Christ Will Dash My Fears

"...and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them." Mormon 6:7

Footsteps n the Sand, a poem. 

The end of the Book of Mormon is filled with prominently one thing: war.  By the sixth chapter of Mormon, all but 24 of the entire Nephite people is slaughtered by the Lamanites.  The verse above quotes Mormon's comments on how the Nephites felt before the final battle.  They were very afraid.

Previously in the stories of the Book of Mormon, the Nephites often prevailed in war, because they were righteous and had the Lord on their side.  In these final chapters, however, Mormon tells us as readers that the people of Nephi were very wicked and refused to repent.

Mormon specifically says in the above verse that this fear "fills the breasts of the wicked.

Worldly and temporal things let fear dominate our hearts when we are far from the Lord.  It makes sense to me, then, that the opposite would be true: when we are close to the Lord, fear for things we know of in this life will not overwhelm us, for God brings us strength and peace.

When I am close to the Lord, I will not be overwhelmed by stress for school or work or the future or...dating...

He will support me and calm my troubled heart.

Think Big

Ether 3:14: We talked about a LOT of stuff with this verse in class.  In fact, we spent a whole lecture on it!  One thing I really liked was an overlying concept of the discussion.  After talking about all of the notions, ideas, and various explanations that are out there, Brother Griffin told us that it is these ideas that encourage us to THINK BIG.
Our Gospel is not a closed-minded one.  It encourages thought and progression.  We ponder things we read and learn and apply them to ourselves in different ways - sometimes in a different way every time we learn it.  We are open to new applications and ideas. Think Big. :)

Ether 3: 26: Because the brother of Jared had so much Faith, he saw God, as well as the Vision of the Prophets.  God "could not withhold anything from him" because of his Faith.  Just like the brother of Jared, if we have enough Faith, God will reveal things unto us that will help us in our lives.  I like to think that, if we have sufficient Faith, not only will He not be able to withhold the insights, but He will want to tell us.

Moroni 6-7: These are great chapters about the Miracle of Forgiveness.  The verses I specifically liked were: 6:8; 7:9; and 7:28-29.  I like 7:28-29 a lot.  Moroni asks the question: "have miracles ceased?" and then follows it up with "For He answered the ends of the law, He claimeth all of those who have Faith in Him."  Claiming refers to saving us from the law or "answering the ends of the law."  Without Christ's mercy, our imperfection would condemn us.  But, with it, we are miraculously saved.  This is the miracle of forgiveness.  It is an every-day miracle. And how thankful I am for it!

So, have miracles ceased?
"I say unto you, nay."

I hope all of you are enjoying these last few chapters of the BoM just as much as I am!  Happy studying!

Moroni's How Tos

There are times when Mormon is quite blunt, and a little harsh, about what we need to do to survive and live righteously in a corrupt world.  I, for one, am grateful for his council.
Mormon 9: 20-21: "and the reason he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief... whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Rather in the name of Christ is shall be granted him." The only reason He may stop helping us is because of our doubt and unbelief in Him.  Without Faith, He can't help us. Faith is a connector between us and God.  This can very much be related to aligning our will with His - see "When Prayers Go Unanswered" in a previous weekly BoM post.

Ether 1:38: Jared and His brother have great faith in the Lord, and are incredibly obedient.  They ask what the Lord would have them do, and say  "who knoweth but the Lord will carry us to a land which is choice above all the earth?"

Ether 2: 25 "ye cannot cross this deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea and the floods which shall come" Though the Lord was referring to a literal situation (Jared and his family needed to cross the actual sea) this can be related back to Helaman 5:12 - about the sea we go through in life, and how we need the Lord's help.  We "cannot cross this deep save [He] prepare[s us] against the waves of the sea and the floods which shall come"

I have some more thoughts. Wait, Kiki, MORE thoughts?? Ridiculous. ;)
I really really like doing this weekly BoM thing.  Why?  It shows me how much I have gained from my scriptures in the past week.  It shows me how much I am learning and progressing.  I think there is a reason my amazing and fabulous BoM teacher (Brother Tyler Griffin) has us do these weekly discussion boards.  I think, in my future religion classes, and in my study for the rest of my life, I am going to do a weekly post on what I learned from my scripture study.  It's so refreshing and makes me so happy how much I really am gaining from all of it! And I also sometimes hope what I have to say will help someone else.  It's been a really excellent growing experience to do these, and I want to continue.

Happy studying, happy living! Love you lots!
Kiki

Mormon's How Tos

4 Nephi 1:23 "rich because of their prosperity in Christ"
You can cross reference this to Mormon 5:10, where Mormon says: "realize and know from whence their blessings come"  This is the reason Mormon is including the pride cycle, so the people who read the book can realize the source of the problem, and know where their prosperity comes from so they don't fall into the same cycle.  Let's apply the wise words of this prophet!

4 Nephi 1: 41 "and they did... build up churches unto themselves" I had an interesting thought with this phrase: They did not build their churches unto God, the one who instigated the churches for them in the first place.  They were using things He created to build unto themselves.  We will get so much more out of life is we build the things in it unto their original creator - God.  A life dedicated to and built for the Lord will be a happy one. :)

Mormon 2: 26 "and did beat them nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us" Don't fight this way. Mormon is giving us examples of this so we can recognize when we fall into doing it.

Mormon 3:1 "preparing their lands and their arms against the time of battle" Mormon has definitely read his scriptures! He is applying the war tactics of Moroni. This reminds me to apply the words of the prophets, just like Mormon did.

Mormon 5:1 "and did repent of the oath which I had made that I would no more assist them" The word "repent" used here is interesting.  It reminds me that, though Mormon is probably the most righteous among them, he is still repenting and constantly turning to the Lord. Righteous people are always repenting, that's what makes them righteous.

Mormon 5:24 "tear you in pieces, and none can deliver" This is a portion of the same phrase from 3 Nephi 20:16 and 3 Nephi 21:12.  I'm still not sure exactly what it means. (Refer to this post, scroll down to 3 Nephi 20:16.)

Christ is With Us

3 Nephi 26: 9, 11: "And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they shall have first, to try their faith, and if it shall be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be manifest unto them... Behold, I was about to write them all which were engraven on the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it..."
There is MORE in the teachings of Christ to the Americas that we do not have in the Book of Mormon.  However, in reading this, I got the feeling that much of what is missing thee came after the Lord "tried the faith" of  the people - and that we have it in the D+C as well as through the words of prophets today.  Those words are the Lords words, they are incredibly important! :)

3 Nephi 26:13: "...the Lord truly did teach the people for the space of three days... and did break bread oft..."
By including this detail, Mormon reminds us that Christ is to be remembered, though the sacrament, oft.  This can happen not only on Sunday, but as we remember our covenants with Him throughout the week.  What a great reminder. :)

3 Nephi 27: 13-21: "this is my gospel..."
In the next 9 verses, Christ lays out a concise version of His gospel.  It's amazing how He does it, and is a great place to reference back to!

3 Nephi 28:9: When Christ is speaking to His newly ordained apostles, he says: "And again, ye shall not have pain... neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world.. for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me"  This is a promise to all dedicated missionaries!  How did I get that out of it? "...for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me" - anyone who has this same desire (namely, dedicated missionaries) have this same promise. 

All of the things I've found in my reading this week testify that Christ is still with us and guiding us today. He lives and he Loves you. :)

Believe, Do, Become

I absolutely Love what Brother Griffin taught us about Christ's New Law, and how it is a law of "becoming".  We talked about how the be-attitude in 3 Nephi 12:8, "pure in heart" refers to one's motive.  Our motive is why we do something, and we need to ask ourselves if we follow Christ's law for the right reasons, or because it's expected or because others around us are doing it.  Brother Griffin stressed how this Gospel isn't about saying the right things, or even DOING the right things (which is a little surprising), it's about becoming the right person.  This is interesting to me, because I remember a general conference talk one given about how, when we really believe something, we will DO something about it.  It encouraged action.  While this 'becoming' concept still encourages action, it raises the bar, making the concept like this: Believe-->Do-->Become.  I Love this concept, and how each persons progression is an incredibly personal process with them and the Lord.  He has a path for each of us, and a way for each of us to come to Him.  All we need to do is ask Him what we need to do to get on our personal path to Him, and He will help us. :)

 Here's some more insights from my reading this week, if you want to read those, too.

3 Nephi 20:16: The phrase "As a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth into pieces, and none can deliver" appears in this verse as well as in 21:12.  I'm not exactly sure what it means, and I'm curious.  I'm a little ahead in the reading, so maybe Brother Griffin will talk about it in class today. :)

3 Nephi 21:8: I find it interesting the the words "see" and "consider" are both used here.  I think this implies that we need to not only have open eyes (see), but open minds and hearts, too (consider.)

3 Nephi 21:17-18: "thou shalt no more worship the works of they hands; and I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee"  Confused at this usage of groves, I went to the cross reference in the foot notes. (1 Kings 16:32-33)  This term refers to a place for a bunch of idols.  The reference says: "And he reared up an altar for Baal... and Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord..."  Combining these to tidbits of knowledge, the verse in Third Nephi us telling us that worshiping the works of our own hands is a form of idolatry.  We should not put our own work and accomplishments above the Lord - ever.

3 Nephi 21:29: "for I will go before them... and I will be their rearward"  Christ is in front of us, leading, as well as behind us, supporting. I Love this. :)

Happy studying!

"because I am with them"

3 Nephi 14:14: "Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." 
'Find' implies action on our part.  We don't just stumble across doing the right things and being on the path to Christ, we have to find it, search for it, and make an effort to stay on it.

3 Nephi 14:16-20: "Ye shall know them by their fruits..." this little scripture block reminded me of Jacob 5, and I think it adds some cool insights to it.  Cross reference it and take a look if you like. :)

3 Nephi 18:4-9: There is a repeated phrase on this page.  That phrase is "and were filled".  I found it interesting that the same wording was used all of the four times the disciples and other ate.  It struck me that we are filled (completed, full, satisfied, etc.) by Christ.  It was a good reminder and a sweet insight about how Christ really does complete us and make us feel whole.

3 Nephi 18:32: "for unto such shall ye continue to minister... and I shall heal them, and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them" We are helping Christ heal and save others when we teach them of Him. :)

3 Nephi 19:22: "they pray unto me because I am with them." Christ was literally with these people, but this verse reminded me that we should always pray to Christ, and that implies that even when he is not physically with us, we should strive to have Him with us always.  This means to live in a way that His spirit can continually abide in us.  It was a good reminder.

Counsel from Christ - Can I just say I Love Third Nephi?

3 Nephi 12:2: Christ lists a bunch of things we should do/be in the next few verses, and I liked how the FIRST thing he asked was for the people to believe in Him and His words.  Believing in Christ is very important. :)

3 Nephi 12: 23-24: "be reconciled to thy brother, and then come to me with full purpose of heart."  This reminds me of something from last week; Brother Griffin gave us some insights about prayer and how our will and actions must change to meet His.  The reason this verse reminds me of that concept is that it asks an action and change of heart before you go to Him.

3 Nephi 12:30: "for it is better that ye should deny yourself of these things wherein ye will take up the cross than that ye should be cast into hell."  Reading into this a little bit, I realized that it is a verse about the Atonement.  When we deny/forsake our sins, we can use the Atonement and then we are better. :)

Sorry it was short, and late! What counts is that I found some gems. :)

When Prayers Go Unanswered...

Something I really really LOVED from class this week was something Brother Griffin told us about prayer, and our will versus God's will.  He had us look up 'prayer' in the bible dictionary:

When the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought together.

Our will is what we desire, His will is what He desires for us.  Brother Griffin then took two markers, said one was God's will and one was our will.  He brought each marker closer to each other, and said: "So this is how it works, right?" and looked at us expectantly.  Most of the people in the class caught his flaw fairly quickly.  His flaw?  He brought God's will down to ours, and our will up to God's, making them meet somewhere in the middle.
 
A compromise?  That's not how God works.

God's will doesn't change, what must change is our own will, our own heart, so that we can then gain the blessings He already has the capacity to give us.  When we refuse to change, the blessings we receive are less, or compromised, because we did not meet God's will.  His will doesn't change, but the blessings that come from Him lessen according to our willingness, or unwillingness, to change.
 
Brother Griffin told us that sometimes what we need to do is ask for what WE can do to meet Him and gain the blessings, NOT for Him to change His will to what you want.
 
I had an interesting thought with this: When we don't change our own will, when we just ask for God to give us what we want, this is when prayers seem to "go unanswered" - because we refuse to align our will with His, to CHANGE.

Brother Griffin then asked us to "put our will on the alter" and ask "What would thou have me do?"

WOW.  This almost made me cry, I felt the truthfulness of it so strongly.  Thank you, Brother Griffin.  I Love this class, and more importantly, Christ and His restored Gospel.

Here's some more awesomeness from my reading, if you're interested.
Helaman 16:16: "Some things they may have guessed right... but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass." This is an evil doctrine: Prophesy is coincidence.  Satan will always try to convince us to remove God from everything in our lives. Let's please not let him. :)

Helaman 3:12: I got really excited when I found out that Lachoneus was a good guy.  It was one of those fist-bump moments.  I Love when I have those while reading scriptures. Go righteousness!

Helaman 4:2-4: "But behold, there were no wild beasts nor game in those lands which had been deserted by the Nephites, and there was no game for the robbers save it were in the wilderness... Therefore, there was no chance for the robbers to plunder and to obtain food, save it were to come up in open battle against the Nephites..."
I took a really cool principle from this: Just like the Nephites did, when you leave a place that can harm you (like a sin or something that is tempting you), leave it completely.  Leave it desolate, then the enemy can harm you with it no longer.

3 Nephi 6: This connects back to the pride cycle, and how quickly it seems to happen, sometimes in the course of one chapter.  In reading this, I was reminded of the phrase "oh, how quickly..." and thought how obvious it seems to us now that these people are jumping into the pride cycle over and over again.  I guess, when you're the characters in the story rather than the ones reading it, it's harder.  So, knowing that it is hard, we should really pay attention to our own lives and strive to not fall into pride and iniquity.  Let us not have anyone say of us "oh, how quickly...", but rather, Go righteousness!

March on, Christian soldiers.

Sometimes these war chapters are really hard to read, because of the wickedness that causes them.  I really like how Brother Griffin has been helping us to find our lives in them, because it makes them a huge source of learning, rather than just a gory storyline.  As I read, I can't help but feel like I'm marching through this learning process as  the people on the page march through war.

Helaman 1:32-33 - "the Lamanites did yield themselves into the hands of the Nephits... and Moroni... caused that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace."  In reading this, I likened the captured Lamanites to our sins when we capture them.  Sins yield for us when we get ahold of them, and we can then have them depart form us in peace.

Helaman 4:13 - "And because of this their great wickedness and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength."  If we think we can refute the Enemy all alone and refuse to let God help us, because we think our own strength is enough - that's what we'll be left with: ourselves, alone, with our own strength.  This seems like a no-brainer, but think about it.  What would it be like to have to go through all the hard stuff about life completely alone, with no strength save that which was given to our human bodies?  It would be incredibly difficult.  I'm so very glad I understand and know how to ask for and use the Lord's help, as I know there are a lot of times I would fall short of success without it.

--I've been finding many lists (good and bad).  The are a great help.  I hope you're finding them too!--

Helaman 11:17 - The Lord takes the famine away, because Nephi prayed for it.  I thought it was interesting that very similiar wording is used in Nephi's prayer and in the result (11:13, 17).  That brought me this insight: If you are righteous, your prayers will be answered with exactness.  This is a fabulous promise :)

Read on, Christian Soldiers! :)

My Forces Are Strong Enough

Alma 53:5 - Channel the "lamanites" in you (desires, passions, etc.) to do good works, and you can more easily guard them.  I really like this notion that, when we are focusing on doing good things, it is much much easier for us to NOT do bad things, or to even be tempted by them.  It seems like a no-brainer, but it's always good to be reminded, and to be able to tie it in to the scriptures.
Alma 53: 5 - LIST! Find Christ.  I really liked that Brother Griffin told us that whenever we find a 'good list', we should look for Christ in it.  Not only that, but we can take that list and try to develop the same attributes so we can become more like Christ.  The Book of Mormon is the teaching manual for how to become like Him.  It's amazing.  However, it can also be a teaching manual for how to become like Satan, because those lists, the 'bad lists', are in there too.  So lets take those as "DO NOT" lists, and the Christ lists as "DO" lists.  What a great learning tool. :)
Alma 54:17 - "Evil is just that silly."  I really liked how Brother Griffin explained this.  When we dig deep - actually, not even all that deep - into the arguments and justifications of Satan and his 'followers', it's just plain silly.  It's shallow and easy to see past.  It's not worth pondering.  What IS worth pondering, then, is the reasons and joys of Christ!  Those aren't silly, and they help us to more easily see the things that are. :)

***Alma 57:2 - "We were sure our forces were sufficient to take the city of Antiparah by force..."
This was an excellent reminder to me that MY forces, combined with God's, are strong enough to turn down the 'deals' of the adversary.  I don't need his compromises to be able to get back the 'city' that is mine!  I am a child of God! I don't need to settle for less just because Satan makes it seem easier.  TAKE THAT! I Love triumphant insights like this. :)***

Alma 62: 41 - Better vs. Bitter.  We all know what the right answer is, but implementing it is harder than you might think.  Or maybe you already know; when something really difficult happens to us, we have a tendency to feel like victims and get bitter, when what we really should do is find Christ and get better!  It's hard to do sometimes, but we can do it! HURRAH! :)

Learning from War - Lessons from Cap. Moroni

Alma 46: 30
Moroni knew that if he didn't stop Amalickiah, he would bring war to them.  This is very simmilar to how Nephi was commanded to "stop" (kill) Laban. (1 Nephi 4:10-13) Nephi could have just taken the plates while Laban lay drunk and ran, but the Lord knew Laban would cause trouble for His people if he awoke. So, to avoid battle in the wilderness, and more from there on out, Laban had to be killed. Yay for scripture connections!

Alma 48
Moroni provides a very good example of how we should fight our battles in life.  In contrast with Amalickiah, he shows us that we should obtain power through God rather than the world (Alma 48:7).
Also throughout these war chapters, we are reminded not to be on offense, but rather defense.  In other words, we are taught to not intentionally offend others, but to only fight when we are defending ourselves.  This has numerous applications to our lives today. :)

Alma 48:15 - "yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war...)
Sometimes, instead of fighting, God tells us to not get involved at all but to run away.  When He knows it's better for us to stay away, as is the case with bad influences, inappropriate movies/media, etc., out best way to fight is to "flee".

Alma 49
The enemy was "astonished exceedingly" at the strength of the defenses Moroni prepared (in a city that was usually vulnerable). So, what does the enemy do?  Go to the next weakest place.  The devil uses this same strategy - he attacks our weakest spots, and if he finds it too strong and gets scared, he goes to a weaker one.  In the words if one of my high school seminary teachers, Brother Little, "What a punk."

Alma 51: 22-23 "Behold, it came to pass that while Moroni was thus breaking down the wars and contentions among his own people... the Nephites were not sufficiently strong in the city of Moroni, therefore Amalickiah did drive them, slaying many..."
It is when we are at war with ourselves that the devil sees the biggest opportunity to attack - when we are already unstable. Again, what a punk.  However, when we know this, we are better prepared to defend ourselves against him. :

Faith and a Knowledge of our Savior Bring New Insights

Alma 42: 4-5  "there was a time granted unto men to repent, yeah, a probationary time... For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, having no space for repentance... and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated"
This life is a time for us to repent.  As this passage refers to The Fall, and the tree of life, it brought an interesting thought to me.  During this 'probationary time', we EARN the tree of life for ourselves.  This thought puts a new spin on Lehi's dream for me, and makes the path to the tree more real to me.

Alma 42: 23  "mercy claimeth the penitent"
I don't have much more to say about this phrase than: I like it.  The reason - Because although we know justice has a claim on all, because we all sin, it is nice to be reminded that mercy has a claim on us, too - if we are repentant.

Alma 43:21  "they were exceedingly afraid of the armies of the Nephites because of their armour."
This made me think of the armor of God - which gave me this insight: Enemies are afraid of the armor of God.  His protection is POWERFUL.  It gave me a new conviction/reason to choose to wear the armor always.

Alma 43: 23-24  "Moroni.. knowing of the prophesies of Alma..." Moroni had faith that the Lord would help his armies  through Alma.  And later... "Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti"   Thus: Faith brings the Lord's help!  Always!  I Love seeing reminders of this throughout my study.

Distracted?

Guess what, friends?  I'm in Brother Griffin's class again for the second half of the Book of Mormon!  And you know what that means - WEEKLY BOM!  I'm so excited!  Here's week one!

Something I really liked from Brother Griffin's lesson on Thursday was his comment about taking something into the scriptures.  Each time we study the scriptures, we should have something on our mind that we need help with.  I especially liked how he said that this 'thing' you take with you could be the thing you find yourself distracted by as you read.  Because that thing is something pressing (you know this because you're being distracted by it) it's probably something you could use the Lord's help with.  So, read with it in mind, and see what you get!  I really like this concept, and I'm going to start applying it more as I read.

Alma 37: 6 - "small and simple things.."
This is a familiar scripture to many, but something new about it came to me as I read it this time.  Alma is talking to his son, Helaman, about keeping a record before he says this.  I then thought about how keeping a history of one's life seems mundane or simple, but because the prophet's did it, we have this record that is a huge part of our lives today.  I'm very grateful for it.  Then I got to thinking about journals and how they can serve this same purpose for our future generations. :)

Alma 37: 11
Alma predicts why the record, the BoM, is important, and is astonishingly accurate and in line with what the title page illustrates.  He then says: "Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear."  This was a reminder and testimony to me that prophets are full of the spirit and see things very clearly.  Therefore, we should pay close attention to their words. Because they are right.

My lessons from Alma

Alma 20: 19 "...it is thou that has sought to destroy him"
King Lamoni finds someone to blame, just like Laman and Lemuel would have.  When I read this, I had the thought: Satan puts reasons to be angry at people in our minds.  That's how they come, and it's because he wants us to be contentious.  Don't heed him. It doesn't lead anywhere good, ever.

Alma 20:27
Later, Lamoni is desirous to learn from Ammon.  This shows us that once anger subsides, we can see truth, and are often drawn to it.  Wouldn't it be great if we could all just skip the anger part? :)

Alma 20-21
As O read the stories of Ammon and his brother's missions, I noticed that the 'failure' writings are shorter and less detailed than the 'success' writings.  Did you notice that? :) This shows us to learn from the negative times, but not focus on them.  Move on.  This is a great application to life.

In the same record, a lt of people fall down 'as if they were dead' after being converted.  I got to thinking why this happens, and this is what I got: God needs us to give Him our full attention in order to help convert us.  So, when converting those people, He caused them to sleep and then ave them testimonies.  Their full attention was given.  And, as WE are being re-converted all the time, WE need to give Him our full attention always. :)

This semester has been so great. :)

He Strengthens

Just as a pre-note, I've really recognized the significance of scripture study this past week or so.  Unfortunately, I haven't been as focused in my scripture study as I usually am.  And it's made a notice-able difference. When I don't read scriptures, or just don't focus on them very much, my day tends to go bad. When I do, good things happen. It's amazing to me. :)

Mosiah 17: 13-15 Abinadi was whipped with sticks and THEN burned.  And he still preached to the people.  This is a great example to me of perseverance.  If the Lord can help him accomplish *that*, he can help us get through our challenges, no problem.
Mosiah 24: 15  "yeah, the Lord did strangthen them that they could bear their burdens with ease"
Sometimes when we ask for the Lord's help, rather than take the trial away, He strengthens us so we can pull through it.  Sometimes we need the trial, for whatever reason, but we don't have to do it alone. I find great comfort in this, and I know the Lord is always willing to help me.

P.S. I'm incredibly tired. I got my weekly BoM in just before the deadline, as you can see...And that's why it is short today. I apologize. Goodnight!

Living with His Might

Mosiah 9:18 "And God did hear our cries, and did answer our prayers, and we did go forth in His might."  Whenever we are in great need, we can call upon the Lord and His Might will be with us as we push through.  This is a very important principle to me, that the Lord will make us strong if we only ask.  I need this more often than I know how to say, and I'm so grateful for it.

Something that comes from living with His might is the ability to see things from a different perspective.  I know some of this is because of me, but I can't deny that the Lord is helping a lot.  In Mosiah, after Zeniff finishes explaining the sin his people are in, he says: (Mosiah 7:28) "Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?"  This brings up an interesting point.  If you feel like things are unfairly bad, think of what YOU can do better.  We are more in charge of our lives than we sometimes like to admit.

I'm so glad for teachers and prophets that give me insight so I know how to receive more on my own.  Mosiah 8:19 says: "and these interpreters were doubtless prepared for the purpose of unfolding all such mysteries to the children of men."  All of our prophets and teachers are 'interpreters' of a sort, and unfold mysteries and bring us great understanding. Amen, amen.

"Except it were for the help of these plates"

I know I say this every week, but I'm every so grateful for the scriptures, and the power of the spirit that is magnified as I read them.  It brings so much truth and insight into my life. 

Mosiah 1:4 "except if were for the help of these plates"
Just like the people in Mosiah's time, we cannot learn the things the prophets of old wanted to teach us, except through the scriptures. And, as stated in verse 6: "these sayings are true... records are true... also the plates of Nephi... they are true, and we can know of a surety because we have them before our eyes."  The scriptures are a gift of truth to us in the confusing world.  If we use them properly, not only will we know of their surety, but we will be more sure and confident about the truth in our own lives.

Something I really like about Mosiah is that he never forgets to mention that the Lord has given us everything, and is behind everything in our lives.  He is a great example to me, and I want to follow him and learn to NEVER forget the Lord in anything and everything I do.

Mosiah 2:8: Mosiah had his words recorded, so that all could learn from them.  Today, we follow that pattern.  Through church magazines and other literature, we have the words of the prophets recorded so we can be taught from them.  Just like Mosiah, our prophets want us to hear their words.

These insights in Mosiah have really helped my appreciation for prophets, old and new, grow.  They care about us, and they have guidance for us that will help us in ways we usually can't see.  I now have a new resolve to listen more intently to their words (or read them more carefully) and learn to apply them in my life.

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!

My Soul Delighteth

2 Nephi 25:13: "Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning Him, for I have seen His day, and my heart doth magnify His holy name."  Nephi's testimony burns so brigthly that he delights to speak of Christ.  I'm developing that same kind of testimony, and I'm so thankful for the Joy His gospel brings!

2 Nephi 26:24: "He doth nothing save it be for the benefit of the world."  And for me.  He/His prophets will not do or say anything unless it will benefit us.  This is very good motivation to follow them, because it's for our own good.  After reading this scripture, I found this one: (verse 33, same chapter) "He doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men."  This was a great follow up scripture to confirm my previous insight.  His law is simple and direct, follow it!

2 Nephi 28: 21 + 30: The devil "leads carefully down to hell"; step by step and little by little.  Across the column from this is the concept that Christ leads us "line upon line, precept upon precept".  I'm finding that the devil has many counterfeits to the Lord's way of doing things.  This is one of them, they both lead us the way they wish us to go little by little.  The devil works with the same kind of methods that the Lord does.  Don't fall for it.

ISAIAH TIPS! Actually, just one.  Isaiah is a poet, and his words are MUCH better understood when read like poetry.  However, his poetry does not follow the same criteria that most of our poetry does today.  Isaiah is a Hebrew poet.  They don't necessarily rhyme or have a specific rhythm scheme, but something my professor told us is that Hebrew poets *repeat themselves*.  Isaiah follows suit to this rule.  He makes a habit of saying something, then saying it again a different way.  For example: "red as scarlet... white as snow" followed by "red as crimson... white as wool."  I'm seeing this repetition all over the place now.  It helps me really get Isaiah and I'm ever so grateful for that.  I can now join Nephi in saying "My soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah." :)  Thanks Brother Griffin!