Rely on Him

In reading this week, I found a string of scriptures that relate to each other very well.  It amazes me how this seems to work out.  One thought leads to another and then you have a whole list of cross references to help you out in your life.  The power of the Holy Ghost is amazing!
2 Nephi 32:3: "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." 
It's comforting to know that Christ has all the answers, and that whenever we have a tough decision, if we rely on Him, he'll help us find the answer.

Jacob 5:7: "It grieveth me that I should lose this tree;"
Not only CAN Christ help us through everything, he really really wants to.  He is sad when He is losing us.  He cares about EACH ONE of us greatly, and wants to help.

Jacob 5:12: "watch the tree, and nourish it"
Because God cares about each of us so much, he wants  us to be happy and looked after.  It is our responsibility to help Him carry some of this out.  We need to watch and e there for our ward members and other around us.  They need our strength, friendship, and knowledge.

And this one isn't necessarily connected to the above string of thought, but I though it was cool anyway. :)

Jacob 5:36: "evil fruit"
Evil is not a word one would normally use to describe fruit.  It's probably used that way here so we recognize the fact that this is a metaphor.  In helping Joseph Smith translate the BoM, God knew what wording would be needed. All of these little miracles are always amazing to me.  (And the farm boy does it again!)

Inspiration-ally enough,  my Sunday school lesson today followed the same type of message as my scripture reading this week.  I Love this gospel, and how much each aspect in it relates to the rest.  Here's the jist of today's SS lesson:

By the way, Sunday School today was taught be Steve Robinson. He is great!
We started out by talking about Faith.  In the modern, English interpretations of this word, we put meanings on it that the people who wrote it didn't mean.  When we think of Faith, most people think of something related to belief.  Faith is not a belief word.  It is a behavior word. :)  When we think of a"faithful husband" (or wife) we think of someone who is loyal and committed.  Coincidentally, the interpretation of the ancient language's term for Faith means things like loyal, pillar (steadfast, sure, certain), and being  committed to a covenant.

He connected this with the concept of the Lord's law.  Merely following a list of do's and don'ts (however good they are) does now necessarily show Faith, or 'save' you.  When we merely follow a list of things to do, we are always striving to be perfect in doing them.  We try and try to make ourselves perfect, and are constantly discouraged because we never make it up to par.  How do we get Home?  By being FAITHFUL to Him.  Be loyal.  Be committed to the covenants you have with Him.  We do need to follow the commandments, but the law alone will not save us.  (This is said throughout scripture a lot, but today we were talking specifically of Paul's teachings.)  We need not focus on doing every little thing and being a quote on quote 'perfect person'.  That is not the point of us being here, nor will it bring us where we need to be in the long run.  The point of us being here is to learn to rely *wholly* on Christ.  To be faithful.  And by that, Paul (and other teachers) doesn't just mean believe.  Belief alone also will not save us.
"Believing is not sufficient.  The devil believes, he knows God exists.  Belief isn't what divides us, it is *behavior*." --Brother Robinson

I Loved today's lesson, and how Brother Robinson taught us that the most important thing is to rely on Christ always, and not be so worried about being completely perfect.  Through relying on Christ, we will become the people we need to be, step by step. I Love Love LOVE this concept. And I Love this gospel!