Spurn
To spurn means to reject or to snub or scorn or despise or to disdain. I imagine what the Lord means when he says "if ye shall spurn at his doings he will cause that it shall soon overtake you" (3 Nephi 29:4) is that we will become obsessed with spurning the Lord's doings that we will lose all reason and fail to see our shortcomings and eventually we will fall.
When the Israelites were bitten by fiery serpents, Moses raised the brazen serpent so that the people, if the looked on it, would be healed. But many spurned this counsel and consequently died.
We must be careful not to ridicule the Savior's teachings, else we become obsessed and begin to kick against the pricks and we are overcome with our own pride.
A Cry to Repentance
"Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel." (3 Nephi 30:2)
Showing posts with label Repentence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Repentence. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
3 Nephi 27 & 28
The Plain Gospel
In 3 Nephi 27:13-17, Jesus summarizes the Gospel. Christ came into the world to do His father's will. He suffered and died for men. We then have a choice to accept Jesus or reject Him. Those who accept Him and endure to the end are saved, while those who reject Him will not be saved.
Marvin J. Ashton said, "The truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ are plain, precious, and powerful. The lives of the worthy are plain, precious, and powerful." (Marvin J. Ashton, “The Power of Plainness,” Ensign, May 1977, 66)
No Unclean Thing
3 Nephi 27:19 is a very important verse to remember and to read often. “No unclean thing can enter into his (God’s) kingdom…” If we expect to live eternally with God, then we must act as he does and keep his commandments and repent.
Judged By the Scriptures
How will we know what we’ll be judged on? We read the scriptures. For out of the scriptures we find what we’ll be judged by. This life is an open book test. We have the requirements right before us and if we but read what they are and then apply them to our lives, then we’ll be saved (see 3 Nephi 27:25-26).
The Straight and Narrow
Being elite on this earth doesn’t amount to much. The only elite group that really counts is the final one that finds its way to the gate at the end of the straight and narrow path. All other "races" are nothing compared to this one. The only judge that matters is God (see 3 Nephi 27:33).
Wo unto them
3 Nephi 28:34-35 – We read of a great condemnation in these verses. If we do not receive (obey) Jesus or his servants, then it will have been better that we were never born! We will not be able to avoid the justice of an offended God.
Where much is given, much is required. (D&C 82:3)
Translated Beings (Transfigured)
A translated being is a person who is changed so that he does not experience pain or death or even temptation until his resurrection to immortality (see "Guide to the Scriptures" Translated Beings).
3 Nephi 28:39 states, "there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could have no power over them … the powers of the earth could not hold them." They were beyond this world, yet in it.
In 3 Nephi 27:13-17, Jesus summarizes the Gospel. Christ came into the world to do His father's will. He suffered and died for men. We then have a choice to accept Jesus or reject Him. Those who accept Him and endure to the end are saved, while those who reject Him will not be saved.
Marvin J. Ashton said, "The truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ are plain, precious, and powerful. The lives of the worthy are plain, precious, and powerful." (Marvin J. Ashton, “The Power of Plainness,” Ensign, May 1977, 66)
No Unclean Thing
3 Nephi 27:19 is a very important verse to remember and to read often. “No unclean thing can enter into his (God’s) kingdom…” If we expect to live eternally with God, then we must act as he does and keep his commandments and repent.
Judged By the Scriptures
How will we know what we’ll be judged on? We read the scriptures. For out of the scriptures we find what we’ll be judged by. This life is an open book test. We have the requirements right before us and if we but read what they are and then apply them to our lives, then we’ll be saved (see 3 Nephi 27:25-26).
The Straight and Narrow
Being elite on this earth doesn’t amount to much. The only elite group that really counts is the final one that finds its way to the gate at the end of the straight and narrow path. All other "races" are nothing compared to this one. The only judge that matters is God (see 3 Nephi 27:33).
Wo unto them
3 Nephi 28:34-35 – We read of a great condemnation in these verses. If we do not receive (obey) Jesus or his servants, then it will have been better that we were never born! We will not be able to avoid the justice of an offended God.
Where much is given, much is required. (D&C 82:3)
Translated Beings (Transfigured)
A translated being is a person who is changed so that he does not experience pain or death or even temptation until his resurrection to immortality (see "Guide to the Scriptures" Translated Beings).
3 Nephi 28:39 states, "there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could have no power over them … the powers of the earth could not hold them." They were beyond this world, yet in it.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
3 Nephi 19
Christ Ministers
The chapter begins with the people preparing for the next arrival of Jesus. Christ ascended into heaven and left the people to ponder the things he had taught them. They prepared for his next arrival.
After the people had gathered, the Apostles prayed to God and then assembled the people into several groups and then taught them the same things that Jesus had taught them. The Nephite apostles did just as the modern day apostles do – they teach the same teachings of Christ.
After they ministered, they prayed for the Holy Ghost. After that, they all were baptized as Jesus had commanded them. After all the apostles were baptized, fire came down from heaven and angels ministered to them. Shortly after, Jesus himself came down and was with them. The rest of the chapter is about how Jesus and the multitude prayed. Mostly it was about how Jesus prayed for them.
They Prayed to Christ
A few key things to note – in 3 Nephi 19:22, we learn from Jesus that the people prayed to him rather than God because Christ was in their presence. As was noted earlier in the chapter, the people were praying to God as is normally the case. But we learn from this chapter that it is appropriate to pray to Christ when he is physically present.
Desire
In Christ's presence, the people prayed. As 3 Nephi 19:24 notes, "they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire."
The Nephites knew what to pray for because they desired what God desired. So it is with us … we must train our desires so that they are aligned with God's desire. In other words, we must seek and do God's will.
Neal A. Maxwell gave a wonderful talk on desires (Neal A. Maxwell, “‘According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts’,” Ensign, Nov 1996, 21). There are a couple of quotes from this talk that I found insightful.
"The absence of any keen desire—merely being lukewarm—causes a terrible flattening (see Rev. 3:15). William R. May explained such sloth: 'The soul in this state is beyond mere sadness and melancholy. It has removed itself from the rise and fall of feelings; the very root of its feelings in desire is dead. … To be a man is to desire. The good man desires God and other things in God. The sinful man desires things in the place of God, but he is still recognizably human, inasmuch as he has known desire. The slothful man, however, is a dead man, an arid waste. … His desire itself has dried up' (“A Catalogue of Sins,” as quoted in Christian Century, 24 Apr. 1996, 457)."
So firstly, we must have desire … we must at least be active and we must at least be striving. If we are not, then we are apathetic and as the quote states, we are an 'arid waste.' If we are at least moving, then God can do something with us. Saul was active in his persecution of the saints. God was able to use Saul's desires and redirect them for good.
We too must channel our desires towards God's will. If we but have a desire to change - to repent, God will take that desire and help it to grow. The challenge for us, therefore, is to decide to desire righteousness.
The second quote from Neal A. Maxwell says, "It is up to us. Therein lies life’s greatest and most persistent challenge. Thus when people are described as “having lost their desire for sin,” it is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to “give away all [their] sins” in order to know God (Alma 22:18)."
One With Christ and God
Another thing that is interesting to me, is that Jesus prayed to the father that the people might be one with him (Jesus) as he is one with God. To me, this presents a concrete image of the “chain of command” if you will. If we are to become like God, as he has intended us to be, then we must follow Christ and his example. For Christ knew God and did nothing but the will of the Father. In a very literal sense, his purpose was one and the same with God. And so our lesson from this chapter is that our purpose should be one and the same of Christ’s purpose. How do we accomplish this? We live the teachings of Christ. We do his will. We keep his commandments. As we do his will, in essence we are doing the will of the Father.
The entire chapter is a great example of how a people, in just a few days, came to a oneness with Christ. Christ came into their midst and taught them his teachings. The people loved him and desired to be more like him. After he left, they prayed for the Holy Ghost to guide them and to teach them the will of Christ. When he returned, he continued to teach them through words and example. He showed them how to pray to God and to obtain a knowledge of the will of God. By the end of the chapter, the people had become (perfectly?) one with Christ that they understood what Christ was praying for, yet they could not utter it with words. They understood with their hearts.
The chapter begins with the people preparing for the next arrival of Jesus. Christ ascended into heaven and left the people to ponder the things he had taught them. They prepared for his next arrival.
After the people had gathered, the Apostles prayed to God and then assembled the people into several groups and then taught them the same things that Jesus had taught them. The Nephite apostles did just as the modern day apostles do – they teach the same teachings of Christ.
After they ministered, they prayed for the Holy Ghost. After that, they all were baptized as Jesus had commanded them. After all the apostles were baptized, fire came down from heaven and angels ministered to them. Shortly after, Jesus himself came down and was with them. The rest of the chapter is about how Jesus and the multitude prayed. Mostly it was about how Jesus prayed for them.
They Prayed to Christ
A few key things to note – in 3 Nephi 19:22, we learn from Jesus that the people prayed to him rather than God because Christ was in their presence. As was noted earlier in the chapter, the people were praying to God as is normally the case. But we learn from this chapter that it is appropriate to pray to Christ when he is physically present.
Desire
In Christ's presence, the people prayed. As 3 Nephi 19:24 notes, "they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire."
The Nephites knew what to pray for because they desired what God desired. So it is with us … we must train our desires so that they are aligned with God's desire. In other words, we must seek and do God's will.
Neal A. Maxwell gave a wonderful talk on desires (Neal A. Maxwell, “‘According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts’,” Ensign, Nov 1996, 21). There are a couple of quotes from this talk that I found insightful.
"The absence of any keen desire—merely being lukewarm—causes a terrible flattening (see Rev. 3:15). William R. May explained such sloth: 'The soul in this state is beyond mere sadness and melancholy. It has removed itself from the rise and fall of feelings; the very root of its feelings in desire is dead. … To be a man is to desire. The good man desires God and other things in God. The sinful man desires things in the place of God, but he is still recognizably human, inasmuch as he has known desire. The slothful man, however, is a dead man, an arid waste. … His desire itself has dried up' (“A Catalogue of Sins,” as quoted in Christian Century, 24 Apr. 1996, 457)."
So firstly, we must have desire … we must at least be active and we must at least be striving. If we are not, then we are apathetic and as the quote states, we are an 'arid waste.' If we are at least moving, then God can do something with us. Saul was active in his persecution of the saints. God was able to use Saul's desires and redirect them for good.
We too must channel our desires towards God's will. If we but have a desire to change - to repent, God will take that desire and help it to grow. The challenge for us, therefore, is to decide to desire righteousness.
The second quote from Neal A. Maxwell says, "It is up to us. Therein lies life’s greatest and most persistent challenge. Thus when people are described as “having lost their desire for sin,” it is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to “give away all [their] sins” in order to know God (Alma 22:18)."
One With Christ and God
Another thing that is interesting to me, is that Jesus prayed to the father that the people might be one with him (Jesus) as he is one with God. To me, this presents a concrete image of the “chain of command” if you will. If we are to become like God, as he has intended us to be, then we must follow Christ and his example. For Christ knew God and did nothing but the will of the Father. In a very literal sense, his purpose was one and the same with God. And so our lesson from this chapter is that our purpose should be one and the same of Christ’s purpose. How do we accomplish this? We live the teachings of Christ. We do his will. We keep his commandments. As we do his will, in essence we are doing the will of the Father.
The entire chapter is a great example of how a people, in just a few days, came to a oneness with Christ. Christ came into their midst and taught them his teachings. The people loved him and desired to be more like him. After he left, they prayed for the Holy Ghost to guide them and to teach them the will of Christ. When he returned, he continued to teach them through words and example. He showed them how to pray to God and to obtain a knowledge of the will of God. By the end of the chapter, the people had become (perfectly?) one with Christ that they understood what Christ was praying for, yet they could not utter it with words. They understood with their hearts.
Friday, January 26, 2007
2 Nephi 16 & 17
There are two points I wish to discuss in this chapter. First, we cannot take our own sins away. Second, are we prepared to accept a call when we are called?
Thy Sin Purged
In verse 5, Isaiah laments that his lips are not clean and that his sins prevent him from being worthy to be in the presence of God. Therefore, in verses 6 & 7, a seraph takes a hot coal and places it on Isaiah's lips thus cleansing him from his sins. The seraph says, "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Similarly, Enos begged for forgiveness and received this reply from God, "thy sins are forgiven thee" (Enos 1:5).
The lesson learned here is that we cannot take away our own sins. No matter what we do and how much we serve, we will still remain sinners. It is only through the Atonement that we can obtain a forgiveness of our sins.
Whom Shall I Send?
In verse 8, Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah responds, just as the Messiah did, "Here I am; send me." In Abraham 3:27, the same question is posed and the Lord responds in like manner.
What can we learn from it? We can ask ourselves if we are willing to respond in the affirmative when we are asked to serve. If we are worthy, the we will be able to say yes. If we are not worthy, then we must change those things in our lives that will enable us to serve worthily.
We ought to always be prepared to serve when called upon.
A Virgin Shall Conceive
Chapter 17 is very difficult to understand if you do not know the history behind it. I recommend reading an Institute of Religion study manual or a site like gospeldoctrine.com to gain some understanding of the history behind King Ahaz. The gospeldoctrine.com entry for this chapter can be found here.
The most important part of this chapter is when Isaiah prophesies to Ahaz the coming of Christ. He prophesies that Christ will be born of a virgin.
Thy Sin Purged
In verse 5, Isaiah laments that his lips are not clean and that his sins prevent him from being worthy to be in the presence of God. Therefore, in verses 6 & 7, a seraph takes a hot coal and places it on Isaiah's lips thus cleansing him from his sins. The seraph says, "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Similarly, Enos begged for forgiveness and received this reply from God, "thy sins are forgiven thee" (Enos 1:5).
The lesson learned here is that we cannot take away our own sins. No matter what we do and how much we serve, we will still remain sinners. It is only through the Atonement that we can obtain a forgiveness of our sins.
Whom Shall I Send?
In verse 8, Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah responds, just as the Messiah did, "Here I am; send me." In Abraham 3:27, the same question is posed and the Lord responds in like manner.
What can we learn from it? We can ask ourselves if we are willing to respond in the affirmative when we are asked to serve. If we are worthy, the we will be able to say yes. If we are not worthy, then we must change those things in our lives that will enable us to serve worthily.
We ought to always be prepared to serve when called upon.
A Virgin Shall Conceive
Chapter 17 is very difficult to understand if you do not know the history behind it. I recommend reading an Institute of Religion study manual or a site like gospeldoctrine.com to gain some understanding of the history behind King Ahaz. The gospeldoctrine.com entry for this chapter can be found here.
The most important part of this chapter is when Isaiah prophesies to Ahaz the coming of Christ. He prophesies that Christ will be born of a virgin.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
2 Nephi 10
A Chosen Land
Jacob testifies in this chapter, like his brother Nephi and his father, about the promises made to the people who live on this land (the American Continent). He talks about how it will be a land of liberty to the Gentiles (the immigrants to America). He also states that this land is a choice land above all other lands and that those who possess it must worship God.
If we fail to worship God, then we will be brought into captivity (2 Nephi 1:7). President Marion G. Romney gave a talk in October of 1975 entitled America's Destiny. He began the talk with a question, "Can we maintain our basic freedoms, peace and prosperity for another 200 years?" The nation, at that time, was preparing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Later in that talk he said something very noteworthy,
Reconciliation with God
The other point in this chapter that Jacob makes is about reconciliation. The definition of reconciliation is, “to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent.” I think a synonym could be “align.” In verse 24, Jacobs counsels us to reconcile ourselves to the will of God and not to the will of the devil. As I thought about this verse, it simply made sense to me. I have reconciled our bank statement to our own records many times. At work, I've reconciled our records with our actual inventory. It is not an easy process. It involves consistent comparing of what really is to what I think there is and then if there is a disagreement, a change is required. And always, the change will be made to the records, not the actual inventory. In spiritual terms, I need to compare what the will of the Father is to what my will is. If there is a disagreement, then it is I who needs to change. This will not happen just once. As with the bank statement and the inventory count, the reconciliation should be done regularly and often.
Salvation and Grace
In the second half of verse 24, Jacobs then counsels that only after we have reconciled ourselves to the will of God will we qualify for the grace of God to take over. We have heard many times that “we do all that we can do – however insufficient it may be – then will God take over and save us.” It is his grace that saves us. At the same time, if we did not do our part, we would not be saved either. We benefit from this deal, for what God requires is far more insignificant to what we will inherit if we do our part. But, if we truly reconcile ourselves to God’s will or align our will to God’s will, then we will be saved by His grace.
I am grateful for the Gospel and the atonement. I know that I am nothing. I truly stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. I have sinned many times in my life and I need the atonement to rectify what I have done wrong. I hope and pray that I will remember this verse at all times. This teaching is a powerful teaching and if I but remember it and think about it, I will not go astray as often as I do.
Jacob testifies in this chapter, like his brother Nephi and his father, about the promises made to the people who live on this land (the American Continent). He talks about how it will be a land of liberty to the Gentiles (the immigrants to America). He also states that this land is a choice land above all other lands and that those who possess it must worship God.
If we fail to worship God, then we will be brought into captivity (2 Nephi 1:7). President Marion G. Romney gave a talk in October of 1975 entitled America's Destiny. He began the talk with a question, "Can we maintain our basic freedoms, peace and prosperity for another 200 years?" The nation, at that time, was preparing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Later in that talk he said something very noteworthy,
"The tragic fate of the Jaredite and the Nephite civilizations is proof positive that the Lord meant it when he said that this “is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity” (Ether 2:9).If we are to maintain our freedoms, then we, as a nation, must worship God and live rightesously.
Reconciliation with God
The other point in this chapter that Jacob makes is about reconciliation. The definition of reconciliation is, “to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent.” I think a synonym could be “align.” In verse 24, Jacobs counsels us to reconcile ourselves to the will of God and not to the will of the devil. As I thought about this verse, it simply made sense to me. I have reconciled our bank statement to our own records many times. At work, I've reconciled our records with our actual inventory. It is not an easy process. It involves consistent comparing of what really is to what I think there is and then if there is a disagreement, a change is required. And always, the change will be made to the records, not the actual inventory. In spiritual terms, I need to compare what the will of the Father is to what my will is. If there is a disagreement, then it is I who needs to change. This will not happen just once. As with the bank statement and the inventory count, the reconciliation should be done regularly and often.
Salvation and Grace
In the second half of verse 24, Jacobs then counsels that only after we have reconciled ourselves to the will of God will we qualify for the grace of God to take over. We have heard many times that “we do all that we can do – however insufficient it may be – then will God take over and save us.” It is his grace that saves us. At the same time, if we did not do our part, we would not be saved either. We benefit from this deal, for what God requires is far more insignificant to what we will inherit if we do our part. But, if we truly reconcile ourselves to God’s will or align our will to God’s will, then we will be saved by His grace.
I am grateful for the Gospel and the atonement. I know that I am nothing. I truly stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. I have sinned many times in my life and I need the atonement to rectify what I have done wrong. I hope and pray that I will remember this verse at all times. This teaching is a powerful teaching and if I but remember it and think about it, I will not go astray as often as I do.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
1 Nephi 10
This chapter discusses the prophecies of Lehi to his children.
The Prophecies
In verse 3, he foresees the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jews being carried away captive into Babylon.
In verse 4, he sees the coming of Christ. In verse 7, he sees the coming of John the Baptist. He sees Jesus get baptized by John the Baptist and he sees John testify that Jesus is the Messiah. Next he sees Christ slain and resurrected.
In verse 13, he sees his posterity inherit the Promised Land as well as their scattering at the hand of the Gentiles.
Nephi Desires to Know Too
After Lehi tells his family of his vision and all the things he sees therein, Nephi desires to see and know for himself. He teaches us that the power of the Holy Ghost is a gift from God. God is the same yesterday, today and forever … he is unchanging.
Nephi truly believes that “he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them.” How many times have we been taught that if we desire to know something from God that all we need to do is ask in faith? Of all the lessons the Gospel of Christ teaches, this one is one of the most taught. “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9). As we later read, the Lord did indeed enlighten Nephi with regards to Lehi’s dream.
How can we apply this scripture to our lives? Simply put, exercise our faith and experiment on Nephi’s words. If these words are true, then we can petition the Lord in faith and in turn receive from his hand. Obviously God is not a genie and we cannot ask him to make us rich or request some other ridiculous favor. Our desires must be aligned with the Lord’s will. If we ask amiss (James 4:3), then we will not receive what we desire. We must know the will of the Lord and then seek to follow it. Only then, when we ask, will we receive what we desire.
Recently my wife and I were confronted with a question. Since leaving college, we both know that we would like to return to the place where we grew up. Right now, we live over 1000 miles from our hometowns. But we know that jobs are somewhat scarce there and that the cost of living is much more compared to where we live right now. I’m almost finished with graduate school and we are at a crossroads in our life. Should we remain where we are and continue our career with the current company or should we attempt to move back to our hometown? Faced with this question, we really wanted to know the will of the Lord in the matter. If the Lord wanted us to stay, then we would be content with what we have. But if the Lord’s will is that we move back to our native state where we’d be much closer to family, then we’d gladly accept that and we’d do all that we could to move back there. We prayed, attended the temple and fasted about the matter … to know if it is the Lord’s will that we move back. We received an answer and we strongly feel that we should move back. So now we offer multiple petitions a day to the Lord asking his help in our quest to move back to our home state.
No Unclean Thing
Perhaps one of the defining doctrines of “Mormonism” is that we believe that men will be punished for their own sins if they do not repent of them. It is not enough to declare Jesus as our savior and then proceed to live a life of sin. Rather, we believe that everyone must repent of their sins and live a Christ-like life in order to live with God again.
About four years ago, a co-worker approached me one morning and invited me to join him at lunch the next day. We went to lunch and chatted a bit about work before he launched into his “first discussion” about his religion. Basically he wanted me to recite a prayer saying that I declare Jesus as my savior and that after I recite this prayer, I’d be saved. After reciting that prayer, I could then live a life of horrible sin and still be saved. His logic was that if I really believed, then my life would naturally reflect Christ’s life, but if it didn’t, I would still be saved.
Our church, on the other hand, believes that we must “prove” to God and Christ that we are willing to change. Once we truly repent, are baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and all the other ordinance of the Gospel and then endure to the end, we will be saved. Else, if we simply pay lip service and go through the actions but truly don’t repent and live a life of wickedness, then we will not live with God again.
As Nephi states, “Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment” (v. 20). He also teaches that “no unclean thing can dwell with God” (v. 21). If we have sought to do wickedly all the days of our probation, then we will be unclean and consequently cannot live with God.
The Prophecies
In verse 3, he foresees the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jews being carried away captive into Babylon.
In verse 4, he sees the coming of Christ. In verse 7, he sees the coming of John the Baptist. He sees Jesus get baptized by John the Baptist and he sees John testify that Jesus is the Messiah. Next he sees Christ slain and resurrected.
In verse 13, he sees his posterity inherit the Promised Land as well as their scattering at the hand of the Gentiles.
Nephi Desires to Know Too
After Lehi tells his family of his vision and all the things he sees therein, Nephi desires to see and know for himself. He teaches us that the power of the Holy Ghost is a gift from God. God is the same yesterday, today and forever … he is unchanging.
Nephi truly believes that “he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them.” How many times have we been taught that if we desire to know something from God that all we need to do is ask in faith? Of all the lessons the Gospel of Christ teaches, this one is one of the most taught. “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9). As we later read, the Lord did indeed enlighten Nephi with regards to Lehi’s dream.
How can we apply this scripture to our lives? Simply put, exercise our faith and experiment on Nephi’s words. If these words are true, then we can petition the Lord in faith and in turn receive from his hand. Obviously God is not a genie and we cannot ask him to make us rich or request some other ridiculous favor. Our desires must be aligned with the Lord’s will. If we ask amiss (James 4:3), then we will not receive what we desire. We must know the will of the Lord and then seek to follow it. Only then, when we ask, will we receive what we desire.
Recently my wife and I were confronted with a question. Since leaving college, we both know that we would like to return to the place where we grew up. Right now, we live over 1000 miles from our hometowns. But we know that jobs are somewhat scarce there and that the cost of living is much more compared to where we live right now. I’m almost finished with graduate school and we are at a crossroads in our life. Should we remain where we are and continue our career with the current company or should we attempt to move back to our hometown? Faced with this question, we really wanted to know the will of the Lord in the matter. If the Lord wanted us to stay, then we would be content with what we have. But if the Lord’s will is that we move back to our native state where we’d be much closer to family, then we’d gladly accept that and we’d do all that we could to move back there. We prayed, attended the temple and fasted about the matter … to know if it is the Lord’s will that we move back. We received an answer and we strongly feel that we should move back. So now we offer multiple petitions a day to the Lord asking his help in our quest to move back to our home state.
No Unclean Thing
Perhaps one of the defining doctrines of “Mormonism” is that we believe that men will be punished for their own sins if they do not repent of them. It is not enough to declare Jesus as our savior and then proceed to live a life of sin. Rather, we believe that everyone must repent of their sins and live a Christ-like life in order to live with God again.
About four years ago, a co-worker approached me one morning and invited me to join him at lunch the next day. We went to lunch and chatted a bit about work before he launched into his “first discussion” about his religion. Basically he wanted me to recite a prayer saying that I declare Jesus as my savior and that after I recite this prayer, I’d be saved. After reciting that prayer, I could then live a life of horrible sin and still be saved. His logic was that if I really believed, then my life would naturally reflect Christ’s life, but if it didn’t, I would still be saved.
Our church, on the other hand, believes that we must “prove” to God and Christ that we are willing to change. Once we truly repent, are baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and all the other ordinance of the Gospel and then endure to the end, we will be saved. Else, if we simply pay lip service and go through the actions but truly don’t repent and live a life of wickedness, then we will not live with God again.
As Nephi states, “Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment” (v. 20). He also teaches that “no unclean thing can dwell with God” (v. 21). If we have sought to do wickedly all the days of our probation, then we will be unclean and consequently cannot live with God.
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