Chris's Scripture Diary

The Broken Staff of the Wicked - BoM pg 95-96

2012-02-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 24 (compare Isaiah 24)

After Christ comes and stops oppression, tyranny and awful dictatorships there will be a period of peace, when the Lord will give "rest from thy sorrow, from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou was made to serve." now... I don't live in that kind of oppression now, so it makes me nervous for what is coming.

BUT, that being said, it will be nice to live in a day and age where I don't have to worry about offending someone with my beliefs, I won't have to worry about being laughed at or made fun of, or have to defend my position on being morally clean.

vs 5: "The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, the scepters of the rulers" - which is so nice. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it will be when there are righteous leaders instead of corrupt. There will be none to persecute, none to hinder. "The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing."

So for the nay-sayers who think it will be boring, they are totally wrong. There is nothing wrong with not having to fight for everything. The difference will be that families will be cheering people on instead of belittling, abusing, and squashing.

This change will come about because Lucifer will be bound. I've heard a bunch of different takes on how this comes about. My favorite explanation (be it right or wrong) is that the people will be so righteous that Satan will have no power. He'll try to tempt them, but it will be useless. For a thousand years they will live that perfectly. And then will come a generation that will listen to him, and that's when the last final battle will happen. So Isaiah warns not to get too excited about the downfall of Lucifer, because he still will cause trouble. But in the end, he doesn't win. He simply serves to separate the wheat from the chaff/weeds.

Mustering the Hosts of Battle - BoM pg 94

2012-02-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 23 (compare Isaiah 13)

There are several hymns that go along with this theme: Onward Christian Soldiers, We Are All Enlisted, Called to Serve, Behold! A Royal Army, True To The Faith, etc, etc. Now, I would like to point out that in the last day, when Christ comes in all his glory, we will not be soldiers at that time. No, we are the soldiers now. Now when we are being called to stand for something, to proclaim our beliefs, to hold to the rod of iron and not let go, to say with all heat and fervor "I believe in Christ" and not back down when the laughter starts. We are fighting a war right now. And there are arrows and ambushes on all sides. But that is the war we are fighting. Every day. It doesn't stop, there is no cease-fire, there is no end until the very end when Christ comes.

So, when Christ says he is mustering the hosts of battle, note that the verse actually says it's like a great multitude of nations gathered together, from a far country, yeah, from the end of heaven, to destroy the whole land.

So the wicked will be destroyed. Those who fight against Zion will be held accountable. Maybe not in our lifetime. But they will be held accountable for their sins. It is up to us to find the joy in the journey while wearing our armor and fighting our battles.

Theres another long list of what will happen to the wicked. I suppose it is wrong that I'm tired of reading the consequences here. I want to read some happy things. I suppose I could switch around, but in all reality, the happy moments in the Book of Mormon get a few verses here and there, and it's mostly the wicked being called to repentance. I also suppose that's because we need to hear it. Well, I don't suppose, I know. But still. I'm ready for some happy news. However, we'll get through this. It's a real fight. I do want to be on the right side when Christ comes, because even though Satan wants us all to be miserable with him, he's still going to lose the battle. He knows it. He wants us to lose, too. So, really, it's up to us which side we're going to fight with.

I guess that's why there are all these warnings. The people who may not believe in God, or who believe whatever they want, that's fine, but when they persecute others, ignore the sick, the afflicted, the widows, the fatherless, let the poor suffer - that's when God is upset. He expects all of us to use what we have been given to help those around us. Regardless of the current titles of "entitlement" or "lazy" or whatever we use as an excuse not to help people. As father of us all, he expects us to help all around us within our sphere of influence. So whether you're wiccan, christian, protestant, whatever, I don't care. To be found on the right side of the line in that last day for that battle, you will follow the basic outlines of goodness and charity. Christ will make up the difference, because only He knows your heart and what you've gone through.

I have a hard time with idealogies that say "only x amount of people" will be saved. or "only those of this faith" which is so not true if you read the parable of the feast. What is true is that those who are baptized by the proper authority and confirmed with the Gift of the Holy Ghost will have more doors opened to them. But that doesn't mean they are the only ones who will be considered followers of Christ. I just had to say that. I'm tired of the infighting between religions. I'm tired of people not getting along and starting little mini holy wars because they believe a teensy bit differently than someone else.

When it all comes down to it, you either believe in Christ, or you don't. If you believe in him, really, truly, honestly believe in him, you will act like him and try to emulate him. If you're just a hypocrite who claims to be a believer, well, then you'll be among the masses fighting against each other, poking fun, or trying to tear each other down. Yes, I see the world that simply. When I was little, my mother let me go to church with all of my friends so I could see what they lived and believed. I got to experience a Baptist church sermon, a Catholic Mass, Jehovah's Witness meetings, and an Evangelical revival meeting. My mother in all of her wisdom was teaching me from a very young age tolerance and love for those around me who are different. She taught me that we did not all have to be the same religion to be friends, that we could love the differences and love the similarities, because we are all children of God.

So, while we are donning our battle armor and fighting for the right to believe in God and for the right to be righteous, I think it's important that we are not fighting other righteous folks who are also standing for the right who are wearing their own armor, even though it may look different from our own. I think that's one of Satan's most powerful weapons. Getting us to fight each other, so he doesn't have to do all of the work.

I know, I've gone off on a rant. I would apologize, except that I feel very strongly about this. Love your neighbors, people!!!

so, anyway, vs 11: "I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay down the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make man more precious than fine gold."

see? God doesn't care about *things,* he cares about people.

It goes on in metaphor of what it will seem like to the wicked. I really don't like those verses. They make my brain recoil. It's sad that they all have to be so graphic, but I understand why. However, I don't have to ponder those verses because I can choose not to.

I still need to illustrate a book about donning the armor of God... I have so many ideas.

The Envy of Ephraim shall Depart - BoM pb 92-93

2012-02-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 21 & 22 (compare Isaiah 11 & 12)

These are very short chapters, which mostly talk about the millenium. A couple things that I want to take a moment to point out:

2 Nephi Chapter 21 vs 10: And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious.

I have always assumed that talked about us here in the mountains of Utah. I'm pretty sure I heard a prophet say that was us. vs 12: "and he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah."

vs 13: the Envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

This is really interesting to me. Back in Isaiah's day, Ephraim ruled it's country and Judah ruled it's coutry, and they were not happy neighbors. They're both of the house of Israel, but they did not get along well. I wonder why. Here's Judah, the son of Jacob, who was told in his blessing that his was the house that will rule. It's effectively the legislative body. If you are of the house of Judah, there is a talent somewhere or some calling for you to be a leader, lawyer, something to that effect. The house of Ephraim was given the birthright. And so Ephraim... does that mean that the members of the tribe of Ephraim were mad that Judah was still a "ruling class" ? I am trying to figure this out.

Because I'm of the house of Ephraim, and from what I remember reading it seems to me that our calling is primarily restoring the church, finding the lost tribes, doing geneology, and preppring the world for the 2nd coming. Which we're doing. But... Why then would I care or want to rule? I have all this other work to do. However, I guess I can say that because I'm a stay at home mom, busy busy busy with mom things and Girl Scout things and Young Women things and other various church things that I have to try to do while keeping up with wrangling my kids. If I were, say, my cousin, who just got her law degree, and is fighting her way up the corporate ladder, maybe she cares about this.

But it doesn't say that Ephraim can't have judges and rulers and lawyers. The way I understand it and read it is that if we had a society based on the tribes and the callings associated with the tribes, that *most* of our leaders and appointed judges, etc, would come from the trible of Judah. And *most* of our priesthood leaders and bishops would be from the tribe of Levi, and *most* of our missionaries would be from the tribe of Ephraim. But not all. It just seems to me that if we're living right, then all things fall into their appropriate place, and we are still called to serve in ways that seem hard, but we still do them and learn and grow.

So... ok, that's the world according to me. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong.

Moving on.

Chapter 22 is all of six verses that talk about how Christ will dwell with us in the Millenium, and there will be peace. vs 2: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."

that is just beautiful. If we sing those praises all the day long, I think we will have a better relationship not only with God, but also with each other.

Wo unto them... BoM pg 90-91

2012-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 20 (Compare Isaiah 10)

I don't think it matters what era you live in, the stuff in this verse applies to just about anyone. This is the reason we are asked to participate in our government. This is the reason we are asked to pay attention to what is going on in the world. When we sit back apathetically and say "oh, my vote doesn't matter" or "it'll be fine, someone else will take care of things" or "things won't get that bad"... well, that's just delusional.

Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed. -- sound like any governing bodies you know of? -- To turn away the needy from judgement, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherless! -- Exclamation point not added, that's there from Isaiah. And just point in fact, right now the U.S. Government is talking about cutting all welfare aid, and their calling them "entitlements" now instead of "aid" because they are trying to sell the image that people who receive assistance are doing so because they are lazy and don't want to work. So they feel "entitled" to live off the taxpayer. Which is CRAP. Those senators and congressmen trying to pull aid from those who need it are doing just what Isaiah warns about here. Robbing the widows and fatherless.

vs 5: O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, I will send him against a hypocritical nation. -- In our case, who are the Assyrians? Well, in the case of the U.S. it's a lot of things. Terrorists. Civil Unrest... I honestly have no idea where the next attack could come from because there are so many different options and other countries that are pissed with Capitalist Nations. But we are definitely one of the hypocritical nations, too.

But that does not mean that the Assyrians are righteous. "I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks, for he saith: by the strength of my hand and by my wisdom I have done these things." So, while a nation might come in and conquer a chosen people, if they do not give credit where credit is due, if they also love their idols more than God, well, they too will be brought low.

vs 15: "Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it?" That's a pretty cool analogy. Any time that we do something that we deem fairly awesome, we should remember that all things that are good come from God and give credit accordingly. We are but instruments in his hands. It's not the brush that makes the painting, but the person guiding the brush. And we are but the brushes.

vs 17: And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and shall burn and shall devour his thorns and his briers in one day. Remember the vineyard allegory a few chapters back? Thorns and briers represent those who live in wickedness. So as we Arise and Shine Forth with the light of Jesus Christ, we will not only stand apart from the briers and thorns, but it will make it easier to see which need to be separated out.

vs 21: the remnant shall return, yea, even the remnant of Jacob unto the the mighty God. -- simply enough, the return of the ten tribes. A Righteous ten tribes, at that.

vs 24: O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

What exactly does that mean? Does that mean our nation is going to get so wicked that we'll be invaded and occupied for a while? It sounds like it. Not that I'd be surprised, but ... it's kind of a scary thought. We think we're so invincible. But I guess the Romans felt that way as the Goths were pouring down burning their books and libraries along the way.

vs 33: And the high ones of stature shall be hewn down; and the haughty shall be humbled. These were verses that stuck out to me 20 years ago, and they still stick out now. Best to humble ourselves now while we can, than to wait and have the Lord do it. I've seen that over and over and over again... It's really just better to let go of our pride, be teachable, be adaptable, and accept change now, than to wait to have it forced. It hurts when we must lose our pride.

The Need for Good Leaders - BoM pb 89-90

2012-02-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 19 (compare Isaiah 9)

When the people in the limelight are good, upstanding, honest, and filled with integrity, there is generally more of an attempt from the general public to follow their lead. When the people in the limelight are... well... NOT, then you get society like today's. You know, back in American history, pre-1960, if President was going to go astray and misuse his powers, he took all kinds of precautions to keep it out of the public eye. Why? Because it would look very very very bad in the press. Nowadays, we have presidents like Bill Clinton. And if you look at our "society page" news, it's one person after another dressing so scantily they're body parts are being talked about, not to mention the fact that nearly every one of the pop-stars and starlets are in and out of rehab. Is it really any wonder that most of the youth today think that partying, dressing like your body shouldn't be a mystery, and chemical fixes are all normal? That's the way they think it should be because those are the role-model's they're being presented with.

It really is socially a dark time. There is very little light in terms of leadership of the people as a whole. Mostly because if anyone who is part of the "moral majority" steps up and says something, they're laughed at, mocked, and called antiquated. It doesn't change the fact that they're right, but it changes how people respond to the call to keep themselves morally clean, to wait to sleep with someone, to steer clear of the drugs and alchohol -- or, like one mom puts it: "If you must, keep it to a two-drink minimum to keep your perspective." We can't keep our kids safe forever, but if they're going to walk a path, best that they do so with some kind of wisdom instead of full-blown "kill-myself-from-alcohol-poisoning-or-wake-up-with-an-STD" craziness.

My point through all of this is that as Isaiah is talking Messianically, I can see this applying to our day. Not just our society, but my family. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

That's us. We have the gospel. We have the atonement. We now therefore have hope to be redeemed from hell.

I'm not so sure that verse 3 applies to us, as I am not super awesome when it comes to missionary work, but I have multiplied the nation in terms of the size of my family and the missionary work that I do in the home to convert and teach my kids. Does that count?

vs 4 is referring to Christ breaking the yoke of sin and the rod of the oppressor (satan)

vs 5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled with blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. -- The cleansing of sin and the battle between good and evil... when good wins, the evil will be burned up to ash. Gone.

vs 6: The song of the ages from the Hallelujah Chorus: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Ah Handel. Quite the inspired man. When Christ comes, he comes with the authority to rule on earth and in heaven.

note: vs 9: "And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart..." Is it crazy that every single time Ephraim is brought up in scripture, I perk up and pay attention? Why? Because that's my house. And almost every time, it's in some sort of reference to pride. Ephraim got all these really cool blessings from Jacob, about reuniting the ten tribes, about all the good works we have to do via geneology and all kinds of other things, but when people reference the tribe of Ephraim, mostly it's regarding how proud, stubborn, and wicked they've gotten.

Well, it's true. Look around. Most of the U.S. is Ephraim. And... well... the stigma fits most of us, to be honest. I am sooooo stubborn, and I am proud, and I struggled every day with these things. I'm married to a man who is just as much in the same boat I am. Of course, I can't try to fix him, I am doing this to try to fix me. But when taking a frank look around, that is what I see.

vs 12: For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. There's that reference again. For all of our wickedness, God still wants us to return home. He's more than willing to help us get out of our awful state and return to him.

vs 15: The ancient, he is the head; the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. -- As true as that was when the Jews were carried off by the Babylonians, and again the Romans, it's just as true today. Our society has denegraded into a roiling mass of humanity and there are clear separations between the righteous and the wicked. Sometimes. Sometimes not so clear. "For every one of them is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

vs 18: For wickedness burneth as the fire... through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; no man shall spare his brother... it starts to get more graphic than that, and I've heard the stories of the sieges of Jerusalem, and I have no wish to relive those horrific stories. I only hope I never have to live through something like that.

Essentially what it boils down to is that Israel has become a house divided, which has angered God. But his hand is stretched out still.

I think that's important to remember. Sometimes we get so caught up in the weight of our sins that we feel there is no possible way that God could or would forgive us, so we keep turning from Him. But that's not the case at all. Each of us is divine in nature, each of us is of infinite worth to God, which is why his hand is ALWAYS stretched out for us to take, should we make the effort to grab it.

He Shall Be a Stone of Stumbling - BoM pg 88

2012-02-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 18, (compare Isaiah 8)

In this day and age when there are over 30,000 christian religions, it seems to me that verse 14 is quite accurate about Christ being not only a sanctuary, but also a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. People will fight about anything. And mostly, people fight about religion. Back in the dark ages, there were Christians and Islams and they would fight the Holy Wars over Jewish sacred sites.

Today there are Baptists and Muslim and Protestants and Evangelicals and Mormons and Jews and the list goes on and on and on... And instead of having great big wars where we kill 30,000 men in a day of fighting, we have bickering and fighting, and hurt feelings and intolerance. We have kids and teens deciding there is no God because why would any God allow parents and peers to act the way they do? We have judgemental idiots parading their religious beliefs in protests at funerals. We have people judging countries because of Natural disasters, claiming that they must have deserved it because they were a wicked nation.

Tell me, where is the god-like behavior in any of that? Where? HOW is that being Christlike?

The last time I checked, the New Testament declared tolerance and love for one another. It overrode the xenophobic Old Testament of "Stay away from your non-member neighbor, they are unclean" and said instead to love them.

So, while we have an "enlightened" society today full of scientific advances and grand architecture, they STILL stumble and fight over Christ like toddlers after a prized toy.

vs 19: "And when they shall say unto you: Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter" - seeking after the wrong source for information -- "Should not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?"

A - there's life after death
B - God is the source of all truth and information. Not worldly oracles who may be using evil spirits as a source of information. And in that case, it's not your best interest they have in mind.

You can laugh, but honestly, think. Where are you getting your information from? There's an easy way to tell if it's from God or not. If you feel the Spirit. So consider that as you go about your day.

Neither will I tempt the Lord - BoM pg 87

2012-02-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi chapter 17 (Compare Isaiah 7)

At the time that Isaiah wrote this, the house of Judah had it's own country and the house of Ephraim had it's own country. These were the tribes that didn't leave with the other ten. Ahaz is the King of Judah, and Isaiah is basically sent to warn him that Ephraim and Syria have allied together to try to defeat him. And Ahaz is quite nervous because these are powerful nations.

But Isaiah gives Ahaz a promise that within 65 years, the house of Ephraim will be broken and pretty much taken over by Samaria. And then God offers Ahaz something not always offered. "Ask thee for a sign" and Ahaz, being a smart man, says "I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord."

vs 13: And he said "Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?" - There have been so many different articles I have read recently about "experts" battering religion because there's no proof. They are all asking for signs, so they can have proof. They are making anyone religious feel guilty for believing in something they cannot see.

Really, I'm tired of it. From one side of their mouth, people shout and say "We need tolerance and understanding between people! Can't we just get along?" and from the other sides of their mouths they shout "Why are you nut jobs still believing antiquated ideas? There's no such thing."

Living in the world today is hard. But you just have to hold to the rod, because really... what else can you do? Fall away? Then live in confusion and self-doubt forever? That's not a way to live, either. I'd rather live and build up my armor for the persecution and for my defense and have stood for something. I don't want to be swept up by something I don't believe just because everyone else says that's the way it is. And I don't need to ask God for a sign, because I've already felt the witness that He is. A sign would simply be redundant. And yes, why weary God?

However, God does offer as a sign to the people. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and to choose the good."

I would like to point out here that Christ had a choice, the same as we did as children. Yet his earthly parents did their best to teach him right from wrong, and not once, ever, did he choose evil. He is the only man on this world to have ever lived a perfect life. Which is why he was the only person who could Atone for the rest of us.

The rest of the prophecy goes on to tell the people that both Judah and Ephraim will be deposed of their kings before Christ comes, that war will come, and it's not going to be fun.

Now, Nephi says to liken the scriptures. I know he meant his descendents to read this, but I also know he meant US to read it, too. So how do I liken this? Am I Ahaz? I know that before the 2nd coming there will be war and more war and lots of other awful things. I'm just not clear on how to apply this chapter to myself.

2 Nephi 16 - BoM Pg 16

2012-02-06T11:19:00.000-08:00

Compare Isaiah 6

Isaiah has a vision and sees God, his temple, thrown, and seraphim. (one day I'm going to attempt to draw a seraphim, even though greater men than I have done so.) Anyway, as Isaiah hears the Seraphim cry praises, the door posts shake and the house is filled with smoke, and Isaiah thinks it's all his fault because he's unclean and unworthy to be there. He's beheld God with his mortal eyes, and is panicking, aware of everything he's ever done wrong.

So a Seraphim flies over with a live coal from the altar, lays it on his mouth -- ouch???? -- and says "Lo, this has touched thy lips, thine inquity is taken away and thy sin purged.

Ok, stop for a moment. I am trying to figure out how a live coal is a metaphor for repentance. Is it? I know - depending on the sins - repentance can be painful. So maybe it is. I'll stop overthinking.

At that point, The Lord calls out for volunteers, and Isaiah cries out that he will go, "Here am I, send me!" So the Lord says that yes, he will send him, but the people will not pay attention to him, so his commandment is to "make their ears heavy, their hearts fat, and shut their eyes" because they are so wicked they now have to go through their trials.

Thus Isaiah in his current hard to read form.

And oh... there's more Isaiah to come.

The Lord's Vineyard - BoM pg 84-85

2012-02-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 15: 1-30. (Compare Isaiah 5)

I think I have a bad attitude right now, because reading even more Isaiah currently feels like I've been asked to hike up a steep mountain in a blizzard, and the mountain is covered in slush.

I'll go for it anyway, but bear with me - or not - as I am tired of reading the end of the world warnings. Which, in all likelihood, is why I need to read them. I know that God teaches via repetition, and I know that seeds of knowledge are planted by reading and re-reading, and I know that I am stubborn and proud and need to remember to stick to the straight and narrow. Just how teachable am I today? Not very? Maybe I should adjust that?

So Isaiah starts us out with the metaphor of the vineyard. The Master plants a vineyard using the best quality vine, fences it, picks all the rock out of it (I used to go "rock picking" for my grandfather in his grain fields. It was a very laborous, hard, dirty, tedious job,) he builds a tower in the middle of it, puts in a wine press, and then tends it for the harvest.

What does he get? Wild grapes. I am no botonist, so forgive me if I'm wrong here in what I have learned in my botony and other various classes. But Wild Grapes are not the same size as cultured grapes, they are not the same taste as cultured grapes - nor are they a consistent flavor among themselves. They also tend to have larger, more bitter seeds for the size of the fruit you get.

CULTURED GRAPES
large fruit, smaller seeds
sweet
last longer on the vine, replenish more through the season

WILD GRAPES
small fruit, larger seeds
bitter, inconsistent taste
the fruit is ready when it's ready, then it falls off the vine.

Compare that to people. The fruit represents their works. The taste, to me, would represent attitudes. The longevity on the vine would represent faithfulness. I'm sure there are other, smarter, more expert explanations, but this works for me for this time around. I'd totally be upset if I'd done all that work on my vineyard and it produced wild fruit.

In this scripture, the Lord isn't upset as in angry, he's upset as in mourning. "What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?"

So, ok, the master decides he will take away the hedge that surrounds it, and let it get eaten up. And break down the walls of protection, and the vineyard will be trodden down. He's going to let it lie fallow for a while, not being pruned or hoed, so weeds, thistles and briers are going to grow up with the vine, but there's not going to be any rain, so the vine is going to have to struggle to survive against the weeds.

No rain, pruning, or digging = no prophets walking among them calling them to repentance and directing them = no clear direction. Briers, thistles, weeds growing up: the house of Israel will no longer be exclusive, it will be mixed with others. They lose their promised land and have to share it. The hedge and wall being eaten and destroyed: they've lost God's protection.

The Wo's now begin.

Wo unto them that join house to house until they are placed alone in the midst of the earth. -- NO idea what this is referring to, I will have to do some research. but the following verse refers to houses and cities standing empty, and fields yielding super-small yields for their size.

Wo to those who rise early in the morning just to drink and party all day. - they regard not the word of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. The people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge, their honorable men are famished, and the multitude dried up with thirst.

-- the mean man shall be brought down, the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.

Wo to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin, as if they were a cart rope. (took me a bit to figure out this image. Imagine if you will, a man leading a cart, and ropes tethering the people pulling the cart for him are ropes of vanity and sin.) These are the folks who say "Well, if your God is really there, then let Him show himself so we can know him."

Wo to them that call evil good and good evil, etc

Wo to the wise in their own eyes

Wo to the mighty and strong who drink wine and strong drinks, who justify rewarding the wicked, and gladly take out righteousness from men around them. -- their root shall be rotten, their blossoms as dust.

but note: vs 25: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Yes, God is angry with his people, but he still holds out his hand for anyone to take if they will change their ways and take it. He is still willing to lead them and protect them if they will but look to him.

THIS is the nature of God. You cannot sin against him and not suffer consequences. Yet he is always, always, always willing to forgive once you ask him for it. If you were willfully disobedient, your repentance process might be a little more strenuous than others, but God still love you.

As I was reading yesterday in 2 Peter 1, and in D&C about Divine Nature, one of the properties of Divinity is to ask for all things you might need. Including forgiveness. And then appropriate gratitude when things are received. This came to mind as I was reading this because even though God's hand is stretched out still, he cannot/will not save those who do not ask for saving. --ok, I guess he *could* but that would take away agency, so God "can't" because he is bound by his own promise, if you really want to argue what God can or can't do. At any rate, I trust His judgement.

vs 26-30, an ensign is lifted up, the truth will hiss forth through to every nation, and people will come swiftly, and they will roar like young lions. Ok, honestly, I don't understand all the imagery here, but I know it means that the House of Israel will be restored to it's great place again, and be safe and perfect.

And that conclused chapter 15.

Cleansing the Daughters - BoM pg 83-84

2012-02-02T23:10:00.000-08:00

2 Ne 14: 1-6 (Compare Isaiah 4)

This one is a beautifully short chapter. Which is good, because it's kind of harsh.

In the last days, things are so bad that seven women will take hold of one man and basically say, Hey, please, we'll take care of ourselves, just let us be called by your name to take away our reproach/condemnation. First, I would like to point out that the number seven is symbolic of "complete" or wholeness. It's also symbolic of godly. I know that this is also a metaphor of the members of the church (or non-members, actually) saying, Hey, let us be called by your faith so we are without condemnation before God.

But I really like to think about it somewhat literally. Being LDS, I understand polygamy. In the last days there will be more righteous women than men (which is funny, considering how the metaphores here are all about women, but that's because the church is symbolically the bride of Christ; so just go with it for now) and as in the days of pioneers, there might be a need for the name. I have no idea at all what the social situation in the world will be like at that point in time. I know in pioneer times, there were legal reasons, because women couldn't buy land or own land or their husbands had died or left them and they needed a provider. Men couldn't just decide to be polygamist, they had to be called. So there were protections in place, regardless of the stigman. Those who disagreed when the church ended it, left and became "fundamentalists."

so, anyway...

Because the women are finally coming to their senses and want to repent and be found ok, in that day "the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious." Can you hear the exclamation marks here? People WANT to be known as Christ's people. How wonderful when people unite and work together? Just like Lehi was begging his sons to be back in chapter 1 of 2nd Nephi. Glorious and Beautiful is a great way to be described.

They that are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy. -- oooh, how cool is that? So not only are they glorious and beautiful, but they are holy. All of them. This is the Millenium, this is, it's when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem by the spirit of judgement.

There is a promise in this poetry here in verses 5 and 6, if you know your old testament. "And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a cover from storm and from rain.

Basically, the cloud and fire are symbols of the spirit of Christ, who was the protector and the defense of the House of Israel as they travelled and wandered in the desert. Which means the people are so righteous that they are walking in the midst of God because he's dwelling on every single house!!!

The Consequences of Pride - BoM pg 83

2012-01-31T14:08:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 13: 1-26

So I've started working on Divine Nature in Personal Progress this month to do it along with the girls. Reading the Book of Mormon is part of that, along with various other things. So, Value Experience 4 has several things to it: memorizing the sacrament prayer, recognizing and doing something each day to develop divine qualities to always remember Jesus. I've been struggling to figure out just what my divine qualities are. I don't know why, but this particular chapter made me realize what are NOT divine qualities. The women cited in verses 17-26 are not realizing divine potential. And at first I was kind of offended when verse 12 compares the people who rule over the house of Israel as children and women. Then I read the rest of the chapter and realized what kind of women were the rulers. Ok, that made sense. Because a woman who misuses her divine power can really lead a lot of people astray.

I mean, look at this. This chapter is basically a lament. Because of the wickedness of the people, the mighty, the good judges, the prophets, the prudent, the elders, the captains, the honorable, and the counselors will be taken away. They will be led by people who know nothing, who oppress. Does this sound familiar?

The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient. Look at what our government is doing to the retirement structure for our elderly/retirees. Look at how the youth today view the grandparents and elderly. They are not honored, they are mocked.

When people look for their leaders because of how they are dressed... that's a sign of destruction.

vs 9: The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and doth declare their sin to be even as Sodom, and they cannot hide it. Well of course they cannot hide it. They don't even try to hide it. I think today's society is worse than Sodom and Gommorrah for what we accept, embrace, and tout as right. I love people. I love all kinds of people. I don't necessarily love their actions, and I can see how it does show in their countenance when they live that way. I am not going to embrace their lifestyle, and I am not going to vote to support their lifestyle. It does hurt others. It hurts us all.

vs 16: because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet. -- yup. it's all about looks today. It's all about the clothes, the jewelry, the piercings, the bling. Who's hot, who's not. Who's in style vs who's frumpy. Ok, now, as a mom, I have a LOT of frump days. A lot. The days that I decide I care what I look like, I don't think have anything to do with bad pride (I look better than so-n-so with my nose in the air) it has to do with self-pride (I am of worth, I want to look my best because I am a decent human being.)

So, those who are stuck in the world, leading their men and their children astray... well, these are the consequences: They will be smitten with a scab on their head. All their fine clothes, jewelry, and adornments will be taken away to be replaced with stink, torn clothes, baldness, and burning. Their men will be killed in wars, and there will be no thrones.

Ok, this can be literal. Venerial diseases cause all kinds of mayhem with the mind and body. As does drug addiction. And all of it affects skin, hair, etc. It can also be figurative. In the end, if we do not try to reach our potential, we will lose it. If we do not behave as daughters of God in this life, we won't be recognizable as a daughter of God in the next.

So, given this information, what then are my divine qualities? And what can I do to develop them?

Divine qualities would be the opposite of prideful qualities.
So... humble, teachable, a sense of worth - no need to prove herself because she knows who she is, willing to serve, willing to use talents and develop new ones, willing to find and reach full potential, learning as much as possible, loves people, forgiving, charitable, giving, huggable, happy, modest, unafraid, faithful, righteous, patient, sweet, funny, loving, prayerful.

Ok, for being stumped last night, that's a great list! For the next two weeks, every day I want to work on... my sense of worth. How? Hmmm... When I pray in the morning for help being a peacemaker (another Divine Nature value experience I am working on at the same time. I felt they went together) I will also ask for Heavenly Father to manifest to me that I am really his Daughter and that I am of worth to him. For as often as I pray during the day, maybe I'll stop and listen for answers now.

Walk in the Light - BoM pg 81-82

2012-01-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 12: 1-22 (Compare Isaiah 2)

There is a warning in verse 5 that I think applies to all the world today: "O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways."

Looking at today's world, this really is believable. Now I believe that there are righteous people on the world right now. And there are people who try to repent daily. But I think most of us, no matter how well-intentioned, tend to overlook the atonement until we do something really big. And we forget or get distracted or are too busy to remember the little things. So this call to walk in the light is an important one. If we remember daily to walk in the light, we'll be making a conscious effort to be there, and therefore much less prone to heading over to the dark side. Even if they have cookies.

There are so may prophecies about the Latter Days in this chapter. And to be honest, it's the warnings that catch my eye, but I'll try to touch on everything that stick out.

vs 2: In the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. - I believe President Hinkley said that was fulfilled when SLC hosted the 2002 Olympics.

That being said, I know that the ten tribes have not yet bee discovered, and there is still much more flowing to do... wait, why am I arguing with a prophet? I'll just stop there.

vs 3 "His Ways" = true ways or commandments. "Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord (the temple) and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

In other words, "Get ye to the temple."

vs 4 reminds me of the 2nd coming, when Christ comes and will rebuke many people, and they beat their swords into plow shares and live peaceably with each other. How cool will that be?

I already talked about the warning in verse 5 about walking in the light. I think that's important. Because when you walk in the light, you can feel the spirit. And when you can feel the spirit, you're more likely to be able to tell truth from lies, the right choice from temptation, etc. So the things in verse 6 that catch our attention are less likely to grab us if we're where we're supposed to be. "soothsayers, love of money, cars, a land full of idols, worshipping the work of their own hands, refusing to humble themselves, refusing to forgive..." From verse 6 to ver 10 it names these things that we all do today. "neither is there any end to their chariots" - consider what our streets and roads must have looked like to Isaiah back in the 600bc era.

vs 10 - Enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust -- this can be taken several ways. The first thing that came to mind was that he was telling them to get into Christ, and hide in the dust of his feet because only Christ can save them (us) from his glory and majesty. The second thing that came to mind was the idea that the wicked had better try to find a deep dark cave to hide in, because Christs glory is such that it will smite them. Not that anyone can hide from God, but it's almost as if Isaiah is daring them to try. (them = us. I keep forgetting to liken the scriptures. But this is really for us/me.)

vs 11 - Men are going to be humbled whether they want to or not, so it's really best if we choose to do it ourselves instead of being forced to that state. I would rather meet God willingly and happily and be teachable and trusting and willing to serve. I don't want to be fighting against Him and then have Him show up one day and feel really stupid. Because the day of the Lord is coming upon all men.

vs 17: And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. It won't be the cool stuff I made, or the grand architecture created by man, or the scientific breakthroughs our meager minds came up with. No. The Lord Alone will be see as the Creator, the inspiring one, and the means by which all of our cools stuff was brought about.

vs 18: and the idols he will utterly abolish. Mkay. Down with the tv's and the MMORPG's and anything else that we put before God and Family.

vs 19: oh, this is the verse where people try to hide from God in the rocks and caves. But it won't matter.

vs 22: Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?

This verse to me means simply this: The things of man die. They waste away, erode, change, and end. So in the end, what does man have to account for? Nothing. Therefore, stop putting your faith in man, and instead, go after the things of God, which never die, never end, and never erode. Walk in the Light, people! (Me!!! Chris: Walk in the Light!)

Divine Law of Witnesses - BoM pg 80

2012-01-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 11.

Yes, I skipped a chapter. I read it yesterday, and did not feel impressed to write about it. In fact, I felt irritated (how crazy is that, irritated at scripture) because it repeated again everything in chapters 7, 8, and 9. So I read it, considered that reading my scriptures, and went about the rest of my day. I have to say that I did notice a difference between reading scriptures because I felt obligated to, and reading them because I want to. I made myself read yesterday because I'm trying to A - finish the book of mormon this year, B - keep up a blog about the scriptures, and C - actually get something out of what I read.

So yesterday's reading really didn't accomplish much more than A. I can't say I got something out of it, so I wasn't feeling particularly teachable yesterday. And I didn't blog about it, so there was nothing to share. I guess you just have to trust me that I read it. I'm sure that there were a couple of verses here and there that differed from the Isaiah prophecies, but... well, I can't even make myself care enough to go back and blog about it.

Onward!

Here in chapter 11, Nephi writes even more from Isaiah, because Isaiah saw the Redeemer, even as Nephi has seen him. As well as Jacob.

vs 3: Wherefore, by the words of three God hath said, I will establish my word. In this case the three witnesses are Nephi, Jacob, and... Isaiah? I'm assuming the whole book of scripture, since all scripture testifies of Christ. Some more obliquely than others, but it's still there.

Oh look, Nephi says the same thing in verse 4: All things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world unto man are the typifying of him.

"all things testify of Christ"

there ya go.

The Divine Law of Witnesses is exactly that. The Lord will never send just one person to witness of something. He will always send multiples. Joseph Smith was the first to testify that he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ as two separate beings. Today we have prophets and apostles who also testify of Christ. It is their calling, to be a Witness. Before anything else, that is what they are called to do. "God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth my words." So if you doubt, and more witnesses do not arrive, well.. maybe there's a reason you're doubting.

vs 6: my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish. For if there be no Christ, there be no God; if there be no God we are not.

I'm not sure how verse 7 works to prove verse 6. it probably doesn't. In fact, that's probably a non-related thought. Nephi loves his people. He is a great example of charity. He is patient, kind, but strong and not willing to compromise his beliefs. So he loves loves loves it when people take his challenge and discover the truth of the atonement. The atonement worked even before Christ came because the law was coming. I love how time works for God. It doesn't matter if an event hasn't happened yet. You go about life as if it will happen. That's faith, that's action, that's just so cool.

And that's our teeny tiny chapter for today. I'll maybe feel like taking on Isaiah 2 tomorrow as we get into chapter 12.

To Be Learned Is Good - BoM pg 75-77

2012-01-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 9: 25-54

Every day we are bombarded with information from various sources. There are news outlets, blogs, facebook, magazines, television, radio, and a bunch of other sources that I don't participate in like pod-casts, twitter, etc. The people who write do so for a variety of reasons. I write as I read because this way I feel like I am interacting with my scriptures. Studying, pondering, thinking. That's one reason in millions for why people write. To be a good writer (of which I am not) requires some education. It's hard to make oneself understood if you cannot communicate clearly or speak above or below your audience.

There are a couple of verses in this chapter that speak about education, which is something I love. I love going to school to learn new things. College campus is one of my favorite places, I don't care which campus. I love learning. I love reading, I love exploring through the written word when I cannot physically go across the world to do it in person. I suppose I should qualify that statement. I love learning about most everything except higher math. I'll do chemistry and physics math, but not math just for math's sake.

But I know there are people out there who love math, who love learning and exploring more than I do. Which is great, that's one of the reasons for being here. What we find when we listen to various bits of media is the different directions that our learning can take us. There are groups of intellectuals who feel that because they are learned they are more wise than others around them. There are some who feel that if they cannot prove something then it must not be true. There are others who feel that knowledge takes the place of faith.

The purpose of knowledge is not to replace faith. In some cases it would. I have faith that God exists. Should I have a vision and see Him, that faith would be replaced by knowledge. Kind of. Kind of not. Because while in this earthly life, I am removed from his presence. I still must rely on the Holy Ghost for guidance, direction, etc, because God is not physically here holding my hand and walking me through things. I must make choices, I must learn from my mistakes. Even those prophets and apostles who have seen God and witness of Jesus Christ - they still walk by faith.

My point to all of this rambling being that knowledge should lead us closer to God, not away from Him. Which is something Jacob discusses in verses 28, 29, 30.

"When they are learned they think they are wise, and hearken not unto the counsel of God." "To be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God." "Their treasure is their god."

So, if education is your treasure, that is your god. If riches are your treasure, then that is your god. It all comes down to a form of idol worship. When whatever it is that you are "into" takes you away from God and lifts you up above your fellow man so you start to despise the poor, persecute the meek, and ignore the needy, that's when you get into trouble.

We're in that kind of trouble today. The whole Occupy movement that happened this last year, blaming Wall Street and rich corporations for the lack of health care... blaming one group isn't going to solve this. It's not one group's fault. It's the people who don't vote, the people who vote without being informed, the people who go with the popular just to feel good... we put in leaders who don't really care about the poor. And then blame the poor for being poor. It's their own fault they don't have a job. Anyone on welfare must be a lazy bum who does nothing and expects us to take care of him. Those are greedy mindsets that people blast around everywhere like it's truth. And it's not truth. Florida enacted mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients on the precident that at least 30% of the people on the program were users and that it would save the state money by testing and then cancelling benefits. So far they've found that less than 1% of welfare recipients are users and they've spent more money on the tests than they are saving in undelivered benefits. I wish I could find the articles I read and cite my source here... It's not the poor people who are on the drugs, it's the people who can afford the drugs that are using them. But it's the persecution of the poor that started this mess.

vs 31 "wo unto the deaf that will not hear, for they shall perish" - There's millions of people protesting, crying out, as well as many many religions crying out for repentance. Those who have ears to hear, will hear. Those who don't, will perish. Die. Spiritual death.

vs 32 "wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also"

vs 33: wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day. -- uncircumcised of heart. Do you know what that means? in circumcision, the foreskin is cut away from the head of the penis, representing cutting away the useless bits. In today's day and age you can do it or not do it. There are medical reasons for and against, and unless you're orthodox Jew, it's really a simple matter of choice. When you circumcise your heart, you are cutting away the useless bits - the things that lead you away from god, the "natural, base instincts" that we are challenged to overcome.

vs 34: wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell

vs 35: wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for he shall die. -- note the word deliberate there. To me this feels like "premeditation." This is not the same as war-time orders "take that bunker" where strategy incorporates the loss of life. Well, it does, but those who are held accountable are those leaders who choose to go to war in the first place. I think vs 35 is aimed as non-combat personnel who dislike a neighbor or relative and decide to kill them. You know, like Laman and Lemuel did.

vs 36: wo unto them who commit whoredoms, for they shall be thrust down to hell. -- There's more reason than one to keep the sacred act of sex between married couples. It's not just to keep yourself from STD's, nor from unwanted babies. It's misusing your power, and it harms your spirit in ways that I cannot describe. It's damaging to your soul. You don't have to believe me, but that doesn't make it less true.

vs 37: wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them. -- that isn't really a surprise, now, is it? After all, the devil's job is to make us miserable. And if he can remove us from God, he's succeeded.

vs 38: wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God and behold his face and remain in their sins. -- this goes back to verse 27 - "wo unto him that has the law given and that transgresseth them, and wasteth the days of his probation." - If you decide to go party hard today, knowing you are sinning, thinking "ah, I'll repent tomorrow, it'll be fine" and then get hit by a bus and die. Well, you're done, aren't you? Even if you spend a lifetime of willfully sinning and then decide on your deathbed that you can be sorry... how are you paying restitution for your sins on your deathbed? You're not. You'll have more to pay later. That's just how it works. You can pick the sin, but you can't pick the consequence.

vs 39: Remember, to be carnally minded is death, and to be spiritually minded is life eternal.

vs 40: I know the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but he righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

yeah, sometimes it is hard to hear the truth. The truth hurts, sometimes. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't listen. Just because something causes pain doesn't invalidate the experience. Pain is part of this life. It is not a fun part of it, but it still is something we must learn to deal with. And if we can handle it in a Christ-like manner, we become closer to Him.

vs 41: Come unto the Lord. Remember that his paths are righteous. The way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel. vs 42: and whoso knocketh, to him will he open;

vs 42: and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning and their wisdom and their riches; and save they shall cast these things away and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

How Teachable are you? Do you already know everything, so why bother listening to some young upstart? Do you learn something new every time you read the scriptures? Or did you read them once and that was enough? Humble = teachable. If God cannot teach you, you cannot enter into His kingdom.

vs 44: When the prophets speak plainly to you and tell you what's what... and look, Jacob is pretty darn plan here. He explains Isaiah, he explains the plan of salvation, he explains repentance and the Atonement... then that prophet is not held accountable for your sin and iniquity. Jacob did his job.

45: Come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation. He's pleading with his people here. Choose the right.

vs 47: would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? vs 48: If ye were holy, I would speak unto you of holiness. But as ye are not, I must teach you the consequences of sin.

vs 51: do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Come unto the Holy One of Israel and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

vs 52: pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.

Hey, there's that finding the joy in the journey again. Because no matter how much pain, how much trial, when one is in communion with God, there is always something to rejoice for, no matter how small. Let your hearts rejoice. LET them. Don't stop them. It's okay to be happy.

Rejoice and Lift Up Your Heads Forever - BoM pg 72-74

2012-01-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 9:1-23

Jacob has been quoting Isaiah to the newly formed Nephite society so that they can know concerning the covenants that the Lord has made with all of the house of Israel. Not just one branch of the house, but all of the houses of Israel. Being LDS, we believe that most of us are of the house of Ephraim, and those who choose to join the church are grafted in to the house of Israel - either adopted into Ephraim or they are told which house they are in when they get their patriarchal blessings. This may seem odd to some, but what that means is that the covenants and blessings described in the previous chapters apply or can apply to anyone in the world. Anyone.

vs 3: I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up y our heads forever, becase of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

If looking at this in a linear time-line kind of way, there were all kinds of blessings given to the children of the Nephites when Christ came to the Americas and walked among them. (Note: the righteous were called Nephites in scripture even if they were previously lamanites or belonged to whatever tribe/society. So be aware that there were descendants of Laman and Lemuel included in that group who were very very righteous and upright citizens.)

If you look at this in a world-view kind of way, there are all kinds of blessings given to all of us simply because of the Atonement of Christ. In the end, He gathers all to Him who are righteous. And there's a promise given here in verse four: "Ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God."

That is a promise of the resurrection. The resurrection applies to all. It's part of the deal when you get to come to earth, no matter how good, bad, ugly, or beautiful. If you were born, you will be resurrected. The time you are resurrected is dependent on your works in this life. But one way or another, every single one of us will see God with our own two physical eyes. Why? Because we are His children. He came here for us, to save us, because He loves us.

That really is pretty darn cool. That alone is a pretty good reason to rejoice and lift up your head. When I say lift up your head, I imagine a person walking slumped over, sad, depressed, feeling the weight of the world. Lifting up the head is representative of a lightening of burden, a looking up and finding hope, faith, and light. Being able to stand up straight and know who you are, why you are here, and what your purpose is. That gives a body strength. The spirit can be strong when it believes something as powerful as that. Can I even begin to tell you how excited I feel for the day I'll be able to look around and see those I love with pure, clear eyesight????

vs 5: for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him. -- When we are judged, it will be in our bodies. And we will have to account for how we treated our stewardship over the body as well as our soul.

vs 6: for as death hath passed upon all men, there must needs be a power of resurrection. vs 7: It must needs be an infinite atonement or this corruption could not put on incorruption.

Meaning: Christ's atonement was for more than just our sins of choice. It was for all of our imperfections. He suffered for our hurt feelings, our sicknesses and diseases, the things that corrupt our mortal bodies and cause us to die. He is able to overcome all that causes us pain, weariness, and defeat. The atonement covers everything. It is infinite.

vs 8: for behold, if the flesh should rise no more, our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God and became the devil.

vs 10: Oh how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster death and hell.

vs 11: Temporal death: overcome by the resurrection
vs 12: Spiritual death: overcome by the Atonement - spiritual death is hell.

vs 13: ALL men become incorruptible and immortal. They are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect. -- a perfect knowledge of our guilt, our uncleanness, OR a perfect knowledge of our enjoyments and righteousness. In other words, if we did not take advantage of the atonement, we will know it and see it and not be able to deny it or place blame elsewhere. If we do take advantage of the atonement, daily, we will be able to stand before God with a clear conscience.

vs 15: And then cometh the judgement, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgement of God.
vs 16: They who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still. -- so the whole process of the resurrection doesn't necessarily automatically fix people who were bad. They will still be judged and held accountable. I've said it before and I say it again, the judgement will be fair for each individual standing before the bar of God. It's not a comparison between Me and Her. It's a gauge between Me and My Potential.

vs 17: O the greatness and the justice of our God! -- I promise, the judgement is not something to be terrified of. He loves each of us. You know, through most of my teenage years, I always had this image of a God who was disappointed in me. I envisioned getting to the judgement seat and seeing Him, and He'd be looking at me and shaking his head saying "You neglected this, and forgot that, and wasted x amount of time..." The funny thing is that all of that is stuff I can repent for, make right, and work on doing better. And now I understand that God doesn't expect me to achieve actual perfection. He expects me to try. He expects me to love, serve, study, and grow. And growth cannot happen if I never make mistakes.

I cannot learn to love better if my heart is never broken. I cannot grow if I cannot or will not repent. So now I look forward to meeting God. Now I understand. Now it isn't scary anymore because I understand better about how the atonement works. I understand that God loves ME regardless of my actions. He may not like my actions... in fact some he really dislikes, I'm sure. Yet my worth to Him is great because I am his daughter. That makes all the difference to me, and I'm not even sure that I'm explaining it right. But it does. God loves me. Period. So when I'm going through my days and I fall a bit, that's ok. I get up, I do better the next day. I don't go out and be willfully disobedient. No. That's different. In my case that would be mocking God and I don't want those consequences, thank you very much.

vs 21: he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, who belong to the family of Adam.

See? doesn't matter who you are. The Atonement covered everyone. yes, even the most vilest of men. As I am not going to be the one sitting in judgement, I'm leaving that up to God to handle.

vs 23: and he commandeth all men that they must 1-repent, and 2 be baptized in his name, having 3-perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

--I want to kind of digress for a minute. Let's say that I am a little indian girl part of a tribe in the middle of the Brazilian jungle, and I die at age 16 due to ... oh, I dunno, falling off of a vine while swinging through the trees. I've never heard of Jesus, I've never heard of the atonement, and I have no clue what baptism even is. My tribe worshipped several different gods and totems. So, upon finding myself dead, I am now in what is called the spirit prison. That sounds bad, but I was a good kid, I followed the teachings of my parents, my tribe leaders, and the examples of my ancestors.

Does that mean I am doomed to hell because I never heard of Jesus? NO! No, what happens here is this: I will meet some other spirits. And they might be my own ancestors. And they will introduce me to this idea. And if I accept it, I will be taught more. And then when the day of resurrection comes, I will get my body back and I will be able to be baptized then. Because that little bitty tribe living in the middle of the jungle probably doesn't keep records and probably can't do baptisms for the dead. Scenario 2: I thank my ancestors and the other spirits for their knowledge, but I liked what my family taught me and choose to continue on with that. The day of resurrection comes, and I get my body back. I see all the rest of my family, and we celebrate. I then go before judgement before God, and He judges me based on my life, my choices, and how I lived and I am very happy to go to whichever kingdom he feels is best for me. And He may even come visit me on occassion.

Ok, that's a lot of information, and I take for granted that my family and children already know this stuff. Maybe they don't? I don't know. But, anyway, that's the process. Baptism is required to enter the kingdom of God, but if you aren't baptized, there are other kingdoms and they're not all bad, either. God loves all of his children, and I believe it will be fair for all of them.

On the other hand, say, verse 24: "And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned." That seems to contradict everything I've just said. But it doesn't really. Scenario 3: I'm me. I was baptized when I was eight years old because I wanted to be. But I decided later in life that it was too hard to go to church every single Sunday. It was too hard to kneel down and pray every day and repent for what I was doing wrong. I mean, really... was what I was doing even really all that wrong? Everyone else was doing it, and it wasn't hurting anyone else, so who cares? And after a while after seeing the seedier side of life and experiencing some deaths in the family and other hard trials, I decided there couldn't be a God because why would he allow things like that to happen? And if there was a God, he obviously just didn't care about me or the people I loved. So then I get angry and I start actively fighting against those who do believe in God. And I make fun of them, and I publicly ridicule them, and I join activist sites against them and try to tear them down. So then I die. And yeah, I was baptized, but it doesn't matter. I broke every covenant I'd made, fought against God, so what my baptism did count for was to condemn me further. I suppose you could make a scenario four and pick a person who had been introduced to the gospel and rejected it. But that's about the same as scenario three except that they are not punished for breaking covenants they'd never made in the first place.

The real other scenario that matters is this one: There are many people who reject new religions for various reasons who live very good lives and who believe that their baptisms are good enough. As LDS we believe that we have the restored priesthood authority to act in God's name and seal here on earth, restored by Elijah giving the keys of the priesthood to Joseph Smith. Well, for this scenario, let's say you are Baptist, you go to church every Sunday, you serve the poor, needy, and afflicted in your area, and you love God, love his word, and go about your day loving your neighbors. God is going to take that into account. If you reject the LDS missionaries kindly because you're quite happy in your religion, I really don't see that damning you to hell. There are necessary keys to open specific doors in the Kingdom of God, and if you didn't understand that in this life, I'm sure when God explains it at the judgement bar, it'll all make perfect sense then. So I'm leaving that in his hands. Good and righteous people are not going to be left out in the cold.

Wow... I don't know why I felt the need to explain in such detail about this, nor why I felt like I was being attacked. Weird. And hopefully if I have something wrong, I will be corrected.

Fear Not the Reproach of Men - BoM pg 70-71

2012-01-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 8: 1-25. Compare Isaiah 51 and 52

This life is not an easy one. It's more of one of those high-risk, heart-stopping, I-think-I'm-gonna-hurl roller-coaster rides. Some very happy ups, some very sad lows, and it keeps moving. There's no getting off the roller coaster until the ride is over. We make mistakes, we learn, we grow, we become amazing and beautiful creatures. Or not. Depending on our choices.

As Jacob is talking to the Nephites and discussing Isaiah, I wanted to point out that we're ALL on our own individual roller-coaster, but we have a companion in the car with us. We will always have Christ with us because we're part of him. He's with us in the highs and the lows, the scary dips, drops, turns, flips, etc. He's always there. Whether we can feel him or not is up to us.

When I say we are part of Him, let me quote verse 1 in chapter 8 here. "Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged." - Ye --you-- are hewn from the rock. How often have you heard Christ referred to as The Rock of our salvation, the Rock that is your foundation? You are hewn from Him. You are part of him, from him. As we were all part of a heavenly family prior to coming to this earth, we are all part of that same family down here even though we can't remember it. So of course we are part of Christ. And his Atonement makes Him our Father in that sense. We are his. We're all part of the same boulder.

With this in mind, that's not going to stop the rollercoaster from running it's course. It's still going to have flips, flops, and drops. There's not much you can do about that, except to learn how to ride them out with faith, trusting in Christ to help you through it.

vs 3: for the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

I want my home to be like that. I want my home to be like a garden, full of joy and gladness. There are quite a few changes that I can make to ensure that happens during my lifetime. During the next year. During the next month. It's up to me to choose that. Because the Lord isn't just talking about Zion as a people and place in that verse. He's talking about us individually there, too. liken the scriptures

If I need further instruction on how to do this, aside from what I've learned in previous chapters, there's more instruction. Why? Because God knows I have a bad memory and need reminding.

Vs 4: Hearken unto me and give ear unto my, for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgement to rest for a light for the people. -- for joy and happiness, obey the law and you will have light guiding the way.

vs 5: My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone forth -- God is always here, and we can always repent and find our salvation, find our way out of pits of sins.

vs 6: Lift up your eyes to heaven, and look upon the earth beneath - my salvation shall be forever and my righteousness shall not be abolished. -- God's law never ends, changes, or dies. Everything of this world will die. God and the plan of salvation will never die. Ever. And if we look up, we will always find him there.

vs 7: Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. -- Mankind will always judge. It's what they do. Just remember "While you were busy judging others, your closet door opened and your skeletons fell out." And yeah, the world is much like The Lemons. They don't like to be told they're wrong, wicked, or need to repent. They make fun of people who try to live a higher law. It happens all the time. I lived with that daily as a kid, and try to ignore it now that I'm an adult. Doesn't stop people from saying what they say. But whether or not we fear them and give them power over us or ignore them and have our testimony based on the Rock of our Redeemer depends on us and our choices.

vs 9: Awake! Put on strength, Are thou not he that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon? - God can defeat Satan; if we put on the strength of God - our faith in Him - we can have that strength, too.

vs 12: I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like grass? -- in other words, God is far more powerful than men who are going to die. Man's ideas and philosophies change, evolve, and die. God's law is constant.

vs 14-17 are pretty cool. They express the power of God in some awesome imagery. How could you doubt the power of God? I think they are also a warning to the power you shun if you decide to go down a different path.

vs 19 and the two sons are referring to the two prophets who will be dragged through the streets in the last days. A testament to the power of God, the power of his fury at those who would attack his people. On through vs 25 are still more testaments to the power of God, raising up his people from the dust, to the power they can and will have. I would like to note that he's not going to raise an unrepentant people up out of captivity. No. He will raise a humble, teachable, and righteous people up out of the dust. They will throw off their shackles because God will make them free. Literally and figuratively.

It says something about human nature if 2000 years ago people needed to hear these words just as much as we need to hear them today. I think it also says something that writing this blog and analyzing/pondering the scriptures has made Isaiah much more personable and understandable. It is nice to have reminders, to feel the love of God though scripture, and to know that God loves me. I can feel it in the writing, in the words, and there are days that like Lehi, I can feel the arms of His love encircled about me. It is a beautiful thing to have the gospel, to know that the gospel is a personal thing. That truth never dies, and that my efforts to gain a testimony and teach my children of God and his Love are not in vain.

For Iniquity You have Sold Yourself - 2 Ne Ch 7

2012-01-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi Chapter 7, compare Isaiah 50

When you start complaining that God has abandoned you, that you are alone, that there is no point, stop and think a minute. I know I feel like that a lot. God's response to those feelings is pretty much verse 1 of chapter 7. "Have I put thee away? Have I cast thee off forever? Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement? To whom have I put thee away? To which of my creditors have I sold you? To whom have I sold you?

the answer? Also in verse 1: "Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away."

Meaning: I have separated myself from God on my own volition, by my own choices, and by my own actions. I sell myself into the slavery of sin. Even if we lived in a world where slavery was commonplace - like ancient Rome, where you could/would sell your relatives into slavery to pay off a debt - the freedom of the spirit is still there. If my father had chosen to sell me instead of tires off the bottom of our trailer house to pay bills, I would still have the freedom to choose to stay close to God or remove myself from Him. If that makes any sense at all.

vs 2: When I came, there was no man; when I called, yea there was none to answer. O house of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver?

I think this half of the verse is God wondering why no one comes when he calls, why we don't come running to him when he is near. Why do we doubt his power?

The rest of the verse hits home. Considering the current lack of snow this winter: http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/western-sierra-snow-comparison_2012-01-04 take the rest of this verse as literally or as figuratively as you want.

"Behold at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make their rivers a wilderness and their fish to stink because the waters are dried up, and they die because of thirst." vs 3: "I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering."

When God's people need to be reminded to believe, it's sometimes with storms and tornadoes and other obvious rare things. Other times it's as simple as drought. Look at that snowpack difference in the link above and tell me we're not about to face a horrendous drought. And what happens if this year is the year without a rainbow? What more signs do we need? Now is the time to hear God's call, to repent, and to live right. Now is the time to trust him. I personally have no desire to see the sky blacked out. I really dont want to witness a volcanic eruption first-hand. No thank you. God doesn't have to go that far to get me to humble myself and listen. Really. I can read the warnings in scripture and be good.

vs 4-6 I'm not sure what they mean. "the Lord God opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious. I gave my back to the smiter, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting."

This reminds me a lot of Ezekiel and Jeremiah. But also... I don't know. Is this talking about submitting humbly to whatever? Turn the other cheek? I'm not sure what that's representing. It honestly sounds a lot like 'yeah, I let people beat me up.' but I'm sure there's some reason behind it that I can't see.

vs 7: for the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. "I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."

wait. wait wait wait....This is Isaiah speaking as if he were Christ. Christ walked through the streets of Jerusalem carrying his own cross, and his face was set like a flint. He was not ashamed of who he was, he was reviled and scourged and spit upon by all of them. He heard the cries of the people around him, he would have loved the burden to be removed from him, but he was not rebellious, and he fulfilled his mission regardless. I get it now. So when the trials come, set our faces like a flint. Don't show the hurt, don't be swayed by everyone's opinions, and mostly, don't be ashamed.

vs 8: Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. - Christ invites all who will fight on his side to join him. And all those who will fight against him to go ahead and try. They will lose. They will wax old as a garment and the moth shall eat them up.

vs 11: "walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled." - ok, I love this I think it's beautiful. I have something for fire right now, with the roadshow that I'm doing. I just love this imagery. What I don't understand is the final line "ye shall lie down in sorrow" - does that mean that this fire imagery here is bad? That there's something wrong with the sparks and fire? Personally I thought it was another simile of "letting your light so shine before men" -- what else does it mean that would make you lie down in sorrow after walking in fire during the day?

People of the Lord Shall Not Be Ashamed - BoM pg 67-69.

2012-01-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi Chapter 6. (vs 1-18)

Jacob is speaking to the people. His brother Nephi has asked him to talk about the words of Isaiah, which he does because he cares about the welfare of their souls. Now, this doesn't sound like a family gathering talk. It sounds like a sacrament meeting talk. I'm wondering just how many people they had in their community. I guess in 40 years that's two generations of people having kids, possibly three given the ages of Nephi and Sam when they started. So I t could be quite a few just from their seed family. I don't know why I'm thinking about this... moving on.

Jacob tells them to liken the words of Isaiah to themselves because they are of the house of Israel. Then he quotes from Isaiah 44 and 45. I am pretty sure I talked about these verses before back in first Nephi when they get the brass plates and Nephi quotes Isaiah because he loves his writings. God teaches by repetition, so there is a reason that those same scriptures are repeated again.

vs 6-7: "behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard (flag, symbol = Christ) to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; and they shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

So, what I take from those verses is that the gentiles will restore the house of Israel. And that those who are waiting for the return - at first they were waiting for The Messiah to come and save them. Now we are waiting for the second coming. Those who wait shall not be ashamed. Are you proud of your religion? Are you ashamed of your beliefs? It's something to think about.

Jacob goes on to explain his take on these words, too. He himself has seen that the people in Jerusalem were either killed or carried away into captivity. But they shall return again and that the Holy One of Israel will manifest himself unto them in the flesh. But they will scourge and crucify him, harden their hearts, and stiffen their necks. So the judgements of God will come upon them and they will be smitten and afflicted.

vs 11: "many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall be suffered to perish because of the prayers of the faithful." I don't know what that means, and I'm not sure why I have underlined that in my scriptures. It sounds so sad to me. BUT - "the lord will be merciful unto them that when they come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance."

Um, I am not sure that the Jewish faith as a whole has accepted Christ as their redeemer. I know that it is happening a little at time, but I'm pretty sure they have not accepted Him as a group. So... I don't know, nor do I have answers for how they've been restored to their lands, except that maybe it was time. I don't know. I'll ask when I die. I'm betting someone out there has answers. I dare you to post a response.

anyway: vs 12: blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written. If it so e that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves with that great and abominable church, they shall be saved." - So, I'm trying to determine if we count as Gentiles, since we're of the house of Ephraim. Or if we count as the house of Israel?

vs 13: they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall like up the dust of their feet; and the people of the lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah.

Again, there's that whole Ashamed thing. In Lehi's vision people became ashamed of having eaten the fruit and fell away. I wonder... given the circumstances the Nephites were living in... And the fact that the Lamanites were said to excel in subtlety... if these folks were feeling ashamed because their relatives were coming in out of the forests and whispering to them at night that they were crazy. Who else's opinion would be mattering so much that they would be ashamed and that would need to be repeated several times?

In that light, whose opinion matters to you? Are you ashamed of the gospel?

vs 14: The Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them. -- that's the bit we're waiting for today. "in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies" Ok, honestly, I wish it were today. I don't want to see things get any worse.

vs 15: And they that believe not in him shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine. And they shall know that the Lord is God, the Holy One of Israel.

Ok, I cannot help but think of the recent worldwide events that are horrific and awful. Storms, earthquakes, tsunami's... a lot of death, a lot of heartache, a lot of destruction. I refuse to be a person that says "Oh, that means they are all bad, God is punishing them." You know what? There were good people that died and were affected by all of that, too. God will test the righteous as well as punish the wicked. Absolutely nothing is accomplished by saying "Oh, they deserved it, they were a heathen nation." That just means the person saying that deserves such a thing to happen to them, too. It's just awful and it makes me sad. So... I'll just let God be in charge and try to do my best to love my neighbors. All of them.

vs 17: for the mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. from the yucky graphic stuff in verse 18. I am not going to talk about it, I don't want to think about more bloodshed and gross stuff. I know God is talking on level with those who are beasts and torturers. I'm skipping that verse. I do not wish to ponder it.

This was kind of depressing today. Instead of focusing on the yucky stuff, I'm going to focus on faith and not being ashamed. And believing that no matter what, God will deliver me from my trials when I have learned what I need to learn.

How to Live in Happiness - BoM pg 65-67

2012-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi chapter 5

I have penciled in "How to Live In Happiness" above this chapter head. Yet this chapter does not start off with happy news. In fact, it starts off with The Lemons being extremely angry with Nephi. Murderously angry. They accuse Nephi of wanting to rule over them, of being to blame for all of their trials, and saying that their life would be easier if Nephi were dead.

Yeah... that's so not the way to solve problems. But the Lemons have already shown that they're not great at diplomacy. They want to be the rulers. I am sure that Nephi would have been more than happy to let them be the leaders if they'd grow up and be good leaders. And I'm sure the whole situation stressed Nephi out big time, given his prayer in the previous chapter.

God answers that prayer, gives him warningm and tells him where to flee in the wilderness to get away from his brothers.

On a bit of a side-note, Verse 6 is kind of interesting: "I did take my family, Zoram and his family, Sam and his family, Jacob and Joseph, my sisters, And all those who would go with me." -- Well, he's named off all of his family. So who is "all those who would go with him"? My institute teacher felt that was proof that there were indiginous people they came in contact with and intermingled with. I always assumed it was the leftovers from the family of Ishmael, but maybe Nephi would have specified children of Ishmael. It's something interesting to mull over, regardless. Nothing to base a testimony on, nor anything to make or break the gospel, but kind of a fun little tidbit to chew on, because Nephi specifies that "all those" were people who believed the warnings, revelations, and did hearken unto God. So it sort of intimates that they were new to the gospel. Kind of. It's completely open to interpretation, which makes it fun.

vs 7 - they grab everything they can carry or put on a horse, and take off for a several day journey into the wilderness. I understand why they'd wait so long to pitch a tent a call it home. The Lemons have become so hardened they want Nephi dead on principle at this point. Not only did he get them to the promised land, but then he took half the family and the Liahona and left them on their own to figure things out before they could kill him. How dare he.

vs 8 - the people are already recognizing Nephi as their leader. He is referring to them as "my people" at this point, so the mantle of leadership has been set. The people want to call the land Nephi and they set about settling. So here's where the steps to living in happiness come in.

* - Family. If you have dysfunction in your family, you distance yourself from the bad relationships and focus on the good ones. In Nephi's case, that's getting quite a few days journey away so his brothers couldn't come kill him in his sleep. I think if you are in bad relationships of that kind, that would be very very good advice to take. And surrounding yourself with people you love is always a good idea, too. It's sort of like instant body-guards and alarm systems in your home and surroundings. Without the electrical bill.

* - Keep the Commandments. In all things. (vs 10) nuff said.

* - Garden! (vs 11, 17) Ok, for non gardeners or yard workers, the principle here is work and industry. There is joy to be found in getting a result from something you've worked for. Those who work hard tend to enjoy the results more. Those who are lazy tend to be more discouraged and expect more handouts as time goes by. Thinking back on the example at hand, Laman and Lemuel had to be convinced to do anything. They wanted everyone else to have to do things, or not do them at all. Nephi, on the other hand, worked his butt off to solve problems, find food, get plates, get the girls, etc, etc. Who was happier? Nephi. Was it hard? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes.

* - Keep Records. And read your scriptures. (vs 12) - I know that my great great grandfather's journals are not scripture, but there is much to be learned from his testimony and conversion stories. In turn, my journals may one day be useful and inspiring to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Or, maybe just comic relief. And while a blog may not last forever, at least it is an effort. I don't know if anyone ever really reads this. But maybe some day after I'm gone my kids will, and they'll know how I really felt and thought about things.

* - Prepare for the future. (vs 14) - Nephi knew his brothers would eventually find him. Instead of living in fear and constantly looking over his shoulder, he takes Laban's Sword and uses it as a pattern and makes more. And then he teaches his people how to use them. So his people are armed and knowledgeable in the use of those arms.

* - Build: (vs 15) - Here is another example of how the Lord taught Nephi so Nephi could teach his people. Here is Nephi, who left Jerusalem in his teens. And here he is planning a city, teaching his people architecture, smithing, mining, and other skills. They set about building a real city, not just a mobile tent-park. And yeah, this correlates with work and industry, but these people built a city!! (yeah, ok, a settlement... picky picky) Could you go build a city in the middle of nowhere if you hadn't ever had an education in milling wood, building structures, planning for sewage, water distribution, masonry, how to find ore, how to smelt ore, how to make all kinds of tools??? I couldn't. Good thing they had a Nephi. I want to meet him. Seriously, he must be one incredible guy. When he talks about being carried off in the Spirit to talk with God, he's not kidding. How else did he learn all of that?

* - Temples (vs 16) - Nephi constructs a temple built after the pattern of Solomon's temple so his people can worship. They are following the law of Moses and need a temple to do their sacrifices. This is an essential part of living in happiness. The sacrifices were representations of the atonement, forgiveness, and their relationship with God. Without a temple, they were essentially worshipping with their mouths only. It's the act of going to the temple that is the rest of the work.

* - Righteous Leaders (vs 18, 26, 31) - Nephi does not want to be king, he's worried about what will happen to his people if they have unrighteous kings later on. But, as he says, he does what he can for his people. But when you have righteous leaders, that means they really care about people, they really care about the community as a whole, they are doing what they do because they care, not because they are greedy and want power. There is a big difference between a politician and a righteous leader. Not only that, but he calls righteous leaders as head priests as well. Jacob and Joseph are set apart to help, and Jacob will become the next "king." It's the leaders that make or break a people.

So there are our keys to living in happiness. Pick one, make it a goal, and see where you are next year when we get back to this chapter.

vs 20 is where THE CURSE happens. The Lemons and their followers have pissed off God. "Inasmuch as they will not hearken to Him, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord." Basically, their hearts were so hardened that they were past feeling. vs 21 - they had become like unto a flint. So, the result of the curse was that the Lord needed to protect Nephi's people - now known as the Nephites - from intermarrying. It was a big deal at that point, their settlements and society were not quite stable. In order to protect and safeguard their way of life, the Lamanites skin was caused to be darkened.

Is this an actual skin color change? Or is it a metaphor for how they appeared? I have notes in my scriptures that indicate this is a hyperbole, not a real change in the DNA and skin cells. I don't care one way or the other, personally. And honestly, I don't think God cares what color someone's skin is. His child is his child, red, white, blue, or purple. Skin color is simply something that happens to humans. And hey, go stand out in the sun for a bit and IT CHANGES!! So... don't get all worked up about color.

I will ask God when I die what he meant and what really happened. For now, here is my understanding: A mark is a mark. - If you go back to Genesis, Cain's curse was not his skin color. His skin color was the MARK so people would recognize he was cursed and stay away. He still had kids, anyway. My point being that a mark is different than a curse. A person who lives an unrighteous life has a dark countenance no matter what color their skin is. A person who lives a good life seems to glow. So in verse 22 when God says "I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people" that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with skin color. That instead may have everything to do with culture, custom, etc.

Keep in mind that the children of Israel avoided anything unclean. If it was unclean, it was loathsome to anyone living the law of Moses. Go back and re-read Leviticus and Deuteronomy if you don't believe me. When The Lemons were separated from Nephi, they lost the law. If they attempted to live it, they didn't have the records to direct them, so I'm sure it was perverted and corrupted from the very moment they were alone. How could it not be? They didn't understand the law when they had prophets in their midst. There's no way they could understand it on their own. Furthermore, why would they want to? It's not like they had city elders looking over their shoulders frowning upon them for doing it wrong. They could make their own rules. So Nephi's people who were living the law of Moses would naturally have found the Lamanites loathsome simply because of their lifestyle. Later on when they get into human sacrifice and all that, well... that's just a "duh people" moment if you wonder why the Nephites avoided them.

vs 23 confuses a lot of people. "cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed with the same cursing." So let me explain this the way I understand it. Note: the curse was to be cut off from the presence of the Lord. The mark of the curse was to be loathesome. So, if I may use a simple example, if you choose to marry into a family that lives a hard, grueling, horrid lifestyle, --oh, let's say they live in a mud house, with dirt floors, and they eat raw meat, and they only have fires for special ceremonial occasions, and bathing is a bad word. Custom indicates that you as the bride would marry into that household. Well, obviously you wanted that lifestyle. After living there for a while without any opportunity to read scriptures (because no one there reads, it rots the brain) or to pray (why are you talking to yourself) or to rest and think for a moment (get busy and gripe gripe gripe)... You'll soon forget how to feel the spirit, and thus be removed from the presence of God. And your old friends and family aren't gonna want to hang out with you much because you'll be living a completely different lifestyle. End of story.

vs 24 well, The Lemons had no idea how to live in happiness. They didn't have leadership skills like Nephi, nor did they have godly instruction. So they didn't build much. I'm sure with all the bickering, threatenings, and infighting there was no way they could grow crops. No one wanted to work together. So is it really surprising that without the Spirit of the Lord - the curse - "they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety," and became hunter/gatherers. The Lord has nothing against hunting. He has something against not using your time wisely.

On their hunting forays, they did find Nephi and his people. by verse 34, forty years had passed from the time of Lehi leaving Jerusalem, and they had already had wars and contentions with their brethren the Lamanites.

Despite all this, Nephi says that they lived after the manner of happiness. There they go again, finding joy in the journey. If they can do it, I should be able to. There's just as much joy to be found in my journey through sick children, laundry, toys on the floor, and basketball games as there was in growing crops, fighting cousins and brothers, and city building. How fighting their brothers and cousins could have been joyful, I really don't know. I don't think it was. I think they found something non-war related to be happy about while they were fighting that brother that wanted them dead. Makes me happy that I don't have to fight my brothers. Jon worries me the most... if I had to fight him... he's squirrely... Makes me want to take an Aikido class, though, to prepare for the unknown :)

I've probably lost the spirit in my joking. But hey, I found the joy in the moment!

Nephi's Prayer - BoM pg pg 63-64

2012-01-19T00:12:00.000-08:00

2 Ne 4: 15 - 35

I'm taking a "Becoming Spiritually Centered" class every Saturday, and the teacher gives sample prayers in the manual to demonstrate how he talks to God. I don't particularly like his prayers, and I can't say I find the prayer itself inspiring. I like the fact that he encourages us to figure out our own way of talking to God and to talk to Him often.

But as I read these verses, it made me think of the differences. I don't plan on praying the way Nephi does, either. I pray like I pray. I use the old language when I pray because I have been taught that it's more respectful. In learning Japanese, they have a formal version of just about everything that they use with their elders, and an informal way of speaking to everyone else. I pray in the "formal" tone. That's me. That's the way this other guy, Brother Cox, prays, too. But... I dunno. Maybe it's his vernacular. Maybe it's just because I'm not Brother Cox, I'm me. I'm not Nephi, either. I don't think Heavenly Father wants me to talk to him as if I were someone I'm not. And when I say gratitude prayers, I think if I had to choose someone to sound like, I'd rather sound like Nephi. I'd still rather sound like me, though. Just so God knows who is talking to him.

So, with all of that being said, Why then would Nephi include his prayers in scripture? Obviously he was supposed to, or they wouldn't be there. What is it I am supposed to glean from this?

Well, let's find out, shall we?

vs 15: "for my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them..." - ok, that's thing one. Delight in the scriptures, and ponder them in your heart. I honestly try to do that as I write this blog. It's how I keep the scriptures in my mind. There are still things from 1st Nephi that I'm still chewing on.

vs 16: my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord, and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. -- There's thing two. Delight in the things of the Lord and ponder them when you see and hear them. I suppose you have to be able to recognize them first. There are all kinds of crazy little things during the day that are of God even though they don't seem like it. Like changing dirty diapers. Holding a screaming little girl while waiting for pain meds to kick in so her earache and pink-eye will dull to a background pain and she can sleep. Believe it or not, those things are of God, while also being earthly trials. It's a matter of how we choose to see them. And by pondering that in our heart constantly - A, we're staying on the straight and narrow, and - B, we're further from temptation and closer to gratitude and more likely to feel the spirit.

vs 17: "my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities." - Thing Three: Even Nephi felt inadequate, felt the need to repent, and was aware of his infirmities. It's a normal feeling, to be aware of our failings.

vs 18: "I am encompassed about because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me... 19: when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted." --again, I'm not alone in the whole "I'm unworthy" department, and yet Nephi trusts the Lord, trusts in the power of the Atonement to clean him up and clear the way. So maybe that's Thing Three point Five - Trust in the Atonement.

vs 20: My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness -- Thing Four - God Is there for us through thick and thin. His support never stops.

vs 21: He hath filled me with His love -- Thing Five: God's love / Charity / Christ-like love = the reason Nephi still loves his brothers. If we can achieve that, we will solve a lot of our contention and judgement and comparison problems.

vs 22: He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. -- Thing Six: When we have faith, miracles happen. When we realize our own potential and trust in God to make up the difference, we can do all kinds of things. I can't say that my enemies were confounded in High School, and yet I can't say they weren't, either. High School could have been much much worse for me than it was.

vs 23: He hath heard my cry by day and hath given me knowledge by visions in the night -- Thing Seven: Open communication is there. God hears you and answers you. He doesn't give your answer to a neighbor or to your bishop, or to your friend. He gives it to you.

vs 24: By day I have waxed bold in mighty prayer... and angels came down and ministered unto me. -- You cannot tell me you have not had angels minister. You can't because even though you can't always see them, it doesn't mean they aren't there. I don't care if you're agnostic, Atheist, whatever. God loves all of his children, and there are angels among us. So, Thing Eight: Sometimes you get to see an angel, sometimes you don't get to see them. It doesn't mean they aren't there.

vs 25: And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away, and mine eyes have beheld great things, too great for me to write. -- Thing Nine: There are things we cannot understand and cannot explain. But with God, all things are possible. And when we are personally ready, He will teach them to us.

vs 26: "if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my strength slacken because of mine afflictions?" vs 27: "Why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?" --- OH! Hello, YES! Nephi WAS human after all. His brothers did make him angry. Can I tell you how much better that makes me feel???? I'm sure it was a righteous anger after he prayed and repented, but still. The fact that he was human after all makes me feel so much better. I know Nephi's trying to figure out why he still feels guilty, still feels temptation, still worries over things when he has trials. Thing Ten: Sin still happens because we are imperfect beings, even after we have greater knowledge and greater experience. Repentence is an ongoing process.

vs 28: Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. 29: Do not anger because of mine enemies. 30: rejoice, o my heart, and cry unto the Lord and say I will praise thee forever. -- Thing Eleven: Stop dwelling on your sins, let them go, and find the joy around you. When you can find the joy, sing praises of gratitude.

vs 31: Wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake off the appearance of sin? - Thing Twelve: Even the appearance of sin is bad. If you want to be redeemed, if you want to be delivered from your enemies, you can't be playing with sin. You need to avoid even the appearance of it. And its' ok to ask God for help in doing it.

vs 32: "wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the paths of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road." -- strict in the plain road? does that mean obeying the visible, easy, commandments? (since they're all visible and easy)

vs 33: wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies -- Thing Thirteen: Ask for Help. Nephi trusts the Lord to help him escape from his brothers. He can't see a way out, he may not even be aware of the all of the options that he has. So he asks for help. We have situations like this all the time, too. How often do we ask for help?

vs 34: O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh. -- Thing Fourteen: Trust God. Trust God over Man everytime. Conventional wisdom is never ever ever a better choice than a commandment.

vs 35: I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh, if I ask not amiss. -- Thing Fifteen: Faith. Expect that God will answer your prayers. He does not always give you exactly what you ask for. Sometimes He says no. But He does always answer, and He does always send blessings in abundance. And when you need help, He really does send it. You're his child. Of course he sends it.

So, fifteen things I learned from Nephi's prayer!! I'm kinda happy with that! Thank you Nephi, for your prayer and your good example, and for carving those plates. And many many thanks to God for providing the scripture to teach us and help us learn.I really am grateful for all that I have.

Lehi's Final Words - BoM pg 62-63

2012-01-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

2 Ne 4: 1-14

Lehi gathers all of his grandchildren to him, first the children of Laman, then Lemuel, then the sons of Ishmael and all of their households.

vs 5 & 6: Lehi makes a promise to his grandchildren because he knows what is coming. "if ye are brought up in the way ye should go yewill not depart from it. Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing unto you, that the cursing may be removed from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents."

He knows. Lehi knows what his boys are about to become, and he also knows they know better. And while he loves them, he can stand before God and say he did all in his power. Therefore he blesses his grandchildren that they will be able to overcome the curse.

We're not told what the curse is yet, but it won't be long before Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael piss off everyone and get cursed. So it'll happen soon in the upcoming chapters.

Sam is blessed next, being told that his seed will be numbered with Nephi's seed and partake of all of the same blessings.

vs 12: Lehi finishes speaking to all of his family according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of the Lord, and then he dies. :( Very sad.

vs 13: true to form, not many days after Lehi's death, The Lemons are mad at Nephi again. Nephi had been constrained by the spirit to speak to them, and they did not like what they heard. Nephi says most of what he and his father had said to them are found on the other plates, they are not contained in these plates.

My thoughts are that whatever Lehi and Nephi admonished The Lemons about was either something we already have heard or was regarding the running of their new settlement, and not anything relevant to the saving of souls. Except their own. The Lemons, however, did not like being admonished. Ever. Nephi notes that he spoke to them because the Spirit told him to. I'm sure they were sad to see their father die, but how much past feeling were they by this time?

They'd already been to such a point that Nephi was filled with the power of God so much that if they touched him they would die.It was that bad that they needed that kind of a threat to do what needed to be done. I find it amazing that they forget so fast and immediately start coming after their brother as soon as they're upset.

On the boat, Nephi was tied up for four days, and instead of feeling sorry for himself, he praised God all the day long while bound. That must have really upset them.

But The Lemons knew right from wrong. They'd witnessed first-hand the power of God. They had seen an angel. They had seen the Liahona work. They cannot say that they didn't know.And they chose to act on their anger instead of letting their hearts soften.They knowingly chose the path they ended up walking, and with their father dead, all constraints on behavior were gone. Which is just sad sad sad. Shame on them, they knew better.

The Wilderness of Our Afflictions - BoM pg 60-62

2012-01-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi 2:1-25

As Lehi is blessing his youngest son, he makes two references to "the wilderness of his afflictions." First in verse 1 when he says that Joseph was born in the days of his greatest sorrow, and again in verse 3 when Lehi says he has brought his son out of said wilderness.

I kinda feel that way about my youngest, even though I probably have two children whose pregnancies and births coincide with events and trials that were hard for me to bear. The wilderness of my affliction, however, was not a literal wilderness. Nor were my two oldest children constantly bickering and fighting with my fourth child, getting so angry they wanted to kill her and me. Thankfully. They did get pretty mad sometimes when their little sisters got into their rooms and destroyed make-up, nail polish, books, and homework. But not exactly murderously angry.

It seems to me that Lehi was blessed with some pretty incredible children. For Nephi to be so incredibly righteous and for Laman and Lemuel to be so incredibly wicked must mean that they all were on the same scale of talents and depths of feelings. They just chose to use their talents and minds differently.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I wanted to point out two things. First: That we all have wildernesses of affliction. Old Testament prophets all go through them - quite literally - and we are no different. Second: that we do not wander in the wilderness forever.We are eventually brought out. Whether it's a wilderness of our own making or one the Lord saw fit to put us in doesn't matter. What matters is that we all go through it. How we come out of it is our choice: Angry, bitter, and rebellious or humble, righteous, and more experienced.

Lehi continues his blessing of Joseph, telling him more about his namesake, Joseph the son of Jacob, who was carried captive into Egypt. That Joseph had visions of Lehi's family, of the race and people that they would become, and the righteous branch of Israel. They are of his lineage, and because of that, the Messiah would be made manifest unto them in the latter days.

Joseph of Egypt also prophesied that " A choice seer will I raise up, who will do a work for the fruit of thy loins, even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants, and he shall be great like unto Moses. Joseph of Egypt goes on to explain that the house of Judah will write (the bible) and the house of Joseph will write (the Book of Mormon) and they shall grow together to confound false doctrines.

vs 13: out of weakness he shall be made strong. I think this goes along with the wilderness analogy. Everyone who traverses in the wilderness comes out changed and stronger. While Joseph Smith had all of a third grade education, was ridiculed by everyone he knew, he became strong with an unshakeable testimony. Joseph the son of Lehi had to be strong, no matter how young he was, given the state of his family relations and the real wilderness he'd had to grow up in to survive.

vs 15: the promise of the name Joseph. Joseph of Egypt knew that one of his progeny would be named Joseph, and would be a great prophet. And while Joseph living in Egypt knew what it was like to be a slave, and knew what his people were eventually going to be living like, he also knew there was going to be a Moses to save them. Not only that but generations later, there would be another Joseph born in a wilderness with a small branch of the house of Joseph, who would go on to father part of the great people in a new land. And many many generations later another Joseph would come forth who would translate their writings and bring them all back to the gospel because he would have power not just to bring the word, but to convince. (verse 11)

I wonder what Joseph Smith thought/felt when he was translating this bit?

vs 19: And the words which he shall write shall be the words which should go forth - for it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins had cried unto them from the dust; for I know their faith.

for I know their faith - God hears us, knows us, and is aware of us. He knows our faith.

vs 23: because of this covenant thou art blessed; they seed whall not be destroyed for they shall hearken unto the words of the book.

I wonder which tribes in South America are remnants of Joseph's seed, or if they moved up to North or Central America? That's a pretty cool promise, regardless.

vs 25: behold, thou art little; wherefore hearken unto the words of they brethren. Remember the words of thy dying father.

That makes me sad. Lehi did his best to raise his boys, to teach them what needed to be taught. He went through hell in the wilderness. And while some of his boys came up out of that wilderness with increased strength and testimony, some came out bitter and angry. Lehi loved all of his sons and wanted the best of all of them, he knew he could not control their choices. So he leaves a warning with the eldest along with promises of blessings should they choose right. And incredible promises and blessings with the young righteous boys along with warnings about their choices.They both got the same promises, just in different order with different emphasis.

As we traverse through our wilderness, what is the attitude we are taking? Are we finding the joy in the journey? or becoming bitter and resentful for it?

Becoming Free Forever - BoM pg 59

2012-01-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

2 Ne 2: 26-30

Finishing up Jacob's blessing from Lehi, Jacob is counseled about freedom, liberty and obedience. As I was looking over these verses, I felt like I wanted to talk about verse 21 and 22 before we moved on. I know it's going back to the "fall of Adam" but it's compelling me.

Adam and Eve lived in innocence in the Garden of Eden. They were as little children when they were cast out into the world, and while God gave them instruction, I'm sure that they, like us, did not get an "instruction book for babies." And being new to this world, new to everything, with no parents of their own, is it any wonder that "the days of the children of men were prolonged that they might repent while in the flesh" ?

It seems to me that the learning curve for right and wrong would be completely different then than it is now. We have society mores, inherent givens that are right and wrong. And I am sure that God gave Adam and Eve commandments when they left the garden, just as he gives us commandments today. But can you imagine going out, learning how to work, learning how to be a parent without a mortal parent there to help you? I can't. So upon reflection, I wonder if Adams 900 years was long enough?

For their state became a state of probation, for he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

So how much of that 900 years did Adam spend kicking himself? Or was he smart enough to realize that some things must be, and that he, like everyone else, could repent and rejoin God?

Repentance is available because of the Messiah, who, according to verse 26, cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children from the fall.

"the fulness of time" - that really makes it sound like the year he was born was super important in many ways. I wish I knew more about this.

"And because they are redeemed from the fall, they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day."

They = US = ME. I am redeemed from the fall, and I am free forever because I know good from evil. I am not free to choose the consequences of my actions, but I am free to choose my actions.

vs 27: Me are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. - This earth provides air, food, water, shelter, beauty, love, and everything else that we might need. And we find a way to get what we want in addition to that.

"And Man is free to choose liberty and eternal life, or to choose captivity and death" liberty and life through the Messiah, the Great Mediator of all men. Captivity and death through the power of the devil.

Look at things that happen to you every day. Every day there are opportunities to choose good vs evil. I have stewardship over my children, over my body, over my house. I choose how I treat my self and my children. I choose how I treat my house. I have the freedom to choose.

vs 28: Look to the great Mediator, hearken to his great commandments, be faithful to his words and choose eternal life.

What better a thing for a parent to leave with a child, than an urge to walk on the right side of life.

vs 29 - choose not eternal death, according to the will of the flesh (the whole purpose of life is to overcome the desires of the flesh, not let them overcome you) which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom. -- in todays day and age, we have so many things that captivate us. There are so many roads to hell. And so many people out there saying that it's ok. It's acceptable to let your body rule you instead of you having some self-control and ruling it. Well, for me, it is not ok for my body to rule me. I know I let it sometimes. When it wants to sit and I know I should get up and exercise. My struggles are so very different from everyone else's. Yet they are my struggles and they are just as real to me as someone else who may struggle with drugs or alcohol or many other things.

vs 30 - Lehi's final words to Jacob "I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls"

So, in other words, he said what he said because he would like to see his boys again.

It's interesting that we have Jacob's blessing recorded, we have Joseph's blessing recorded (it's chapter 3), we have the two verses that comprise Lehi's parting words to The Lemons, Zoram, and the sons of Ishmael. But there is not a recording of the blessing given to Nephi. I am thinking that it was probably too personal and precious to share. And the things Lehi would have said to Nephi would not have been about how to repent and be strong, I'm sure there were other things told to Nephi that do not pertain to us, but pertain to him having to lead a family that was splitting in half and going to war against each other. That had to do with visions and things of a spiritual nature that we as a whole are not ready to read or understand. But I'm pretty sure that he and Sam both received a blessing from their dad. That's just how things are in these families.

And He Shall Consecrate Thine Afflictions - BoM pg 56-59

2012-01-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

2 Nephi Chapter 2: 1-25. Lehi Blesses Jacob

In the blessings that I remember reading in Genesis when Jacob blesses his boys, I don't remember them being this long. I do remember the power of the blessings given to Ephraim and Manassah. What a great gift to not only have a blessing from your father that explains gospel doctrine, but to have it recorded so you can go back and read it over and over again.

There are so many different things in this blessing that can be expounded upon it's hard to pick a theme for this chapter.

Jacob was the first-born in the wilderness, who suffered much affliction and sorrow because of the rudeness of his brothers. (Not my words, but Lehi's. I wonder if Laman and Lemuel were so immersed in the society at Jerusalem that they really just couldn't leave it all behind them. Like Lot's wife.)

vs 2: "thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain."

This isn't just for Jacob, this is for all of us. That is why it's scripture. Our afflictions are for our gain, if we use them as such. It's really hard to see them as stepping stones. I know I tend to see them as the reason for the cuts and bruises. Yet when I look back on my life, I know the things I went through as child make me who I am today. Had my childhood been more soft and fluffy, I doubt I'd have been able to withstand the things I've had to go through as an adult.

Interesting note here in verse 3 about Jacob "thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men. And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory" So Jacob is just as gifted as Nephi, and has already had visions? This is pretty cool. Lehi has some very very awesome children. And I want to say for the record that I believe that Laman and Lemuel could also have been on that same spiritual level if they had wanted to be. At this point Jacob has to be around 8 or 9. I have no idea how long their boat ride was nor how long they've been in the Promised land. But no way can he be much older than that. He's like Samuel the boy prophet.

vs 4: "And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free"

Salvation is Free. What does this mean to you? To me it means that I do not have to go pay $300 to have my soul saved. I choose to follow the law of tithing because it is a commandment, but it's not the paying of tithing that gives me salvation. If I chose not to follow that commandment, Christ's atonement would still apply to me. Salvation is for all. End of story. And what's lovely is that Lehi further clarifies. I wonder if he does this because his son is so young?

Men are instructed sufficiently that they might know good from evil and they are given laws to uphold within those instructions. However, because of the law, and because men are flesh and therefore imperfect, they will always break it. So by the law, men are cut off from the presence of God. By being here in the flesh, we're cut off from Him physically, and because we break the law, we're cut off from him spiritually.

Yet he does not want us to be miserable forever, and so we have the Holy Messiah from whom redemption cometh. And He is full of grace and truth.

Let me take a moment to discuss grace. I spent a long time of my life not understanding what grace and faith are. Grace is the means by which God makes up the difference. What? Let me tell the story that finally made me understand what grace is. A little boy wants to buy a bike. He tells his dad that he wants to buy a bike, and his dad says "well, how much money do you have?" And the little boy shows him. His dad says, "well, why don't you do some work around the house for a few weeks and see if you can earn enough. So the little boy works and works. At the end of the month, he has only managed to save half of the money for the bike. So the dad makes up the difference and pays the rest.

That is essentially what grace is. It's where we do our very best, we try, we repent, we work as hard as we can and we still cannot attain perfection in this life. And yet we are as little children to God, and therefore Christ makes up the difference because he loves us.

Not only is that how Salvation is free, but that's how Grace works. Pretty cool :) It applies to everything from church callings to school work to cleaning house.

how? Well, Lehi gets to that in verse 7

Christ offereth himself as a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

meaning: Yes, Christ suffered for everyone. But what he went through in Gethsemane, suffering for the sins of all mankind, can only be applied to you if you ask for it to be. Probably not a good idea to stand on your own and say "Nah, thanks, i don't need your help" or "It doesn't apply to me, there's no way I could be worthy of that" Or "Big deal, I don't need anyone's help." In whatever way people choose to ignore or deny the power of the atonement, that is when they are saying no, I don't want the law to be applied to me.

A broken heart and a contrite spirit is a simple description of what happens to us when we go through trials. Our heart breaks open from the pain. It becomes a little bit bigger, it is allowed to feel what Christ felt. It starts to see the world differently. The contrite spirit is one who is aware that they are imperfect, one who is teachable, humble, and willing to learn. It is not someone who goes around cowed and afraid of people. You can have a contrite spirit and a broken heart and be a CEO of a company, being a good example and leading people around you. It just means that you're a CEO who loves the people around you and that you try to lead in righteousness instead of in corruptness.

vs 8: How great the importance to make these things known to the inhabitants of the earth. Missionary work.
I have a hard time with this, I have to admit. I very much hate discussing religion with people. I don't like other people to feel judged, and I don't want to put myself out there where they can reject me. I grew up with constant torture (ok, that's what it felt like from grade kindergarten to grade 6) for my beliefs, and I don't want to go knocking on doors and saying "Hey, have you heard the good word?"

I have immense respect for the Jehovah's Witnesses who knock on doors just to share a couple of scriptures with complete strangers. And for our own missionary force who go out and talk to strangers every day. My effort at this is to try to live the right way, and answer questions of people around me who might have them. At this point in my life, that's the best I can do.

Anyway, we are supposed to share the word, because people need to know that they cannot make it to the presence of God without the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who will lay down his life according to the flesh, and then taketh it up again by the power of the Spirit, bringing to pass the resurrection of the dead.

So, because of the atonement, we get to return to the presence of God, we are justified and sanctified via Grace, and lo, we'll get our bodies back at the end, too. All we have to do is be willing to take advantage of the Atonement and try to live right.

(and no, I'm not going to go into justification and sanctification this time. there will be plenty of opportunity for that, and I'm not sure I understand them well enough today to even try.)

That's a pretty sweet deal. The Messiah makes intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved. ALL the children of men. That means everyone who has ever and will ever live on this planet.

verse ten talks a little bit about how at one end of the scale is the happiness that comes from taking advantage of the atonement. The other end of that scale is the punishment and misery that is opposite, it's what happens when you choose to ignore what you've been taught.

Ok, see that? "Ignore what you've been taught" - meaning, that people living out in the middle of nowhere who have no idea about God or repentance, etc. They will be judged according to what they knew. If I were a little kid living in India, I would be judged by whether or not I lived up to the teaching of Hinduism or Buddhism. Because the atonement is for everyone, regardless of race, religion, or placement on the planet. I believe that when people stand before the bar of judgement, they will know and remember God. They will not feel uneasy because they are not one religion or the other. I have absolute belief that the bar of judgement will be completely fair for the individual person standing there.

I've digressed. The point Lehi was getting to in verse 11 was that there must be opposition in all things. Otherwise there would be no righteousness, no wickedness, no holiness, no misery, no good, no bad. So in order to experience the good, bad has to be here somewhere. And in order for there to be good consequences, then there must also be bad consequences.

vs 13: "If ye shall say there is no law, ye shall say there is no sin." This goes on the whole verse boiling down to if there is no law, then there is no God, and if there is no God then there is no us, and all of creation would have vanished away.

But there is a God, and he hath created all things, both things to act and to be acted upon.

vs 16: the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other. -- see D&C 21:6

We fought a war in the pre-existence for the right to choose. It is up to us how we behave, how we believe, and how we act. But we cannot become who we are to become without the experiences of right and wrong. That is part of being human, that is part of our growth experience here. We cannot attain a broken heart and contrite spirit if we never do anything wrong.

There's some information here on the properties of the devil, which I feel like skipping, but I probably shouldn't.

--he was an angel of God, fallen from heaven, who became a devil
--he sought that which was evil before God
--because he had become miserable forever, he sought misery for all of mankind
--he will tell a thousand truths to get you to believe one lie

In the garden of eden, Satan told Eve "partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good from evil."

Truth: they will know good from evil. And they did, which was how they realized they were naked. The lie? that they would not die. Because once they were cast out, they became mortal.

vs 22: "If adam had not transgressed, he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state forever. They would have had no children, wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence having no joy, no misery, doing no good for they knew no sin."

so, it comes down to verse 25: Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.

Find the joy in the journey. Because that's the point of everything. There is something joyful about every day. Sometimes you have to look really hard to find it, and I'll be the first to admit that there were plenty of days that I believed there was absolutely nothing joyous going on around me. I was blind, but that was how I saw things. Regardless, there WERE things to be grateful for. It just takes some persistence to find them sometimes.

I'm going to end there, I have much to do with my day today. I'll finish off chapter 2 and Jacob's blessing tomorrow.

Lehi's Last Plea to his boys - BoM pg 53-56

2012-01-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

2 Ne 1

Now that Lehi's family has made it to the promised land and Nephi has taken his turn teaching his brothers, Lehi steps in and offers his final words of advice to his oldest sons. The trip through the wilderness and across the sea has taken its toll, and he knows his days are numbered. That, however, is not what he dwells on. Instead, he spends is remaining time trying to encourage, teach, and build up his children. To the end he has hope for them.

First he points out that they have been spared many times and the great things they'd seen and been part of and about how now they'd obtained the land of promise. At this time he shares with the boys that he's seen a vision and he knows that Jerusalem has been destroyed, and had they stayed, they would have died.

So, yes, they've had afflictions, yes, they've had their share of misery, but they are alive, they are in a new land which has been promised to be the inheritance for his seed.

note: vs 5: "the Lord had covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.
vs 6: "There shall none come unto this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord."

Yes, that means Cortez and Columbus and all the other explorers and pilgrims.

vs 7: And if it so be that they shall server him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them.

There's also a note there in the rest of the verse that states that if they abound in iniquity, the land will be cursed for their sakes and that is when the people will be subjected to tyranny, captivity, etc. In todays terms, there are several countries in South America struggling with dictators and violent regimes. Here in the U.S. we have economic issues, droughts, severe storms, and war. In todays day and age it is not a popular thing to believe in God or to follow the moral ethics set down in the Bible and other scripture. So iniquity abounds.

however, God does promise that unto the righteous, the land will be blessed forever.

vs 8: The Promised Land is kept from the knowledge of other nations because if they knew about it, they'd overrun it.

Think about Europe today. The major cities are overflowing with people. In Asia, as well. India's major port cities are so full that even middle-class people are homeless simply because there is not enough housing. Over here in the west, the america's have the fewest people per square foot than any other country/continent aside from the poles and possibly Australia.

vs 9: the covenant:

Our side: keep the commandments and covenants with God.
God's side: the people will prosper, they will be kept from other nations, they will dwell safely there forever, knowledge of the creation, knowing great and marvelous works, having power to do all things by faith.

BUT - should we/them/the people not keep their covenant, then God will instead curse the land.

People: wicked, dwindle in unbelief, reject The Messiah
God: brings other nations to the people who have power to take away their lands, the people will be scattered and smitten, wars and bloodshed

I know that it is not politically correct to say anything bad about another culture. Frankly, learning about and researching North American history is just painful to read. I do not like learning about the tyranny, deaths, and torture that the white man did to the Native Americans. And I believe that those who lied and were unjustly cruel will pay for what they did. I do not believe that it made God happy to see his children treating each other like that. Yet it was a fulfillment of this prophecy all the same, sad as it is.

Because Lehi sees these things, he pleads with his sons here. Now, as we are to liken the scriptures, what do you personally get from these next verses?

vs 13: O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chain by which ye are bound. (I think I know what that chain feels like. Post-partum depression felt very much like a chain of hell dragging me down in a deep sleep.) which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe.

Chains that bind: addictions, self-destructive behaviors, abuse, contention, etc

vs 14: Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days I go the way of all the earth.

Lehi is sad to leave this mortal state, but he is not afraid to die because he knows that the Savior's atonement has him covered and "I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love." That is one of the most beautiful statement of scriptures ever. I am sure that it touched Nephi. It's too bad it bounced off of The Lemons.

vs 16: remember to observe the statutes and judgements of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning.

Essentially for the next few verses Lehi explains to his boys exactly why he worries about them, how he has felt, and as a parent the worries he has for them. His most specific fear being "that God should come out in the fulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed forever." or that they will be cursed and will suffer all manner of afflictions for generations.

vs 19: O y sons, that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and favored people of the Lord."

If any of us have children or siblings that are wayward, we can know of a surety that Lehi himself knows exactly how we feel. He has prayed and counselled and loved to the very end. And he dies having a good idea of what will happen once he's gone, but hoping to the very end that The Lemons will come around and be good leaders.

Scriptures of note to me to take personally:

vs 20: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments, ye shall be cut off from my presence.

personal note: The punishment is being cut off from the presence of God. I was explaining to Isabeau that as long as she was feeling the Holy Ghost, then she was worthy of his presence. And if she was worthy of his presence, then she was living right. Because the unrighteous will not be able to feel it. So while I may not be prospering in the sense of being rich, I know I'm on the right path when I can feel the spirit daily.

vs 21 makes me laugh: "arise from the dust my sons, and be men..." BE MEN!!! stop being childish, whiny brats. "be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things." Imagine what those boys would have accomplished had they all worked together and united.

Ok, now we get to the armor part that I love so much. I absolutely love the visual of armor going on. And I believe that it affects a person's real spirit, body, and self when they do these things and makes them less vulnerable to the enticings of Satan. Now I thought Lehi went into more details about the armor of God, but he doesn't. We'll get more from Nephi and others later on.

* Put on the Armor of Righteousness (envision a sleeping giant, waking up from under a mountain (coming out of obscurity), shaking off old rusted chains, and grabbing a breastplate and snapping it into place.)

* Rebel no more against your brother (sometimes even when we rebuke with love, it comes across as sharp and painful. Nephi loved his brothers, yet they found his words hard and held that against him, even though he only had their welfare in mind.)

* Hearken to the Voice of Nephi. if you listen to your brother, you won't perish. If you don't, you lose your first blessing and Nephi gets it.

* Zoram's seed will be blessed and dwell in prosperity long upon the face of the land, and nothing, save they turn wicked, will harm or disturb them.

Lehi loved his sons, and Ishmael's sons. He loved Zoram. He was a man who struggled and lived through many hard things, who gave up a ton of this world's riches for his beliefs, and in the end he saw the promised land and watched his boys grow into brilliant and strong men. Not all would choose righteously but one cannot say they were not strong or brilliant. Strong in different ways, yes. But variety is the spice of life.

Understanding Isaiah - BoM pg 50-53

2012-01-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

1 Nephi chapter 22

Nephi not only wrote Isaiah down for us to read, but he was reading it to his brothers at the time as well. So here in chapter 22 we get to see the questions that The Lemons had. And it seems to me that these are valid questions because Isaiah is not always easy to understand. So I wonder if they really were trying to get it?

vs 1: "what meaneth these things which ye have read? Are they to be understood according to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh?"

ok, firstly, this question makes me think a couple of things. A - they are so used to the metaphores that dominate their religious culture that they automatically assume that this was another metaphore for something that will happen to their spirits and/or afterlife but nothing that affects reality around them. and B - They do have an understanding of spirit vs body.

vs 2: Nephi answers them: "these things were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh.

for those of you who read that verse and go "whaa?" like I did the first time I ready it, here's how I interpret that explanation. The Holy Ghost is the conduit for God to speak to His prophets. Therefore, by the Spirit (Holy Ghost) are all things taught/shown/explained to the prophets. But while the prophets get their information via the spirit, the prophecies themselves regard the actual people, events, and reality going on around them.

vs 3: The things which I have read pertain to both temporal and spiritual.

so, my interpretation of chapter 21 yesterday was mostly a spiritual interpretation, but it also has a literal temporal explanation, which Nephi is about to launch into.

--The house of Israel will be scattered upon all the face of the earth among all nations
-- Part of the tribes are scattered on the isles of the sea
-- More have yet to be scattered (the Nephites are part of this)
-- Because they harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, they will be scattered and hated of all people. (Just look at history folks. And if you read the prophecies, this hatred isn't set to be ongoing, it does have an end.)
--The house of Israel shall be nursed by the Gentiles (who are lifted up and set as a standard) and the Gentiles shall carry the house of Israel as if they were their children.
(look at the way the U.S. handles their interests in Israel today.)
--There will be a mighty gentile nation raised up on the Promised Land who will scatter their own seed (Nephites and Lamanites)
--This nation will have a mighty work done which will be of worth to their seed as well as to the Gentiles and all the house of Israel.
--All the kindreds of the earth will be blessed because the Lord God will make bare his arm in the eyes of all nations, bringing about his covenants and gospel to those of the hosue of Israel.
(I do not understand the allegory/metaphor of baring one's arm. I just don't. I usually take that to mean he's extended his hand in a gesture of helping. I'm sure there's a scholar out there somewhere who knows.)
--God will bring his people again out of captivity and they will be gathered to the lands of their inheritance (the establishing of Israel on May 18, 1948 and the great exodus of Jews all over the world to their homeland.)
--the house of Israel shall know their savior
--the great and abominable church shall turn on them, causing wars, civil wars, and much bloodshed. "they shall be drunk with their own blood"
--Every nation will war against the house of Israel, but all that fight against zion shall be destroyed.
--The Millenium will happen - the time when Satan is bound
--The righteous will be preserved and their enemies destroyed by fire
--Jesus will come (referred to as the Holy One of Israel and also referred to as a great prophet who all must hear or they shall be cut off)
--Churches established for gain, for popularity, for lusts of the flesh, and for iniquity will be destroyed
--The righteous will be gathered from all corners of the world and shall follow Christ.

vs 30 Nephi ends his timeline of what will happen on the earth and to the house of Israel, and bears his testimony to his brothers to read the things on the plates of brass "for they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God."
vs 31: If ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day.

I need to take a minute and explain that enduring to the end is not what the Lemons do in crossing the wilderness, the ocean, etc. It is not resenting your trials, and glumly standing before the Lord saying "Well, I made it. I endured." No.

Part of enduring our trials is finding the joy in the journey, getting to the bar of God and saying "Hey! Did you see what I did???" Because while our trials bring pain, they also bring joy and knowledge and deeper understanding than we would have had without them. We cannot grow without them. Therefore when we are told to endure to the end, that means stick it out through the hard times appreciating the good things and having a good attitude.

And that brings us to the end of First Nephi!

I Have Graven Thee Upon My Palms - BoM pg 48-49

2012-01-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 21 (compare Isaiah 49)

As I read through this chapter, trying to decide what stuck out to me the most and what I think Isaiah is trying to say here, the phrase from verse 16 really stuck out to me. "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

In context, he is talking about the house of Israel thinking that God has forsaken them. If you recall in chapter 19, Nephi had prophesied that the Jews would become a despised and hated people. So Isaiah's prophecies here about the house of Israel show that there is hope. The house of Israel feeling that God had abandoned them sounds like something any people suffering persecution and hatred for a few hundred years or so would normally feel. And while Nephi's prophesy reflects the state of things in verses 19-21 (and is referred to throughout the whole chapter), Isaiah is giving them promises that there will come an end to the suffering.

When it comes to seeing things for a group of people, even when we are included in that group of people, we tend to overlook that those blessings are personal. God isn't just saying that he sees the walls of Jerusalem and is watching what happens to the city because he loves the city. Nor is he saying that He is watching what happens to the people as a whole and only cares about what happens to them as a whole.

"I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands" - I know you as well as I know the back of my hand. I see you every time I move my hand to pick something up, or do something. You are always with me. I have nail prints in my hands for you.

This verse from this chapter means the most to me. Even though the rest of the chapter is talking about how the branches of the house of Israel are never forgotten, that those on the isles of the sea are saved for a specific day and time to give light to the gentiles -- note to self: great idea for a youth poster. A girl standing up from a group of people, she is bright and shining, and happy. The rest are darker, perhaps grayed out. Not sure. I can specifically see Jada here, "arise and shining forth." I can already see the layer masks and Photoshop brushes I'll need. And how the house of Israel will be restored one day and that they will be restored by the Gentile nations. No matter the destruction, no matter how bad things are going to get, God is watching and will restore them to glory in his own time.

Ok, given the hopefulness of this chapter, the, for lack of a better word, oomph with which this prophecy is delivered, it's like being a basketball player and receiving the greatest half-time pep-talk from your coach and then believing that even though you're down, you're not out and that you're going to win the game after all.

That's what this chapter reminds me of. But verse 16 seems to be the focal point for me, because it's as if God is trying to tell me that even though yes, he cares about the group as a whole, yes, he cares about the team, what He really wants me to know here is that I am graven on his palms. Of all the billions of people on this planet, he knows my name, my needs, and my desires. And while I may or may not be lumped in with a specific group of people, I matter to him. My walls are continually before Him.

(What walls? hahahaha if you knew me, you'd know I have plenty.)

And so yes, while this chapter is meant to give the people hope for the future, I think Nephi bothered to copy it into his plates because he wants us to personalize this. Yes, life is going to be hard for a while. Yes, you're going to feel like you're losing everything that matters. You're going to feel desolate, captive, alone, unequal to the task. But it's going to be ok in the end, because God is in control. And He will lift us up and restore us to our greatness.

Our greatness. My greatness. Your greatness. Each one of us has a spark of divinity within us. So when you ask me "what greatness," I mean the greatness of our divine nature. Because when God says He loves YOU, he means it. Why? Because you are his child. Don't believe me? Ask him yourself.

So, while I'm not going to go through and dissect this chapter verse by verse, I think I got what I needed to get from it, today. If you feel like reading it and dissecting the verses, feel free to comment, and I'll happily partake in the pondering of the verses. Perhaps you pull something completely different from this chapter. I think that's the beauty of Isaiah. And part of the reason that Nephi loves to quote him so much.

Hearkening to Isaiah - BoM pg 46-47

2012-01-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 20 (Compare Isaiah 48)

Nephi loves Isaiah. Loves him lots and lots, and this chapter here is not the first time that we're going to encounter quotes from Isaiah. I will not claim that I always understand Isaiah. So what I will do here is just type what I get out of what I read. Which may or may not be the intended meaning, but as Isaiah was a poet, I sometimes wonder if that was the point in the first place.

Also a side-note. This chapter comes after Nephi had been prophesying about Christ. So the last couple of verses of 1 Ne 19 were a great segue into chapter 20.

And remember: LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES... so, with that in mind, let's see where this takes us.

vs 1: Hearken (meaning Obey) and hear this, O house of Jacob (ok, that's you, me, everyone, so insert your name there and I'll insert mine) who are come forth out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet swear not in truth nor in righteousness.

-- so I skipped the dependent clause in there that specifically says "who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism -- For a second I wondered if the crossing of the children of israel through the red sea counted as a metaphore for baptism, and then I realized it's the wrong body of water that's he talking about there.

anyway, I believe he's talking about hypocrites here. Hey, you who claim to be followers of God but don't do what you're telling others to do.

vs 2: they call themselves of the holy city (Jerusalem), but they do not stay (anchor) themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yeah the Lord of Hosts is his name.

know anyone like this? This could be anyone, from someone in your church who only remembers religion on Sunday - and some only remember it for the time they're in a church house. Those who pound podiums to those who judge others around them while failing to live the same principles they expect others to do.

vs 3: behold, I have declared the former things (prophecies) from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them. I did show them suddenly.

I did show them suddenly. I'm trying to think how that applies to me. Is that when you get a smack in the face from a gospel principle being taught? Is that when something is declared over the pulpit, like President Kimball's declaration about allowing those of African American descent to hold the priesthood? Or is it no-holds-barred "Get OUT OF DEBT" type of prophesy? Today's prophets can be pretty straightforward about things, pretty blunt. Pretty offensive to some. I wonder if it's that type of "show them suddenly" that Isaiah is referring to here?

vs 4: And I did it because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass

well, yes. I can be stubborn. So taking my by surprise is a good way to get me to listen

vs 5: And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; before it came to pass I showed them thee; and I showed them for fear lest thou shouldst say -- Mine Idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them.

Ok, this I understand. I think. In todays age, we would say, Well, duh, there's a scientific explanation for that, or Nostradamus predicted that, or "this guru who is really good at such-n-such made that happen by using only his MIND." whereas what Isaiah is saying here is "Ok folks, here's what's going to happen if you don't obey." and he gives them plenty of notice. And then they can't say their Idol made it happen when it was clearly foretold. Well, ok, they CAN say their Idol made it happen, there's just plenty of opportunity to refute their claim.

vs 6: Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

-- this is where the waters begin to get murky for me. What this means to me is "Bear your testimony. And make an attempt to understand revelations that may come to you."

vs 7: They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say -- behold I knew them.

-- um... there are not footnotes for me to refer to here, and I have no writing in the margins. So, I believe Isaiah is referring to the new things shown unto us in verse 6. And there is no way that you could say "Oh, I knew that already" because no, you didn't, they were new.

vs 8: Yeah, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thin ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and was called a transgressor from the womb.

-- ouch. Ok, so God knew I would sin from the womb. And "deal very treacherously" kind of hurts. If I liken the scriptures and take this personally, then I have to think about the times I have forgotten about covenants, broken covenants, not lived up to my end of the bargain. In that case, this is a fair statement. Especially if I were still living in those moments. Being human, I am imperfect, therefore transgressor is an apt description of me.

vs 9: Nevertheless, for my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off.

-- For my name's sake. I think that means that because we have entered the waters of baptism and taken the name of Christ upon us. When we act upon the atonement, and use it, thus praising God instead of spurning him, we are not cut off from His spirit.

vs 10: For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

--does everyone reading this know the story of the silver smith? Who refines silver by exposing it to great heat? And he only knows when it is ready when he can see his reflection in it? That is when all of the impurities are burned away. So we go through afflictions and trials to learn, to become better, to become chosen.

vs 11: For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted, and I will not give my glory unto another.

-- Ok, I really am not sure I understand this. I *think* this is referring to Christ here, and that his name is not to be polluted, and that there will be no other to take his place? Or if this is Christ speaking here, then he's saying he will purify those who claim to be his followers, so that his name will not be polluted. "I will not give my glory unto another" doesn't make sense to me following that, though. Of course Christ won't give his glory to another. Is that a reference to idol worship? "I'm gonna refine you and make you mine, so your "things" won't mean nearly as much."

vs 12: Hearken unto me, O Jacob (insert your name here), and Israel my called (the rest of you), for I am he; I am the first, and I am also the last.

--Obey, for I am God

vs 13: Mine hand hath also laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spanned the heavens. I call unto them and they stand up together.

--Yo, I built this earth and the heavens. And I can make them move.

vs 14: All ye, assemble yourselves and hear; who among them hath declared these things unto them? The Lord hath loved him; yea, and he will fulfil his word which he hath declared by them; and he will do his pleasure on Babylon and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans.

-- Get together and listen to your prophets, because the Lord loves them. The things they tell you WILL come to pass. Those who come to battle against you will be punished.

vs 15: Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have spoken; yea, I have called him to declare, I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

--um... who is him? Is this a reference to Isaiah? the "I have called him to declare" makes me think that this verse is referencing a prophet. If I'm trying to liken this to me, I can assume that's one of today's prophets? And he shall be very good at pontificating? I'm not trying to be disrespectful here, I'm just trying to understand... "he shall make his way prosperous" that sounds to me like he'll be very good at whatever it is he's trying to be good at.

vs 16: Come ye near unto me; I have not spoken in secret; from the beginning, from the time that it was declared have I spoken; and the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

-- "Come follow me, the savior said, then let us in his footsteps tread" -- that's what came to mind.

vs 17: And thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I have sent him, the Lord thy God who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go, hath done it.

-- The prophets are sent by God. God who teaches you how to succeed. So listen.

vs 18: O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments -- then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

-- Ok, honestly, now the song from Disney's Pocahontas comes to mind... ha ha. Rivers are deep, ever moving, and flowing. Rivers can be rocky and dangerous as well and languid and smooth. I'm assuming that if this is referring to peace, it's referring to a nice, happy, smooth river like the Mississippi. Not the Colorado. The righteousness, well, the waves of the sea are endless. Endless righteousness makes perfect sense to me. Had you obeyed the commandments, you would be full of peace and endlessly righteous.

vs 19: Thy seed also had been as the sand; the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

-- you're family was going to be endless, like the sands of the sea. And had you obeyed my commandments, The Name of God would never have been cut off from you, nor would you have been destroyed from before me.

vs 20: Go ye froth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord had redeemed his servant Jacob.

--Is this a last-chance offer here? Hey, go declare all of this to everyone. Drop your parlay, stop the political maneuvering, and just tell everyone that the Lord God of Israel is real and has saved Jacob and will save all of us. Stop trying to make agreements with the Babylons. Just get away from them. Remember your faith in God, not man.

vs 21: And they thirsted not; he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also and the waters gushed out.

-- I know this story. This is the one Moses took personal credit for and was punished by never getting to step foot in the promised land because he said "See what *I* did for you? Can't you stop complaining long enough to see what's been done for you?" instead of giving the glory to God.

vs 22: And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.

-- that verse doesn't need my interpretation.

So basically, here's what I get from this. "Listen and obey the commandments and you will have peace, prosperity, and the Spirit of God to guide and direct you. And prosperity in family size, guidance from prophets, and influence on the countries around you. However, if you don't listen, if you don't obey, if you kill your prophets and "claim" to be of God but act like an idiot, well... well, then you're up a creek."

Why Nephi Writes - BoM pp 43-46

2012-01-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

1 Nephi chapter 19

Today I took my oldest daughter up to college, helped her move her things into her dorm room, bought her some groceries, and gave her some cash. She is now officially independent to make her choices about how she sets up her half of the dorm room, what supplies she buys, when she buys them, how she takes care of herself, and how she interacts with the seven other girls in her dorm. She is armed with the skills she was born with - curious, intelligent, resourceful, and funny. She is also armed with some skills she has been taught - problem solving, faith, and independence. She has her scriptures to turn to, she has cousins who live on campus that she can call, and she has a Father in Heaven who loves her. Much as I love her, I cannot be there to help her live her daily life. It is her turn to fly.

What does all this have to do with Nephi? Well, essentially, the Lord kicked them out of the nest, gave them tools they would need to survive the trip, and let them go. He had to intervene now and again, but they made their choices (as seen often enough with The Lemons) and they had to live with the consequences of their choices.

Nephi notes in verse 2 that "the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates" - meaning the record he made of his father. So if we want the details of the eight-year journey, the ups, the downs, the joys, the sorrows - that's the record all of that is contained in.

The record we are reading is Nephi's second record, which contains the "ministry and prophecies" that "the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people."

Putting this in perspective: Is it more important to me that Daria (currently a History major) learn about wars, strife, ceremonies, and tradition? Or is it more important that she learns why she's here and what her purpose is? The sacred knowledge, the more important bit - in my opinion - is the knowledge of who she is and why she's here. If she knows that, then all other knowledge falls into place and she can use it constructively and purposefully.

vs 6: Nephi expresses self-reservation about us judging his writing. "If I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, would I excuse myself."

That just makes me want to give him a big hug. Of course he's a tad overwhelmed, knowing that his kids, grandkids, and further on MILLIONS of people were going to be reading it. It's ok, Nephi. You took the time to find ore, to smelt the plates, and engrave everything on. I'm GRATEFUL. If the day comes that I become judgemental about the writing itself, someone should slap me.

vs 7: For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and the soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. - Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet.

Nephi is concerned not just about how people judge him, but how they treat the Lord. The idea of the Lord. Setting Him at naught and hearkening not to his counsels. So this record means a lot to him. It is worth the effort to make it. It is worth the effort it if helps people see the importance of God, helps them heed His counsel, and brings them closer to the joy that closeness brings.

There are some prophesies about Christ here that are interesting to note:

-- He will come 600 years from the time Lehi left Jerusalem
-- The world will judge Him to be a thing of naught
--They will scourge him, smite him, and spit upon him - and He will suffer it because of his kindness and long-suffering toward the children of men.
vs 10: "The God of our father...yieldeth himself as a man... into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up and to be crucified, and to be buried in a sepulchre. Three days of darkness will follow as a sign to those in the isles of the sea.
vs 11: The Lord God will visit the house of Israel at that day:
the righteous: will hear his voice unto their great joy and salvation
the wicked: thunderings, lightnings, tempest, fire, smoke, vapor of darkness, opening of the earth, mountains which shall be carried up: "The god of Nature suffers"

Because Christ created the world. He is not just the god of Nature. He is the GOD of everything. It is a big deal when he dies. Even the earth mourns.

vs 14 relates to verse 13 - the prophesy about what happens to the Jews, those who turned their hearts aside, rejected the signs and wonders, and killed their God.

--They shall be scourged by all people, they shall wander in the flesh and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.

I heard someone complaining about those two verses a couple of years ago, claiming that the Mormons are anti-semitic because this prophecy. Clearly whoever was complaining does not know history at all. Read the book "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and see how Jews are described. Read anything written by Charles Dickens and see how he refers to Jews. And note, these were written LONG before WWII and the Nazi's. For many years in Christian Europe, especially during the dark ages, the prophesies in verse 14 were completely accurate. Jews were despised, mistreated, publicly humiliated, and everyone took part. I'm not saying it's right... in fact, it appalls me that people treat other people so badly because of religion. But I am saying that it happened. You cannot go back and re-write history just because you don't like it.

I can't go back and make slavery never happen. Nor can I undo all the horrific things that happened to the Native Americans. I am simply stating that Nephi's prophecy came to pass.

vs 15-17: promises that the House of Israel on the isles of the sea will be gathered up, blessed, and remembered by the Lord.

As a Mormon, we have a great many traditions in the Hawaiian and Polynesian Isles that have to do with this prophesy. I don't care if you're LDS or not. What I do care about, though, is that people in forgotten places now have the opportunity to learn more about their purpose, their origins, and their life. If they want to.

vs 19, Nephi is talking to YOU. When he says House of Israel, replace that with your name. "I speak unto Chris, if it so be that she should obtain these things." Well, I have. therefore, it is my duty to listen.

vs 23: for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning." Nephi does this to teach his brothers. We should make a habit of this - of making the scriptures personal. They were written for you, for me, for all of us, but they were not written for a group, they were meant to be taken personal. Everything about our religion is personal. It is not my calling to judge those around me, to expect everyone to live the way I live. It is my calling to take what has been given to me, and use it in a way pleasing to God. And I guarantee that if it pleases God, it will please me. Because He only wants what is good for me, and for me to be happy.

vs 24 "Hear ye the words of the prophet, and liken them unto yourself that ye may have hope"

what better advice can you get on a day like today? Have hope!

Crossing an Ocean - BoM pp 41-43

2012-01-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

1 Nephi 18
The last couple of days I've kind of felt like I've been afloat, not really knowing where I'm headed. The emotions and tears I can't really account for, the frustration at stupid things, and the grumpy outbursts probably all stem from floundering and feeling like I'm treading water instead of being grounded. My ocean is full of sadness at watching my baby girl go off to college all by herself, feeling like I'm wasting my potential, and frustration at not knowing where to begin. Begin what? Everything.

Now, like Nephi's family, I have a choice to make. I can choose to be afraid, bitter, and angry at the situations around me. Or I can choose to take a deep breath, weather the storms that I cannot control, and look at my mountain of to-do's and pick one to start with.

We all have these choices every day. Some days I make a good choice. Some days I'm a Lemon. I sincerely hope that I'm not making enough lemonade to fill my own ocean.

Nephi starts us off in chapter 18 noting that his brothers are now worshiping the Lord and helping him build the boat with curious workmanship. However, they did help him build the boat.

In order for Nephi to build the boat, the Lord had to show him from time to time how to work the timbers - because this ship was completely different from any of the ships he'd ever known of. He went into the mountain to pray often, and was rewarded by seeing great things.

vs 4: The Lemons approve of the boat, decide that it is good and that the workmanship was exceedingly fine. (Of course they'd say this. They helped build it.) But lo, "wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord."

They were humble here in verse 4. Remember that, it's one of the last times that will ever happen.

vs 5: the voice of the Lord comes to Lehi that their family should get ready to go. Ok, so now Lehi is getting the direction for the family. Is it because his boys are manageable? Was the boat thing just for Nephi to work out with his brothers? I'm a tad confused here, but I'm sure it made sense to them.

regardless of MY confusion, Lehi's family, kids, and grandkids get everything they've gathered and prepared: fruit, meat, honey, provisions, seeds, and everything they had brought with them. All of this goes into the boat.

Here is also where we get introduced to Jacob and Joseph, the two sons that Lehi had while in the wilderness. Assuming that when the journey started that Nephi was in his teens and The Lemons were in their early twenties (which is assuming a lot, because under Jewish tradition, they SHOULD have been married by then) and assuming that after eight years Nephi is somewhere in his twenties, that puts Sariah somewhere in her forties... which is still child-bearing age. My mother had her last baby at 46. Having had six children myself, and knowing that every pregnancy gets harder, not easier, I have to believe that Sariah was blessed. Super extra blessed for A - walking all that time while pregnant at her age, and B - for being willing to do it.

So here is this growing family, hardened and strengthened by their trials in the wilderness about to get on a ship and trust God to get them to the promised land. No charts. No wind patterns. No oars. Just trust in God.

Well, it all starts off just fine, everyone boards and gets settled with no problems. After being on the boat for "many days," though, The Lemons, the sons of Ishmael, and their wives being to make themselves merry. Now, I can see why they'd want to celebrate and find some joy in the fact that their wanderings have finally come to an end and they're headed to the promised land. I would totally be excited, too.

But these guys don't celebrate in a nice way. They start out with dance and song and then proceed to "speak with much rudeness, yea even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness."

vs 10: And I, Nephi, began to fear exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be swallowed up in the depth of the sea.

So, I'm going to make another assumption and say that these guys were partying it up saying how great they were getting out of Jerusalem, making a boat, getting away from everyone chasing them, and look at them now. On their way to a land even richer that would all be theirs. The Lord doesn't mind celebrations, but he does mind very much when you forget to give him credit. Especially when He was such a huge part of how and why they were still alive. I can see why Nephi became afraid.

So, in six verses we've gone from humble to NOT.

And, The Lemons being The Lemons, of course they get mad at Nephi for speaking up and ruining their party. No way are they going to let their little brother be a ruler over them, no way were they going to let him tell them what to do at all any more. The ship was on it's way, they were all saved, so enough was enough.

*sigh* Those Lemons.

vs 11 - All fear of Nephi and the power of God is gone. It's as if it never happened. They tie Nephi up and beat him up. Interesting that Nephi notes that the Lord allows it that he might show forth His power concerning the wicked. He's not angry or bitter about any of it. I'm thinking that Nephi was just sad for his brothers and his family.

Why? Well... because I've been on the Ocean. I know sea-sickness. And I'm pretty darn sure that The Lemons had no idea what was in store for them. But Nephi did...

vs 12: The Liahona stops working
vs 13: Can't steer the ship with no directions
A big storm arises and this ship is "driven back" for three days
vs 14: the storm gets worse on the fourth day
vs 17: Lehi tries to talk them down - The baddies threaten anyone who will speak for Nephi - and Lehi and Sariah stricken to sick-beds.
vs 19: Jacob and Joseph grieved because of the afflictions of their mother (I'm assuming sea-sickness was a good part of this as well as everything else)
vs 20: Nothing say ve the power of God, which threatened The Lemons with destruction could get them to change their minds.

vs 15: Sure that they're about to die, The Lemons see reason and loose Nephi. Here is a small thing to note: Nephi comments about himself. He's been tied up for four days (ick) and the bands were tied so tightly that his wrists and ankles were swollen exceedingly and great was the soreness thereof.

FOUR DAYS of tempests, storms, and scary ocean weather. I cannot even imagine. Nothing anyone in the family said or did would bring them down out of their pride and self-righteousness except the fear of death.

So they finally free Nephi, and he picks up the Liahona and it works just fine for him. So he then prays, and the storms and winds cease that there was a great calm. The boat keeps moving forward, though. and in verse 23, they finally arrive at the promised land.

Immediately they being to plant seeds, till the ground, and start a settlement. They were blessed with abundance in crops, animals, etc.

So even with the storm and the fight, they make it across the ocean and finally feel like they can breathe. However, the seeds of discord have been sown and are growing no matter what Nephi and Lehi try to do.

I should note, that in verse 16 Nephi says "I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions."

I need to learn from his example.

Nephi's Discourse pt 2 - BoM pg 40-41

2012-01-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

1Ne 17: 42-55

Nephi has been reviewing the story of the Children of Israel and Moses with his doubting brothers. And now he's bringing it full circle back to them. If someone were to point the finger at you, and say, "Hey, stop your complaining. Remember what the Children of Israel went through? Remember what Lehi's family went through? Remember what happened to the Nephites? Remember what happened to the Pioneers? Now listen to yourself. Who do you think you sound like?" What would you do? Would your reaction be anger? Shame? Contriteness? Humility?

How often do we find ourselves complaining about our leaders, complaining about our situations, complaining about the small stupid things, and blaming others around us for those things? Or blaming ourselves? Just because there HAS to be someone to blame for things that go wrong? Things can't just go wrong because this is an imperfect world, no there has to be a REASON and a finger to point at it.

Well, that's how I interpret The Lemon's behavior. And my own many days. Nephi, however, turns it back on them here. He's basically saying that his brothers are no better than their predecessors. They complain and go right back to "wishing they were back in Egypt" as soon as anything goes wrong.

Nephi bears his testimony to his brothers that only a few of the people living in Jerusalem will be saved and carried away into captivity. Most will die. It will not be a pleasant situation, nor fun. I am sure that there were innocents and righteous people among the wicked, but as we see in daily life, the righteous are allowed to suffer right along the wicked. We ALL have something to learn in this life.

vs 44 Nephi calls his brothers out: "Ye also have sought to take away [Lehi's] life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them (the people in Jerusalem). Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time..."

He's pointing out to them that they have absolutely no excuses. None. They are completely responsible for their actions and fully accountable for their crimes. And he points out that they are "past feeling" and cannot hear the still small voice of the Holy Ghost. And because of that, the Lord must speak to them in a voice of thunder that causes the earth to shake.

Maybe my memory is bad, but I don't recall that story. So maybe that's one of the things that happened during their trials in the wilderness. Somehow I don't see Laman and Lemuel not complaining at all for eight years. So this voice of thunder must have happened at one time or another during that eight years. Hmm... I have a cross-reference penciled in for D&C 9:8-9. Which must be referring to the still small voice again, because that is the verse that talks about answers to prayers. huh.

So, anyway, Nephi asks his brothers "O, then, why is it, that ye can be so hard in your hearts? Behold, my soul is rent in anguish because of you, and my heart is pained; I fear lest ye be cast off forever."

It all comes back to love. Despite everything, he still loves them. They are his older brothers, and he loves them dearly. Nephi is not only an example of faith and courage, but of Christ-like love. He may be filled with righteous anger with them at times, but he never ever stops loving them. And yes, he calls things like he sees them, but he sees truth. So everything he says to them is truth, regardless of how hard it is for The Lemons to hear it. When they talk to him, however, they speak out of anger.

Which is how they react here. The react with anger and want to throw Nephi into the depths of the sea.

And here is where we get another cool and fun miracle and story. Nephi sees them coming to get him and responds with "In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power of God, for God shall smite him."

How cool is that????? I really just love that whole verse; it's one of the most powerful visual images that I have from the Book of Mormon.

So, filled with the power of God, Nephi tells The Lemons that they should murmur no more against their father, nor should they withhold their labor since God has commanded them to build a ship.

vs 51: "If the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me that I should build a ship?"

Now there's the question of the day, right there. If God is a God of miracles, if He created this world, and is omniscient, then why indeed could he not teach Nephi how to build a ship? When then can He not instruct us or lead us in whatever our own personal instances may be. It's a very valid question that Nephi poses here.

He continues to confound his brothers so much that they are afraid to touch him for several days. This say a few things to me. A - they must have tested the Lord's patience on that eight year journey for this to be the climax of their confrontation on this continent. B - Don't mess with Nephi. Of course, they don't really learn this lesson completely, but they learn it for the moment.

After a few days of their fear, and before they can talk themselves out of it, Nephi is commanded to reach out and touch them. The Lord has made it so they won't die, but will just get a shock. And so The Lemons say "we know of a surety that the Lord is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has shaken us." And then they fall down to worship Nephi. So he has to remind them that he's their younger brother, not a God, and to go worship God and honor their Father and Mother.

Nephi's Discourse pt 1 - BoM pg 38-39

2012-01-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

1Ne 17:19-41
As I read these two pages, I had a thought. Perhaps the Lord called Nephi to the mountain and gave him the commandment to build the boat - thus passing the mantle of leadership to him - because He knew that Nephi was the one who would have to take a stand against his brothers. Lehi loves his sons. Loves loves loves them. And I am wondering if the constant bickering was too much, and Lehi just wanted peace? Or if he was sick? or what? Something happened somewhere that caused Nephi to be the one who had to stand up to his brothers.

Now, the Lemons being who they are, mistake Nephi's sadness at the hardness of their hearts in vs 19 and they take that as a victory and see it as him caving. Really, how rude can you get?? "We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work. And thou art like our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart..."

wow. just... wow. Every time I read these verses, I cringe. The journey in the wilderness has not tempered The Lemons at all. They are just as mean as ever they started out as. I'm sure Nephi rejoiced every time they repented, and cringed every time they fell back into the same patterns. I mean, they even say they'd rather their wives had died in Jerusalem than suffer the trials in the wilderness!! Why would you say something like that?? What is wrong with becoming strong?

The fact that The Lemons believe that their possessions would have made them happy. (vs 21) Really. A house and some gold would have made them happy. I'm sure it would temporarily. But I'm also pretty sure that The Lemons would not have enjoyed battle at the hands of the Babylonians and/or being carried off captive. Or slavery. And eight years of living in the desert has made them stronger and capable of fighting for their lives than eight years of cushy city life.

Ok, that's me. And that's the me that grew up with not enough food and water and the heat being shut off in the middle of winter because my parents couldn't pay the bills. That's the me that grew up to be strong because of my trials. And am grateful for them. I know what it is like to be hungry and cold and tired and to not have enough. I do NOT understand The Lemons at all here. Yes, those experiences SUCK. But they do make you stronger and better. If you let them, I guess.

Obviously the Lemons didn't learn anything, or chose to forget it as soon as they wanted to. Because in verse 22 they continue to lecture Nephi, saying that the people of Jerusalem were righteous. !! Oh boy. I just don't have the words.

So in verse 23, Nephi stands up. And he begins to try to explain to his brothers. In plain words. I love this part, because it's so... right. And it's hard to read when you're not where you should be on the strait and narrow path, but it's still right. I'm going to paraphrase some.

"Do ye believe our fathers, the children of Israel would have been led away from the Egyptians if they had not hearkened to the word of the Lord?

"Do ye suppose they would have been led out of bondage if Moses hadn't been told to get them?"You do know they were in bondage, right? And that they had tasks grievous to be born?

"And hey, you know that Moses parted the Red sea, and saved his people, while killing of Pharoahs armies?

"And you know they were fed with manna, and Moses broke a rock open and water gushed out to quench their thirst.

"Oh, and hey, you know that they were led by the Lord with a Pillar of Fire giving them light by night and doing all things for them that they might need. And the children of Israel hardened their hearts too, and wanted to go back to Egypt. So the Lord destroyed those who had hardened their hearts.

"And they were made mighty and drove out the children of the land across the river Jordan, scattering them to destruction.

vs 33: "Now, do ye suppose that the children of this land, who were in the land of promise, who were driven out by our fathers, do ye suppose that THEY were righteous?? Behold, I say unto you NAY.

vs 34: Behold, the Lord esteemeth ALL FLESH in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. So Nephi is laying it down for his brothers. Those who were the children of Israel who hardened their hearts against God after having lived with daily miracles, WERE DESTROYED. He is warning his brothers that they'd better get with the program or they're going to get their heads set straight for them.

Not only that, but we learn something important in verse 34, that helped me understand the bible better. The Children of Israel were God's covenant people because they were righteous. The people they booted out of the land we now know as Israel were kicked out because they were very much NOT righteous. This is a big deal to me. I always had a hard time with how God could say in one verse that he loves everyone and is no respector of persons, but then send the Israelites to go kill of an entire population of people. Well, now I understand it. I still don't like it, but I understand it.

There are consequences for disobeying commandments. Some are immediate, some are delayed, but they are there. And in the case of the Children of Israel, they were the hammer used to pound out some of the idol worshipping religions that also indulged in human sacrifice, etc.

And now comes Nephi's testimony:"The Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it. And he raiseth up a righteous nation and destroyeth the nations of the wicked. And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth and curseth the land for their sakes... and he loveth those who will have him to be their God."

He continues, but Nephi's testimony is very powerful about the trials that the Israelites went through in the wilderness. How they needed to be called to repentance. How the firey serpents came in and made everyone sick, and way way of healing was prepared. But the way of healing was so simple that many refused to look and therefore died.

While the Lemons ranted and complained for four verses, Nephi's rebuttal lasts for three pages. He rebuts with stories of the children of Israel because that is the story closest to their hearts that they can relate to. Not to mention the fact that they're living a miniature version of that story.

In a way we are all living a miniature version of the story. Is our testimony as powerful as Nephi's? Could we call our brother to repentance after they were so rotten and mean? Could we be willing to forgive and move on with someone who has threatened our life more than once? And meant it? I do not envy Nephi's position here. His brothers are not nice. His parents have done their very best, but The Lemons have made their choices. And while it is not yet the end for them at this point in the story, I know how it turns out, and I still have to wonder if it was worth it. I guess the answer is yes, because at times the Lamanites are far more righteous and worthy than the Nephites. Take the Ammonites. So, yes, the Lord preserved The Lemons for a reason, but wow. I do not envy the family members that had to live with them getting to the promised land.

Go and Build A Boat - BoM pg 37

2012-01-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

1Ne 17: 5-18
The scriptures are full of all kinds of accounts of prophets or leaders or special men being commanded to do things that were waaaaaaay out of their comfort zone. Moses being told to free the Israelites. Elijah to confront the priests of Baal. Esther to confront the king and save her people. So why is building a boat such a big deal here? Because Nephi had no idea how to build a boat. He was not raised in a seaport, he did not spend his time on the docks or the shipyards, he had no clue about boats. I'm sure Noah felt the same exact way and could relate.

So when we follow the advice of "Liken the scriptures" and we come to this part where Nephi is told to build a boat, how do we liken that? The Lord hasn't told me to build a boat. (And if He did, I'd probably Google it to learn how.) BUT, ten years ago the Lord did tell me to quit my job and be a mother. That was hard and way out of my comfort zone. It still is. So I think instead of being literal here when likening the scriptures, the best way is to find parallels. Because trust me, every single one of us has been asked to "build a boat" at one time in our life. The real question is how we handle the challenge.

As Nephi starts this bit of the record in verse 5, he notes that they've finally arrived in a land they call Bountiful. It's covered in fruit and honey and has a beautiful view of the sea. Finally, after eight years wandering, they can rest. So they pitch their tents by the seashore and rejoice for this beautiful place. I'm sure some were thinking they'd finally made it to the promised land.There is a blurb here in verse 6: "notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea even so much that we cannot write them all" that gives a hint of what their sojourns in the wilderness were like. Yes, they were led by the Lord. Yes, they traveled by faith. No, that did not make the journey easy. However, Nephi being Nephi does not dwell on that part of their life. He instead chooses to focus on the joy of finding a place with food and peace.

After given a time to rest, the Lord calls Nephi to the mountain. Mountain tops are the closest thing to a temple, so Nephi goes and prays. I'm sure, after been given time to rest but not having been told to build a house, he's knows something's up. And it is. This is not the place they are to live, this is just a launch point to get them across the water. This place not only has food, but it has a supply of wood and ore so that Nephi can build a boat.

Now note in verse 9 that Nephi's response is not one of "what?? How??" no, it's instead "Where do I go to find ore so I can make tools." Even if he knew nothing about blacksmithing, Nephi knew from previous experiences that if the Lord told him to do something, a way would be made for him to do it. I also find it interesting that it was Nephi called to the mountain, not Lehi. Had the mantle of leadership been passed to Nephi while on their 8 year journey? As Patriarch, I would think Lehi would be the one receiving the revelations and passing them down, as he did when they first left Jerusalem. So it is interesting that here Nephi is getting the direct instructions. And it makes me wonder just what the trials were on that journey, because Lehi seems to be another background family member now. Which is odd.

So anyway, Nephi learns to Blacksmith. He makes a bellows, he makes fire -- and here we learn that the reason the women were eating raw meat in verse 2 was because the Lord had commanded them to go without fire so he made their food sweet. Not quite mana from heaven, still a miracle --

-- and I need to digress for a moment. vs 13: "And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments" Folks, we are in a wilderness every day. We have not yet reached "the promised land." Every day is a struggle. Every day we face temptations, discouragement, problems, and trials. And we can choose to look to Christ as our light and follow Him, or we can choose to ignore him. If we learn nothing else from this chapter, we need to learn that when we are given hard things to go through and experience, there is ALWAYS a light for us to follow, always hope. --

So Nephi is armed with hope, with a knowledge that God loves him and his family, and with the strength that 8 years of struggling in the wilderness brings. He's a survivor. And he follows the Lords commandments. He forges the tools that he's going to need to build a boat. And The Lemons, tired, wanting to stop moving, are upset and start calling names again, saying Nephi is a fool to think they can cross the ocean.

Tsk tsk tsk. Those Lemons. Now, I can understand being tired and wanting to stop. I can understand being fatigued and sick of moving around. I get that. I don't get doubting their brother. ESPECIALLY when he's already gone and forged the tools!! Hello... he wasn't born a miner or a blacksmith, either. Maybe The Lemons had decided this was where they were going to live and therefore wanted to be the leaders of the family again, so they had to discredit Nephi in front of all the kids? Or... they were that insecure? All I know is that they are the Kings of Contention. They didn't want to do the work, they didn't want to believe that a boat could be crafted that they could float in.

When looking at this bit of the story on this page... these 12 verses say a lot about people. We can choose how to handle situations in one of two ways. Nephi's way: buckle down, get to work, and DO IT. or The Lemon's way: Complain, fight, ridicule, and attempt to destroy the obstacle in your way.The Lemons suffer from a severe lack of vision. They don't know where the Lord is taking them. They don't bother asking, either. They know where they've been and they know where they are now. They don't trust anything they've heard or seen, they simply trust what they are experiencing right at that moment. There is no faith, there is nothing but the "now" with them. And "now" they are finally in a place they can see spending the rest of their lives, and they do not want to leave. So they fight it.

Do we do that?I guarantee there's a reason that Nephi writes about his brothers, and I'm sure that it's not just to show how normal family dynamics affect every family. There are bits and pieces of The Lemons in all of us. We can either choose to emulate them or emulate the bits inside of us that are more similar to Nephi.

More Sibling Rivalry - BoM pg 36

2012-01-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

1Ne 16: 36-39; 1Ne 17: 1-5

With all of my calls for charitable thoughts for the daughters of Ishmael, I tend to lose patience with Nephi's brothers, the Lemons. I don't know if this is because I grew up with a bunch of brothers, or if it's because I'm a mom and I watch my kids fight and try to stop it, or what... but Laman and Lemuel - even in writing - know how to test my patience to its breaking point. It's a good thing Lehi and Sariah were their parents and not Rob and I.

in vs 36 people are complaining about the death of Ishmael and wanting to go home. Which, as I've stated before, is completely understandable that they feel that way.

HOWEVER

vs 37, Laman and Lemuel take things a step too far. They start talking to the sons of Ishmael, pretty much saying "Hey, help us kill our dad and our little brother Nephi. He's just a little thing who wants power anyway."

uh... HELLO??? McFly!!

Their reaction to Ishmaels death is to want to kill Lehi and Nephi. THAT is how they handle stress. Get rid of the obvious reasons for it. Whether that's right or not.

Not to mention the fact that they go on and on about how they think Nephi has lied about talking to angels, and how they are deceitful, leading them around for pleasure...

Ok, let me stop there. In verse 38 when they say "that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure" you know what I think? I think they caught Nephi being happy out in the wilderness. I think they caught Lehi being happy and finding joy out there, too. And even though hard times happened, those two knew how to find the joy in the journey. And I think it made Laman and Lemuel jealous. Big time. Because they didn't understand how that was possible.

So, their wives are grieved, they don't understand how their father and brother can possibly be happy with all this going around, and they go over the edge. Again. KILL THEM! KILL EVERYONE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PAIN!!

I cannot help but roll my eyes at them every time I read this bit. I want to reach out and slap some sense into them. See, I'm thinking on their level. That's what they try to do.

Firstly, we know that killing someone is never ever ever a good solution. Unless an angel tells you to do it. And you're Nephi. And the person you're told to kill is Laban. But note, the Lord told Nephi to do the killing - and he very much didn't want to do it. Can you imagine what would have happened had Laman and Lemuel done it? They wouldn't just be talking about killing their dad here, they'd have done it and gone back to Jerusalem with never a second thought. Possibly having turned into serial killers or worse. Well, based on what they teach their children and grandchildren, they teach them to enjoy killing anyway, so... yeah. nuff said.

The Lord knows their hearts, and he knows their tendencies, and so he intervenes here. Really. Vs 39: "The voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did chasten them exceedingly."

The Lemons really are THAT bad that in order for the plan of the Lord to succeed He must personally get involved.

A: He loves them enough to stop them from killing Lehi and Nephi.
B: He loves them enough to personally chasten them
C: He loves the entire group enough to stop them from devolving into bandits and a murdering clan.

Had the Lemons succeeded with their plan, the group would not have made it back to Jerusalem. Once one life was taken, none would be sacred and it would have been bloodshed galore. And while the Lord allows us our agency to choose, I think he felt the need to postpone the testosterone flick until they'd reached the promised land. Because it wasn't just Nephi and Lehi that were righteous here. Sam, the wives, the children, Zoram, etc... there were many with them that were innocent. All the complaining and infighting had to be stopped. It's not all the time that the Lord intervenes. There are many many many instances where I wonder why He didn't.

In this case, I'm glad He did. The Lemons listened and turned away their anger, and now people were blessed again with food. It's amazing how complaining and turning away from the lord can result in being hungry. It's not always physically hungry, sometimes the hunger is in other ways. In this case it's physical hunger because God controlled the food supply. But in today's day and age, that hunger can be for love, for acceptance, for spiritual knowledge, for all kinds of things.

Chapter 17:

vs 1: More affliction: "we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness."

Can you imagine? I can't. But they did it.

vs 2 tells us how: "so great were the blessings of the Lord, that while we did live upon raw meat, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmuring."

The Lord will make weak things strong, and these city girls learned how to survive in the wilderness, and they adapted to their surroundings. And became stronger for it. "Strong like unto men" is pretty cool, seeing as that's written from a man's point of view. Women are pretty darn strong, period. And we can endure just as much as a man can, but generally the guys are there to prevent that from having to happen. Those women bearing children in the wilderness, carrying their little ones for miles, etc... they are amazing. Do I think I could do that? Yeah, I do, if I was called by God to do it. How many of those girls learned that they were capable of doing things they'd never dreamed of doing? How many learned a sense of freedom and empowerment from those experiences? I imagine those women were pretty incredible.

vs 3: if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God, he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them.

I love that bit. Nephi isn't saying that the Lord made their trials go away. He's saying He made them capable of handling them. For eight years. Eight Years!! They sojourned in the wilderness for EIGHT YEARS!! My daughter will be eight in a few days. In her lifetime we have lived in five different places. five. These people lived in tents and went from place to place to place, and maybe they can count how many places they've lived and maybe they can't. But that's a long time. I don't even have words for the amount of respect that I have for them for growing and surviving for that long in those circumstances.

The Faith of a Child - BoM pg 35

2012-01-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 16: 21-35 Our family has had a minor trek this past year, moving suddenly from one home, to another, to another. A lot of our stuff is still in boxes, some seems to be lost forever. Things like shoes, coats, socks, favorite stuffed animals, etc... all missing in one way or another. This puts a lot of strain on families. And we aren't living in a tent, nor are we out there hunting for our food. We still have our friends, we've made new friends, and we are still provided for.

Lehi and his family, however, did not have trucks to haul food storage or things they might want - like that awesome party dress their grandmother made them. They had to take what they needed, and learn how to make things last.

So when Nephi's bow finally broke, and the other boys' bows lost their spring, it's natural that people would be upset. It's completely understandable. When we moved, a couple months into moving, the transmission died on our van. Our second car had died, so we were without transportation and had to rent a car for a few days until we could find a replacement. At least we had a cushion of savings at that time to buy a replacement. But it was hard. When you're IN that situation, it is hard to remember that the Lord has a plan and that all things are in His control. Instead, it feels like Murphy's Law is in effect and that everything you touch goes bad and wrong.

I remember singing "Count Your Blessings" over and over and over like a mantra to try to keep from being angry at God. I'm not sure it succeeded all the time, but I did try. My point being that I can understand why everyone took a moment to complain. They were out in the middle of nowhere, they were hungry, they were homeless, they were not sure where they were headed, and now the source of food was broken. Nephi, who up to this point was seemingly unfallible, had broken his bow. Can you imagine, the spitfire little brother who spoke with God, who was protected by angels, who had unshakeable faith, with a broken bow? If God loved him and let his bow break, what did that mean?

I can certainly understand how they felt. And I can tell from the way Nephi writes this that he himself felt the pressure and the discouragement. However. Nephi being Nephi, does not let that stop him. Yeah, its upsetting that his family is hungry. And his brothers sit down and giveup, and grump grump grump. But not Nephi. He goes to sleep on his empty stomach like everyone else, figures out how to solve his problem and goes and builds a new bow and finds a straight stick to use as an arrow. One arrow, mind you. He's got to be a great shot. And a sling.

So he makes himself weapons, and then he goes and asks his dad where he should go hunting. Can you imagine being Lehi at that point? You're the patriarch of the family, your family is tired, hungry, you've got an old friend Ishmael that is trying to keep up, but is old and sick and dying. And you're the reason he's out here away from the comforts of home. And you KNOW you left town for a reason, you know the Lord told you to do what you are doing, but it's hard and for a moment you let yourself feel sorry for yourself and doubt. And then comes your son, and says 'Dad, where should I go hunt?' And he looks at you with eyes full of faith and belief, and it reminds you of all the things in life that are good.

Can't you see it? Yes, life is hard. Yes, there are trials that seem so bad you just can't go on. And then something small comes up, like a child's faith, and it reminds you that you, too, have that faith. And so you go pray, and the Lord DOES answer you.

Nephi points at the Liahona in vs 29 saying "and thus we see that by small means the lord can bring about great things" But I think the "small means" in this case was the simply act of a son's faith in his father.

Yes, the Liahona was a small little miracle, and I probably should note that it's pretty cool that it acted like a compass according to their faith and obedience. But isn't that how our dealings with the Lord work anyway? When we are doing what is right, we have constant communication, we feel and listen to the spirit on a daily basis. But when we are not doing what is right, we lose that sense of direction and we "flounder in the wilderness."

So I don't get super excited about the physical Liahona because we all have the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which is our personal Liahona. It would be really cool to see it, and read what is written on it, but I just can't see that as a replacement for the communication means I already have. It seems to me that the Lord gave them the Liahona so that Laman and Lemuel and the other doubters could see the metaphor. That's really what I think it was. An object lesson so that those with limited understanding could have an idea of what went on inside Nephi and Lehi's heart and mind.

So, the big deal here happens when Lehi repents for his doubts because his son prods him, and he prays, and poof the Liahona starts working again and points the way for Nephi to go hunt. And so Nephi follows the directions and comes home with lots of food, and everyone celebrates. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop Ishmael's time from being up. And he passes away in a place they call Nahom, which means "consolation, be sorry, console oneself."

Those poor girls, losing their dad in the middle of the wilderness :( Makes me sad for them. As all things are in God's hands, I am sure that it was for a reason. But even with Nephi's faith, that didn't make it any easier for him to lose his father-in-law.

vs 35: the daughters of Ishmael did mourn exceedingly because of the loss of their father, and because of their afflictions in the wilderness.

Yeah, it's easy to point fingers here and point out the similarities between the children of Israel complaining to Moses and Lehi's family complaining. It's easy for us to do because we aren't living it. But think about this a bit. They left Jerusalem because their father directed them to do it. They did not all want to be there and they had suffered a great deal. And now their father has died. The first death in the wilderness, it's completely understandable that they were wondering who would be next and feeling their mortality, their tiredness, and mostly angry that their dad had to pass away right there.

I do not envy Lehi or Nephi the job of leadership of this group. This trek wasn't an easy one, mostly because people are people, and they feel what they feel. And death is not an easy thing to deal with no matter who you are. The Lord puts us in our own wildernesses of trials to test our faith, see us grow, and let us experience the gamut of emotions and experiences. It is our choice how we handle the trials, but He does not judge us for feeling bad or angry or sad. He simply encourages us to find the good around us and continue learning and finding other reasons to be happy.

I don't think Nephi was judging the others as he wrote this, either. It doesn't feel like it, it feels like he simply is telling it as it was. They were unhappy, therefore they complained, and cried, and wanted to go back home.

On the flip side of that, There was much to be grateful for that they weren't seeing. They had food. They were still alive. They were not being taken captive by the Babylonians. Their families were growing, not shrinking - even with the loss of their father. For all the trials, they were healthy, and still had spiritual guidance. Had they looked for it, they could have found peace amidst the storms they were riding.

Trials in the Wilderness: BoM pg 34

2011-12-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 16: 7-20

vs 7: While living in the Valley of Lemuel, Lehi's boys (and Zoram) all pick and marry a daughter of Ishmael.

vs 8: We get a teensy glimpse of Nephi's personal journal "And also, I, Nephi, had been blessed of the Lord exceedingly." Yeah, I think he was very happily in love with his wife. This has less of the feel of an arranged marriage and more the feel of an arranged meet - but pick your own partner.

After the marriages take place, everyone is paired off, then Lehi is told they've been there long enough and it's time to head out.

vs 10: The Liahona appears! As Lehi is getting up to leave his tent, on the ground is "a round ball of curious workmanship: and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness."

The Lord prepared a way. This is very different from the Children of Israel who were led by Moses. Those children had much to learn and were destined to wander for 40 years in the desert. 40 years without clear direction until an entire generation of people died off.

But Lehi's family was given a compass to start their journey with. They weren't fed with Mana from Heaven; they had different challenges ahead. So the Lord gave them a very special compass.

The family then gathers up everything: seeds, food, tents, etc. After 4 days of travel they stop at a place called Shazer. The notes say this means "Twisting/intertwining." I would like to see this place. I envision rock canyons. But while here they stop and hunt for food.

They continue on, staying in the more fertile areas of the wilderness, along the borders near the Red Sea. They hunted with bows and slings.

On one of the stops, Nephi goes to hunt and breaks his bow. Now, his bow was made from fine steel. So it breaking is a big deal. His brethren can't believe it and are angry with him because now there's no food. And when they returned to their families - who are also hungry and fatigued, everyone else starts complaining, too. Even Lehi begins to murmur.

Now, before we go judging these people, let's remember we haven't walked a mile in their shoes, let alone days and days. Yes, Lehi begins to murmur, and I'm sure Nephi writes it down for a reason. A - prophets are people, too. B - everyone's faith is tested in different ways. Liken the scriptures to yourself, and what in your life becomes the equivalent of Nephi's bow breaking? And are you Lehi or Nephi in the story? Are you stepping away from faith for a moment to feel sorry for yourself? Or are you gritting your teeth in spite of the hunger and the disappointment from family and going to do something about it? The atonement is just as applicable to Lehi as it is to us.

vs 20: This sounds a lot like the Children of Israel saying "we would have been better off in Egypt" - The Lemons and the children of Ishmael saying they'd have been better off staying in Jerusalem. To be honest, I'm sure they felt that way. Tired, hungry, having walked for miles and miles and now no food because Nephi's bow broke and that was the bow that was powerful enough to bring down the big game and feed everyone. And who knows how many pregnant moms were there at this point? I'm sure some felt they'd rather have been killed by a soldiers sword than be out in the middle of nowhere hungry. It had to have been frustrating and definitely was a trial that they would all learn from. Some would learn faith. Some would re-plant the seeds of hate, spite, and anger here and struggle with them from this point forward.

Questions pt 2: BoM pg 33

2011-12-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 15: 33-36; 16: 1-5

Nephi is answering The Lemon's question about the river of water in Lehi's dream being a representative of filthiness and hell. And how it pertains to both spiritual and temporal issues. Our actions in this life matter and count, and one day we will have to account to the Lord for our actions.

in vs 33, Nephi explains that if we die in wickedness - meaning NOT using the atonement to make things right - then we must be cast off as to the things which are spiritual and righteous. Spiritual death. When we sin, we separate ourselves from God. We move to a place where we cannot feel His love. It doesn't mean He doesn't love us. He does. We just can't feel it.

So, at the end of this life, you die. And you are brought to judgement to determine how close to God you are going to live for eternity. If your works have been works of filth, then you cannot live close to God in the Kingdom of Heaven.

vs 34: The kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God

Thus the atonement. Because every single one of us makes mistakes. We are all of us filthy without it. With the atonement, our sins which are as scarlet are made white as snow. And we can then enter into God's rest.

Nephi continues on to explain that there is a place prepared for the filthy as well as the righteous. "wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God or to be cast out" When we do not take advantage of the atonement, then the law of justice is not fulfilled by Christ. Therefore we then have to pay the price demanded by the law of Justice. It supercedes the law of Mercy. Justice MUST be fulfilled one way or another. Either Christ pays the penalty for our actions or we do. (And let me explain that we DO pay a price here in this life, but eternally we can be forgiven.)

But this is why the wicked are rejected from the tree of life. A - by nature of being wicked, they don't really want to be there anyway. B - uncleanness cannot be in the presence of God.

---Chapter 16 ---

The Lemons tell Nephi that he has told them hard things, more than they are able to bear. They didn't want to hear about judgement and being wicked. But Nephi tells them that he only speaks the truth. The righteous are justified and shall be lifted up at the last day.

**the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center**

this is so true. We see this all the time. And sometims those cuts work to bring about change. And other times it simply bucks up the pride cycle and makes things worse.

Nephi, though, he doesn't pull any punches. vs 3: "If ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say "thou speakest hard things"

So, when we find ourselves thinking "How dare someone say that to me, don't they know how I feel" -- are we being Lemons? or are we listening and adjusting our course of life accordingly?

The Lemons at the point in time humble themselves before the Lord, and Nephi has great joy and hope that they would walk in the path of righteousness.

Just because I know what happens in their future does not make that moment of righteousness not worth it. It WAS worth it. And I'm sure those good moments are what made their mini-exodus worth it.

Answering Questions: BoM pg 32

2011-12-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 15:19-22

As Nephi rehearses to his brothers answers to their questions, I have to wonder about the people who answer our questions. Do we know who we're getting our information from? The Lemons had a brother and father who and inquired of God and been taught by God. Who do we listen to in our day? When we ask scriptural questions or any other kinds of questions. Where are we getting our answers from?

Obviously we should be listening to our prophets, but there are also a lot of learned people to be taught by. There are also a lot of people who don't know what they're talking about that think they do and will lead us astray and off down wrong paths. It is important to remember that the Holy Ghost will testify truth to our hearts. That is how you can feel if someone is giving you correct information or not. And in todays day and age of information, that is really the best way to go about testing your sources.

vs 19-20, Nephi is explaining to his brothers about the future of the Jews in latter days. He not only uses his own vision, but also the words of Isaiah. I think the great part is that in vs 20, Nephi's explanations to his brothers cause them to be humble and pacified toward the Lord. That isn't Nephi, that's his brothers listening and feeling the spirit.

Lehi's tree - a representative of the Tree of Life
Iron rode = word of God: "whoso would hearken unto the word of God and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness to lead them away to destruction."
river of water = filthiness - an awful gulf that separated the wicked from God, also a representative of hell.
--verse 30: I don't recall reading about this in previous chapters, but Nephi notes that the Justice of God also separates the wicked from the righteous. And that justice burns bright like a flaming fire, ascending up to God forever and ever.

vs 31 - Laman and Lemuel pose a great question: "Doth this thing mean the torment of the body in the days of probation? or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body? Or doth it speak of things which are temporal?" This is a great question! A lot of people wonder the same thing. Are we living in hell now? and are we receiving our punishments now? or is it all mostly after we die that we will suffer?

vs 32: Nephi has the answer. The dream is a representation of both temporal and spiritual things. There will be a day of judgement when we will be judged by our works done in our temporal bodies.

This continues on the next page - but I would like to point out that the works done here and now count. The Atonement is in place for us when we slip and fall. So we need to use it to stay in the strait and narrow path. Because what we do now matters. Every day matters.

Olive Tree metaphore - BoM pg 31

2011-11-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 15:9-18

The Lemons are confused about the olive tree metaphore that Lehi used. And they don't believe that the Lord will explain it to them. Ok... these guys SAW an angel. And they don't believe the Lord will explain why an olive tree has anything to do with the house of Israel and the Gentiles? It's a good thing they've got a patient little brother.

vs 11 Nephi kind of points this out to them. sort of. "If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

I would like to point out this property of faith: "Ask in faith BELIEVING THAT YE SHALL RECEIVE" It's the believing that what you're asking for will come that matters most. THAT's the power of faith at work, right there. that belief.

vs 12, Nephi explains further:

Olive Tree: House of Israel
--they are broken off from the House of Israel, so they are a branch of the tree no longer attached to the main tree.

--grafting of the natural branches: in the latter days the Gentiles will have the gospel of the messiah and will teach it to their branch. thus grafting it back into the tree.

vs 16: their house shall be remembered again and will be returned to the true olive tree. But not until they're scattered by the gentiles.

vs 18: it's not just their family that is being grafted back in. But all of the house of israel (there's still ten tribes lost! we can account for ephraim, mannasseh, and Judah) Lehi was promised that through his seed all of the house of israel would be blessed. (this book is one of them)

inquiring of the Lord - BoM pg 30

2011-11-29T11:40:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 14: 24-3-, 15:1-8

Nephi is told that John the Beloved will write and testify a lof of which Nephis has written and seen, and a lot of the rest of Nephi's vision which he is told not to write down. So here is Nephi saying "Ok folks, I saw it, if you want to read about it, get your noses into the Bible and read the words of John for he is highly favored of the lord, and there's no reason for us to repeat this stuff. But know that it's true."

Basically all of the rest of chapter 14 is the testimony that John was a prophet of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, and a visionary prophet. And while Nephi only wrote down a small portion of his vision, he saw much, much more than he shared. I also like how he notes which other prophets also have seen this vision and that John specifically wrote about it.

Now, in Chapter 15, Nephi goes to the tent of his father to talk to him about his own vision. He finds his bothers there disputing with each other about the vision.

Thing one: they had listened to dad and were at least talking about it
thing two: Nephi admits that Lehi's vision was hard to understand unless you were willing to inquire of the Lord about it.
Thing three: Nephi's observation about his brothers: "they being hard in their hearts did not look unto the Lord as they ought.

He sounds just like a dad there... loving, but chiding, nonetheless

vs 4: Nephi is grieved by the hardness of his brothers hearts, and plus with the weight of his vision on him, he mourns for them because he knows they are going to devolve.

vs 5: Nephi has a moment of feeling so very sorry for himself that he considered his afflictions great above all because of the destruction of his people. So there he is, walking into his dad's tent, and he sees and hears his brothers bickering over dad's dream. And he (I imagine) throws himself down onto a cushion and can't move because his vision is still so powerfully present in his mind. And here are his brothers who are the start of the downfall of his people. So he's overcome for a while. Can't say I blame him. I would be, too.

vs 6: Nephi receives strength back and begins to speak to his brethren asking them about their disputations.

-- he cares about his brothers still. He wants to help them. And now he has answers, he knows he can help them figure stuff out.

vs 7, "we cannot understand the words our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree and concerning the gentiles."

So Nephi asks them the obvious question: "have ye inquired of the lord?"

Frankly, we can ask ourselves and each other this question anytime we are stuck in confusion or despair or unsurity. Don't know which school to put your kid in? Don't know which house to buy? Don't know which job offer to accept? Don't understand that conference talk? or that textbook? or that scrpture? Well? Have you asked god??

That's a sure way to get answers.

Nephi's Vision: The Mother of Harlots - BoM pg 29

2011-11-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 14: 12-23

The Spirit spends a lot of time in Nephi's vision talking about The Great and Abominable Church, who is the mother of all harlots.

Prostituion, Harlotry, "escorts" etc, are looked down upon in just about every society. And yet they exist in just about every society. Where there is a demand for a service, someone finds a way to fill it... I find this term "mother of harlots" interesting though. Mother: gives birth to, teaches, nurtures, breeds. So this great church is responsible for breeding, teaching, and nurturing harlotry.

Today, you can't watch or see anything without seeing skin everywhere. Nearly everything has a sexual reference or innuendo, pornography is socially acceptable now, as is casual sex, and references to soliciting prostitutes are made all the time. BUT because the "moral majority" still look down on it, after a girl has swayed to society's supposed standards, she feels like maybe that's all she's worth or good for. Because I KNOW little girls don't dream about becoming prostitutes. Something has to happen to them for it to become an acceptable life choice. Which is where those enticements and pitfalls of Satan come in.

This establishes that this "church" of the devil is indeed nothing like a church of God. Any church that points toward God will lift people up, and help them better themselves. Any church that beats you down, tells you the worldly ways are ok... that's when to rethink some stuff. But when I say "church" I mean any lifestyle, too.

So, on that note, let's continue with Nephi 14.

vs 12: the numbers of the Church of God are few because of the wickedness and abominations of the Whore who sat on many waters. But the church of God was also upon all the face of the earth, even though their dominions were small. Small, but faithful. The saints are always being tested and tried by the world. And even the very elect will be drawn away.

vs 13: The great mother of abominations gathers together all of her people to fight against the church of god. - It strikes me that this church is referred to in the feminine... even though Satan is male. Is that partly because mothers have more influence over the choices their children make? Is it because so many of the women of today are using their powers for evil instead of good? I am not sure, but I am sure that it means something.

vs 14: if you're righteous, you will be armed with the power of God and great glory so that you can fight and withstand the battles around you.

--how cool is this? We may not be out there fighting with swords, but when we have the glory of God, we can still withstand the trials and tribulations, and cut through the crap surrounding us.

vs 15: wars and rumors of ward among all the nations and kindreds of the earth - which is the wrath of god being poured out on the members of the church of the mother of harlots.

vs 17: at that day, the Father shall commence in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants. The beginning of the gathering of Israel starts here. With us.
vs 21: Nephi sees John the Beloved who is tasked with writing the rest of the "end of the world" vision, and the things which he writes are just and true and are contained in the Bible.

Nephi's Vision: Avoiding Captivity - BoM pg 28

2011-11-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 14: 1-10

verse 3 starts out talking by the great pit that has been dug for the saints by the great and abominable church. Think of hunters, making pit-falls and traps for their prey. That is the kind of pit this is referring to. A hole that you cannot get yourself out of. Because, as verse 3 says, the devil has designed it to "lead away the souls of men down to hell" but it will instead be filled by those who dug it.

verse 4: the definition of the Justice of God:
" the casting of the soul into that hell which hath no end will be upon all those who will work wickedness and abominations before him"

Note: These are people who KNOW the truth, who disobey wilfully, and refuse to repent, but instead use their hate, anger, and spite to try to drag others down with them. I had the misfortune of reading a small bit of an anti-mormon site today, and I felt so badly that the people were filled with such hate and anger toward people, they couldn't any of them agree to love or respect each others different opinions. I love all of my friends of varying faiths. I know God certainly loves them just as much as he loves me. I see no point in Bible Bashing - firstly because there are definitely others who know their scriptures way better than I do, and secondly because that is not how you show your love for one another.

And when it all comes down to it, I don't care whose church is right, wrong, weird, or whatever. I don't care who has the fulness and who has a partial. I care simply that my fellow human beings know that they are important to God and to me, that their actions DO matter, and that their time, talents, and energy ARE worth something.

I think knowing that much can help you avoid the pitfalls of temptation and the chains of hell.

vs 5-7: a warning for then and now: "If the Gentiles repent, it shall be well with them, but wo be unto the Gentiles if they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God.

I LOVE in verse 7 God will present the world with a Marvelous Work and Wonder, which gives everyone a choice: On one hand there is peace and life eternal. On the other hand there is hard hearts, blind minds, captivity, and both temporal and spiritual destruction.

-- Satan wants us to be as miserable as possible. He wants our souls as far from God as possible. He wants our experience here on earth to be as far from joyous as possible.

vs 10: There are two churches only: One is the church of the Lamb of God, the other is the church of the devil. Whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to the Great and Abominable church.

You're either with God, or your not. There is no fence sitting. Slipping and falling is not choosing a side. It's slipping and falling and getting back up and using the atonement because a mistake or two or several does NOT mean you are on the side of the devil. Fighting against what you know to be right... that's changing sides.

Nephi's Vision: the Book of Mormon - BoM pg 27

2011-11-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 13: 38-42; 14: 1-2

Nephi sees the Gentiles holding onto and loving their Bible, but being confused by it and stumbling over some of it. But in verse 39, he sees another book. But not just one, several. And these books are used to convince the Gentiles and the Jews of the records of the prophets and twelve apostles are true.

vs 40: this last record shall establish the truth of the first, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them, and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lam of God is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the World; and that all men must come unto him or they cannot be saved.

Well, that's the gospel in a nutshell. Do we really need to go on? ALL things testify of Christ. He is the way. End of Story.

vs 41: "for there is one God and one Shepherd over the earth" You know, I like that God acknowledges that there are different cultures and different belief systems out there, but says "nope, there's just me" and it's with a smile on his face. If you're worshiping anything other than God, it's Satan in a different form.

vs 42: alludes to the 2nd coming, when Christ will show himself to the gentiles first then the Jews, because the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

ch 14 vs 1: IF the gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God, not harden their hearts, then they will be numbered among the seed of Lehi, or numbered among the house of Israel. Actually this is kind of an important promise, as it pertains to us:
"They shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever; they shall be no more brought down into captivity; and the house of Israel shall no more be confounded."

I know this promise goes two ways, and we won't see the other half on this page. But that's the promise for being righteous. I am an American. And I see my people falling... which means the promise of no more captivity doesn't hold sway...

Nephi's Vision: Nephi's Seed will be preserved --BoM pg 26

2011-11-26T13:58:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 13: 29-37

in finishing verse 29, we learn that the bible was edited down by the great and abominable church to cause people to stumble and to give Satan power over them.

vs 30: it's a big long verse. If Nephi wrote all of this down, it must be important:

1 - The Gentiles were lifted up by the power of God above all other nations
2 - the Land is choice above all other lands
3 - the land is the land God covenanted with Lehi to have for an inheritance
4 - the Gentiles shall not utterly destroy the seed of Nephi (mixed in with seed of his brethren)
5 - The Gentiles shall not utterly destroy the seed of the Lamanites
6 - the Gentiles shall not remain in a state of blindness caused by their edited Bible.

vs 34 - another big long verse.
- Christ will visit the remnants of the house of Israel (seed of Lehi) in judgement via the Gentiles
- The Gentiles will stumble exceedlingly due to the editing of the Bible
- the abominable church is the mother of all harlots
- the Gentiles will receive the fullness of the Gospel

vs 35 - "I shall manifest myself unto thy seed that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious." And Nephis is pretty much promised that these writings will be hidden up to come forth to the Gentiles.

vs 37: we are left with a blessing: "Blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end, they shall be lifted up at the last day."

Nephi's Vision: The Bible - BoM pg 25

2011-11-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 13: 17-29

Nephi gets to witness the Revolutionary War. He can see that the power of God is with the revolutionaries. If you read accounts of the Revolutionary War, it really is a miracle that the young upstart Yankee country won. Here is the testamant to that. It WAS a miracle that they won. They had the power of God with them.

vs 20: they have the bible. Nephi doesn't understand what he's seeing with this book, so the spirit elaborates in verse 22. The book is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets: and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.

I kinda want to read the Brass Plates if it has more revelation than that Bible!!!

vs 26: The editing of the bible... the abominable church has edited the covenants, it has removed plain and precious parts, and taken away many covenants. This that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord.

But the Bible continues to be in print, it continues to travel and to move, and it, too goes across the waters to the New land, even though it has been severely edited.

Nephi's Vision: The Great Church -- BoM pg 24

2011-11-26T13:39:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 13: 1-17

In this part of the vision, we are no longer interpreting Lehi's dream. Nephi has moved from seeing the future of his people, to seeing the future of the Promised Land.

vs 1-4 Nephi sees many nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles, along with the formation of a great church.

Now, I have heard this defined many different ways. Some people insist it's the catholic church. Some insist it's a secret organization. Some insist that it's a metaphor for temptations. I'm absolutely sure that Satan would like us all to believe it's the Catholic church, because that would cause more in-fighting, intolerance, and contention. The Spanish Inquisition is a great example of how NOT to run a church (out of fear) but I don't think that means that the Catholic Church itself is evil. I think that is simply an example that it is run by fallible men.

I am more in the Secret Society camp, and here's why:
vs 5: "slayeth the saints of god, tortureth them and bindeth them down with a yoke of iron and bringeth them down into captivity."

Ok, this is NOT talking about "Saints" that different churches have statues of. This is talking about us. People who follow God. And this great and abominable church tortures them, binds them down, and yokes them into captivity. What does that? Sin.

Today sins that have a yoke of iron: Drugs, Alcohol, Pornography, Apathy, Depression

Do I believe that there are organizations behind what is being allowed on TV today? Yes. Do I believe that there is a reason that sex has turned into "casual fun" in all media? yes. This Great and Abominable Church is the reason why, I am sure. They want to corrupt our youth, get them as far from God as they can, and then convince them that they're not worth saving.

You can call me a conspiracy theorist all you want, but I believe there is enough evidence. vs 6: The devil was the founder of it. Yeah. I know that he certainly does not have our best interests at heart. Therefore, things that come out in magazines, television, etc... that lead us down a wrong path MUST come from him and his church.

The Christian churches the try to teach people to believe in God, to follow the bible, to have faith in Christ - while there may be some whose "words come close to me but their hearts are far from me" there are plenty more people who really are looking for a way to salvation.

vs 7: evidences of this church:

- Gold, silver, silks, scarlets, fine-twined linen, precious clothing, harlots.
these all represent the desire of the world/Great Church.

vs 9: For the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God and bring them down into captivity.
-- "Look at me, I'm cool, I can laugh and make fun of the people who still believe in God"

Now, in verse 11, Nephi sees that these kingdoms and lands are on a different continent than his people. The Gentiles are not anywhere near his people. This great and abominable church was established on a different continent.

but lo, in verse 12: the spirit works on Columbus and sends him across the sea to discover the New World.
vs 13: The Spirit of God worked on many different people and sent them over to get them out of captivity.

vs 14: Kind of a sad verse. "the wrath of God was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten." Some people use verses like this to justify mean and cruel behavior. I saw biblical quotes similar to this used to justify the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan. I refuse to hop into that camp. I can't imagine that Nephi had any joy when he wrote this. I am sure that it was just as sad for him to write it as it is for me to read it.

Explain it? No. One day I'll ask God to explain it to me. For now: it is what it is. That doesn't make the gentiles holy to me. What comes to mind instead is "The wicked will destroy the wicked" Which means everyone loses.

vs 15-16: The Spirit of God is with the Gentiles and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance. the gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord, and the power of the Lord was with them.

-- ok, well, perhaps they were used to clean up the mess the Lamanites had gotten into... it still hurts to read about, even if the people did have the spirit of the Lord. It's like Nephi chopping off Laban's head. It was messy, brutal, and ugly. He did it because he had to, not because he wanted to.

Nephi's Vision: Lehi's dream explained pt 4: BoM pg 23

2011-11-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 11:11-23

Nephi sees three full generations pass away in total righteousness, because of their faith in the Lamb. That is pretty cool. He has full knowledge that all of those people have their calling and election made sure. That had to be pretty darn cool. And most of the fourth generation, too.

However, after the fourth generation, he sees his descendents gathered in battle again.

vs 16:
Fountain of Filthy Water = depths of Hell

those so overcome by the weight of the world, that instead of looking up to Christ, they curse God and die. They do not understand God loves them, they have caved to the Natural man, following blood-lust, pride, arrogancy, and are living in the consequences of all these things. The torments of which are hellish in life, let alone in death when you have full capacity to understand the ramifications of your choices.

vs 17:
Mists of Darkness = Temptations of the Devil

these blindeth the eyes, and harden the hearts, and leadeth them away so they perish and are lost.

vs 18: There is a large gulf separating two ways. On one side is the Great and Spacious building filled with the vain imaginings and pride of the world, being fed by the filthy waters and the mists of darkness.

On the other side of the gulf is the Iron Rod (the word of God), the tree of life, and the Fountain of Living Water.

in vs 19: Nephi sees that most of his seed have chosen the wrong side of the gulf and that the seed of his brethren did overpower his own, and destroy them.

vs 23: A description of what most of the settlers experienced when they met *most* indigenous Native American tribes on both north and south America. Not all. But most. "after they had dwindled in unbelief, they became a dark, loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness an all manner of abominations."

Now, hear me out. The Native Americans had some wonderful things they did. They did not waste the bounty that nature/God gave them. They are/were incredible artists. But some of their traditions... the human sacrifice, the scalping, the "coming of age" ceremonies... You may say I don't understand. I have a grandmother by the name of Running Deer. I feel that blood coming out a lot. I feel enraged when I read about all of the wrongs done to the different tribes during the settling of the North American Continent. I am not saying that what the Europeans did was right. But you cannot tell me that everything the Indians did was right, either. Some of the tribes had no concept of bathing or cleanliness.

So, when Nephi sees them become a loathsome and filthy people, full of all manner of abominations - I don't think he was wrong. He made his observation based on how he'd seen his people start out and where they ended up.

Nephi's Vision: Lehi's vision explained pt 3 - BoM pg 22

2011-11-26T12:58:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 12: 1-11

Nephi is now shown his seed and the seed of his brethren. As noted earlier, he is not yet married (I'm sure he has one of the daughters of Ishmael all picked out at this point, but it's not official, nor is he yet a father.)

So here in verse 1, Nephi not only sees the land of promise, but he sees multitudes of people, numbered as if they were the sands of the sea there are so many.

in verse 2, he sees them in battle against each other. Wars, rumors of wars, and great slaughter.

I cannot imagine what it must be like to see this, knowing they are your grandbabies and they are killing each other. That had to be hard. Not only is he seeing their wars, but he is seeing their cities.

In verse 4: he sees the mists of darkness, lightning, thunder, earthquakes: plains of the earth broken up, cities sunk, burned, or tumbled to the earth. Then, everything that had been covered by the vapor of darkness is revealed, and there were still multitudes of people who had not fallen.

vs 6, the heavens open, and Nephi sees the Lamb of God descending out of heaven, coming down and showing himself to the people. A second set of 12 apostles are picked and set apart by the Holy Ghost.

vs 8-10: Here's a bit of doctrine: "these are the twelve that are chosen to minister unto thy seed. Thou rememberest the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel. And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his blood."

Ok, So, if you didn't get that:

The twelve tribes of Israel are set to be judged by the original twelve apostles. Within that frame, Lehi's descendants (of the tribe of Manasseh specifically) will be judged by the twelve apostles set apart in verse 7 (3 Ne 11:22, if you want to read about it now) in the Promised Land. These twelve of the New World will be judged by the original twelve from the Old World. I have to believe that each tribe of Israel will have it's own twelve to do the judging. Like the Tribe of Ephraim will probably be the original twelve set apart by Joseph Smith in this day and age. (I have nothing to base that on, I am just theorizing. I wouldn't mind being judged by my current twelve. They're pretty awesome.)

Lehi's Dream Explained pt 2: BoM pg 21

2011-11-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 11: 26 - 36

vs 26: LOOK! And behold the condescension of God!

Ok, for those of us wanting to know what this is, what is it?

vs 27: And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.

vs 28: And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.

-- I *think* these two verses are the definition of the condescension of God. Maybe. But maybe it's more than just Christ's life on earth. Maybe it includes the ministering of angels among men (vs 30) the 12 walking and guiding people (vs 29) Christ being able and willing to heal the sick and cast out spirits (vs 31), or vs 32 and 33 where Chris is judged of men and then killed by men, all the while doing it to absolve the sins of men.

I wonder, is the Atonement the condescension of God? or is the whole thing - his life, his ministry, his physical sacrifices, and his love. Condescend: To step down, to go below. Is the Condescension of God simply another way of saying that "God loves us so much that he's willing to not only come down here and experience this life as we experience it, but to descend below all things and suffer for all things so that we can overcome our natural states and ascend to be with him?"

It's kind of a complex theory for me. The Hymn "God loved us so he sent his son, Christ Jesus the atoning one." doesn't that say it all?

The Wisdom of God is Greater Than All the Cunning of the Devil

vs 35: Nephi sees the great and spacious building, and it is put in context with the house of Israel gathering together to fight against the 12 apostles and the newly formed church.

Great and Spacious Building = The pride of the world

And it falls. And when it falls, the fall is exceedingly great. <<-- thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostle of the Lamb.

Look at the world today. The Occupy Movement, the people who oppose it that are sure that people on government assistance are just lazy slobs who can't/won't help themselves. The riots in London, the social unrest everywhere. Where people, nations, and groups fight against God, great shall be the fall thereof.

I hope my nation decides that worshiping God is good instead of old fashioned. I will certainly continue to believe in God, morals, values, and in doing good to all men.

Manifestations of the Spirit: Lehi's Vision Explained pt 1 - BoM pg 20

2011-11-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

1 Ne 11:9-25

Whether Lehi saw the things Nephi saw, we don't know for sure. I don't doubt that he did see them. I wonder if Lehi only shared the dream of the Tree of Life with his boys because he knew the level of comprehension that Laman and Lemuel were at? Regardless, Nephi's vision does not start in a dark and dreary wilderness.

Before I get to the interpretation of Lehi's dream, though, I would like to point out vs 11. "--for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another."

When people talk about the Holy Ghost, they usually refer to an impression in the mind, feelings in the heart, sometimes they hear a voice. Most of us don't envision the Holy Ghost as a "person" because he's everywhere at once. But then, so is God. And the Holy Ghost IS the third member of the Godhead. So it's not really all that surprising that he can manifest in a bodily form. Even though it's not a physical body. But I would like to note here that the Holy Spirit's form is his own form.

I would also like to note the explanation marks. When the Holy Spirit says "Look!" we should all look.

Ok, yes, in verse 8, Nephi is allowed to see the Tree of Life, and he witnesses that it was indeed beautiful and the whiteness did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow. But he isn't really given an explanation at that point.

The real stuff starts in verse 12. "LOOK!" and then the spirit disappears and Nephi looks and beholds Jerusalem and other cities. I can't help but see it as a movie. He's getting his bearings, see's the city he calls home and then reorients and recognizes Nazareth. "and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white."

Kind of funny that he'd know she was a virgin just by looking at her. It makes me wonder about the state of the Jews at that time, if it was obvious just by looking. How obvious is it by looking at our youth today?

Now I do not claim to understand verse 16. I know that in verses 13-15, Nephi is questioned about the girl, and he gives his honest appraisal, "A virgin most beautiful and fair above all other virgins." Ok, I have to admit all this talk of virgins makes me uncomfortable. A LOT of girls are virgins for a decent amount of time. The term Virgin must mean MORE than just "untouched by man." It must mean pure, holy, dedicated to god, AND untouched by man.

Verse 16: "Knowest thou the condescension of God?" Ok, I don't claim to know what this means. I can theorize but I honestly don't KNOW. So I"m gonna go with Nephi's answer in vs 17: "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." See? Even Nephi doesn't know it all.

So the Spirit explains. I would also like to note here that it is NOT an angel explaining this to Nephi. It is the Holy Spirit. I think the things being explained and expounded upon here are of such sacred importance, that it required a member of the godhead to explain them. And having things explained by the Spirit stay in the heart and touch the mind so powerfully that they make absolute sense to the person being taught. We all try to teach by the Spirit - let the Spirit do the teaching -- this is quite the literal example of that happening.

vs 18: the girl Nephi was shown is the Mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. In my limited understanding of the world, I take this to mean that she GIVES BIRTH to him after the manner of the flesh. Nothing more. If there is more there, any form of innuendo or anything else is simply taking something Holy and trying to understand it on a Natural Man plane. So I am leaving it at where my understanding lies. Jesus had a physical body, and was capable of dying. He was given these attributes by his Mother. And that is what "after the manner of the flesh" means to me.

vs 20: we get to see Mary with the child in her arms. I can only imagine how sweet and tender a moment that had to be. Nephi at this time is not yet married, nor is he a father. But even he had to be moved by the site, especially when the spirit testifies that the babe is the Lamb of God, even the son of the Eternal Father! (exclamation point included in the text, so you KNOW it's a big deal!)

vs 21: ok Nephi, I've shown you all of this, so given this background, what is the meaning of the tree of life?

Tree = Love of God

vs 22: Gold star for Nephi. "The love of god, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore it is the most desirable above all things."
--to which the Holy Ghost responds "Yea, and the most joyous to the soul."

When you feel the love of God, when you KNOW that God love you, no matter what, you cannot tell me that is not joyous. That has to be one of the very best feelings ever. It is when you know you are loved that you are truly able to love others.

vs 24: Nephi gets to see Christ's ministry. After which he is able to discern that the Iron Rod = the Word of God.

Note: The Word is another title for Christ. I just think that's interesting. When you are holding onto the word of God, you are holding onto Christ.

Fountain of Water = the love of God, too

The Power of Faith - BoM pg 19

2011-11-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

1 Ne 10:18-22, 11:1-8

vs 18 explains the nature of God: He is the same yesterday, today, and forever" because God does not experience time like we do. And because he is perfect. He does not forget a rule or a punishment. He does not misplace things (or people.) He is God. Our creator. He prepared a way for us to return to him if we repent.

vs 19: For he that dilligently seeketh shall find: and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and times to come." Here Nephi gives us a little view of potential. We are commanded to search the scriptures. Well, when we actually search them and ponder them and pray about them, our minds are opened, and we listen better to the Holy Ghost, developing that relationship with God. And the closer we get to God, the more of His mysteries we understand. It's a beautiful process. He's not going to give us more knowledge than we can handle at a time, and he's certainly not going to hold us accountable for things we can't/don't understand.

Which is why I love this process. For those with the diligence, there is a reward. For those with the capacity to understand who are NOT diligent, there is no reward. Kind of sad. I want to be one of the people WITH The reward.

vs 20: therefore remember, O man for all thy doings thou shalt be brought unto judgement.

You can take this out of context and it means the same thing. While the atonement covers all of our mistakes and sins, we still have to actually USE it. And putting this in context with the verses above it, there will be an accounting for our faithfulness. We will have to stand before the bar of God and declare how we spent our time, what we did with the knowledge we had gained, and how we used the secrets and mysteries that were unfolded to us. Because I believe that along with talents that are unique to each of us, we each have a secret, or mystery, that we understand about the world, that no one else has. And it's our job to share our vision with others to help them widen their perspective. Because I don't believe that just one person is right. I believe a great many people are right about small things. It's like the six blind men trying to describe an elephant. We are exactly right about the part that we understand. And not right at all about everything. Of course, that's why we have prophets, scriptures etc. So our vision can be widened and we can see the whole picture for ourselves.

Chapter 11
vs 1: Ok, Nephi is super awesome. He just is. In this one verse he lays out a pattern of belief/faith/diligence that any person on earth can follow and emulate
1: DESIRE to know what his father knows
2: BELIEF that the Lord can and will make the known unto him
3: PONDERING the words his father had said

So Nephi is "carried away in the spirit" but God doesn't just give it to him. The Spirit talks to him first and asks "What desirest thou?" Now, I could be wrong, but I'm thinking Nephi was wondering more than one thing as he sat pondering, and so by asking Nephi to clarify his desires, he had to focus his thoughts, and prioritize. I'm betting Nephi could have pretty much asked anything at this point. But he focused on what he really wanted to know, and thus it was granted.

But there's a little question and answer session first. Almost like a test. In which Nephi declares without a doubt his undoubting belief in his father's word.

vs 6: "Blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou has desired."

Not only that, but he gets to witness them as a sign. And after he witnesses them, he is to bear record that Jesus is the son of God. (Isn't that was Prophets do?)

So really, Nephi's faith is such that he Desires, he Believes, and he Ponders powerfully enough that he is visited by the Holy Spirit and is granted visions. The cool thing about this is that we all are capable of this. This isn't an example of "only Nephi could do these things" no, this is an example of what we all can try to do be and do.

The Power of Curiosity - BoM pg 18

2011-11-05T03:09:00.000-07:00

1 Ne 10:10-17

In most of these verses, Lehi is recounting his vision of the future, and Nephi is abridging it to go super-fast because he doesn't have a lot of room on his plates. It continues on with the vision of John the Baptist testifying of Christ's divinity, the Jews killing their Messiah, and his resurrection from the dead at which time he'd manifest himself to the Gentiles. all of that in verses 10-11.

starting in verse 12, he does some foreshadowing. I say this because we don't get to read and discuss the allegory of the olive tree until Jacob 5. But here Lehi talks about it - and Nephi refers to it in passing, as if this metaphor was nothing new. So I'm thinking that the prophets quoted in the Brass Plates are only new to us A.D. post-middle-ages people. I have a feeling that most of the Jews/Israelites were familiar with his prophecies and allegories prior to being taken captive in Babylon the first time and losing most of their records.

Anyway, my point was that Lehi's house is compared to a branch of an olive tree that gets broken off and replanted elsewhere, scattered on the face of the earth. But the scattering in and of itself is just a preamble. The real story comes with the gathering. "After the Gentiles received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the Olive tree should be grafted back in, or come to the knowledge of the true Messiah."

for being 4 verses in to this page, that is a LOT of information. But it doesn't end there. vs 15: Lehi continues to preach to Nephi's brothers many more things which will not be written. And all of these things happened while they were living in tents in the valley of Lemuel.

vs 17 has got to be one of the longest verses in scripture. This verse is the one that inspired my theme for this page. Nephi listens to his father's dream, and his exhortations of The Lemons. He listens, and he ponders, and he goes to the Lord and does the very most important thing we should ALL do. He gets down on his knees and asks God if he can see and hear and know the things his father knows. He doesn't ask if it's true - the spirit had already witnessed that to him. No, Nephi wants more than to know it's true. He wants to experience it just like his dad did. Not only that, but he believes it's possible.

And most importantly, everything he does, he does by and through the power of the Holy Ghost. So even though Nephi wants to know, wants to experience and live the dream, too, he does so by faith. In Nephi's case, curiosity does NOT kill the cat. It cements a testimony into unshakeable knowledge, and plants a deeper understanding of a dream that affects every person to ever read this book.

Every Prophet Testifies of Christ -- BoM pg 17

2011-11-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

1 Ne 10:1-8

Whether the Old Testament, New Testament, whatever. Every prophet that is a true prophet of God will prophesy of the divinity of Christ and his saving mission. The Book of Mormon is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." Here in chapter 10, it is Lehi's turn to prophesy.

in vs 3: the Jews will be carried away captive into Babylon, yea even be brought back out of captivity;" So Lehi sees the comings and going of the Jews. Go to the promised land, enjoy it, fall away, repent and come back to the promised land.

-- I find it interesting, the parallels between the Jews and our own personal lives. The Jews recognized the need for a savior, but they thought it was a political savior, to save them from the armies, the invaders, the Romans, etc. And while Christ will do that when he comes the second time, the first time was to save us from ourselves. We are born here into mortality. We have the ability to die because our bodies are imperfect. They age. They disease. They have imperfections and problems. We are born into an imperfect state and so by our very nature we need saving. One part of the atonement solves this problem. Because of Christs atonement, we will all be resurrected -- our spirits reunited with our bodies in a perfect state. No longer mortal, but immortal. This is a gift every single person born into this world will get.

We also need spiritual saving. Being removed from the presence of God is spiritual death. The atonement also fixes this --if we allow it. The presence of God: The Promised Land, if you will. This is where we want to be. And each of us has our own journey through life, our own temptations, our own internal political unrest, invading armies, and Roman army to deal with. We wrestle daily with images and bombardments of thoughts and actions contrary to the will of God. We fight temptations of addicting substances, morality, social pressure. All of these things are bombardments every single day. What we read in scripture about what the Jews went through historically can (and I'm sure is meant to be) metaphoric for what we go through personally. And thus the reason for a savior. We cannot save ourselves.

Christ came, he taught. He was the example. He lived a perfect life in an imperfect world. He loved everyone he came in contact with - even the people he threw out of the temple - And he suffered in Gethsemane, bleeding for us, not only suffering our sins, but all of our imperfections. He alone knows exactly how we feel. He alone paid the price, made up the difference, and makes it possible for us to return to the presence of God.

vs 4: 600 years from the time that Lehi leaves Jerusalem, the Lord God would raise up a Messiah, a savior of the world.

Lehi isn't preaching about himself. He's not running for his life because he wanted glory or attention or 5 minutes of fame. He's heading to a new world and a new promised land because he did his job as a prophet. He testified of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He cried repentance unto the people. Not to set himself above them and say "see how holy I am? get on the ball and be as good as me," but instead because he loved his fellow Jews enough to want to see them reach their potential, love one another, and make it back to their own personal promised land.

vs 6: All mankind [is] in a lost and fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.

It's not about relying on a prophet. It's not about relying on your neighbor or your mother or your friend. It's about relying on God.

vs 7&8: Lehi sees and testifies of John the Baptist, who comes and prepares the way for Jesus. I remember reading in the New Testament about their relationship. I remember being touched by the reverence that Jesus talked about John with. What kind of temptations did Christ fight with when he got the news that John had been beheaded? What kind of temptation did he fight with when he KNEW he could have saved him. He knew he could have called armies of angels, commanded the earth to move, done whatever he wanted to save his best friend and cousin. We think the three temptations that Satan gave Christ were easy and simple. But I am thinking that Christ's perfect life was a lot harder that we sometimes give him credit for. He maintained self control and love for ALL of his fellow men no matter how much it hurt. That really is a great example of love.

Falling Away - BoM pg 16

2011-11-01T03:10:00.000-07:00

1 Ne 8:31-18, 9:1-4

Lehi's dream is one big metaphor for life, the gospel, or really pretty much anything. It illustrates just how easy it is to lose sight of what's important. People fall away from the gospel every day. People fall away from their families. They fall away from their jobs, their dreams, their hopes, their beliefs in themselves. They go looking for physical pleasure because they forget how to feel real joy from the inside out. Or sometimes they struggle with overcoming the natural man and give in. It happens to everyone at some point in time. I don't know any mortal that hasn't struggled at least with the temptations to give up, let go, go another road, etc.

This is how Lehi's vision ends. He sees the multitudes in the great field, lost in the dark. Some feeling their way toward the great and spacious building, some losing their footing altogether and drowning in the water. Some getting lost on strange roads.

vs 33: "and great was the multitude that did enter into that building. And after they did enter... they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not."

BUT WE HEEDED THEM NOT

This should have been my title today. It really, honestly, truly does not matter what the people around you think. What matters is what you think about you and your choices. Heed them not. If someone's giving you crap about a choice, so what? I know you can't just mute a parent or a spouse or a friend. But sometimes you have to say "ok, let's agree to disagree on this point and move on" or "Enough. I've made my decision. Please respect my right to choose."

When we make a choice that affects everyone around us, they're going to want to have a say. And when that choice is a good one for ourselves, sometimes others don't understand that. Or they don't see how you could leave one lifestyle --and subsequently them, too-- and change to another. Or they envy something about the decision. Regardless of the motivation, their problem is simply that. Their problem.

So, while we're making sure we aren't living in the great building and scorning others, we have to make sure we're not listening to those voices of scorn while we're at it. What's more important is actually LOVING the people saying the hurtful words.

vs 34: as many as heeded them [people in the building] had fallen away
that's a pretty high success rate on the part of scorn when you get people to listen to you. scary.

vs 35: Laman and Lemuel did not eat the fruit. This is evidently worrisome to Lehi. He spends the next two verses expressing his love and his fear for them "with all the feeling of a tender parent"

I just love Lehi. Some day I want to meet him and give him a big hug. He's such a great example of a good parent.

vs 1: Nephi takes over the narrative a little bit to change the subject back to the plates. Firstly he says that his dad prophesied a great many things which he will not write. While the earlier chapter stated that Nephi made these plates to write the words of God, this chapter starts out saying that he now has been commanded to keep this second record. "for the special purpose that there should be an account of the ministry of my people." (vs 3)

vs 4: upon the other plates --I assume this is the record Lehi was keeping. I don't know for sure. But it's noted that a record of kings, wars, and contentions were kept on that other record. But Nephi's plates are specifically for the ministry.

vs 5: I think the wise-purpose for this 2nd record was so that we would have doctrine in our Book of Mormon, not just a political account - which much of the book of Ether is.

vs 6: this one is worth memorizing, sticking a copy of everywhere so you remember it, and branding it into your forehead so everyone else sees it: "The Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works; for behold, he hath ALL power unto the fulfilling of all his words."

What does this mean? It means do not doubt God. All things are possible with Him. And if we are listening, following, and being obedient, ALL things are possible!!!! Believe it. See yourself living it, doing it, being it (whatever IT may be) and then watch because it will happen. That belief is totally worth it.

The Great and Spacious Building -- B of M pg 15

2011-10-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

1 Ne 8: 16-30

A lot happens in the vision here, and for some reason the Great and Spacious Building was always the part that stuck out to me the most. Probably because I felt like I had to walk through it every single day for several years of my life. I could relate to the people who didn't like getting jeered, but I never understood why they let go of the iron rod. But I think in some ways in my life I've been a member of that very same building. Every time I judged someone unfairly, or made a snap judgement. Every time I didn't try to find something to love about someone I had a personality conflict with. I think we all have rooms in the Great Building at times, and we all need to find a way to get back to the Iron Rod. Sometimes all it takes is the effort to smile at someone instead of grump. Sometimes it's just saying "I want to feel better today," believing that you can, and then doing something that not only makes you feel good, but someone else as well. I'm naming off things that have worked for me. I am sure that there are a myriad of ways to throw a ladder down to the Iron Rod and get out of the building. The real trick is to realize you're there, and seeing where you want to be.

With all that being said, let us begin with verse 16.

As expected, Sariah, Nephi, and Sam all join Lehi at the tree and eat the fruit. When Lehi looks around for his two oldest boys, Laman and Lemuel, sees them also at the head of the river, but they will not come to him.

vs 19: The rod of iron comes into view, extending from the tree, along the riverbank to the head of the waters and off into a spacious field. There was a strait and narrow path that followed the iron rod along its full course, too.

vs 20: speaking of the strait and narrow path leading "unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world." which is interesting, because if I recall Nephi's interpretation, it does represent the world. And there are numberless concourses of people heading for the iron rod. They all want it, and they all want to get to the fruit.

Well, Satan, of course, is having none of that. He's got to make it as hard for people as possible. He sends a dark mist, so dark that people lose their way and can't find the rod, or they let go out of fear, wander off, and get lost.

Just like all of us have spent some time in the great and spacious building, so also do a lot of us let go of the iron rod at times, wander off, and get lost. I remember doing an act in seminary where we did a play about holding onto the rod and making a "people chain" to try to get people back onto the path and help them hold onto the rod. I think that's what fellow-ship, friendship, and loving those around us is. I think we are helping people find the path, helping and loving others enough that they believe they can hold it, are worthy to hold it, and stick to the path.

But some that Lehi saw made their way to the tree, at the fruit (Yummy!) and then were ashamed that they'd eaten it. Looking to see what in the world could cause such a reaction, because he didn't hear the taunts and jeers, he sees the Great and Spacious building. And THEN he notes what is going on. Up until that point, he was unaware, because their cries did not affect him. Lehi's sense of self, his sense of purpose, and his desire for the good of those around him completely drowned out the cries of "You're an idiot" or whatever else you can think that people shout down at you.

The pride of the world. Not a fun thing. It may feel fun in the beginning, but it's not so fun in the long term.

If you don't listen to it, it has no affect on you. If you do listen to it, vs 28 happens, "because of those that were scoffing at them, they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost." Sad sad sad.

vs 30: the good news. The multitudes pressing forward to the end and eating of the fruit, falling down in gratitude. This is the group I want to be in. Hanging on for dear life, singing my way through to the end.

Lehi: A Dreamer, still a Man. BoM pg 14

2011-10-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

As I read this page, I wondered what part to pull out and accentuate. I've been trying to find a theme within every page that I read, something for me to pull out and keep with me. When it comes to Lehi's vision of the iron rod, though, I have a difficult time. I will say this, though. Today the verses of Lehi being lost in the darkness before finding the iron rod really struck me. I'm not even sure why, but it did.

It made me realize that every single one of us struggles with temptation, we all fall now and again. It's not about being perfect, it's about being diligent.

1 Ne 8:1-15

Before we get to the dream, Nephi feels impressed to tell us that they've gathered all kinds of seeds: grains and fruits of every kind. I think he wants us to know that they're being prepared to start a new life whereever they're going. This verse gets overlooked a lot because of the weight and import that starts in verse 2. Lehi has dreamed a dream, or in other words, seen a vision.

This vision has given him cause to rejoice for Nephi and Sam, and to fear exceedingly for Laman and Lemuel. When looking back and forward through scripture, there are all kinds of versions of the Prodigal Son story. Alma the Younger, Alma the older, The Sons of Mosiah, Saul/Paul, etc. I find it somewhat poignant that Lehi doesn't get that kind of happy ending. He is faithful, he prays for his sons, he loves his family just as much as any other prophet, father, leader, dad ever loved a son. But they don't make the choice to return during this lifetime. Every parent clings to the promise that when raised up right, a child will always come back. This particular story makes me wonder if sometimes that time frame extends to the next life. It must, or it would be a false promise in Lehi's case. I highly doubt The Lemons qualify for Outer Darkness. Even given the fact that they saw an angel obviously didn't affect their understanding nor their capability of feeling the Holy Ghost manifest. I'm wondering if they ever felt the whisperings of the spirit. Therefore, I'm thinking they are held to a different level of accountability than their more righteous father and brothers. That may or may not be the case, and I'm sure that a much more perfect judge will handle them accordingly. But that's the conclusion I have come to as I read and pondered this page.

vs 5: A man dressed in a white robe comes and stands before Lehi, bidding him to follow. Lehi follows, and finds himself in a dark and dreary waste. I'm not sure if the man in white disappears, but after traveling for many hours in darkness, Lehi begins to pray to the Lord for mercy, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

Tender mercies. Here they are again. Lehi is lost in darkness, doesn't know where he's going, doesn't like where he's at, so he prays for mercy. If that doesn't adeptly describe what it's like to be lost in sin, finally wanting a way out, and crying for mercy... well, I don't know what else could paint a better picture. For the Lords mercies ARE tender. Nothing with him is harsh --unless it's punishment.

AFTER Lehi prays, his eyesight is opened up a bit and he sees a large and spacious field. In that field is a tree, a beautiful tree, whose fruit is more sweet and desirable than anything else ever created or dreamed of.

So of course Lehi heads for it and tastes it. "And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also" The fruit, being a representative of the Gospel, is so good, and fills Lehi with such joy, that he immediately wants to share it.

Ok this is something I struggle with (the wanting to share it part) I'm finally to a point in my personal growth where I am feeling the joy of the gospel. I'm feeling the beauty, the love, and the happiness that the Lord intended for me to feel. I feel GOOD. I am so grateful for this Book of Mormon, for the sacrifices that have been made for it to be here. I can only imagine that the eating of the fruit is a full knowledge of your own divinity, the realization that you are indeed the child of God, and that you are walking on the Straight and Narrow, that your acts of service are helpful and do matter and you do them because you want to, love to, and enjoy it. But the sharing part... the missionary work part. Oh my. That part, no way. I do not want to talk about it with anyone unless they bring it up first and I feel that they really want to know the answers they are seeking. I grew up in an area where I was tormented day in and day out for my religion. I believe it to be true, else why else was that necessary for me? But it gave me a healthy respect for other people's beliefs as well, and I hate the idea of being pushy or making someone feel like they are less of a person because they don't believe the same way I do. I'm not even sure if that makes sense, but basically it boils down to: "I don't want to be a missionary because I do not want to relive my childhood."

Big long tangent there, but at any rate, Lehi is so excited, he feels he has to share it! So he starts with his family. When he looks around to find his family, he sees first a great river. At the head of the river is Sariah, Nephi, and Sam looking confused. So he calls them over to him, they've got to try this fruit!

Lehi is a great example of a Patriarch, Father, and Leader. He is excited about sharing things, he has a love for his family before anything else (after God) and he shares his spiritual experiences and so was preparing them for eternity. He may have been a "dreamer" or a "visionary man" but he was only what God wanted him to be, and his visions and dreams have set metaphorical stages for all of us to listen and follow.

Forgiveness: an essential. B.O.M. pg 13

2011-10-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

1 Ne 7:11-22

We left off with Nephi starting to call his brothers on the carpet for being part of the rebellion with Ishmael's daughters and sons. Well, he didn't just leave it at the couple of things he said on page 12. No, he goes on. "How have ye forgotten the great things the Lord has done for us? How is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will?"

now, note vs 12, "the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him" that exercise of faith. EXERCISE of faith. The Lord can and will do anything for his children if the children believe that it is possible. Nephi has an incredible understanding of Faith here, and continues to expound on it. But note, that Nephi doesn't just sit and talk about believing. His actions, his deeds, everything he is and does expresses that faith. He exercises it regularly.

vs 14: (cross reference with Jeremiah 38:6) He's talking about Jerusalem getting destroyed because the people have rejected the prophets. The Spirit of the Lord has ceased to strive with the people.

vs 15: here's the warning: "If ye will return to Jerusalem ye shall perish with them." And not only that, but he's telling them that he's not just saying it, he's saying it because the Spirit is telling him to.

well... vs. 16, the inevitable consequence for sassing your big brothers. You get beat up. They were exceedingly wroth. super-angry. They tied up Nephi and were going to leave him to die to get eaten by wild animals.

sometimes it sucks to be the good kid. For a minute. Nephi knows how to get out of things, though. vs 17: "I prayed unto the Lord" Who better to come to his rescue? Note his prayer, though: "According to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound." He knows how to get out of them, and he knows all things are possible with God. He has no doubt, he just asks for strength to break the rope.

vs 18, guess what? He breaks the rope. Is it really surprising? I don't think so. I think he knew he could do it, so the Lord made him capable of doing it.

vs 19: well, we already knew his brothers were slow learners... They try to tie him up again. Before they can do it, though, one of Ishmael's daughters, her brother, and her mother, manage to convince The Lemons to leave him alone.

vs 20: I am not sure what was said, but here's a pretty powerful turnaround. They were sorrowful. So much so, that they did bow down before him and did plead for forgiveness. This to me is amazing. Not just that they apologized, but that they meant it. Doesn't mean they were able to keep behaving appropriately, but for that moment in time, they certainly were trying.

vs 21: The most important lesson of all: "And I did frankly forgive them all that they had done,"

no matter what, Nephi loves his brothers. I think this is how God sees us. We may be wayward, we may wander and sin and do bad things. But we are his children. And he loves us and will frankly forgive us all that we have done. It's usually followed by an exhortation to do better, to follow the Lord, to Pray, and to strive to keep the commandments. Which Nephi also tells his brothers to do. AND THEY DO IT!! When they're done praying, they all head back to the tent Lehi.

It's an amazing thing what the love of family and the power of forgiveness can accomplish. Here we see two wayward souls pulled back onto the straight and narrow for a time. That's a change worth seeing any time it happens. And I think mostly it happened because Nephi loved them and wanted them to be happy.

more tests of faith - BoM. pg 12

2011-10-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

1Ne 6:1-6 ; 7:1-10

Ok, Nephi chapter 6 Nephi stops his account of what they're doing to explain why he's writing his record. He's not going to duplicate everything his dad is doing, because his dad is re-writing his geneology in the book Lehi. Nephi, being young, is happy to just say that he's of the tribe of Joseph. Nor does he have the room to write everything again that his dad is writing. No, he's going to write the things of God.

How many teens do we know today that want to learn and write the things of God?

How cool is Nephi??!!

vs 4: For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham.
vs 5: the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.

There it is folks. If you enjoy reading scriptures, you may be living IN the world, but you are not OF the world. And you're Nephi's target audience. The children of men will not find any worth here because it won't pander to their wants, lusts or desires. Instead this record is going to quote the things of God, and require self-control.

Chapter 7, we're back to the story. Now, note: Nephi has laid it out, he's not going to duplicate his dad's record, he's going to only write that which will bring you closer to God. So, given that, every story, everything included in this record is meant to help you find God. So keep that in mind as we go through this.

vs 1: After Lehi was done prophesying about the importance of the brass plates, he gets another vision, and the Lord tells him that it's not ok for them to go alone into the wilderness. The boys need wives.

vs 2: Nephi and his brothers are commanded again to go to Jerusalem, this time to get Ishmael and his family. There's not a lot of commentary about the travels in the wilderness, nor how long of a wait there was between getting the plates and going back to get the wives. It doesn't seem like they got much of a rest. What Nephi does tell us is that they did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, his heart was softened, and he agreed to move his family down with Lehi's.

vs 6: as they are journeying in the wilderness on the way to Lehi's tent, a three-day journey, two of Ishmael's daughters and two of his sons + families rebel. They want to go back to Jerusalem.

If you remember the Israelites being brought out of Egypt, as soon as they got to the other side of the Red Sea, it seems they were hankering to go back to Egypt, thinking and saying that they'd had it better as slaves than wandering foodless and waterless in the desert.

Well, the daughters of Ishmael, and a couple of Ishmael's sons don't believe, either. They're having the same trial of faith. I'm not even sure this is a trial of faith, it's more like a trial of obedience, because they rebel against their parents. So much so that it grieves poor Nephi. And in his valiance of youth, stands up to them and calls them on it. "How is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, so blind in your minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you, yeah, and set an example for you?"

vs 10: "How is it that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an angel of the Lord?"

Ok, now, Nephi knows his brothers. He knows they don't like to be talked to this way. Yet he does it anyway. Why? Well, for one, it needed to be said. For two: who else would have the guts? Apparently Sam didn't. The Lemons must have been pretty scary big brothers, and now they'd found more people who agreed with them.

Family is a great thing. It's a right pain when family doesn't get along. The people who hurt you the most are the people you love the most. I think The Lemons are a great example of the way families who are raised by great parents and great people can still hurt and hate each other in spite of everything their parents work for and teach.

I believe this is another test of Nephi's resolve, as well as a test of faith for Ishmael and his wife and daughters.

The Importance of Records - pg 11

2011-10-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

1 Nephi 5: 14-22, 6: 1-3

What if Nephi didn't get the plates? What if Lehi and his troop went to the New World without a record?

Oral history has a tendency to get changed and morphed with each generation. Stories get changed or omitted. Laws and rules definitely get remembered differently by people. Without an exact copy of the Law, how could they be expected to live the Law of Moses? There's a lot in there to remember.

The stories that Nephi records are some of the most popular bible stories ever. But first is the geneology. Lehi finds his geneology and learns that he's a descendant of Joseph, the son of Jacob who was sold into Egypt.

Find the parallels:

15: led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt / Lehi's family being led out of Jerusalem so they won't be killed or put into captivity.

There's more, but we'll get to those in other chapters.

Labah had the records because he, too, was a descendent of Joseph. Here's the thing. Just because you're born into a family line doesn't mean you're automatically saved. You have to work at it.

vs 17: Lehi starts to prophesy: The plates of brass will go forth until all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. they will never perish, neither would they be dimmed by time.

I'm fairly certain that Laban's copy of the brass plates were not the only copies in existence. The Bible has certainly lived up to its prophecy. It is one of the most widely known books of scripture on the planet.

vs 21: and we searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us. --cross reference this with Moroni 8:26-40

Are your scriptures your best friend? Do you write in them, mark them up, use them up? Do you believe that having the record for you is wisdom in the lord just like it was wisdom for Lehi's family to carry them? I think they are. I also think your personal journals are of the same value.

Moms struggle too. -- BoM pg 10

2011-10-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

1 Ne 5: 1-11

For a time I lived in Grace, Idaho with my Aunt, Uncle, and three of my four cousins, who were all Eagle Scouts or working on their Eagle Scout. The boys would take off and go camping in the mountains for the weekend by themselves or with their friends. I remember the first time they boys all disappeared for a couple of days, being surprised that they didn't have adult supervision, and my Uncle said, "they're all Eagles, they know how to survive." And my Aunt said, "I know they'll be ok. And if I don't know it, I pray them safe."

I remembered this experience when reading Nephi's account of his mother's trial of faith while her boys were off in the wilderness. I'm pretty sure they didn't have Eagle Scouts back then. We're not given much of an idea of what kind of life they led, except I remember learning in seminary or institute that it's believed that Lehi was some kind of merchant that traveled and knew the desert paths and ways. So they thought it was likely that the boys knew some of how to survive in the desert. Obviously not so much that Sariah had complete faith in their abilities.

In verse 1 when the boys return she was filled with joy and was exceedingly glad because she was sure that they'd died.

vs 2: she had complained against Lehi, calling him a visionary man, and mourning the loss of everything, complaining against Lehi. (Ok, so my first thought here was that The Lemons learned their behavior from somehwere. Quite possibly Momma. That may not be fair, because Nephi had the same mother, and he's great. Being a mother myself, I KNOW that's not a fair statement. I know what it's like to fear for your children. I know this was her test of faith, too.)

vs 4: Lehi consoles her and tries to comfort her. He knows he's a visionary man, and he KNOWS the Lord will deliver their sons. I'm sure she needed to hear it, because at that point in time she couldn't figure out how to believe it, because she couldn't figure out the HOW of things.

I understand, this too. The move had to have been terribly hard on her. She's the only woman out there, having lost her home, her inheritance, and now possibly her children, I'm sure it was hard for her to have faith. And the Lord needed to teach her a lesson just as much as he needed to teach the boys.

in vs 8 she says, "Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yeah, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons... and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them." Being a mother, she knew her children's weaknesses. She knew the potential for failure. She was not judged by her husband for her doubts, the Lord needed to show her that HE could make all things happen no matter how unlikely. So her testimony is added to that of Lehi and Nephi. She didn't start out with the faith, but she ended with it. And I think that is what mattered. We all need help to get where we need to be to be our best selves. Sariah needed some help learning faith. I certainly don't begrudge her that. I need it, too. And thankfully her example is here to help me learn.

vs 9 & 10: Sariah and Lehi offer sacrifices of thanks to the God of Israel. It's one thing to say you're grateful, it's another thing to show it.

And now that Lehi's got the plates, the first thing he does is start reading them. Here's where we learn it's basically the Old Testament. The five books of Moses included the creation of the world, the record of the Jews down to the reign of King Zedekiah, and prophecies of the holy prophets all they way down to Jeremiah. (which is really page 11, so I'm stopping there.)

that's a lot of information. I'm thinking those brass plates were either very thin, or that was a heavy load to bring back. It was worth it, though.

Making New Friends - BOM pg 9

2011-10-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

We all go about making friends differently. Some of us are shy until we get a feel for people. Others just start talking right away about everything. And others prefer to talk about the weather, keeping their real selves hidden. There are many ways people go about making friends. There's not a wrong way or a right way to do it, really.

Nephi meets his next best friend here in chapter 4, vs 20.

He's all dressed up in Laban's clothes, and he heads toward Laban's treasury, not sure how he's going to get in. But lo, there's the servant with the key! So he commands him in the voice of Laban to go with him into the treasury. (I like that it specifies that it's the voice of Laban, not that he tried to imitate it, but that it simply sounded just like him. God was helping him get through this)

So Zoram (I know his name already, so I'm going to use it) assuming that he's Laban, starts talking to him about the elders of the Jews, knowing that Laban had been out by night among them.

Ok, stopping right there for a second. Did ALL of the elders of the Jews make a habit of going out partying and getting so drunk they passed out on their own stairs??? No wonder Jerusalem was going to get sacked and carried off into Babylon. Did they all kill innocent people that offended them? Apparently so, if they were rejecting the words of all the prophets.

But I wonder if Zoram thought something was amiss. If he suspected something was wrong. vs 23: "I spake unto him as if it had been Laban" I'm curious if this means he had words come to him about things he didn't know and was carrying on the conversation accordingly? I am curious. When I die, I'm surely going to go find them and ask.

Regardless, in vs. 24 Nephi tells Zoram that he's taking the plates to his elder brethren who were without the walls, and tells him to follow. He lets Zoram assume that he means the elders of the Jews. Why not, the terminology is similar enough. He's got to get Zoram out of the city so he can't tell anyone that there was an imposter of Laban. There really would be a search put up for them upon finding the body of Laban. And if Zoram said, Oh, and yeah, they took the plates, too, then the people would have a "fake" real reason to be upset. Not only did they kill one of our leaders, but they took our records! GET THEM! I can see the mob mentality now.

So Laman, upon seeing Nephi, really thinks it's Laban. And he freaks out and starts running with the other boys because he's sure Laban is there to kill them all. I can see Nephi sighing, thinking ok, I've got to call them back, and keep this servant from running. He's got a little bit of time, because Zoram was in some shock. He's figureing it out, "Wait, this isn't Laban. But he's wearing Laban's clothes and has his sword. Laban never parts with that sword. Oh crap...." The Lemons and Sam come running back, and Zoram begins to tremble instead of immediately run. Good for him. I think it saved him some trouble of getting tackled by a buff Nephi. Instead, he is just held in place, because not only is Nephi large in stature, he's received much strength from the Lord. No running. Sorry.

Nephi knows, though, how to solve the problem. He speaks an oath: "As the Lord liveth, and as I Live" - that's the binding oath-- they'll spare his life if he'll listen to them. This oath means so much to him, that it doesn't matter that they killed Laban. Ok, they swore an oath that they'd let me live, ok.

I'm not sure I understand this mentality, but I don't live in that culture. In today's day and age, someone swearing an oath doesn't really mean much. People break them all the time and it's the social norm. But to Zoram and Nephi, it was the difference between life and death. And freedom.

vs 34: Nephi explains that they were commanded by the Lord to get the plates, and that if Zoram wants to stay with them, he'll have a place in their family and will be a free man. And so he promises that he'll stay with them. Which works for them, because they were really worried about the Jews finding them and destroying them in the wilderness.

A hard thing required - Book of Mormon page 8

2011-10-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

I will never really know the full reasons why what happens here happens. I know the reasons that God gives Nephi, and that will have to suffice. I am sure there are others. We do not know an awful lot about Laban except that he has already tried twice to kill the sons of Lehi and is filled with greed. I'm thinking this isn't the first time it happened, and I'm quite certain it wouldn't have been the last.

That being said, yes, I believe in the death penalty.

So, from there, verse 3 starts us out with Nephi wondering how his brothers can doubt when they'd seen an angel. "An angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt?" Well, this pisses off The Lemons even more and they start murmuring again. But they followed Nephi back to the walls of Jerusalem.

At this point Nephi knows there's no way his brothers are going back in. Angelic visit or not, they are filled with doubt and anxiety. He is not, so he takes a deep breath and heads in after making sure that they are well hidden.

Envision the movie: Nephi creeping into the city (his words, really), going forth toward the house of Laban. Here's this tall, young kid, trying to follow the spirit, completely open minded, making turns and walking in shadows, being led by the spirit, not knowing what's going to happen.

This is a good place to be in life. Just letting the Spirit lead you. Ok, I have these things on my to-do list for the day. How this works is: as I can go about getting them done, I leave my mind open to change, to listen to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, and maybe I'll take a detour here and there, or call someone, or be led to something great that I didn't expect.

Now what Nephi is led to is something that I don't think he thought was very great. He finds Laban on the ground in a drunken stupor. First thing he notices after he figures out who it is, is the sword. Teenage boy + sword = Heck yeah, pick it up and check it out! I don't think boys have changed much in the last few thousand years.

So here is Nephi holding this awesome sword. The hilt is pure gold worked exceedingly fine. The blade was the most precious steel. He's marveling at this gorgeous creation (now, WHY was Laban walking around with this sword??? Did he have to protect himself from the common citizens? If it were purely ceremonial or a sign of his station, I doubt the blade would have been honed.) I bet the last thing he expected was to be so drunk that some kid on the street could just take it from him.

But it's interesting that here in verse 10, as soon as Nephi's got the sword unsheathed, the Spirit tells him to Kill Laban! And Nephi's first reaction is No NO NO!!!! He shrinks away, that he might not do this.

Laman and Lemuel thought that walking three days in the wilderness each way to get the plates was a hard task. Maybe they would have thought nothing of killing a man, but to Nephi, THIS was the hard thing required of him. He'd been taught never to kill. Ever. And here was the Lord telling him to do it. Kill Laban.

vs 11: the spirit says again "The Lord hath delivered him into thy hands" But Nephi still doesn't want to do it. Yes, Laban tried to kill him. Yes, he probably knew how to use that sword very well and had he been lucid, would have killed Nephi without thinking about it. He'd already tried to.

The difference is that Nephi DID think about it.

vs 12: "Slay him for the lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle in unbelief."

So, here in verse 13 we learn that the Lord will kill the wicked so the righteousness can prevail. Now, before I over-analyze this and try to rationalize Nephi's choice, I just want to say that Laban was given several chances to give them the plates. It was obvious to everyone that there was no way he was letting go of them. Normally the Lord uses the wicked to kill the wicked, but in this case, he required Nephi to do it.

I imagine poor Nephi was in a state of shock and disbelief. He goes through everything he'd been shown in his vision about his posterity. He knows he needs the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets if they are to remain righteous. And he can see that Laban was delivered into his hands. So finally, after several promptings and wrestling with the spirit, he cuts off Laban's head.

Ok, ick. gross. yuck. and what a mess of blood. I can see this young man crying as he pulls of Laban's clothes to dress in so he can impersonate him. Figuring out how to hide the body. And the clothes had to have blood on them. It's possible that a miracle occurred there, but still. A miracle would had to have, because if he put on every whit of clothing, a body will normally void itself (bowels and all) upon death. So... yeah. ick.

I think the things required of Nephi to prove his faith, his diligence, and his loyalty to his father and to his God were hard things. I am sure that the things required of us are equally hard, just different. God knows us individually, therefore we are asked to face our own individual trials. The Lemons probably wouldn't have been bothered by killing someone, which is why they weren't asked to do it. Nephi, however, didn't find joy in killing. He still had a respect and reverence for life and a love for his fellow-man. I truly believe that Nehpi loved Laban even while killing him.

Sometims you have to fail before you can succeed. - B.O.M. p 7

2011-10-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

Nephi has an idea: hey, let's buy the Brass Plates from Laban with all the stuff we left here. Lets go to our house, get our gold and silver, and offer to buy the plates. They're made out of brass after all, so lets appeal to Laban's bottom line.

It's a great idea in theory. They gathered up their gold, their silver, and all of their precious things. I wonder what they looked like walking through the streets of Jerusalem with these casks or chests. He doesn't specify what they carried them in, but they went in unto Laban with these things.

Now comes a perfect example of greed. Just greed and nothing but greed. Laban doesn't even care about the Brass Plates. But he sure isn't going to give them up. He's like a mythical dragon, sitting on his treasure. He may never ever use it, but there's no way he's giving it up.

And as soon as Laban sees the treasure that they have, instead of agreeing to sell the plates, no. no. He just wants what they have. So again, he throws them out of his house so he can have an addition to his treasure trove. More pretty things for him to look at without losing anything. So he sends his servants to kill Nephi and his brothers, so he can have their property without them trying to get it back.

Ok, thing one: These are Israelites who are supposed to be living by the ten commandments and the law of Moses. The fact that Laban is just throwing around orders to kill people, and his servants are happily running to obey, says something about the state of things socially. Jerusalem could not have been a nice place to live if you were not friends with the right people.

thing two: failure. Again. Nephi's idea was a great one. It really was. However, he cannot control the choices of others. And even though God wants a thing to happen, he will never ever take away their right to choose. Laban is getting his chance to choose to give up the plates. He is saying no with mortal threat. Also against a commandment.

So The Lemons are extremely frustrated. Laban has tried to kill Laman twice now. Lemuel is totally with him after running for his life. He wants to go back to dad and say "Hey, you're nuts, we can't do this." Now, the conversations aren't recorded, but I'm sure that Nephi, being the annoying little brother, kept saying "Hey, we can do it, there's got to be a way" And they had it, and started beating him up. I'm not excusing their behavior, but I think I can understand it. Brothers can be really mean to each other.

They were mean enough that they may have killed Nephi. I think that's why the Angel stepped in. Nephi needed to live. And while God won't take away your choice, He WILL send in something to slap you into sensibility. The Angel appears, asking The Lemons why they're beating up their younger brother. Oh, and then he lays it on the line, "Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of our inquities?" ouch. That had to hurt. And it's not like they could deny that they had iniquities. They'd just been beating up their brothers.

So then the Angel tells them to go back and that Laban would be delivered into their hands.

This is where I am baffled by The Lemons. An angel told them TO THEIR FACE that Laban would be delivered into their hands. And they don't believe it. vs. 31 "How is it possible? Laban can command and slay 50? Why not us?"

I think this is why people fail. It doesn't matter if an angel tells you to your face that something is possible, if you don't believe it because you can't see how it will happen, you won't believe it. And if you don't believe it, you will fail. Now, Nephi believed that his plan to buy the plates would work. It didn't. Not because he didn't believe it, but because his faith cannot control other people's choices.

Sometimes failure is necessary so you can innovate, create, and learn to believe in things not seen.

Chapter 4, vs 1, Nephi gives a pep-talk to his brothers. "Behold [the Lord] is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yeah, or eve than his tens of thousands?"

I LOVE verse 2: "Let us be strong like unto Moses" I love this. Today, we compare ourselves to Nephi, Moroni, Elijah, etc. Here's Nephi comparing himself to Moses and the power of faith that divided the red sea and swallowed up the armies of Pharaoh. I think this is so great. It completely supports the necessity of having scripture hero's, knowing your scriptures, and understanding that things don't always work. How many times did Moses have to ask Pharaoh to let his people go before it actually happened? And, like Moses, it's a foreshadowing that maybe things will have to go to the extreme of death before what the Lord has commanded will happen.

That being said, This is a mini-exodus story in and of itself.

A Test of Faith - B. O. M. pg 6

2011-10-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

"Go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou has not murmured."

Well, duh. Nephi had just had his own vision of the Lord, of course he didn't murmur at the command. Nor did he wonder why he wasn't told of this journey. He'd been told what he needed to know by the Lord, while his dad, being the leader of the family, was given the direction for all of his sons.

Nephi's response, the scripture mastery verse for the ages:

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

This is a very meaty verse. We don't see everything going on around us. We don't understand why we're given certain commandments, and when we can't see the why's or the logic, sometimes we don't follow them. But when you have faith, it doesn't matter. Ok, the Lord told me to do this. I have no idea how I'm going to do it, but I'm sure there's a way, so I'll go try. That is Nephi's attitude. That should be the attitude we all try to have.

"Get a year's supply of food" - well, we can ask why, or we can try to do it, believing that a way will be provided.

"read your scriptures every day" - we can be too busy, or we can find the time and thus find the blessings.

The list goes on and on, but regardless, when we try to do something, believing that a way will be provided for it, a way is made.

Lehi, upon hearing this, is super-happy, knowing that Nephi has been blessed by the Lord.

So, Nephi and his brothers go back the three day journey to Jerusalem to get the plates. With their tents. I'd have thought that was obvious, but maybe it wasn't. Not being an expert in the geography of the area, maybe sleeping in caves was an option and they chose to avoid those areas? I don't know.

At any rate, when the get to Jerusalem, the boys all sit and discuss how to go about getting the plates from Laban. No one really wants to be the first to go in, so they cast lots. And Laman "wins" or loses, as the case may be. I'm not sure, but he decides to take the direct approach. Given Laman's personality so far, this doesn't surprise me. He's obviously not hidden how he feels about things from his dad, he thinks he's right, so of course he should be able to convince Laban to give him the plates.

Now, the fact that he was invited into Laban's house and sat with him is a big deal. Laban was a leader, and I'm sure didn't have time to meet with everyone who wanted a minute of his time. The fact that he not only made time for Laman, but sat with him and talked with him says something. They either knew each other, or had run in similar circles, or somehow had a relationship prior to this.

However, despite Laman's belief that he could do it - or maybe he didn't believe it, maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe Laban sensed Laman's edginess and felt something was up. I don't know, but whatever Laman said pissed Laban off in a huge way. Laban threatens to kill him, calling him a robber, and runs him out of the house. Laman doesn't stop running, and continues on back to where his brothers were hiding. They are all ready to give up at this point, except Nephi.

Nephi gives a short discourse on faith. vs. 16: "Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord." He says hey, dad knew Jerusalem was going to be destroyed because the people are wicked. They've rejected the words of the prophets. If we'd stayed, we'd be destroyed, too. Since we want to live for longer than the next twelve years, lets go get these plates so we can preserve our language and preserve the words of the prophets.

specifically: "preserve the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.

I have a reference marked here: "D&C 1: 37-38: Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophesies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

How can you search the commandments if you don't have them?

The scriptures were so important, that they were required to go back into a city where their dad was on the "Wanted Dead" list, so they could have the scriptures. Do we treat the scriptures with the same level of importance? Are we willing to search them and learn from them and give them the proper time and pondering? Obviously they are more important than I sometimes esteem them.

Perhaps one of our tests of faith in todays day and age is whether or not we'll give the scriptures their due.

Age Doesn't Matter - Book of Mormon pg 5

2011-10-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

It's silly that I'm constantly surprised at the ages of the prophets and/or leaders found in scripture. Samuel was just a young boy. Nephi is just a young boy - probably somewhere in his teens, maybe 14 or 15. Moroni started out very very young, as well as Enoch, etc. I'm sure Abrahams boys would have started out earlier, too, had their lifetimes been shorter. But they had long years of practice.

My point being that on page 5 of the Book of Mormon, we see a pretty good example of what the Lord looks for in his young leaders.

We already know from page 4 that Nephi desired to know the mysteries of God, and then prayed about the directions his father gave.

But here are some other attributes:
vs. 17: he shares with his older brother Same what he learned from his prayers and from the Holy Spirit, and Sam believes him.
vs 18: A: He tries to share his knowledge with The Lemons, but they wouldn't hear him
so B: he cries unto the Lord for them. (The love of family: huge huge huge deal to the Lord.)
vs 19: He seeks diligently with a lowliness of heart. Seeking diligently. When the Lord tells us to read our scriptures every day, he's not just saying "hey, read 'em", he's inviting us to use that time to seek out his word, understand it, and live it. Nephi does this. The importance of "lowliness of heart" means in all simplicity that Nephi was teachable. He wasn't proud, he didn't assume he already knew it all, he sought dilligently and was able to find and learn because he had an open mind and was willing to learn.

Given all of these attributes, the Lord blesses Nephi with a binding covenant. One that we will see repeated over and over to future prophets in the Book of Mormon, as well. We would do well to hearken to this, because it affects us to this day:
"inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise"
The main difference being that Nephi is promised he'll be led to a land of promise if he keeps the commandments, and the other prophets are promised that they'll prosper IN the land and not lose it. The other side of this bargain being that should they dwindle in unbelief, it'll be taken from them.
The Lord explains to Nephi that while he loves The Lemons, if they rebel against him, they will be cut off from the presence of the Lord. I remember as a teen reading this thinking, "Ok, so they don't get back to heaven when they die. that sucks." But now as an adult and having had some life experiences, I think it means a whole lot more than that. I think they lost their consciences - the Light of Christ - I think they no longer had the Holy Ghost. I think they were able to willingly try to kill their brother and his family AND teach their children to hate and kill as well because they had lost the spirit of the Lord. They had lost the ability to think on the divine level that they were entitled to. And while the Lord WANTED to help them, love them, and guide them back home, they were not interested. The spirit cannot dwell in an unclean temple.
This is a sad thing to me. Overcoming the natural man is one of our primary duties here on earth, and The Lemons devolve into as natural as they can be when cut off from society.
But, continuing on, the Lord doesn't dwell on The Lemons, I think Nephi understands the full impact of this statement. If he doesn't God knows he will later on. So he moves on and tells Nephi that as long as he keeps the commandments, he'll be made a ruler and a teacher over his brethren.
Nephi's not into power. I think that's why he continues to plead with his brethren to repent and come back and see the light. He doesn't want to be in Joseph's shoes. He wants his family to be "normal."

But the curse is laid out here: "they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also." So basically, Nephi is promised that his future progeny will not be wiped off the face of the earth by his brothers' children, so long as his family stays obedient.

So, if you were 14, and God was talking to you face to face, and He told you, "hey, I know you're worried about your brothers. Listen, I'm going to promise you that your seed will be fine and their seed will have no power over your seed unless yours decide to be naughty, too." What would you be thinking? Hey, I'm gonna have kids! Hey, I'm not only going to have kids, but I'm going to have grand-kids. And Not just grand-kids but an entire people? I'm thinking this news, while an assuring promise in a way, would be unsettling, too. And sombering. These are his big brothers, the guys he has looked up to his whole life, and he's being promised he'll be safe from them as long as he stays righteous. In a way, that's go to suck. Because family IS important, and when family turns on itself, it's an ugly ugly thing, and sad sad sad. Maybe that's why the Lord visited him in person. So he'd know he was loved, he'd know he had the strength to endure the emotional pain coming. He'd know he wasn't really alone after his dad dies.

Vs. 24: The Lord ends with saying that The Lemons seed will be used as a scourge, to stir his children up to righteousness.

Maybe this is why I'm not a prophet. This news is not good news, it's painful news. Or maybe that's where I am in life right now. If God told me that one of my brothers' grandkids was going to war and be a scourge upon my grandkids to help keep them on the straight and narrow, I'd be sad. I'd mourn for the choices my brother was making. I can't even imagine hearing this news at a young age.

I guess in a way, though, it was good news, considering that they didn't know where they were going and they didn't know if they'd even survive the trip. So Nephi had enough of a glimpse of the future that he was sure they'd get where they were going because he was going to have generations of descendents that would need to be scourged by his brother's future generations.

Chapter 3
vs1: the first thing Nephi does when he's done speaking with the Lord is go see his dad. He probably wants to talk to him and discuss the conversation he had with the Lord.
vs 2: Only to find that while he was talking to the Lord, so was his dad. Lehi was getting instruction via a dream where he was told to send the boys back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates. Specifically from Laban's house.

Thing one: Time. The Lord does not experience time the same way we do. He can converse with multiple people at the same time, in a very individual way. He is not limited by our "blinders-on" understanding of physics, time, etc. So the fact that Lehi was having a vision at the same time Nephi was having a visitation doesn't seem odd to me. I think it's evidence that God's power is beyond our mortal understanding.

Thing two: Records. Important stuff. Write your stuff down, keep it, and share it with your family. It's a big deal. Share your spiritual experiences so others can learn from them. Your geneology, etc. The word of God - currently, our Bible, Book of Mormon, D&C, and Pearl of Great Price - is important to have. So important that it was worth going back to Jerusalem for.

Why weren't they told to get the record before they left? I don't know. But I'm sure Nephi and The Lemon's experience in the wilderness was a test of Faith, one of which was necessary for their personal growth.

The Lemons, of course, are not happy about the news that they have to go back. "it's a hard thing that is required of them" and they blame their dad. Lehi tries to explain that the Lord requires it, not himself. The Lemons don't see the difference there.

I have to wonder if The Lemons actually have a belief in God. I mean really believe. It seems to me that they have more of an "well, my dad talks about God, and my culture talks about God, so sure, I believe" but they didn't ever do any of the work to learn for themselves. Maybe this is a good example of what happens when you rely on someone else's testimony instead of developing your own.

And it is never, ever, too early to develop a testimony.

Book of Mormon pg 4 - The Love of a Father

2011-10-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

In verse five, Nephi starts out with giving us basic directions. They traveled near the Red Sea. From a spiritual standpoint, at first I'm thinking, "yeah, so??" But this tells a couple of things. A: directions. So archaeologists running around have directions to follow so they can find the landmarks described by Lehi. B: What is the metaphore here? Because in scripture, everything is layers upon layers of meaning. And beneath the obvious "he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea;" what else is there? Borders of what? Political boundaries to evade people looking for them? The Red Sea is a source of life, fish and water. Symbolically as we travel through our own wildernesses, are we staying close to the source of Living Water?

AND also in verse five, "and he did travel with his family which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam." One mom, four sons, and a husband. All out in the middle of the desert, trying to avoid being found and killed. Family is important, no matter how annoying. End of Story.

Well, not really. There's actually lots more to the story than that. But, throughout this whole thing, the love for family is overpoweringly apparent. Especially on this page.

But first you get through the traveling through the wilderness by the Red Sea for three days until they get to a valley by the side of a river. Apparently this river was a river of water. Opposed to rivers of sand? Or a dried up river-bed? (I'm assuming there's a reason for this specificity. Hopefully he at least appreciates my humor.)

Anyway, after traveling for three days, Lehi builds an altar of stones in vs. 7. If you recall, in Genesis, the Israelites petitioned Pharaoh to travel three days in the wilderness to go worship their God. They were denied and ended up leaving Egypt in veritable ruins. And here is a little miniature exodus starting with traveling for three days and setting up an altar to worship. Now, the number three is significant in lots of ways - it symbolizes the Godhead, it symbolizes a form of perfection - AND it shows Lehi's dedication to the Lord. He's been traveling for three days, and the first thing he does is build and altar to give thanks unto the Lord.

He's not pleading for strength to survive this trial, he's not crying because he's lost his possessions. No, the first thing he does is THANK the Lord. This is a big deal, and I think is a great example. Because no matter how bad life gets, there is always something to be grateful for.

And while Lehi is doing his praying, he names the place. He calls the river Laman after his oldest son, "O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!"

Here is a dad who loves his boys. Wants them to succeed, and will do anything to help them. He names a river for one to help inspire him and give him a physical image that he can wrap his little mind around that says HEY! Run TO the water, not away from it, idiot!" Well, ok. Lehi loved his son so much he would never call him names. I'm probably disrespecting him by thinking that. But that's what this image says to me.

Vs. 10 is Lemuel's turn: "O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steafast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!"

The valley of Lemuel through which runs the river Laman. Lehi's metaphors don't really need any explaining, they are plain and easy to understand. This, because he loves his boys. I think Lehi is a great example of a mortal father who loves his children the way God loves us. He saw past their problems, trials, and natural tendencies and tried to coax their godly potential out of them.

I am working on being more like Lehi

In verse 11 Nephi explains why only the oldest two brothers get the very large, very physical metaphors. The Lemons are very stiffnecked, and apparently had been murmuring the entire three days that they'd been traveling. Calling him a "visionary man" - and while yes, he did have visions, they didn't mean this in a spiritual way, they were sassing their dad big time here. So naughty! So they came, but they didn't really want to come. And boy did they miss their riches. They subscribed to the view of the people in Jerusalem, thinking that nothing could possibly go wrong there and figured their dad was just imagining things.

Huh. How often do we think that about people around us today? Or about our own family members, even?

Vs 12: Nephi, also full of love for his brothers (because of the example of his father, I'm betting) explains his brothers behavior. He doesn't excuse it, he just explains it. "They knew not the dealings of God who had created them."

This is a very powerful concept. You can be a member of a church your whole life, but if you do not know God, you won't understand any of His doctrine. They simply did not understand that there were powers at work that were beyond their scope of vision. Now, that being said, I'm sure there's a reason they didn't understand. One has to put forth effort to learn new things. If you are afraid of something or dismiss something or think you already know it, then you won't bother with trying to figure it out. Me, I'm thinking the Lemons were afraid of their peers, afraid of the Elders, and afraid of what they didn't understand. They had put their trust in the arm of man. The world. And expected things of the world to be able to keep them safe.

I'm sure it grieved Lehi much to see his sons being just like the people of Jerusalem, who sought to take away his life. And there is a foreshadowing in vs 13. The Lemons aren't going to get better, they're going to turn into the same people they left, being ready to kill to protect their world view.

But, Lehi, loving his boys and being filled with the spirit, speaks to them with power "Until their frames did shake before him". So, while Lehi may have been grieved for his boys, he didn't put up with their crap, either. "they durst not utter against him, wherefore, they did as he commanded them." I'm thinking they were ready to go back to Jerusalem and he had to remind them that HE was the dad, and they were still his sons and the Lord filled him with power and they felt it and were obedient for a time.

vs 15: another one of those teensy tiny verses that you have to wonder why it's there. "And my father dwelt in a tent" You know, I'm thinking this is important because A: Lehi was a landowner and had a house. He had riches. And now he was living in a tent. Gratefully living in a tent, no less. Lesson from this verse: What is your attitude about your living conditions? And what would your attitude be if you lost everything? Or if God asked you to give everything up and move? Would you? And would you do it willingly like Lehi? Or grudgingly like The Lemons?

vs 16: Here's Nephi's self-portrait in words. He's the youngest, but he's large in stature, and has a great desire to know the mysteries of God. So he's large in spirit, too. And here's the big difference between Nephi and The Lemons. Nephi *wants* to know the mysteries of God, The Lemons want nothing to do with them.

But Nephi, even though he's the youngest, he's gonna pray, and pray, and pray. And the Lord is going to visit him. Now here is how he describes this experience of his dad preaching to his brothers "I did cry unto the Lord; and behold, he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers."

This makes me wonder if The Lemons had been working on turning the whole family against dad, so they could convince him to go back to Jerusalem. Nephi, being smart, prays about what his dad had said to his brothers, gets and answer, and decides that following dad is the right way to go.

If only every family were led by a father who listened to the spirit and led them in righteousness. And if only every child had been taught to pray about what they'd heard and found out for themselves if things were true and right. Lehi's job as a parent was obviously not easy, yet he did it willingly because of his great love for his family. What a great example.

Tender Mercies - BoM pg 3

2011-10-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

1Ne 1: 17-20, 2:1-4

Nephi starts out in vs 17 telling us that he's going to make an abridgement of his father's record as well as keep a record of his own life. Then he says specifically that he wants us to know that his father went forth to prophesy to the people the things he'd seen. Lehi didn't just have a vision, say "Oh cool" and leave it at that. No, the man then went and acted on it. He tried to save the people he loved from destruction.

But they didn't want to hear it. They mocked him and hated him because he testified of their wickedness and their abominations as well as the things which he had seen and heard in his vision. People do NOT like their shortcomings brought to light. And if they're not ready to change, not willing to change, or embarassed, they will instead do what the Israelites did and get angry. Angry enough to kill.

But the Lord loves his people. And he shows his tender mercies unto them. Nephi talks about this in vs 20 "I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

Folks, this is not just about deliverance from people who want to kill you. This is about deliverance from all evil. God chooses who he chooses based on faith. And when you exercise faith, you will be delivered. Sometimes death is a deliverance. Sometimes miracles happen. Faith is a mighty power, because the Lord loves his children, he grants the power to those who use it. WE are his children. WE are entitled to the power of faith because our Father in Heaven loves us. Each and every one of us has the power to deliver ourselves from struggles, trials, etc. Whether it's a mental moment of peace during a painful physical trial or a moment of peace in a house full of contention. We have the power when we exercise that faith.

Chapter 2, Lehi is warned that people want to kill him, and the Lord tells him to get up and go. He was faithful, he preached to the people, and the Lord does not wish him to die yet. So he's got to go go go, get out of Dodge. It didn't matter to Lehi that it was a voice in a dream. He'd already seen the pillar of fire, he'd had a vision. What difference did it make that it came in a dream? He was told to go, so he got up and went.

"he was obedient unto the word of the lord."

that's something I want written on my headstone.

vs 4 is where we find out just what Lehi was leaving behind in Jerusalem: "his house, the land of his inheritance, his gold, his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family and provisions, and tents." Could you leave your house? Your savings accounts? Your scrapbooks and pictures and heirlooms and antiques and the fun things you save for sentimental reasons? Could you ask your family to leave all of their things, too? Gone, baby gone. We moved 10 months ago. It feels like yesterday. And I still miss that house. It was a traumatic move, requiring much faith on our part to get through it. We still have our sentimental things. But it must have been hard on his family to leave everything they knew and live in a tent. I begin to understand the Lemons. (Laman and Lemuel)

Pillars of Fire - BoM pg 2

2011-10-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that fire is a running theme throughout scripture. In the Old Testament Moses saw a burning bush (that was not consumed by the flame;) Elijah called down pillars of fire from heaven to show up the priests of Baal (I think it was Baal? been a while since I read that part of the Old Testament;) the children of Israel were led by a pillar of fire through the desert. (etc, etc) In the New Testament, Christ compares the receiving of the Gift of the Holy Ghost to being cleansed by fire. I'm beginning to think that there is more to fire than just combustion.

I am now intrigued by why God chooses to use fire so often, because here we are in verse 6 of 1st Nephi, right after Lehi has prayed with all of his heart for his people, and God comes to him in a pillar of fire. Nephi does not expound on the things which God showed and told his father, he simply notes that Lehi quaked and trembled. That being said, I'm sure I'd be shivering just from the shock of such a visitation. What faith, though, for his prayers to be answered directly.

In vs 7 we learn that Lehi was not praying at home. He'd gone off away from the city and everything, so when he returned home, he went right to bed, being overcome with the spirit.

When was the last time we (you, me, anyone) was so overcome with the spirit that we had to lie down and contemplate what we'd experienced? How open to the spirit are we, that we'd allow that to happen? Lehi, he was pretty open and teachable, I'm thinking. Not only did he go off to pray and have his prayers answered right then and there, but when he got home, he was still in such an open, humble, teachable state, not just open to the spirit, but overcome by the spirit - I imagine it's like having a face to face conversation with the Holy Ghost - But when he gets home and lays down to rest he's carried off into a vision!

How prepared was Lehi for this experience? Whatever he had done with his life, however he'd been living, and whatever he'd been doing to create his affluence and his successful home, he obviously was not so overcome with worrying about how much money he was making or so preoccupied with his work that he didn't know God. Here is a man who, while very successful temporally, kept his mind and spirit open to the promptings of God. AND LISTENED TO THEM!!! So when the Lord was ready to show him a vision, Lehi was ready to see it. Obviously this man had lived a righteous and humble life. Is it really that surprising that such a man would have a child as righteous and faithful as Nephi, then? No. Not surprising at all. Lehi was one of those parents who taught by example.

So Lehi has this vision, and it's more than just a "vision" it's a 3-D theme-park experience like no other. It starts with him seeing God on his throne surrounded by numberless angels singing and praising their God. Then he sees One (Jesus) descending out of the midst of heaven, followed by twelve others (the 12 apostles). Nephi felt impressed to describe the difference in brightness between them, too. The One's luster was brighter than the noon-day sun. The Twelve's brightness did exceed that of the stars. So there was a difference in power, a difference in brightness.

In verse 11 it notes that all came down and went forth upon the face of the earth, and "the first" came and stood before Lehi and handed him a book. In my side notes, I have "the first" marked as the senior apostle. In Christ's day on earth, that would be Peter. Peter became the head of the church after Christ left this mortal ministry. I'm thinking it was probably Peter who came to see Lehi in spirit, but that could be wrong. Peter hadn't yet received his body at that time, but there's nothing to say that it couldn't have been him, either. This is all supposition on my part, but I think that since the 12 called while Christ was alive were the first twelve, they are probably the ones in the vision. The twelve called in the New World when Christ visits after his resurrection have jurisdiction over the New World and those descendents, yes, but... well, I'm rambling and I'm getting into murky waters I don't understand. So, before I go looking beyond the mark, I'm just going to say that I always picture "the first" mentioned here as Peter. It may not be him, but that's who I envision. I'm sure there's a reason he's not named.

Anyway...

So Lehi gets this incredible book and is told to read. And as Lehi reads, he's filled with the Spirit of the Lord.

What is the difference between being Overcome by the spirit (vs 7), and being Filled with the spirit (vs 12)? Is there a difference? I think there must be. Nephi had no qualms about repeating himself. God uses repetition all the time in scripture. This is not repetition, they are very different words. What is the difference? I do not think I have an answer right now, but it is yet another thing for me to study and ponder.

But, on to the scary part in vs 13. Lehi is reading prophecy about Jerusalem, and it makes him sad. Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem. However, he isn't just sad. Everything he reads also causes him to exclaim and marvel and praise God. "Thy goodness and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!"

gonna break down that bit from verse 14 for a second. Note the phrase "ALL inhabitants" used there. Everyone. Not just Israelites. Not just Jews. Not just Mormons or Catholics or Muslems or Hindu. ALL Inhabitants. God loves his children. All of them. And if they come unto him, they will not perish. I am assuming that this is speaking more of a spiritual death instead of a physical death, because we all die, and we will all be resurrected. But spiritual death... that's a permanent separation from God. That IS sad.

vs 15 Lehi continues to praise god and rejoice. Note, Lehi sees the impending doom of Jerusalem and yet he is rejoicing and praising God. To some of you that may seem so wrong. I remember the first time I read this and I was sure these people were a little crazy. Or maybe intimidated by the fact that they were surrounded by angels so of course they'd praise the all-powerful God sitting on the thone. But I don't think that's it, anymore.

I think something more fundamental and basic happened here. Lehi sees and witnesses terrible events about to happen, but he ALSO sees and witnesses God's love. Lehi knows now, to his very core, down to the hair on his toes, that he is a beloved, cherished, son of God. He knows that his children are beloved and cherished children of God. He knows that God loves them all, and wants them to be happy. He wants this experience here on earth to be a joyous one. Even through the trials and pain, we are to find joy. And I think THAT is why Lehi sings praises. Because he knows that while the people of Israel are going to be in a world of hurt by the Babylonians if they don't repent, God is mindful of them, loves them, and while He will not stop bad consequences from happening, He will never stop loving them.

Thus the songs and words of praise. Lehi knows who he is.

The end of page 2 is Nephi clarifying in vs 16 that he's not going to repeat and make a full account of his father's vision because his dad already wrote all that down. Which I think is great. It's too bad that we don't have the book of Lehi anymore, that was the 116 pages that Martin Harris lost back in the beginning when the Book of Mormon was first being translated. But it's still there, inscribed on plates of gold, and I'm sure that some day those scriptures will be available to us when we're ready for them. But right now how can we be ready for them when we don't read and study the scriptures we have been given?

Thus my study now. How am I going to account for my time to my father in heaven? If I do not give some of my time to scripture study, I have wasted my day, indeed.

The Book of Mormon experience - page 1.

2011-10-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Our Stake President just challenged us to read one page of the Book of Mormon per day starting today. (In the summer this goes up to 2 pages per day)

Today we read as a family the first page of 1st Nephi (and, ok, because I don't like stopping in the middle of a sentence, we finished verse 5 on page 2.)

Nephi says he was born of goodly parents. Given that Nephi was in his teens, this says something. Most kids think their parents are weird, or crazy. Even in a culture where honor and respect was drilled into them, it's still a big deal that he loves and respects his mother and father to such a degree that it's the first thing he writes. I am unsure if part of their being goodly parents is the fact that they taught him what they knew? If "therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father" means they taught him because they were good? Or if this is referring to the fact that Lehi is a prophet, and Nephi learned to follow in those footsteps because his dad was such a great example. Maybe all? Maybe something different and yet it seems important that "good" and "teaching" are companions in this sentence.

So in verse 1, we have good parents who teach, many afflictions in the course of his days, being highly favored of the Lord so he has a "great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God" so he's going to make a record of his doings.

vs2: Nephi specifies that he's making his record in the language of his father: the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. I'm sure this is relevant in some archaeological aspect of things, but I cannot find an importance in this to myself except that if I were going to make a record, it would be in the language of MY fathers, American English. So for anthropologists, this might give some clue to his word usage.

vs3: "I know" This phrase is hugely important. Knowing isn't the same as hoping or believing or wishing. It's KNOWING from the bottom of your toenails all the way through to your gut that you KNOW it and it's real and it's true. Nephi knows his record is true because he lived it. And it looks as if he's tried to be somewhat impersonal in his writings, but I'm sure there was some bias. Even so, he KNOWS it is true. This sets a stage right up front that the story he's going to tell you isn't a family fable, it's not grandpa's yarn about what happened when he was a little girl. It's true, and it really happened. In a way it's a challenge for you to find out if you know. Do you? Do you know it's true? Do you want to know? Or, if you've never read it before, do you want to know why it's even important to know if it's true? Those who waffle on a subject or a stance are never people you can rely on. People who KNOW, however, they're the ones you can count on. Nephi knows his record is true because he wrote it with his own hand based on his own knowledge.

vs 4: Here's the back story. It all starts the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. It's not once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away. No, it's specifically a time and a place. The city of Jerusalem is where it starts, and Nephi remembers an unusually high number of prophets coming to the land of Judah and telling the Israelites to repent. In the Old Testament there were quite a few prophets who overlapped and taught at the same time during this period. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah (just to name a few.) Nephi loved, loved, Looooovved the words of Isaiah. More about that later, but the time and place are established. It's not a stage, it's not a play, it's a real place and a real time. Lots of prophets showing up and telling the people to repent or Jerusalem will be destroyed.

Now, if someone came and told you today that New York City was going to be destroyed, would you believe them? The Israelites were being told that their temple would be torn down brick by brick, and the Jews thought that was laughable. No way. We today say that a lot. No way. It would take a nuclear bomb or a horrendous Tsunami to destroy NYC or Boston. Sure, it would. But there are other things just as powerful bad today. And when our prophets warn that things we love will be destroyed, ruined, or taken from us, do we really believe them? Or do we mock them and try to kill them and laugh them out of earshot so we don't have to worry about them anymore?

See, it's a matter of perspective. Looking back in time, we look at the tribes of Israel and wonder why they didn't listen. We look at the World Trade Center on 9/11 and wonder what we could have/should have listened to for warning signs. Looking at our time right now, we wonder why people keep talking crazy nonsense. It's not really all that different, except that we're living in the middle of a time where prophets are calling us to repentance, telling us to love our neighbors, forge good relationships, and plan ahead for the future. Are we listening?

vs 5: Lehi prays to the Lord, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people. I think this says something super important. This commandment we have to love our neighbors is an everliving commandment. It's ongoing. It's timeless. It's not new. Lehi, 600 years before Christ, was praying for and loving his people. He did not want to see them destroyed anymore than Christ wanted to see the Jews destroyed in 72AD by the Romans. (that time is probably wrong, but you all know the event that I'm talking about when the Jews were beseiged, carried off, and Herod's temple was torn down brick by brick, and the city was looted and destroyed.) Jesus cried for his people knowing what was coming for them because they wouldn't listen. It was because they wouldn't listen that they couldn't receive the blessings of protection and safety offered by a loving Father. The spirit cannot dwell in an unclean vessel.

So today's thoughts: Am I listening to the spirit? Am I keeping myself worthy to have the blessings and protection offered by a loving Father in Heaven? Am I praying with my whole heart for my children, my family, and my loved ones? Even those who mock and persecute me? Am I teaching my children the knowledge that I have learned? I know that I am a loved daughter of God. I know that he loves me. I know that He wants me to use my time, talents, and energy for good. Am I teaching that to my kids? Am I doing what I know? or am I wasting that time?

Meeting Pharaoh and the Economics of drought.

2010-04-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Genesis 47:

Joseph brings five of his brothers to visit Pharaoh. And they answer as they've been told. "We are shepherds, and are come to sojourn in the land for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan."

Pharaoh loves Joseph so much that he extends this love to his family. vs 6: "In the best of the land make they father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell. And if you know of any men of activity among them, make them rulers over my cattle."

Well, that answers who took care of Pharaoh's cattle. The Hebrews did. It says something about the land of Goshen, too. While there was a famine so sore that Jacob's family had to move to find food for their cattle, the land of Goshen was not as affected. It was able to provide a living for the Hebrews. I wonder if that's why, 400 years later, that Pharaoh was all mad and pissy about the Hebrews? They had the "fat of the land" the area of Egypt that produced the best and most of grain, cattle, etc?

Jacob gets to meet Pharaoh, and upon doing so, blesses him. Two of the most powerful men in the world right here. One powerful as a ruler, one powerful in the priesthood and spirit. Jacob tells Pharaoh that he is 130 years old. He has not attained the age of his fathers because his days have been evil (footnote reads: unpleasant) - given the labors he went through to get his wives, then his sons, and then the heartache over his sons, yeah... his life hasn't been pleasant.

vs 11: "And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded." Why is it named Rameses in this verse and Goshen in the others? I am unsure about this, but Rameses becomes more of an issue in Exodus.

vs 13: There was no bread in all the land, for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.

yeah, it's getting bad. dry, dusty, windy... blech. Not fun to live through. I'm sure at this point all of Pharaoh's house is extremely glad that they had Joseph to help them prepare to live through this.

Here's an interesting economic tidbit. Joseph brings all of the money he'd gathered from selling corn, and brings it into Pharaoh's house. vs 15: Money fails. What good is money going to do you when there's no food to be had? Nothing is of worth for trade at this point, and the people have no money. Joseph still makes them PAY for the food, though. No handouts. They can trade their cattle, horses, flocks, etc for bread. Well, the next year, there's nothing more for them to trade for food. So Joseph says, ok, sell your land for food. And they do. All of this is done in Pharaoh's name, right? So all of the land is now deeded to Pharaoh in return for food.

vs 21: "as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof." the footnote here reads: Samaritan and Septuagint translation: And as for the people, he made them slaves, or serfs.

Joseph is setting up Pharaoh as an all-powerful, bound to the land, people bound to him kind of guy. In later years this gets seriously abused. In this particular time, it means Pharaoh is seriously responsible for their well being. vs 23: Here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land." Yeah, but with that, um, since you and your land now belong to Pharaoh, a fifth of every harvest belongs to Pharaoh.

And thus begins taxes to stay for the rest of the culture. The fifth began as a means to save up food for the seven year drought. It then continued as a means to pay Pharaoh back for keeping them alive. I'm not so sure how I feel about this. The people are now irrevocably bound to Pharaoh. Now THIS Pharaoh I'm sure was worth it, and used his power well. But in later years, not so much. And I have a hard time with the whole idea of Serfs. I don't understand why this was brought about. It just seems so wrong to me. The priests of Pharaoh didn't have to give him a fifth. And they didn't have to sell him their land to get food.

I know God loves the smallest equally with the largest. He is no respecter of persons and cares not if you're a landowner or a serf. So what was the purpose in Joseph essentially enslaving the Egyptian commoners to the Pharaoh? WHY?? I don't get it. Or was it a way to keep Pharaoh from looking to Goshen and taking those lands and those cattle? Did it keep Pharaoh in the money and luxury so that the children of Israel would be free to grow as a people? If so, I still don't get it. It just seems wrong to me on every level. I can understand it when a mean ol' unrighteous nation comes and does it. But when it's a man of god instituting it... It just confuses me.

It's going on my list of things to ask God when I die.

vs 31: Jacob makes Joseph swear to him that he'll bury him with his father's instead of in Egypt. Joseph does so, and "Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head." I'm not exactly sure what this means, but I'm thinking it means they've made a serious covenant that Joseph wouldn't think of breaking.

Not that Joseph would think of breaking it anyway, but Jacob was worried about it. Living in Egypt for 17 years kept his family alive, sure, but Jacob did not want to be buried here. It wasn't his land, and he didn't want to rest for eternity in it. I can understand that. Not that I've given much thought about where I would prefer to be buried, but I am sure that I'd prefer to be around the people I know and love. don't know if that'll happen, but it's what I'd prefer if it was possible.

Jacob and Co. move to Egypt

2010-04-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

Genesis 46

Jacob packs everything, and gets his family up and moving. When he gets his family to Beersheba, he offers sacrifices.

That night, God speaks to him in a dream. vs 3: "Fear not to go down into Egypt: for I will there make of thee a great nation." Not only does God calm his fear about being absorbed into Egyptian culture, but he calms his personal fears. "And Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes." Meaning, yes, you WILL see your son again before you die. That totally had to bring him comfort and peace. And it is a testimony that God is aware of our inner qualms and struggles, and he CARES about them.

So they move, taking their cattle, their kids, their goods, everything. verses 8-25: the sons of the sons of Jacob. If ever you are in need of some interesting names, this is a good place to look. I wondered if Benjamin's sons "Muppim and Huppim" were twins, but that could just be a more modern thing to do. All in all 70 sons of Jacob came to Egypt, specifically given the land of Goshen in which to dwell.

The meeting of Joseph and Jacob was one of great rejoicing and many many tears. Jacob says he can die happy now that he's seen his son's face and knows that he is well.

Then Joseph grooms them a little bit to be presented to Pharaoh. They're to tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds of cattle. They're not to lie to him, but shepherds are an abomination to the Egyptians, which is why they are not invited to live amongst the Egyptians themselves, but are given their own land.

So, it's an abomination for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews.
It's an abomination for Egyptians to be shepherds...

Who herds the Egyptian cattle then? Slaves?

I think this is another way that the Lord is prepping the house of Jacob to be set apart as a peculiar people. By living in the land of Goshen, they are able to keep their own beliefs, do their own sacrifices, and maintain their culture whilst living among the Egyptians. Well, that's the idea, at any rate. As with today, it is very easy to get caught up in the world's way of doing things and let it influence our lifestyle, our worship style, and our hearts. We live IN the world, but we are not to be OF the world. Not an easy thing to do, but it is doable.

Joseph's Great Game

2010-04-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Genesis Chapter 44

Joseph was sneaky sneaky, and very very good at getting his brothers to panic.

He fills their sacks with food, and then makes sure that their money is refunded to them and placed in the mouth of the sack so it's the first thing they find. and THEN he puts his favorite silver cup into Benjamin's sack.

Why?

I mean, we can all think of answers to this question, but I want to know what Joseph's reasons were. Was it because he really wanted Benjamin to stay, and this was the only way to accomplish that? I don't think so... I don't know that I believe there was real malice behind this either. It just confuses me.

It does serve to get his brothers into a panic and keep them off kilter. When the cup is found in Benjamin's sack, they totally freak out. They promised their dad that they would keep Benjamin safe, and now he's been framed and Joseph wants him as a servant to keep, but he'll send the rest of them home.

So Judah explains to Joseph the situation. He recounts all of their previous conversations, and the conversations with his father. He explains how his father put his faith and trust in them to bring his youngest son home safely, and how Joseph, who is so great, and 2nd only to Pharaoh, who has all this power, surely he can trade the life of Benjamin for the life of Judah? Judah promised his life in the stead of Benjamins, will Joseph please, please, pretty please, let Benjamin go home to dad (so it doesn't kill dad with grief) and let Judah be the bondsman?

I think this shows much. And seriously, compare these ten brothers to the Lemons in 1st Nephi. In 20 years, the oldest ten brothers have learned some humility, they have learned guilt, and grief, and they regret deeply their actions toward Joseph. Whereas in 20 years, Laman and Lemuel still want to kill Nephi and Sam, etc. I think Joseph was right to be skeptical of his brothers. He'd had a good several years to think on them, and he only knew them as arrogant, deceitful, and spiteful. Now he's seeing what time and wisdom will do.

Genesis 45

Judah's plea hits home with Joseph, and he loses it. He commands all of his servants and every Egyptian to leave the room. They could hear him weep, but they could not see him.

vs 3: Joseph tells them who he is. And he asks them if his father really and truly does live. "and his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence."

Yeah, I bet. "Hi, I'm your long lost brother who you all sold into slavery. Guess what? I'm now responsible for saving your life or taking your life." I'd be troubled too. I mean, part of my conscience would be eased knowing that hey, he didn't do to badly for being sold into slavery. Check him out, he's the most powerful man in Egypt. Wait... he's the most powerful man in Egypt. And we rely on Egypt for food. And we are the reason he's here...

Oh I'm sure they were troubled just a teensy bit. Except Benjamin, who was probably totally clueless and confused. How old was he when Joseph disappeared? So did he really even remember Joseph? His whole life all he'd known was that Joseph was dead. And lo, heeeeeere's Joseph!

vs 4-5, Joseph again tells them who he is. "be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life."

Joseph explains that God sent him to Egypt to preserve the children of Jacob in a great deliverance, and to be a father to Pharaoh. And then he tells them to hurry, go get dad, and bring everyone back. He's got a land set aside for them near the capital so he can feed them and nurture them and take care of them. The land of Goshen. We'll hear more about this land in the upcoming chapters of Exodus.

He weeps over each of his brethren, and word spread through all of pharaoh's house, and "it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants." And Pharaoh was so happy that Joseph's family had come that he promises them that they shall have the "fat of the land"

Methinks Pharaoh was very grateful to Joseph for not only preserving the Egyptians, but setting it up as a powerful nation. Not only that, but not abusing his power.

When the boys get home to dad and tell him what's really been going on, "Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not." But when he looks and sees the wagons sent to carry everyone and everything, he finally believes. "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die."

awwww. What joy he must have felt at that moment. I cannot imagine. It's one of those "and they all lived happily ever after" moments. The next 5 chapters will deal mostly with geneology, other funky egyptian customs, and burial practices. It was great for me when Joseph FINALLY stepped up and told the truth to his brothers. Not that he'd been lying to them, but he wasn't telling them the whole truth, either. I'm sure his servants thought it was some political maneuvering, or simply trusting his judgement in people. But I have to wonder if Joseph's steward had an inkling of what was going on. It seems to me that the whole thing made Pharaoh's entire house happy. So they must have had some clue. Or maybe family was just as important to the Egyptians as it was to the Hebrews, and therefore it wasn't right that Joseph only had his wife and children, but no brothers, sisters, or parents.

One way or the other, Joseph's Great Game worked. All of the panic and unsettling he did to his brothers served to open them up to accept him. Or at least obey?

Jacob and his struggles with Faith; Joseph and Family politics.

2010-04-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Genesis Chapter 43

Jacob has decided to let Simeon stay in prison in Egypt because he cannot let Benjamin go to Egypt. But the famine doesn't go away just because Jacob is afraid. It persists. And eventually they eat up all of the corn which they had brought from Egypt and they either have to go back for more, or they have to starve.

So Jacob tells them to go buy a little food. But in vs 4&5, Judah reminds him that Joseph will not sell them anything unless they take Benjamin.

Jacob really doesn't like this. Not even a little bit. "Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?"

--ok, so Jacob is feeling picked on here. I can so totally relate. "WHY'd they have to tell the guy I have another son??" I can just see him freaking out here. He's lost Joseph and his heart is broken. He feels like if he loses Benjamin the shards left of his heart will be smooshed beyond recognition.

It's easy to pass judgement here and say, "oh, where's his faith?" or "why didn't he pray about it and know that all would be well?" yeah, easy to say when you're not in the throws of discouragement and trials. Yet I feel I can relate to him when the way feels muddy and clouded. My way certainly does. Job has yet to be born, but Jacob is feeling like there isn't much more that can be taken from him before it will kill him. The decision to let Benjamin go with them WAS an act of faith. His boys had been honest with Joseph in Egypt, and the consequence for their honesty was seemingly a terrible one. Yet he had to do it in order to keep the rest of his household alive.

I can't decide what spurs on Judah's choice in verse 9 - is he exasperated with his father and will do whatever he has to in order to guarantee the life of his own children? Or does he feel so guilty for what they did to Joseph, that his father's pain touches his heart? I don't know, and the scriptures don't say. They only say that Judah is willing to guarantee Benjamin's life with his own.

vs 11, Jacob decides to try to guarantee Benjamin's life with a present. The best fruits of the land will be offered: balm, honey, spices, myrrh, nuts, and almonds. Oh, and double the money.

vs 14: "And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

I think that Jacob was fearful for Benjamin's life, yet he did still trust in the Lord to save him. Yet he knew that his sons were not always righteous. He knew that they made bad choices now and again. He didn't perhaps know the full extent, but he was well aware that these kids of his were not worthy of the birthright/keys to the priesthood. Benjamin was the only one of his sons left who was a worthy priesthood holder, and it had to be extremely hard to let go of him. Yes, I recognize his fear. Yes, I see where he's coming from. And yes, he still let him go. It is amazing that he did, I think. It took a LOT of faith to do that.

vs 16: as soon as Joseph sees Benjamin with them, he commands a dinner to be prepared for them. Ok, so lunch. it's at noon, but it's gonna be one heck of a feast.

now, his brothers think they're being taken to Joseph's house so he can accuse them of stealing, and take them as slaves. Where's THEIR faith? Ok, ok, so that's not entirely fair. This Joseph guy in Egypt, as they see him, is some really powerful scary egyptian who doesn't trust them at all. So they confess to Joseph's steward that when they got home with the corn they discovered their money was returned. And by gum, they've brought it back to prove their innocence.

Well now, the Steward is way ahead of them here. He tells them "Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money."

I'm not quite sure what to make of this, other than: A - the Egyptian --hello! An unbeliever!!-- is confirming to them that God is mindful of them and they are being blessed. and B - The steward loves Joseph enough to pay attention to Joseph's Hebrew ways as well as anticipate the questions from the brothers and be ready for them.

At this point, he releases Simeon to the brothers, brings them into the house, washes their feet, and takes care of their mules.

some part of me really wonders what kind of treatment Simeon received. And I don't recall if the scriptures tell us, but I sure want to know.

vs 27: Joseph receives their gift, but cares more about news about daddy. "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?"

Here it gets quite moving. He's told that yes, his father is still alive, and as they bow down before him, he sees Benjamin. And he is moved with emotion so much that he has to leave the room and find a place to weep. I'm not exactly sure the point of his charade to the boys, except to find out if they've repented fully, how they're treating their father and Benjamin, and to let them know of his authority without question.

So when he returns, he has his face washed and he refrains himself. He eats with the Egyptians, not with the Hebrews "for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians."

I am truly curious why Hebrews were considered such an abomination that the Egyptians wouldn't even sit at the same table with them. Yet here's Joseph, 2nd in command of the nation, and he IS a Hebrew. I assume that he is still righteous and does not worship the gods of the Egyptians. Yet he will not eat with the Hebrews. He'll send special dishes to their table from his, though. In 430 years, the Hebrews will all be slaves to the Egyptians, but at this point, they were merely considered yucky. I don't get it. I do know that the descendents of Ham - specifically Canaan - was told that they'd be the servants of Shem. But, really... I don't understand this attitude at all. I should probably research it. That might help.

vs 34: And Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. Yeah, Joseph loves his baby brother. a Lot. Enough to pick him out of a crowd and heap gifts on him not-so-anonymously.

I wonder if part of this is to see how his brothers will react to Benjamin getting more than they get? Will they be all resentful and hateful like they were to him? Is that what he's getting at? or is it just because he's missed his brother? Or... I can come up with a thousand different reasons or scenerios here. But I do think that Joseph had a reason for everything he did here.

Jacob sends his sons off to Egypt

2010-04-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Genesis chapter 42.

vs 1. Jacob tells his boys there is corn in Egypt, and I just love this "Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?" Can't you just see them eyeing each other nervously? And they ALL know what the other one is thinking. but, but, that's where we sent Joseph all those years ago

vs 2. So then Jacob puts on the dad voice and tells them to get thither and buy corn that they might live and not die.

vs 3-4. so, the ten of them get on thither. Of course without Benjamin, though, because why would Jacob trust them with his only remaining righteous son??

vs 6 - Joseph was apparently a very hands-on governor. Any people from outlying nations that wanted to buy corn had to go through him. And lo, his dreams were fulfilled, his brothers arrive and they have to bow down to him. Now, Joseph knew his brethren, but sneaky sneaky he didn't let on. See, he's got to test them first, I think. His older brethren HATED him and wanted him dead had come to buy corn. He has no idea how they feel about him still. Do they still hate him? Do they really wish he was dead? Do they keep expecting to see him as a slave around and about the city? He doesn't know, but he needs to find out.

So he tests them. He talks to them roughly - through a translator no less. He accuses them of being spies, and they reply "Nay, my lord, but to buy food are they servants come." Ok, firstly they're honest. Secondly, they really are his servants at this point. They need what he has (food) and will do whatever they have to in order to get it. I wonder if he's expecting to hear sweet talking or them try to weasel more grain out of him than he's willing to sell, but they are pretty up-front about what they're after. And they admit that they are all one man's son, twelve brethren, the youngest who is not with them, and one who is not. So now he hears that he's dead in Canaan. How must that have felt?? If this were a movie, I can totally see Joseph clenching his jaw with emotion right there. my father thinks i'm DEAD??

Or, judging by verse 15, maybe he's worried about how they're treating Benjamin in his absence. So he insists that they're spies and tells them that they can only prove themselves by bringing their youngest brother to see him. His first terms are that they will all be prisoners and one shall go fetch the youngest. And he puts them all in prison for three days while they think it over.

Maybe, just maybe, giving them a small taste of what he's been through?

I honestly can't decide if any of this is done from spite or malice on his behalf. Or if he's just trying to put the fear of Pharaoh into them so they will obey him. Or if this is all symbolic of Christs death and resurrection on the 3rd day?

Whatever the case is, he visits them on the third day with compassion. He tells them to take enough corn to feed their families, but leave ONE brother in Egypt in prison, and come back with the younger brother. He leaves a threat hanging over them though, that they will be put to death if they do not return with the younger brother.

vs 21: "we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us." They remember Joseph. And they feel remorse. Deeply, apparently. So Reuben says I Told You So, blood is going to be required, we shouldn't have harmed the child.

This whole time they're having this conversation, Joseph is listening. And he realizes how they feel, and he has to turn away and weep. I can understand why, and I can't pin it down to just one emotion. But he's going to continue on with the charade until he sees Benjamin and determines how well he is. So he binds Simeon in front of the brothers, commands their sacks filled with Corn, AND their money returned unto them, along with provisions for the trip home.

So deep down he's really just a huggable teddy-bear. With armed guards.

vs 28, the brothers all panic when they realize their money is restored. And they don't blame Egypt, they think God is punishing them. And maybe He is, through Joseph. But somehow I think that instead He's getting a good chuckle out of their panic. It IS funny. Maybe not to them, but I think Joseph knew they'd freak when they found out all their money was returned. So he's a huggable prankster teddy-bear. That works for me, too.

As I'm from the tribe of Ephraim, I think of these stories of Joseph as I think of any story about one of my grandpa's. And I find this one highly amusing. Sentimental, too, but amusing nonetheless.

vs 29, the boys get home and tell dad everything that happened. And he is far from pleased. Even moreso not pleased when he sees all the money returned. And the boys know he holds them responsible for Joseph's death, but now they are also responsible for Simeon being held away from Jacob, and they want to take Benjamin away as well. And I can't really blame Jacob for his teensy tiny pity-party in verse 36 when he laments that all things are against him. It would certainly feel like it!! But given this, he refuses to let Benjamin go. He insists that if anything should befall Benjamin, it would kill him with sorrow.

Now here's what I love the most about this point of the story. The boys love their dad enough to respect his decision, even though it means death or life-long imprisonment for Simeon. Which they all knew they each deserved anyway for what they did to Joseph.