twofold … to prove that the Bible is indeed true (or that what it is trying to teach is true) and to restore the many plain and precious parts of the Gospel.
Besides the Book of Mormon, “other books” came forth by the power of God (v. 39). These other books are probably the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. There are also the records of the Lost Tribes of Israel that are yet to come forth too. Doubtless these records will yet again prove that Christ’s gospel is universal and is the same among all people.
And what is the main message of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the other books? “That the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (v. 40).
Misc. Verses
13:37 – “And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.” For some reason, when I read this scripture, I felt this is our mission as latter-day Saints. All that we should do should help build up the kingdom of God.
13:41 - In this verse, Nephi talks about how the Bible and the Book of Mormon testify of Christ and his Apostles. The part that I really enjoy is where it says, “They both shall be established in one.” My inlaws and I were talking about the Church and Church policies over the years. One of the things my father-in-law talked about was how the Book of Mormon was still called the Mormon Bible or the Gold Bible when he was a missionary. Then he talked about how when President Benson prophesied that the Book of Mormon would flood the Earth. My father-in-law said that he thought the prophet was really stepping out on a limb when he said that. But now, the Book of Mormon is being widely accepted by people and other religions. The Book of Mormon is no longer being referred to as the Gold Bible or the Mormon bible, rather it is being accepted as scripture, just like the Bible. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are beginning to be accepted as one.
I recall from my mission when I was on splits up in Senahu, the missionaries stayed with this family who was Nazarene. The family was so used to being around Mormons that they believed in the Book of Mormon. In fact, the father who was a pastor for the same, often used the Book of Mormon in his sermons and would frequently ask the missionaries for help when he read out of the Book of Mormon.
In essence, this chapter discusses the reasons for why we need the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is God’s answer to Satan’s great and abominable church (GAAC). The goal of the GAAC is to slay the saints of God, torture them, bind them down, yoke them and bring them into captivity (v. 5). How does the GAAC do that? Obviously this slaying and torture is spiritual … Satan seeks to kill our very souls. The only way our souls can be killed is if we give into the temptations of the Devil and in turn end up living a life full of sin and never repenting. And the way the Devil gets us to sin is to teach us false doctrines. False doctrines are as numerous and various as the paths that are not “straight and narrow.” Some doctrines can be completely false while other doctrines can contain an element of truth yet be mixed with false principals. The only way to defend against false doctrines is to teach and apply true and pure doctrines.
Originally the true doctrines of the Gospel were found in the unaltered version of the modern-day Bible. It was written by the Jews (probably not in the strict sense, rather in a broad context). From the Jews, this book went to the Gentiles. After it went to the Gentiles, the GAAC was formed and the book fell into that church’s possession. While in the GAAC’s possession, “many plain and precious things [were] taken away from the book” (v. 28). From the GAAC the book went “forth unto all nations of the Gentiles” (v. 29) including America.
And here is where the problem begins … “because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them” (v. 29). Because correct principals are missing from the Bible, many people develop an un-pure understanding of the true gospel of Christ. And therefore, they err and stumble in sin.
In response to Satan’s subtle plan, God instructed Lehi and his posterity to keep records. Since Lehi’s posterity keeps this commandment, the Lord is able to restore much of the plan and precious parts of his Gospel to the earth. In verse 35 he says, “I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them … these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb.”
As we know, the records of Lehi’s posterity are contained in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith, by the power of God, translated these records and now the world has another testament of Jesus Christ. Many will not believe any of the Bible. Therefore the purpose of the Book of Mormon is twofold … to prove that the Bible is indeed true (or that what it is trying to teach is true) and to restore the many plain and precious parts of the Gospel.
Besides the Book of Mormon, “other books” came forth by the power of God (v. 39). These other books are probably the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. There are also the records of the Lost Tribes of Israel that are yet to come forth too. Doubtless these records will yet again prove that Christ’s gospel is universal and is the same among all people.
And what is the main message of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the other books? “That the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (v. 40).
Misc. Verses
13:37 – “And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.” For some reason, when I read this scripture, I felt this is our mission as latter-day Saints. All that we should do should help build up the kingdom of God.
13:41 - In this verse, Nephi talks about how the Bible and the Book of Mormon testify of Christ and his Apostles. The part that I really enjoy is where it says, “They both shall be established in one.” My inlaws and I were talking about the Church and Church policies over the years. One of the things my father-in-law talked about was how the Book of Mormon was still called the Mormon Bible or the Gold Bible when he was a missionary. Then he talked about how when President Benson prophesied that the Book of Mormon would flood the Earth. My father-in-law said that he thought the prophet was really stepping out on a limb when he said that. But now, the Book of Mormon is being widely accepted by people and other religions. The Book of Mormon is no longer being referred to as the Gold Bible or the Mormon bible, rather it is being accepted as scripture, just like the Bible. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are beginning to be accepted as one.
I recall from my mission when I was on splits up in Senahu, the missionaries stayed with this family who was Nazarene. The family was so used to being around Mormons that they believed in the Book of Mormon. In fact, the father who was a pastor for the same, often used the Book of Mormon in his sermons and would frequently ask the missionaries for help when he read out of the Book of Mormon.
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.
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