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.
Showing posts with label Scripture Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scripture Study. Show all posts
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Monday, September 10, 2007
3 Nephi 26
Judgment Day
3 Nephi 26:4 talks about Judgment Day. Every person will stand before God to be judged of his or her works. If their works were good, then they will be resurrected to eternal life. If not, then to damnation (lack of progress).
We will not only be judged according to what we have done in this life, but we will be held accountable for our thoughts and the desires of our hearts. See Alma 12:14 and Alma 41:3. “Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.” (2 Nephi 9:39)
Greater Things if we Accept the Book of Mormon
3 Nephi 26:9 says that if we would study the scriptures (more specifically the Book of Mormon), then God would bless us with additional scriptures or “greater things.”
We are reminded in D&C 84:49-58, “And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.
“And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
“For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.
“And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.
“And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
“Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
“And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
“And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
“That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.”
He Loosed Their Tongues
One of the many miracles Jesus gave the Nephites was to let their children speak. It is interesting to think that Jesus did not tell the children what to say. The children already knew and have that perfect faith inherent within them. All that Jesus did (what an understatement) was to loose their tongues so that they could communicate what they knew and felt.
And when they were able to communicate, “they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he [Christ] had revealed unto the people.” (3 Nephi 26:14) It is no wonder, then, that Jesus teaches us “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:4-6, see also Mark 9:43, Luke 17:2)
The tender primary song teaches us:
Jesus once was a little child,
A little child like me;
And he was pure and meek and mild,
As a little child should be.
So, little children,
Let’s you and I
Try to be like him,
Try, try, try.
(Children’s Songbook, 55)
Elder Jay E. Jensen shares the following, “When I was a young seminary teacher, one of my students approached me about her assignment to prepare a devotional for the class. She said she wanted to bring her married sister to class with a newborn daughter and have her sing a song about the child. I agreed. Her sister announced the number, and my student accompanied her on the piano. Standing in front of the class, the young mother held her daughter in her arms and, looking at her, began to sing these words:
Do you know who you are—little child of mine—
So precious and dear to me?
Do you know you’re a part of a great design
That is vast as eternity?
Can you think for a moment how much depends
On your holding the “Iron Rod”?
Your life is forever—worlds without end—
Do you know you’re a child of God?
(“To a Child,” words and music by Ora Pate Stewart [Fernwood, 1964])
“All the students were touched by what they saw and heard. It was a heavenly scene. I cannot talk about it today without having tender feelings surfacing.” (Jay E. Jensen, “Little Children and the Gospel,” Ensign, Jan 1999, 30)
3 Nephi 26:4 talks about Judgment Day. Every person will stand before God to be judged of his or her works. If their works were good, then they will be resurrected to eternal life. If not, then to damnation (lack of progress).
We will not only be judged according to what we have done in this life, but we will be held accountable for our thoughts and the desires of our hearts. See Alma 12:14 and Alma 41:3. “Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.” (2 Nephi 9:39)
Greater Things if we Accept the Book of Mormon
3 Nephi 26:9 says that if we would study the scriptures (more specifically the Book of Mormon), then God would bless us with additional scriptures or “greater things.”
We are reminded in D&C 84:49-58, “And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.
“And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
“For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.
“And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.
“And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
“Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
“And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
“And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
“That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.”
He Loosed Their Tongues
One of the many miracles Jesus gave the Nephites was to let their children speak. It is interesting to think that Jesus did not tell the children what to say. The children already knew and have that perfect faith inherent within them. All that Jesus did (what an understatement) was to loose their tongues so that they could communicate what they knew and felt.
And when they were able to communicate, “they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he [Christ] had revealed unto the people.” (3 Nephi 26:14) It is no wonder, then, that Jesus teaches us “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:4-6, see also Mark 9:43, Luke 17:2)
The tender primary song teaches us:
Jesus once was a little child,
A little child like me;
And he was pure and meek and mild,
As a little child should be.
So, little children,
Let’s you and I
Try to be like him,
Try, try, try.
(Children’s Songbook, 55)
Elder Jay E. Jensen shares the following, “When I was a young seminary teacher, one of my students approached me about her assignment to prepare a devotional for the class. She said she wanted to bring her married sister to class with a newborn daughter and have her sing a song about the child. I agreed. Her sister announced the number, and my student accompanied her on the piano. Standing in front of the class, the young mother held her daughter in her arms and, looking at her, began to sing these words:
Do you know who you are—little child of mine—
So precious and dear to me?
Do you know you’re a part of a great design
That is vast as eternity?
Can you think for a moment how much depends
On your holding the “Iron Rod”?
Your life is forever—worlds without end—
Do you know you’re a child of God?
(“To a Child,” words and music by Ora Pate Stewart [Fernwood, 1964])
“All the students were touched by what they saw and heard. It was a heavenly scene. I cannot talk about it today without having tender feelings surfacing.” (Jay E. Jensen, “Little Children and the Gospel,” Ensign, Jan 1999, 30)
Sunday, September 09, 2007
3 Nephi 23
Study Isaiah and the Scriptures
We are commanded by the Lord to “search these things diligently.” He refers to the writings of Isaiah, but this can be applied to all the scriptures.
The Bible dictionary notes (under Isaiah), "Isaiah is the most quoted of all the prophets, being more frequently quoted by Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John (in his Revelation) than any other O.T. prophet. Likewise the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants quote from Isaiah more than from any other prophet. The Lord told the Nephites that “great are the words of Isaiah,” and that all things Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel and of the gentiles would be fulfilled."
It goes on to say, "The reader today has no greater written commentary and guide to understanding Isaiah than the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. As one understands these works better he will understand Isaiah better, and as one understands Isaiah better, he more fully comprehends the mission of the Savior, and the meaning of the covenant that was placed upon Abraham and his seed by which all the families of the earth would be blessed."
Perhaps when I have completed my "inspection" of the Book of Mormon, I will take the time to study Isaiah … maybe even enroll in the BYU Independent study course (Teachings of Isaiah) offered there.
Another option is to use the (Old Testament) Institute manual as a guide to studying Isaiah.
Search the Prophets
Jesus also commanded the Nephites (and commands us) to “search the prophets.” To me, this means that we are to search the teachings of the prophets. Every month the Ensign is published and contains the words of the prophets. Every six months, the members of the Church virtually gather to listen to the prophets. LDS.org is a rich repository of many of the prophets' writings. There is so much to read, learn and study.
Secure Sources
There are so many sources of information and disinformation. Not only must we search and gain knowledge, but we must be careful where we obtain our knowledge and information. The beauty of the organization of the Church is that the prophet have a "direct line" of communication with the Savior. In turn, we have a "direct line" from the prophets. The Savior laid organized this line of communication as described in 3 Nephi 23:14. Jesus taught his apostles and then the apostles are commanded to teach the people.
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.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
2 Nephi 29
Chapter 29 largely deals with the writing of other books of scripture other than the Bible. Nephi quotes the Lord as saying that the testimony of two nations shall run together and testify that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I think that two testimonies of God’s work on the earth is significant. Many people believe that God is different and that as Nephi stated in the last chapter, God has left His work in the hands of men. This is not so. God is still very active in His work and glory (Moses 1:39). He wants us to know that he is the same, so he has commanded the prophets throughout the world to write and testify of him.
A Bible, A Bible!
I've always found it interesting how some Christian religions know the Bible is from God yet deny that the Book of Mormon comes from the same divine source. The logic and arguments for and against the Book of Mormon are numerous. But at the heart of every argument against the Book of Mormon is the question of authenticity. Many believe the Joseph Smith wrote it instead of translating it … many believe that the Book of Mormon doesn't come from God. But those same people believe that the Bible is inspired of God. They are stuck on the question of Joseph Smith being a prophet or not. Thankfully Moroni saw this dilemma and instructed everyone who reads the Book of Mormon to ask God if it is true or not. Those who have a sincere desire to know the truth will receive a personal witness of the truth of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:3-9).
Let me also address the question of authenticity in another way. At church this Sunday, the counselor in the Elder's quorum shared a missionary experience with us. He is a convert to the Church. He had gone on a few visits with the missionaries the previous week. One of the people they visited was this young man who questioned everything the missionaries taught him. He kept asking them, "how do you know for sure Joseph Smith is a true prophet? How do you know for sure the Book of Mormon is true?" He wanted solid proof that the Church is true. At this point, the counselor began addressing this young man. He said, "you believe in Jesus Christ, correct?" The young man replied, "yes." Then the counselor said told said, "I assume you've not seen Jesus Christ, but you know he lived and did what the Bible tells us he did. Is that correct?" The young man again said, "yes." Then the counselor said that believing the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God is similar to believing Christ is real. You must gain that testimony for yourself through study and prayer.
I think that those who forcefully argue against the Book of Mormon (those who say there is no more word of God besides the Bible) love the Bible and think the Book of Mormon detracts from it. In reality, if these people were really searching the truth, they would prayerfully consider the Book of Mormon after reading it and studying its teachings.
“The argument is, as the Lord suggests, most foolish. It is our modern counterpart to those of Jesus' day who rejected him in the pretense of being loyal to the Law of Moses, the irony being that loyalty to the Law of Moses demanded acceptance of Jesus as the Christ. The purpose of the Law of Moses was to teach and testify of Christ. Such is also the purpose of the Book of Mormon, it being the most Christ-centered book ever written. Yet it is rejected in the name of loyalty to the Bible. The logical extension of such reasoning would be to reject the Gospel of Mark in the name of loyalty to Matthew or to reject the witness of Peter in the pretense of loyalty to Paul and his teachings.” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 347)
Out of the Books Will We be Judged
A warning also comes with this doctrine. We will be judged according to that which is written in the books written by the prophets (v. 11). Since we have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, we will be judged according to that which is written in those books. Also, we will be judged according to the word of the modern-day prophets. Their words are found in the Ensign and other Church materials.
Since I'm an IT person, I kind of view reading the scriptures and the latest General Conference material like anti-virus software. In order to protect your personal computer (or your soul) you should install a base version of some anti-virus software (read the scriptures). Then in order to guard against the most recent virus attacks (or Satan's temptations), you must subscribe to an anti-virus update service (or listen to and read the latest General Conference).
More Scripture to Come
We have been taught from the scriptures that more scriptures will be revealed. We've discussed earlier that some sealed scriptures will be revealed to the world. And now in 2 Nephi 29:13 we learn that not only will we have the Bible and Book of Mormon, but we will have the scriptures of the Lost Tribes of Israel.
“Lost books are among the treasures yet to come forth. Over twenty of these are mentioned in the existing scriptures. Perhaps most startling and voluminous will be the records of the lost tribes of Israel (see 2 Nephi 29:13). We would not even know of the impending third witness for Christ except through the precious Book of Mormon, the second witness for Christ! This third set of sacred records will thus complete a triad of truth. Then, just as the Perfect Shepherd has said, ‘My word also shall be gathered in one’ (v. 14). There will be ‘one fold and one shepherd’ (1 Nephi 22:25 in a welding together of all the Christian dispensations of human history (see D&C 128:18).” (Neal A. Maxwell, "God Will Yet Reveal," Ensign, Nov. 1986, p. 52)
I think that two testimonies of God’s work on the earth is significant. Many people believe that God is different and that as Nephi stated in the last chapter, God has left His work in the hands of men. This is not so. God is still very active in His work and glory (Moses 1:39). He wants us to know that he is the same, so he has commanded the prophets throughout the world to write and testify of him.
A Bible, A Bible!
I've always found it interesting how some Christian religions know the Bible is from God yet deny that the Book of Mormon comes from the same divine source. The logic and arguments for and against the Book of Mormon are numerous. But at the heart of every argument against the Book of Mormon is the question of authenticity. Many believe the Joseph Smith wrote it instead of translating it … many believe that the Book of Mormon doesn't come from God. But those same people believe that the Bible is inspired of God. They are stuck on the question of Joseph Smith being a prophet or not. Thankfully Moroni saw this dilemma and instructed everyone who reads the Book of Mormon to ask God if it is true or not. Those who have a sincere desire to know the truth will receive a personal witness of the truth of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:3-9).
Let me also address the question of authenticity in another way. At church this Sunday, the counselor in the Elder's quorum shared a missionary experience with us. He is a convert to the Church. He had gone on a few visits with the missionaries the previous week. One of the people they visited was this young man who questioned everything the missionaries taught him. He kept asking them, "how do you know for sure Joseph Smith is a true prophet? How do you know for sure the Book of Mormon is true?" He wanted solid proof that the Church is true. At this point, the counselor began addressing this young man. He said, "you believe in Jesus Christ, correct?" The young man replied, "yes." Then the counselor said told said, "I assume you've not seen Jesus Christ, but you know he lived and did what the Bible tells us he did. Is that correct?" The young man again said, "yes." Then the counselor said that believing the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God is similar to believing Christ is real. You must gain that testimony for yourself through study and prayer.
I think that those who forcefully argue against the Book of Mormon (those who say there is no more word of God besides the Bible) love the Bible and think the Book of Mormon detracts from it. In reality, if these people were really searching the truth, they would prayerfully consider the Book of Mormon after reading it and studying its teachings.
“The argument is, as the Lord suggests, most foolish. It is our modern counterpart to those of Jesus' day who rejected him in the pretense of being loyal to the Law of Moses, the irony being that loyalty to the Law of Moses demanded acceptance of Jesus as the Christ. The purpose of the Law of Moses was to teach and testify of Christ. Such is also the purpose of the Book of Mormon, it being the most Christ-centered book ever written. Yet it is rejected in the name of loyalty to the Bible. The logical extension of such reasoning would be to reject the Gospel of Mark in the name of loyalty to Matthew or to reject the witness of Peter in the pretense of loyalty to Paul and his teachings.” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 347)
Out of the Books Will We be Judged
A warning also comes with this doctrine. We will be judged according to that which is written in the books written by the prophets (v. 11). Since we have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, we will be judged according to that which is written in those books. Also, we will be judged according to the word of the modern-day prophets. Their words are found in the Ensign and other Church materials.
Since I'm an IT person, I kind of view reading the scriptures and the latest General Conference material like anti-virus software. In order to protect your personal computer (or your soul) you should install a base version of some anti-virus software (read the scriptures). Then in order to guard against the most recent virus attacks (or Satan's temptations), you must subscribe to an anti-virus update service (or listen to and read the latest General Conference).
More Scripture to Come
We have been taught from the scriptures that more scriptures will be revealed. We've discussed earlier that some sealed scriptures will be revealed to the world. And now in 2 Nephi 29:13 we learn that not only will we have the Bible and Book of Mormon, but we will have the scriptures of the Lost Tribes of Israel.
“Lost books are among the treasures yet to come forth. Over twenty of these are mentioned in the existing scriptures. Perhaps most startling and voluminous will be the records of the lost tribes of Israel (see 2 Nephi 29:13). We would not even know of the impending third witness for Christ except through the precious Book of Mormon, the second witness for Christ! This third set of sacred records will thus complete a triad of truth. Then, just as the Perfect Shepherd has said, ‘My word also shall be gathered in one’ (v. 14). There will be ‘one fold and one shepherd’ (1 Nephi 22:25 in a welding together of all the Christian dispensations of human history (see D&C 128:18).” (Neal A. Maxwell, "God Will Yet Reveal," Ensign, Nov. 1986, p. 52)
Friday, February 09, 2007
2 Nephi 27
Drunken with Iniquity
To me, this image of drunken with iniquity evokes a scene of people not able to control their desires. I think of a person who takes a drink of alcohol and then another and another and he has no control and he cannot stop. The world will be similar to this drunken man. The world will delve further and further into iniquity that people will not have any control over their actions.
Is there any question that the world is becoming drunk with iniquity today? All that we have to do to gauge this is to turn on the TV or read the daily headlines in the news. Sadly, in this Information Age, every act of sin gets broadcast over the Internet and unlike the daily newspaper that used to be trashed and sometimes forgotten, today's barrage of news is ever available and can be easily summoned by any search engine. Thus today's outrageous acts of sin are multiplied by tomorrow's media shocks.
Paul sums up today's list of sins:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
His Soul is Empty
I really like the analogy that Nephi borrows from Isaiah in verse 3. He is referring to the enemies of Zion in that all those who fight against Zion will think that they are victorious, but when reality hits them, they will realize that it was all a dream to them.
I think this analogy can also be applied to the world being drunk with iniquity. When we sin, we think we are seeking what will make us happy, but in reality when we "wake up," we realize that we are not truly happy and we find our "soul is empty."
It is very frustrating to see people seek happiness in sin. It is equally frustrating when people attack Christianity claiming that religion seeks to force people to live a certain way. In reality, all that Christianity seeks is true, lasting happiness for everyone. The Father of Lies is the one who deceives us into thinking we can find joy in sin. But instead of finding joy, we find nothing but emptiness when we sin.
The Sealed Book
Verses 9 and 10 concern the prophecy of Moroni giving the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith. Some parts of the gold plates were sealed. What we have today is the unsealed portion of the Book of Mormon. Some day the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon will be revealed and "shall be read upon the house tops and they shall be read by the power of Christ" (v. 11).
The sealed portion of the book contains "all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof" (v. 10). We know that Nephi saw things in his vision that he was not permitted to write about. We also know that the brother of Jared saw the same vision and was commanded to write it and seal it up (Ether 3:25-27).
Show Them unto the Learned
In verse 15 we read, "Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he ma show them unto the learned." This is in reference to Martin Harris taking a copy of some of the characters of the gold plates and showing them to Charles Anthon.
Removed Their Hearts Far From Me
In verse 25, the Lord says, “this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men.” We need to be weary of paying lip service to God and not serving him. In other words, the Lord is saying to not be hypocritical. We sometimes get caught up in repeating the Sunday school answers at church, but fail to truly understand what we are saying. If we understood what we were saying or paid attention to what we were saying, we would act the part of a good Christian rather than just paying lip service. As Elder Maxwell put in one time, "So it is that discipleship requires all of us to translate doctrines, covenants, ordinances, and teachings into improved personal behavior. Otherwise we may be doctrinally rich but end up developmentally poor" ("Becoming a Disciple," Ensign, June 1996, 12).
A good example of this principle is the Zoramites in Alma 31. Alma and his brethren witnessed the Zoramites praying in their synagogues only once a week. And when they went to their synagogues to pray, they stood on the Rameumptom and prayed out loud so everyone could hear. The Zoramites were paying lip service to God, but their hearts were far from Him. They did not truly pray to God; they did not serve others or have charity and neither did they keep the statutes and commandments of God. They were wicked, self-righteous, and hypocritical.
We need to be careful that we do not inherit a treasure trove of rich Gospel doctrine but then fail to use what we have learned. The most important lessons we will learn will be the relevant experiences as we live our lives. However, we must always read the scriptures. I am not saying that life’s experiences replace studying the scriptures. What we need to do is study the doctrine and the prophets, pray and then do. The scriptures are our textbooks for life’s class. The prophets are our teachers. Life’s experiences are our tests. We learn from the textbooks and teachers and then we are tested to see if we truly learn the lessons.
To me, this image of drunken with iniquity evokes a scene of people not able to control their desires. I think of a person who takes a drink of alcohol and then another and another and he has no control and he cannot stop. The world will be similar to this drunken man. The world will delve further and further into iniquity that people will not have any control over their actions.
Is there any question that the world is becoming drunk with iniquity today? All that we have to do to gauge this is to turn on the TV or read the daily headlines in the news. Sadly, in this Information Age, every act of sin gets broadcast over the Internet and unlike the daily newspaper that used to be trashed and sometimes forgotten, today's barrage of news is ever available and can be easily summoned by any search engine. Thus today's outrageous acts of sin are multiplied by tomorrow's media shocks.
Paul sums up today's list of sins:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
His Soul is Empty
I really like the analogy that Nephi borrows from Isaiah in verse 3. He is referring to the enemies of Zion in that all those who fight against Zion will think that they are victorious, but when reality hits them, they will realize that it was all a dream to them.
I think this analogy can also be applied to the world being drunk with iniquity. When we sin, we think we are seeking what will make us happy, but in reality when we "wake up," we realize that we are not truly happy and we find our "soul is empty."
It is very frustrating to see people seek happiness in sin. It is equally frustrating when people attack Christianity claiming that religion seeks to force people to live a certain way. In reality, all that Christianity seeks is true, lasting happiness for everyone. The Father of Lies is the one who deceives us into thinking we can find joy in sin. But instead of finding joy, we find nothing but emptiness when we sin.
The Sealed Book
Verses 9 and 10 concern the prophecy of Moroni giving the Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith. Some parts of the gold plates were sealed. What we have today is the unsealed portion of the Book of Mormon. Some day the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon will be revealed and "shall be read upon the house tops and they shall be read by the power of Christ" (v. 11).
The sealed portion of the book contains "all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof" (v. 10). We know that Nephi saw things in his vision that he was not permitted to write about. We also know that the brother of Jared saw the same vision and was commanded to write it and seal it up (Ether 3:25-27).
Show Them unto the Learned
In verse 15 we read, "Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he ma show them unto the learned." This is in reference to Martin Harris taking a copy of some of the characters of the gold plates and showing them to Charles Anthon.
“I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyric, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him.
“He then said to me, ‘Let me see that certificate.’ I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying, that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him, he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.” (History of the Church, vol. 1, p. 20)
Removed Their Hearts Far From Me
In verse 25, the Lord says, “this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men.” We need to be weary of paying lip service to God and not serving him. In other words, the Lord is saying to not be hypocritical. We sometimes get caught up in repeating the Sunday school answers at church, but fail to truly understand what we are saying. If we understood what we were saying or paid attention to what we were saying, we would act the part of a good Christian rather than just paying lip service. As Elder Maxwell put in one time, "So it is that discipleship requires all of us to translate doctrines, covenants, ordinances, and teachings into improved personal behavior. Otherwise we may be doctrinally rich but end up developmentally poor" ("Becoming a Disciple," Ensign, June 1996, 12).
A good example of this principle is the Zoramites in Alma 31. Alma and his brethren witnessed the Zoramites praying in their synagogues only once a week. And when they went to their synagogues to pray, they stood on the Rameumptom and prayed out loud so everyone could hear. The Zoramites were paying lip service to God, but their hearts were far from Him. They did not truly pray to God; they did not serve others or have charity and neither did they keep the statutes and commandments of God. They were wicked, self-righteous, and hypocritical.
We need to be careful that we do not inherit a treasure trove of rich Gospel doctrine but then fail to use what we have learned. The most important lessons we will learn will be the relevant experiences as we live our lives. However, we must always read the scriptures. I am not saying that life’s experiences replace studying the scriptures. What we need to do is study the doctrine and the prophets, pray and then do. The scriptures are our textbooks for life’s class. The prophets are our teachers. Life’s experiences are our tests. We learn from the textbooks and teachers and then we are tested to see if we truly learn the lessons.
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.
Monday, December 18, 2006
2 Nephi 4
I never really appreciated this chapter as much as I do now until I was a freshman at BYU. I took the Book of Mormon class from Brother Victor Ludlow. He is a Book of Mormon scholar. He has been to Jerusalem numerous times and has profound knowledge of the Old and New Testaments as well as Jewish history. One of the lessons I learned in his class was about the Psalm of Nephi. I can’t remember perfectly, but Brother Ludlow was talking to this Arabic professor about the Book of Mormon. And when shown this chapter, the Arabic man told Brother Ludlow that this chapter was a poem of some sort or a psalm. It has various parts to it. At first Nephi is anguished about his sins, but then he glories in God. The next part he starts over again and is in anguish with his sins, but then he counters with rejoicing in the Lord’s strength. He rejoicing then turns into a type of prayer and resolve to do better and the psalm finishes. When you break it down into the different parts, it makes it more interesting and meaningful than if you were to read it as plain scripture.
Not only is this chapter a beautiful psalm or poem, but it also is a strength to me as I read it. When I am feeling down or depressed because of my weaknesses or sins, I can turn to this chapter and read this psalm and find the power to do better than before.
Another part of this chapter I love is section just proceeding the Psalm of Nephi. In verses 15 and 16 Nephi talks about how he delights in the scriptures and how he ponders them continually. I find that when I truly am trying to apply the scriptures to my life, I will think about a certain scripture unceasingly. Others times, I find memorizing a scripture proves very helpful in remembering the meaning and feeling of the scripture. For example, my dad asked me to memorize section 121:33-46 of the Doctrine and Covenants as well as section 84:33-41 – the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. I memorized those parts and much of it remains with me to this day. Those scriptures are a part of me and I can think on them often as I have access to them 24 hours a day (if I have memorized them well). I remember my dad telling me a couple of years ago when Jill and I were in St. George visiting that I should memorize parts of scripture so that the scriptures will be in my heart continually. I have tried to keep that counsel. I need to do better though. I think Nephi read and studied the scriptures so much, he must have memorized parts of scripture too.
One other note to write about. Nephi says, “…my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.” I think I also could add ‘feel’ to his list. Elder Scott gave a wonderful talk about how much we can learn from what we see, hear and feel. The talk is entitled To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use it Wisely Ensign, June 2002.
The Promised Land Covenant shows up again in this chapter (see verse 4),
Not only is this chapter a beautiful psalm or poem, but it also is a strength to me as I read it. When I am feeling down or depressed because of my weaknesses or sins, I can turn to this chapter and read this psalm and find the power to do better than before.
Another part of this chapter I love is section just proceeding the Psalm of Nephi. In verses 15 and 16 Nephi talks about how he delights in the scriptures and how he ponders them continually. I find that when I truly am trying to apply the scriptures to my life, I will think about a certain scripture unceasingly. Others times, I find memorizing a scripture proves very helpful in remembering the meaning and feeling of the scripture. For example, my dad asked me to memorize section 121:33-46 of the Doctrine and Covenants as well as section 84:33-41 – the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. I memorized those parts and much of it remains with me to this day. Those scriptures are a part of me and I can think on them often as I have access to them 24 hours a day (if I have memorized them well). I remember my dad telling me a couple of years ago when Jill and I were in St. George visiting that I should memorize parts of scripture so that the scriptures will be in my heart continually. I have tried to keep that counsel. I need to do better though. I think Nephi read and studied the scriptures so much, he must have memorized parts of scripture too.
One other note to write about. Nephi says, “…my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.” I think I also could add ‘feel’ to his list. Elder Scott gave a wonderful talk about how much we can learn from what we see, hear and feel. The talk is entitled To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use it Wisely Ensign, June 2002.
The Promised Land Covenant shows up again in this chapter (see verse 4),
Friday, November 10, 2006
1 Nephi 19
There are a few verses in here that I've marked and have enjoyed reading since my mission.
Verse 7 talks about how some men think the things of God are of great worth while other men think the things of God are nothing. Nephi says that those men who think nothing of the things of God "trample under their feet" those precious truths. He then clarifies that statement by saying men "set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels."
What he means is that when we disobey the commandments of God, it is like walking all over God himself. This statement puts a high premium on the words of God. We are to seriously heed the counsels of God, so says Nephi. If we don't, then we offend God in a tremendous way.
Verse 9 is also interesting. After I read this verse, I tried to imagine what my reaction would be to seeing a man who has been described in such a manner. We know the verse is referring to Jesus and so we automatically have mercy on him and think that we would embrace him and care for him if we saw him in such conditions. But, I tend to think that if we are not spiritually tuned, then we could overlook Jesus who appears to us, standing on a corner, begging for food or sleeping in the gutter. This verse reminds me a lot of Mosiah 14:2-4. The words almost describe a poor, poor man who is down on his luck, rather than the Savior of the world.
This brings up another point in the doctrine of Jesus, when he said, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). He had just described how we are to think of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned as Jesus himself. If we always help the oppressed, then we will truly know Jesus rather than trample him under our feet.
Verse 18 is a good verse too. Nephi's intent is to help his people to remember Jesus Christ. So many problems and so much sadness could be avoided if we all simply remember who Christ is and what he did for us and in turn do what he has asked us to do. So often we forget who we are and we forget what Christ has done for us.
And lastly, in verse 23, Nephi states the famous doctrine of the Book of Mormon. We are to apply to our lives what we read in the scriptures. He says that they "did liken all scriptures unto us that it might be for our profit and learning." In verse 24 he adds that we should liken the scriptures to ourselves so that we might have hope too. This is what I am trying to accomplish with this personal commentary. I hope to capture in words what I think of the verses and what the Spirit impresses upon my mind. In turn, I hope to translate those feelings and learning into action in my life.
Verse 7 talks about how some men think the things of God are of great worth while other men think the things of God are nothing. Nephi says that those men who think nothing of the things of God "trample under their feet" those precious truths. He then clarifies that statement by saying men "set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels."
What he means is that when we disobey the commandments of God, it is like walking all over God himself. This statement puts a high premium on the words of God. We are to seriously heed the counsels of God, so says Nephi. If we don't, then we offend God in a tremendous way.
Verse 9 is also interesting. After I read this verse, I tried to imagine what my reaction would be to seeing a man who has been described in such a manner. We know the verse is referring to Jesus and so we automatically have mercy on him and think that we would embrace him and care for him if we saw him in such conditions. But, I tend to think that if we are not spiritually tuned, then we could overlook Jesus who appears to us, standing on a corner, begging for food or sleeping in the gutter. This verse reminds me a lot of Mosiah 14:2-4. The words almost describe a poor, poor man who is down on his luck, rather than the Savior of the world.
This brings up another point in the doctrine of Jesus, when he said, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). He had just described how we are to think of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned as Jesus himself. If we always help the oppressed, then we will truly know Jesus rather than trample him under our feet.
Verse 18 is a good verse too. Nephi's intent is to help his people to remember Jesus Christ. So many problems and so much sadness could be avoided if we all simply remember who Christ is and what he did for us and in turn do what he has asked us to do. So often we forget who we are and we forget what Christ has done for us.
And lastly, in verse 23, Nephi states the famous doctrine of the Book of Mormon. We are to apply to our lives what we read in the scriptures. He says that they "did liken all scriptures unto us that it might be for our profit and learning." In verse 24 he adds that we should liken the scriptures to ourselves so that we might have hope too. This is what I am trying to accomplish with this personal commentary. I hope to capture in words what I think of the verses and what the Spirit impresses upon my mind. In turn, I hope to translate those feelings and learning into action in my life.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
1 Nephi 6
“For the fullness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob and be saved.”
Is this not the purpose of all Gospel discussion? When we read the scriptures, all the prophets’ intent was to convince people that there is a God and that we need to keep the commandments. When we discuss the scriptures, we do so so that we might more fully understand gospel principals and live in harmony with God’s commands. We are intending to persuade others to believe.
When we share our testimonies, we do so under the premise that we might be the means of strengthening others’ testimonies so that they might more fully keep the commandments.
This journal serves the same purpose. If my views on how I can apply the scriptures to my life might help others, then it is worth it.
“Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.”
So many blogs and even LDS blogs discuss topics that seem so pointless and do not accomplish much. They do not strengthen one’s testimony; rather they tend more to detract from the Spirit. I’m writing this journal in part to counter the pervasive negativity on the Internet. If my words can help one person to feel the Spirit and desire to be better, then the time I put into these thoughts will be worth it.
Is this not the purpose of all Gospel discussion? When we read the scriptures, all the prophets’ intent was to convince people that there is a God and that we need to keep the commandments. When we discuss the scriptures, we do so so that we might more fully understand gospel principals and live in harmony with God’s commands. We are intending to persuade others to believe.
When we share our testimonies, we do so under the premise that we might be the means of strengthening others’ testimonies so that they might more fully keep the commandments.
This journal serves the same purpose. If my views on how I can apply the scriptures to my life might help others, then it is worth it.
“Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.”
So many blogs and even LDS blogs discuss topics that seem so pointless and do not accomplish much. They do not strengthen one’s testimony; rather they tend more to detract from the Spirit. I’m writing this journal in part to counter the pervasive negativity on the Internet. If my words can help one person to feel the Spirit and desire to be better, then the time I put into these thoughts will be worth it.
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'.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
1 Nephi 2
In verses 9 and 10, Lehi names a river after Laman and a valley after Lemuel. As he gives the river and valley names he teaches Laman and Lemuel a lesson about consistency. He hopes that Laman’s acts will always be pure and “[run] into the fountain of all righteousness.” I personally like Lamuel’s lesson better. Lehi hopes that Lemuel will always be firm, steadfast and immovable (just like a valley) in keeping the commandments of the Lord. Laman and Lemuel did not live up to the characteristics of the river and valley that were named after them. But the lessons that Lehi was trying to teach his sons still remain valid. Every time we look at a river or a valley, we can think of the lessons Lehi was trying to teach his sons, but we will be different. We will learn from his lessons. As we sit and observe a river or a valley, we can contemplate their unchanging characteristics and then instill them in our lives.
Jill has a picture of a valley that she took while serving a mission in El Salvador (the picture I posted here is just a valley ... not the one Jill captured on file). At the bottom of the picture, she placed the caption of the words Lehi spoke to Lemuel over 2500 years ago. I hope our children will apply the words of Lehi as their mother did during her mission.
We can look to Nephi’s life for an example of application of the lessons of Lehi to his sons. Nephi had great desires to learn the mysteries of God. We too ought to have great desires to learn not only the mysteries of God, but also (and firstly) the word of God, namely the scriptures and teachings of the modern-day prophets. We should fuel that desire to learn what the Lord’s counsels are to us. His counsels are revealed to us through the scriptures and our prophets.
Nephi’s example also shows us that he diligently prayed. We too have been commanded to pray often. We should strive to pray every morning and evening on our knees. We need to pray in our families. We need to offer silent prayers in our hearts when we need the Lord’s assistance. We need to establish that link of communication between us and our Heavenly Father and once it has been established, we need to keep that link open by using it often.
One final commentary on this chapter – the Lord tells Nephi that he will be a teacher and a ruler over his brothers if he keeps the commandments. He also tells Nephi that his brothers will be cut off from the Lord’s presence if they are not faithful. This is yet another piece of evidence that the Lord’s prophecies are fulfilled.
Jill has a picture of a valley that she took while serving a mission in El Salvador (the picture I posted here is just a valley ... not the one Jill captured on file). At the bottom of the picture, she placed the caption of the words Lehi spoke to Lemuel over 2500 years ago. I hope our children will apply the words of Lehi as their mother did during her mission.
We can look to Nephi’s life for an example of application of the lessons of Lehi to his sons. Nephi had great desires to learn the mysteries of God. We too ought to have great desires to learn not only the mysteries of God, but also (and firstly) the word of God, namely the scriptures and teachings of the modern-day prophets. We should fuel that desire to learn what the Lord’s counsels are to us. His counsels are revealed to us through the scriptures and our prophets.
Nephi’s example also shows us that he diligently prayed. We too have been commanded to pray often. We should strive to pray every morning and evening on our knees. We need to pray in our families. We need to offer silent prayers in our hearts when we need the Lord’s assistance. We need to establish that link of communication between us and our Heavenly Father and once it has been established, we need to keep that link open by using it often.
One final commentary on this chapter – the Lord tells Nephi that he will be a teacher and a ruler over his brothers if he keeps the commandments. He also tells Nephi that his brothers will be cut off from the Lord’s presence if they are not faithful. This is yet another piece of evidence that the Lord’s prophecies are fulfilled.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
1 Nephi 1
This first chapter sets a precedent for the rest of First Nephi as well as the Book of Mormon. After Nephi’s introductions, he immediately explains how his father, Lehi, received revelation.
In verse 5 we read that Lehi prayed to the Lord with all his heart. It was no half-effort. Lehi sought to know God’s will and therefore prayed with real intent … much like young Joseph did in the Sacred Grove. And, just as Joseph, Lehi received an answer to his prayers via a pillar of light. Nephi describes it as a pillar of fire, wherein he “saw and heard much” which caused him to “quake and tremble exceedingly.” Both young Joseph and Lehi resolved to do something after receiving their marvelous revelations.
A second method of receiving revelation is revealed when we read how Lehi is overcome with the Spirit as he casts himself on his bed. A vision is opened up to him and he sees God, Jesus Christ and the Twelve Disciples of Christ. The first of the Twelve (perhaps Peter) gives Lehi a book to read. This becomes the third method of receiving revelation. Lehi reads the book and is filled with the Spirit of the Lord. He sees the destruction of Jerusalem and as such, he is obligated to warn the people of the impending dangers of not repenting of sins.
How can we apply these teachings to our lives?
The modern prophets have counseled us many times regarding these teachings.
First, we must pray always. Our prayers must be meaningful and sincere. They should not be so light as to bounce off the ceiling and right back into the floor. We should truly commune with God so that we know his will concerning us.
Second, we must search and study the scriptures to gain knowledge. Mere reading of the scriptures is not wholly enough. We ought to search and ponder what the scriptures mean and think about how we can apply them to our own lives.
And lastly, we must meditate on the things we learn. We may not always receive visions as Lehi did, but in those quiet moments, we will feel the stirrings of the Holy Ghost within our hearts and we will know what we must resolve to do in order to do the Lord’s will.
If we do these things, we will not only be protected against Satan and his temptations, but we will be blessed with guidance from above and we will rejoice when we follow coucil given by the Spirit.
In verse 5 we read that Lehi prayed to the Lord with all his heart. It was no half-effort. Lehi sought to know God’s will and therefore prayed with real intent … much like young Joseph did in the Sacred Grove. And, just as Joseph, Lehi received an answer to his prayers via a pillar of light. Nephi describes it as a pillar of fire, wherein he “saw and heard much” which caused him to “quake and tremble exceedingly.” Both young Joseph and Lehi resolved to do something after receiving their marvelous revelations.
A second method of receiving revelation is revealed when we read how Lehi is overcome with the Spirit as he casts himself on his bed. A vision is opened up to him and he sees God, Jesus Christ and the Twelve Disciples of Christ. The first of the Twelve (perhaps Peter) gives Lehi a book to read. This becomes the third method of receiving revelation. Lehi reads the book and is filled with the Spirit of the Lord. He sees the destruction of Jerusalem and as such, he is obligated to warn the people of the impending dangers of not repenting of sins.
How can we apply these teachings to our lives?
The modern prophets have counseled us many times regarding these teachings.
First, we must pray always. Our prayers must be meaningful and sincere. They should not be so light as to bounce off the ceiling and right back into the floor. We should truly commune with God so that we know his will concerning us.
Second, we must search and study the scriptures to gain knowledge. Mere reading of the scriptures is not wholly enough. We ought to search and ponder what the scriptures mean and think about how we can apply them to our own lives.
And lastly, we must meditate on the things we learn. We may not always receive visions as Lehi did, but in those quiet moments, we will feel the stirrings of the Holy Ghost within our hearts and we will know what we must resolve to do in order to do the Lord’s will.
If we do these things, we will not only be protected against Satan and his temptations, but we will be blessed with guidance from above and we will rejoice when we follow coucil given by the Spirit.
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