2 Nephi 2

This passage is so full, so meaty.  Yesterday, I read through it, just to get a taste of it on my palate.  Today, and maybe tomorrow or more, I want to go over it again, savor it, chew on it a little.

v.1-2  Lehi is speaking to his son, Jacob.  He points out that Jacob has suffered many afflictions, but he assures him, that God will "consecrate [his] afflictions for [his] gain."

First of all, it is comforting for anyone going through afflictions to understand the law of compensation, or the fact that God will consecrate your afflictions for your gain.  You are not suffering needlessly.  There is a purpose and a blessing attached.

Secondly, these verses set up the doctrine of opposition that will follow.

v. 3  How will Jacob be blessed?  "Wherefore, (1)thy soul shall be blessed, and (2) thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi;  and (3) thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God."

Wherefore ties into the previous verse and indicates causation.  Three blessings are mentioned, that his soul will be blessed, safety, and he will serve God.  I don't automatically think of serving God as a blessing, but rather as a vehicle for blessings to follow.  And yet, it is a blessing in itself, a way of life that brings joy.  A time-tested way to overcome your own sorrows is to serve someone needier than you.

v. 3  "Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fullness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men." 

Again, wherefore indicates causation.  We see that because Jacob turned to the Lord in his afflictions instead of turning away and letting his heart become bitter, he received the blessings previously enumerated.  And because he received those blessings, he is redeemed because of his faith in Jesus Christ.

v. 4 Here Lehi points out that because of Jacob's great faith, he is blessed just as much as if he had been present personally to receive the ministering of Christ.  "...for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever." 

We are like Jacob in that we are not personally present during Christ's ministry.  Yet, like Jacob, through our faith we can receive the same blessings.  "...salvation is free."  All men may come and receive salvation, if they desire it, if they accept it.  It is a gift, but God does not force His gift on anyone.

Creation

1 Nephi 17:36   Alma 30:44   Doctrine and Covenants 88:41-47   Moses 2:1   Moses 6:63   Abraham 3:24-25

Alma 30:44  ...The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the ^bearth, and ^call things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its ^dmotion, yea, and also all the ^eplanets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

The beauty and majesty of the earth not only testifies of God, but it testifies that He is such a loving God.  Of course, we needed a place for our mortal experience, a place where we could be tried and tested, a place where we could learn.  But it didn't have to be such a beautiful place, did it?  Certainly, God could have skimped a little. 

But He didn't.  He knew we'd be here for a seemingly long life.  He knew we'd have some hard times.   I don't think I'm the only one who has sought peace and consolation from nature.  When my heart has been heavy, I have often retired to a walk on the beach or through the woods, depending on where I lived.  I felt closer to Him there, and I poured my heart out to Him, and I felt like He listened.  I know He did.

I love to sit outside, even in my own backyard, and feel the sun on my face and enjoy the blue skies.  I like to see the wind rippling the water of our pool.  I love my little visitors, the lizards racing along the concrete wall or sunning themselves in the morning.  I love to hear the songs of birds through an open window as I walk by.  I love, love, love, the smell of orange blossoms in the Spring, the bright colors of flowers blooming, and the sight of butterflies and dragon flies fluttering by.  I like to discover grasshoppers and praying mantises camouflaged in the garden greenery who have given themselves away by a slight motion that catches my eye.  I love walking to get the mail and seeing the snow-capped mountains on the horizon, sometimes bathed in purple with the setting sun.

These things make me smile, involuntarily.  They lift my heart.  They remind me that God loves me, and more importantly, that He wants me to have joy. 

God Is Our Father

Matthew 5:48   Matthew 6:9   Acts 17:29   Romans 8:16   Ephesians 4:6   Hebrews 12:9

Matt 5:48 ^aBe ye therefore ^bperfect, even as your ^cFather which is in heaven is ^dperfect.

We are commanded to become perfect, like our Father.  That makes sense.  It is the nature of children to grow up to become like their parents.  And yet, what a daunting request.  How are we expected to do it?  I think of how parents teach their children.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he ^achasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

I read the word chasten to mean correct.  Verse 9 bears that out.

9 Furthermore we have had ^afathers of our flesh which ^bcorrected us, and we gave them ^creverence: shall we not much rather be in ^dsubjection unto the ^eFather of ^fspirits, and live?

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth ^awitness with our ^bspirit, that we are the ^cchildren of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; ^aheirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we ^bsuffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18 For I reckon that the ^asufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the ^bglory which shall be revealed ^cin us.

The correction comes through suffering, or rather trials in this life.  The trials of life, and how we endure them, are the refiner's fire, purging us of the imperfections that keep us from being like God.  The challenge during suffering is to be humble and always learning, always becoming.  

I love how that final verse puts everything into perspective.  This life is but a moment, and suffering a smaller portion of that.  Our sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, in the person God is leading us to become.

Faith Is Things Which Are Hoped For And Not Seen

Ether 12

v.3 ...^dby ^efaith all things are fulfilled—

v. 4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with ^asurety ^bhope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which ^chope cometh of ^dfaith, maketh an ^eanchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in ^fgood works, being led to ^gglorify God.

The fruits of faith are hope for a better world.  All right, the burden of my chronic illness weighs heavily upon me right now, so I might think of a better world as one with better health.  A better world would also mean more peace and love in my home, more joy in my family, success and accomplishment through writing, deeper and more meaningful friendships, greater knowledge and understanding.  A better world is one where I have done something to make it better.

Faith maketh an anchor to the soul.  Anchoring, meaning grounding, keeping me in place.  Where would I wander?  In the valley of darkness and despair, away from my relationship with God and Christ.  

Sure:

1. free from doubt as to the reliability, character, action, etc., of something: to be sure of one's data.

2. confident, as of something expected: sure of success.

3. convinced, fully persuaded, or positive: to be sure of a person's guilt.

4. assured or certain beyond question: a sure victory.

5. worthy of confidence; reliable; stable: a sure messenger.

6. unfailing; never disappointing expectations: a sure cure.

7. unerring; never missing, slipping, etc.: a sure aim.

8. admitting of no doubt or question: sure proof.

9. destined; bound inevitably; certain: sure death.

10. Obsolete . secure; safe.

Steadfast:

1. fixed in direction; steadily directed: a steadfast gaze.

2. firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, etc., as a person: a steadfast friend.

3. unwavering, as resolution, faith, adherence, etc.

4. firmly established, as an institution or a state of affairs.

5. firmly fixed in place or position.

Faith leads you to ALWAYS abounding in good works.   Which goes back to a better world, doesn't it?  If I am always trying to do good things, then I will be building a better world.

Finally, faith will lead me to glorify God.  I think this goes beyond praising him verbally, or even in my heart.  Glorifying God means to bring glory to Him.  I have faith in Him that He knows what is best for me, and that by submitting to His will, I am becoming what He knows I can become.  I am the work of His hands, and becoming what He is molding me into will bring Him glory.

v. 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their ^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them.

I see a process here between these two verses.  God gives us a weakness.   We humble ourselves and have faith that He can help us overcome our weakness.  We have hope in our success, and then we work on it, sure and steadfast, always guided by our faith in Jesus Christ and our determination to keep our will in line with God.  He blesses us along the way, and we slowly see our weakness turned to strength.  The finished product brings glory to God.

Consider the Lilies of the Field

3 Nephi 13
see also Matthew 6

Today's study seemed to be answering the worries of my heart.  I know I'm not alone.  These are difficult, challenging times.  Many are struggling financially.  Add to that health issues.  And do we ever stop worrying about our kids?  Nope, I don't think so.

v. 8 ...for your Father ^aknoweth what things ye have need of before ye ^bask him.

My Heavenly Father knows me.  He is mindful of me.  He knows the troubles and worries of my heart.  And He knows just what I need, even before I ask.  Notice it doesn't say what things ye want, but what things ye need.  It isn't always the same thing, is it?

I've often thought, if God knows what I need, why do I need to ask?   But it really isn't about asking.  It's about approaching.  It's about humbling myself and coming to Him.  It's about aligning myself with His will and being prepared to accept His gift.

Because, how many times does He give us a gift, and we are not ready to receive it?  It isn't what we want, so we rail against it and throw it back in His face.  We are not at all grateful for this thing that we NEED in our lives right now.

v. 9 After this ^amanner therefore ^bpray ye: Our ^cFather who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

v. 10 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

v. 11 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

v. 12 And ^alead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

v. 13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

This is not a prayer of supplication.  God is not a magic genie waiting to grant wishes.  This is a prayer of approaching, a prayer of alignment, a prayer of humbling and accepting.

v. 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where ^amoth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

v. 20 But lay up for yourselves ^atreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

v. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 v. 26 Behold the ^afowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

v. 28 ...Consider the ^alilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;

v. 29 And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

v. 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

v. 32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

v. 33 But ^aseek ye first the ^bkingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

These verses are a call to me, lay down your worries.  There will always be money enough, food enough, clothing enough to get you through day by day.  All I need to worry is that there is love enough, and that I am focusing on my treasures -- my family.  My focus and energy should be on each of them, and leave the rest to my Heavenly Father.

Come Unto Christ

1 Nephi 10-11

I'm going to try an experiment.  I'm going to read passages of the Book of Mormon that directly testify of Christ and record my thoughts and feelings here.  I'm going to put to test the purpose stated in the Book of Mormon, that it is intended to bring men to Christ.  I'm going to see what, if any, changes that makes on my life.

1 Ne 10
v. 17  Faith on the Son of God gives you power to know truth.
v. 18  The way to return to God was prepared from the foundation of the earth.  We must repent and come unto Christ.
v.  19  If you diligently seek, you may know the mysteries of God.  Going back to v. 17, you must have faith on the Son of God to have the power to know.
1 Ne 11
v.  1  Nephi exercised his faith by 1. desiring to know, 2. believing that God would give him knowledge, and then 3. pondering the things he didn't understand.
v. 6  Only then did Nephi receive the answers he was seeking for.
v. 16 The condescension of God is the love of God.  John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son."
v. 22 The love of God is the most desirable, the most delicious, the most joyous feeling to feel.
v. 27 The condescension of God is manifested in Christ's baptism.
v. 28 It is manifested in Christ's ministering and teaching the people.
v. 31 It is manifested in Christ's healing of the sick and afflicted.
v. 33 It is manifested when Jesus Christ was slain on the cross for our sins.

The Test

Alma 5:45-46   Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3   John 14:26   Moroni 10:3-5

God has given to all men, everywhere, a gift.  It is not necessary to lean upon our own understanding, to be tossed by the winds of opinion, to be left to our own devices to figure out what is truth and what is deception.  What father would do that to his children?  No, God has given us a very sure way to let us know truth.  If we ask, He'll simply tell us.

When we come to God, humble and sincere, earnestly seeking, He will give us the answers we are seeking.  All we have to do is pray to Him.  Heavenly Father, are you there?  Are you listening?  Do you care about me?  Am I important to you?  I'm trying to do my best here.  I want to be better.  I want to follow the truth.  Can you help me?

He answers us through the Holy Ghost, His comforter.  Oh, how comforting it is when we receive the answers to those questions.  Yes, child, I am here, and I love you more than you can fathom.  You are important to me, and all your questions are important to me.  I'm so proud of the good that you are doing with your life.  I'm happy you want to do better.  I will lead you to the truth.  When you find it, I will light up your heart so that you recognize it, without doubt.  It will be a gift to you, one of many gifts I am waiting to give you.

He is waiting.  Just ask.

The First Vision

Joseph Smith - History 1:16-17

As a missionary, I taught the story of Joseph Smith's first vision over and over and over again.  Sometimes, to help illustrate the story, we had a film strip that we would show our investigators.   At one point, we see young Joseph Smith walking to a private place, a grove of trees, where he intends to pray.  The song "Oh How Lovely Was the Morning: Joseph Smith's First Prayer" begins to play.  Each time I heard that melody, even the first bars of the song, my heart would swell and my testimony would grow.  I felt the Spirit whisper to me again and again, more forcibly each time, that this story was true, that Joseph Smith was prepared for this great undertaking, that he had been sufficiently humble and seeking.  And when he asked, in all humility and faith, which church he should join, God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him.  And in that one moment, the world changed.

Imagine for a moment that this is possible.  Think about what it means.  That God loves us as much as He loved the people in the days of ancient prophets.  That He is indeed our loving Father.  That we no longer need to wander blindly, trying to figure things out relying on the wisdom of men.  That He spoke and continues to speak to a prophet who can then help us, guide us, and remind us if we start to go astray.  If your skeptical mind rejects the idea of modern day prophets, look at your heart.  Don't you yearn for it?  Don't you wish it were true?  Wouldn't that be incredible?

I know that Joseph Smith did indeed see God.  He also saw and spoke with the resurrected Christ.  They instructed him and restored Christ's church on the earth through him.  And through him, Joseph Smith, great blessings began to flow to the earth once again.  I've tasted these great blessings, and I know it is true.

Prophets

Jaccob 4:4-6   Mosiah :13-18   Acts 10:34-43   Amos 3:7

I love how my scripture study has taken me to the topic of prophets right after I have had the privilege and blessing to feast at the feet of true and living prophets through General Conference.  At the conference, they bore testimony several times of the importance of our prophet.  That testimony echoed in my heart.

How grateful I am to have a prophet to guide me through these difficult days.  How grateful I am that God is not a respecter of persons, that He loves me as much as He loved his children anciently.  How grateful I am that He has not left me to grope blindly in the dark, hoping to stumble upon answers that will help me and help my family return home to Him.

I love the scriptures.  I love the words of the ancient prophets.  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  The gospel never changes.  In the scriptures, I find the commandments that will bless my life, admonitions that will help me, warnings that are still in force.  Still, I need a living prophet.

The words of Adam could not save the people of Noah from the flood.  The words of Noah could not lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.  The words of Moses did not save the people of Zachariah from destruction and captivity.  And the law of Moses had no power to save anyone who rejected Jesus Christ.

So it is with me.  I look to the living prophets for words that will save me and my family from the flood of wickedness that is washing over the earth, threatening to come into my home, seeping under doors and through windows.  I need to be aware; I need to be warned; I need to know how to protect myself and my loved ones from the destruction Satan wishes so greatly for us.

I bear you my witness that we do have a living, loving prophet on the earth today, President Thomas S. Monson.  I invite you to listen to his words and live.

The Nature of God

1 Nephi 17:36   Mosiah 4:9   3 Nephi 12:48   3 Nephi 14:9-11   Doctrine and Covenants 130:22   Moses 1:39   Matthew 5:48   John 3:16-17   Acts 17:27-29   Romans 8:16   Hebrews 12:9   1 John 4:7-9

Creator
All wise
All powerful
All knowing
Perfect
Giver
Body of flesh and bones
Glory
Love
Father