The Bucket Filler

Moroni 10

2010-02-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I don't have much for this chapter. I've been reading it over and over for the last few weeks, hoping to have a grand finish, but I'm just emotionally and mentally spent right now. So I'd like to just quote some of my favorite passages from this chapter:

6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

8 And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the agifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are bdifferent ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the cSpirit of God unto men, to profit them.

20 Wherefore, there must be afaith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.
21 And except ye have acharity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.
22 And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in adespair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
23 And Christ truly said unto our fathers: aIf ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me.

32 Yea, acome unto Christ, and be bperfected in him, and cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye asanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the bblood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your csins, that ye become dholy, without spot.

I have loved reading the Book of Mormon this past year with you and only wish that I would have been more consistent in my posts! I know the Book of Mormon is a true testament of Christ and I know as I read and study it, my life is so enriched and my perspective is clearer. I have a testimony that Christ is our Savior and in our times of trouble he is also our friend. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Tori

Moroni Ch. 8

2010-02-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Infant baptism is an evil abomination—Little children are alive in Christ because of the atonement—Faith, repentance, meekness and lowliness of heart, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end lead to salvation. Between A.D. 400 and 421

This chapter is a letter Moroni received from his father, Mormon. It is interesting that he includes it; he must have really understood the importance of these words. Mormon explains that children are not capable of sin, so therefore they are not able to repent, and do not need baptism as a saving ordinance until they reach the age of accountability.

22 For behold that all little children are ^aalive in Christ, and also all they that are without the ^blaw. For the power of ^credemption cometh on all them that have ^dno law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing—

24 Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for ^arepentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law.

25 And the first fruits of ^arepentance is ^bbaptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth ^cremission of sins;

Mormon is also explaining that the people who live and die without having the opportunity to hear the gospel.Many persons live and die and never know the law of Christ. Such persons will be taught the gospel in the spirit world. There they will have the opportunity to exercise faith and repent of their sins. Living proxies on the earth perform the needed ordinances in their behalf, and the blessings of salvation may be theirs. (see the institute manual.) Temple work is a blessing, and it is an important responsibility. It is not only edifying for one to go through the temple and be reminded of one's covenants, it is salvation to those who have passed on without having the opportunity to learn of and believe in Christ. Heavenly Father is merciful. He would not condemn one of his children simply because they lived and died without hearing of Him or His gospel.

Finally, here are some more verses in which Mormon expounds on the reasons little children do not need baptism.

8 ^aListen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the ^bwhole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little ^cchildren are ^dwhole, for they are not capable of committing ^esin; wherefore the curse of ^fAdam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of^gcircumcision is done away in me.

11 And their little ^achildren need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the ^bremission of sins.

12 But little ^achildren are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a ^brespecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!

13 Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.

15 For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.

God is merciful. He is no respecter of persons. He has created a way for all to be able to return to His presence and experience exaltation. It is my hope that I can live worthily enough to experience these blessings in the next life.

Elise

Moroni 7

2010-02-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

Wow. This chapter is full of treasures. I strongly encourage each of you to read it. It is too wonderful to overlook, and I'm not sure I will be able to summarize all of the important parts here.
An invitation to enter into the rest of the Lord—Pray with real intent—The Spirit of Christ enables men to know good from evil—Satan persuades men to deny Christ and do evil—The prophets manifest the coming of Christ—By faith miracles are wrought and angels minister—Men should hope for eternal life and cleave unto charity. Between A.D. 400 and 421

Outline of important principles:
vs 3: Peaceable followers of Christ have hope that they will soon enter into the rest of the Lord.
vs 5: By their works shall you know them: For if their works be good, then they be good also.
vs 6: Pray with real intent
vs 12: All things which are good come of God
vs 15: "For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night."
This verse is awesome. What a powerful promise, that we can know something with such great surety. For some reason, I never realized that the Lord has promised us something so great, but seeing it here gives me hope and faith. I think this is a great verse to draw on time and again, as a reminder that the Lord will make all things known unto us, if we ask in faith. He will help us make righteous decisions that will lead us where we need to go. "Wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God." This gives so much comfort to me. We have the opportunity to know with a perfect knowledge, things tbat are of God. What a tremendous blessing that is and will be to us in our lives.
vs 18: Judge righteously
vs 19-25: Through faith and Christ, we are able to lay hold on every good thing.
29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have aangels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.
32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.
33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is cexpedient in me.
This is also another good reminder of principles I could never hear enough. As hard as this life may be at times, we have that hope to hold onto, that miracles still happen. The Lord is ever mindful of us, and He loves us. Even tho it is a necessary part of life, I know the Lord does not like to see us suffering. That is why He provides so many ways for us to feel of His love. Our Savior, and the Love of God and Christ are what will help us get through this life. Love is the bright spot we have to hold onto in this life. Along with that, we have the promise of always having the Holy Ghost to dwell in our hearts and help guide us. What an incredible promise. Isn't it also awesome to think that we still have angels here among us? Those who have the faith will be blessed to see them in this life, perhaps in times where they need extra guidance or extra help. The glorious works of God will not cease on this earth.
41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.
42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he bmust needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.
43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

I hate to just copy straight from the scriptures, but what better way to wrap up the beautiful promises made in this chapter? This chapter truly helps us to understand the eternal picture and what awaits us in the life to come. Heavenly Father truly loves us. Our Savior truly loves us. They want us to return to live with them some day, and they know we will need reminders along the way. We will need them to hold our hands at times. This Gospel is a beautiful thing. We are so blessed to have it in our lives.

~Chelsea~

Moroni 6

2010-02-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

Repentant persons are baptized and fellowshipped—Church members who repent are forgiven—Meetings are conducted by the power of the Holy Ghost. Between A.D. 400 and 421

In verse 2 it says that they received those to baptism who had a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

What does it mean to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit?

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) explained that it is the same as godly sorrow, which is “a deep realization that our actions have offended our Father and our God. It is the sharp and keen awareness

that our behavior caused the Savior, He who knew no sin, even the greatest of all, to endure agony and

suffering. Our sins caused Him to bleed at every pore. This very real mental and spiritual anguish is what

the scriptures refer to as having ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit.’ (3 Ne. 9:20; Moro. 6:2; D&C 20:37; 59:8; Ps. 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 57:15.) Such a spirit is the absolute prerequisite for true repentance” (“A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct. 1989, 4).

Elder Bruce D. Porter of the Seventy explained further, defining the meaning of “a broken heart and a contrite spirit”: When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master. . . .

“. . . Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that

God asks of them, without resistance or resentment. We cease doing things our way and learn to do them

God’s way instead. . . .

“There is yet another dimension of a broken heart—namely, our deep gratitude for Christ’s suffering on

our behalf. . . . When we remember the Savior and His suffering, our hearts too will break in gratitude for the Anointed One.

“As we make the sacrifice to Him of all that we have and all that we are, the Lord will fill our hearts with

peace. He will ‘bind up the brokenhearted’ (Isaiah 61:1) and grace our lives with the love of God” (in

Conference Report, Oct. 2007, 32–33; or Ensign, Nov. 2007, 32).

3 -Then we take upon ourselves the name of Christ

4 - Then we are cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost

5 - The church meets together to fast and pray

6 - And partake of the sacrament

Moroni Ch. 2

2010-02-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Jesus gave the Nephite apostles power to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost. Between A.D. 400 and 421

“While in every instance the Nephite Twelve are spoken of as disciples, the fact remains that they had been endowed with divine authority to be special witnesses for Christ among their own people. Therefore, they were virtually apostles to the Nephite race” ( Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:158; see also Mormon 9:18). (quote taken from the institute manual)

Verse three in this chapter is important; one of the reasons we have apostles is so they can not only bear witness of Christ, but remind us of what He taught us.

3 Now Christ spake these words unto them at the time of his first appearing; and the multitude heard it not, but the disciples heard it; and on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy Ghost.

I know that my heart is not always open to the promptings of the Spirit. I know that I miss many spiritual insights I could gain if I was a little closer to God. I am grateful we have prophets and apostles to help me remember to listen to Christ, how to listen, and often what I have missed by listening on my own.

Elise

Moroni 1

2010-02-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

So we are into the really short chapters. This is going to take some brain power, but I will try to think of something fabulous to say.

One thing that caught my attention was how incredibly wicked the people had become. There were literally no righteous left among them, except for Moroni. He had to go into hiding because he would not deny Christ. And those who were righteous were killed. It is scary to think that people can be so wicked. I guess we have seen that in our days too. When the church first was restored to the earth, it was met with much opposition. People were persecuted and slain for their testimonies, namely Joseph Smith. It is amazing the influence that Satan can have over the hearts of men if they let him. That is why a sure testimony of Christ is so important in this life. There are so many ways that Satan can destroy us today, if we give in to the natural man. We need our Savior to strengthen us, to remind us of our eternal potential, to push us towards righteousness, and to encourages us to continue on. Christ is the light and hope that we need to hold onto in these perilous times. We cannot deny Him. It would be a fate worse than death. That is why Joseph Smith (I believe...maybe I am wrong) said that true religion requires the sacrifice of all things. In the end, we will be blessed more than we can fathom now. What lies beyond this life is so much more glorious than anything we could have in this life. With that great sacrifice comes the promise of a beautiful eternity with our families, our God, and our Savior...we will be forever surrounded by those with whom we share the greatest love in this life. We do not yet know what we will be called to do in this life, but we need to hold on to the light and the hope of Christ to get through whatever it may be.

~Chelsea~

Ether Ch. 11

2010-01-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Wars, dissensions, and wickedness dominate Jaredite life—Their prophets predict the utter destruction of the Jaredites unless they repent—The people reject the words of the prophets.

In this chapter we read about several leaders of the Jaredites. Many Generations passed in which the people lived in wickedness, and the prophets were discouraged because no one would hearken to their teaching.

Here is a run down of the leaders (father to son) that are named in this chapter:

Com: A good king; prophets who were rejected by the people found protection with him; he was blessed through the end of his life.

Shiblom: The people grew wicked during his reign; his brother caused that all the prophets should be put to death; wars and pestilence grow rampant--more than had previously been seen on the face of the earth; finally the people begin to repent, but Shiblom is killed.

Ahah: Wicked king; murdered many people; his days were numbered few.

Ethem: Wicked king; more prophets come to implore the people to repent, but are rejected by all and withdraw.

Moron: Wicked king; overthrown by a leader of the secret combination but retains half his kingdom; eventually reclaims his entire kingdom, but a new leader of the secret combination overthrows him for good and forces him into captivity for the rest of his life.

Coriantor: Dwelt in captivity all of his days because of the sins of his father, Moron; more prophets come and tell the people that unless they repent, God will cause them to be destroyed and will give their land to another people. The people reject the prophets. Ether is born and Coriantor dies.

The problem with the generations of people in this chapter is that they are so immersed in wickedness, wars, and secret combinations, they have lost all desire for righteousness. When the prophets testify that they must repent, the people harden their hearts. This chapter contains several verses like the one below:

22 And they did reject all the words of the prophets, because of their secret society and wicked abominations.

Henry B. Eyring reminds us of the importance of heeding the prophets:

“Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice. Then if his counsel seems comfortable and reasonable, squaring with what they want to do, they take it. If it does not, they consider it either faulty advice or they see their circumstances as justifying their being an exception to the counsel. Those without faith may think that they hear only men seeking to exert influence for some selfish motive. . . .

“Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm’s way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1997, 32–33; or Ensign, May 1997, 25).

Elise

Ether Ch. 5

2010-01-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Three witnesses and the work itself shall stand as a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

This chapter is only a few verses long, but it is succinct and important. Moroni is addressing the future translator of the plates, who we know to be Joseph Smith. It is interesting that he would write directly and specifically to him when almost 14 centuries elapse from the time this is written from the time Joseph even reads the words.

The institute manual points out something interesting in verse 4:

And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.

We understand the three witnesses to be Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer. (read their testimony here). However, the Institute Manual adds that the Godhead are also witnesses of the Book of Mormon.

Dallin H. Oaks, a living apostle (also having vast experience in law), emphasizes the importance of witnesses. This quote is lengthy but good:

“Persons experienced in evaluating testimony commonly consider a witness’s opportunity to observe an event and the possibility of his bias on the subject. Where different witnesses give identical testimony about the same event, skeptics look for evidence of collusion among them or for other witnesses who could contradict them.

“Measured against all of these possible objections, the testimony of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon stands forth in great strength. Each of the three had ample reason and opportunity to renounce his testimony if it had been false or to equivocate on details if any had been inaccurate. As is well known, because of disagreements or jealousies involving other leaders of the Church, each one of these three witnesses was excommunicated from The Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by about eight years after the publication of their testimony. All three went their separate ways, with no common interest to support a collusive effort. Yet to the end of their lives—periods ranging from 12 to 50 years after their excommunications—not one of these witnesses deviated from his published testimony or said anything that cast any shadow on its truthfulness.

“Furthermore, their testimony stands uncontradicted by any other witnesses. Reject it one may, but how does one explain three men of good character uniting and persisting in this published testimony to the end of their lives in the face of great ridicule and other personal disadvantage? Like the Book of Mormon itself, there is no better explanation than is given in the testimony itself, the solemn statement of good and honest men who told what they saw. . . .

“. . . Witnesses are important, and the testimony of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon is impressive and reliable” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1999, 46, 49; or Ensign, May 1999, 35–37).

I also add my testimony--that I know this book is true. I know the prophets and the people written about in the Book of Mormon really lived. I have prayed about this book and had an immediate, powerful verification of the truthfulness and importance of this book. I cannot deny the feelings I have had and the ways this book has improved my life. The fruits of this book are good.

We can spend our time proving the logical or historical accuracy of this book, but we cannot ignore the most important part: it is written by prophets of God who bear testimony of Christ and instruct us on how to know and emulate Him better. It is a message of hope. Without these things, it would remain, simply, a history book. I know it is much more than that. If you find yourself doubting its truthfulness, I suggest that you read it and pray about it. Heavenly Father is mindful of your desires and will answer your prayer.

Elise

Ether 4

2010-01-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

I apologize (again) for being so MIA! My life is insanely busy!!
Summary: Moroni is commanded to seal up the writings of the brother of Jared—They shall not be revealed until men have faith even as the brother of Jared—Christ commands men to believe his words and those of his disciples—Men are commanded to repent and believe the gospel and be saved.
11 But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.
12 And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
What an amazing opportunity we have to listen to counsel directly from the Savior in this chapter. He loves us so much, and all He asks is for us to believe in Him. I think, when we truly believe in Him, it can change our lives. Because we believe in Him, we will have a desire to do all things good, as He promised. Christ is the constant light in this world when all else seems lost and dark. He is that one hope we can always hold on to. He sacrificed everything because He loves us, and He wanted us to have someone to turn to in times of sorrow and need, and even times of joy. He is the reason we can experience joy in this life. Our testimonies of Christ are an amazing gift. We are so blessed to know Him. Not only do we have someone to turn to in times of need, but we also have someone who can help share our burdens, and help us become clean again when we make mistakes. Part of that all-encompassing goodness includes having a broken heart and contrite spirit. It includes acknowledging your weaknesses and being made whole again.
In this chapter, I believe that the Savior speaks of the wickedness of the people with great sadness. After all that happened when He came to this earth, the people still lost their way, and He had to let them go. But He offered them/us hope and a great reminder, that when we are ready, we know to whom we should turn. And He will be waiting there with open arms to embrace us.

Chelsea

Ether 1

2010-01-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Ether is an interesting book of scripture. We get about a thousand or so years of history crammed into fifteen chapters, with a few chapters devoted to the brother of Jared, a few devoted to doctrine, and the rest describes the wickedness and fall of a civilization. Alma gives us insight into why this book is included in the Book of Mormon in his last message and testimony to his son Helaman:

21 And now, I will speak unto you concerning those twenty-four plates, that ye keep them, that the mysteries and the works of darkness, and their secret works, or the secret works of those people who have been destroyed, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, all their murders, and robbings, and their plunderings, and all their wickedness and abominations, may be made manifest unto this people; yea, and that ye preserve these interpreters.

29 Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders. (Alma 37).

So apparently the main lesson of the Jaredites is supposed to be a cautionary tale of secret combinations. Those are something I've never really understood, but we are warned by leaders today that they are still very present. It's a little scary, because we see in this people and with the Nephites how secret combinations can undermine and ruin an entire society. They start out as a small, secret group and eventually grow until the point that they are no longer a secret because everyone is apart of it.

This chapter establishes the genealogy of Ether back to Jared and describes how the Jaredites were spared when the Lord confounded the languages at the tower of Babel. I think we can deduce a few things from how Jared and his brother are described. I used to be confused and wondered why Jared didn't pray himself. But I think that his brother, who we know was named Mahonri Moriancumer, must have been the prophet, while Jared was the head of the family. So Jared too was a very faithful man, but he knew that his brother could receive revelation for them all. So he prays and is told that they need to leave and the Lord will guide them to a choice land.

-Tori

Mormon Chapter 9

2010-01-05T11:21:00.001-08:00

Assuming you read the chapter, did you love it? I’m sure I have read this chapter multiple times throughout my life, but this time through, I loved it! What an incredible blessing it is to know where we are going after we die, and that there is a plan for us! There is a process and we know about it! I know I take for granted the knowledge I have about the Plan of Salvation. And even still, after hearing this lesson many, many times, I still continue to learn more! We truly learn the mysteries of God line up line, precept upon precept! Our minds and knowledge continue to expand as we study the scriptures and learn of Him! It’s absolutely incredible! Everyone should hear what we know! :)

I already stated that I loved this chapter, and I highly recommend reading this chapter if you haven’t already. Moroni is such an incredible man and this last chapter in Mormon is incredibly powerful!

A few parts stood out to me…

Moroni is addressing those who do not believe in Christ, and goes on to tell them…

v.4, “Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your ^afilthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the ^bdamned souls in ^chell.”

We truly have a loving God. I do not think of “hell” as a punishment really, but as an act of mercy. How sad God will be that some of his children will not dwell in his presence, and if he “forced” it, this is exactly what it would be like. The final judgment will be a just judgment, and we will be in the best place for us.

I also find this principle fascinating and it rings true. Verse 14, “And then cometh the ^ajudgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is ^bfilthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.” I find this interesting because we often live our lives in some degree of denial of who we, and others, really are! This life is a probationary state where we have the opportunity to become the best people we can! If we do not work on perfecting ourselves here, it will not be any easier (probably even more difficult) in the next life! We will be the same after we die!

I really like the last parts of chapter 9, verses 21-29ish because there are many specific instructions given…

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;(v.21)
And he that ^abelieveth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be ^bdamned; (v.23)
strip yourselves of all uncleanness, (v.28)
See that ye are not baptized ^aunworthily; (v.29)
see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ ^bunworthily (v.29)

I also find it interesting how Moroni explains their language…

(v.32 –34) ”And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the ^areformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been ^asufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no ^bimperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore hath prepared ^ameans for the interpretation thereof. “

Have a wonderful 2010!

Mormon Ch. 8

2010-01-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: The Lamanites seek out and destroy the Nephites—The Book of Mormon shall come forth by the power of God—Woes pronounced upon those who breathe out wrath and strife against the work of the Lord—The Nephite record shall come forth in a day of wickedness, degeneracy, and apostasy. Between A.D. 400 and 421

At the beginning of this chapter, we find that Moroni has continued this record on his father's behalf. We learn that Hh witnessed the death of his father and the destruction of the Nephite nation. He has no friends and no relatives. He is not sure how long he will live, and has to finish the record alone and in hiding.

Elder L. Tom Perry gives us a little insight into Moroni's reasons for writing this chapter:

“He must have felt compelled to describe how his people had been hunted by the Lamanites until they were all destroyed. In his feeling of loneliness, he reports that his father was among those who were killed. We sense that the only thing Moroni is living for is to complete the record, as he writes, ‘Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not’ (Mormon 8:4).

“All he has is the faith that the Lord will preserve him long enough to complete the record and that someday it will be found by one chosen of the Lord. He realizes that the record will be a voice of warning to future generations of what occurs when nations like his own turn away from the teachings of the Lord. It is from the depths of his heart that Moroni cries out to those who will eventually receive the record. He wants to spare those who read his account the heartache and misery which comes from disobedience.

“He writes first to the members of the Church and then to those who have not embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ. Moroni’s last words to the members of the Church are written as a voice of warning. He writes as one who sees the history of his people repeating itself in the future” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 18–19;

or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 15–16).

It is sobering to think of the Lord preserving Moroni's life so he can finish this record. We are blessed to have it published and circulated throughout our church. We owe this in some part to the prophet Joseph Smith, who is the one Moroni speaks of in these verses:

16 And blessed be ^ahe that shall bring this thing to light; for it shall be ^bbrought out of darkness unto light, according to the word of God; yea, it shall be brought out of the earth, and it shall shine forth out of darkness, and come unto the knowledge of the people; and it shall be done by the power of God.

17 And if there be ^afaults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that ^bcondemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire.

President Boyd K. Packer bears a solid testimony of Joseph Smith's mission:

“The truth is, simply, that he was a prophet of God—nothing more and not one whit less!

“The scriptures did not come so much from Joseph Smith as they did through him. He was a conduit through which the revelations were given. . . .“The Prophet Joseph Smith was an unschooled farm boy. To read some of his early letters in the original shows him to be somewhat unpolished in spelling and grammar and in expression.

“That the revelations came through him in any form of literary refinement is nothing short of a miracle”

(in Conference Report, Apr. 1974, 137; or Ensign, May 1974, 94).

We have a book, the Book of Mormon, that is filled with the word of God. It testifies of the truthfulness of the Bible. It testifies of Jesus Christ and His role as our Savior. It testifies of a loving God. It gives us the information we need to live righteously so we can return to live with our Father in Heaven.

I love this book, and I am grateful to Moroni, Joseph Smith, and all the other prophets who sacrificed everything so I may read its words.

Elise

Mormon 7

2009-12-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

I apologize for my absenteeism lately. It is amazing how time just escapes you sometimes. I really am going to try harder to keep up!

Summary: Mormon invites the Lamanites of the latter days to believe in Christ, accept his gospel, and be saved—All who believe the Bible will also believe the Book of Mormon. About A.D. 385

This chapter is short but powerful. As I read it, I kept thinking: how incredible would it be to have such a sure testimony? You can feel Mormon's conviction as he invites the Lamanites to join him in his testimony. He has absolutely no doubt. He must have an incredible relationship with God and the Savior. He reminds me of the prophet and apostles today. You can feel, when they bear testimony, that they have special relationships with God and Christ, and they have absolutely no doubt that this Gospel is true. They have no doubt that God lives, that Christ lives, and that He died for us. We are all invited to partake of this miraculous gift.
Mormon finishes the chapter by exclaiming to the Lamanites that it is easy to believe in the Gospel. He also lays out exactly what they need to do, and what we need to do in this life to prepare to meet God on the other side of the veil. The Gospel is a beautiful gift, which we have all been blessed with. I cannot imagine my life without it. I am convinced that I would be miserable and a failure. I would be completely lost! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be a pert of this Gospel. It is something I have always needed and will always need. I would not be who I am without it. The Gospel, and all that that encompasses is what keeps me going every single day. This life is not something I can do on my own. I need my Father in Heaven, and I need my Savior, and I need the blessings of the Gospel. I am so grateful for all of it.
I also read something else interesting today. It is in this month's Ensign. It's called "Dad's Lessons in Love." It is an incredible story that made me want to put all of my selfish desires aside and be the best mother and wife I can possibly be. (I need a lot of those little boosts :)) I definitely recommend reading it. Forget romance novels...this is the real stuff. This is exactly what marriage is about. I know you will enjoy it as well.

~Chelsea~

Mormon Ch. 2

2009-12-10T02:13:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Mormon leads the Nephite armies—Blood and carnage sweep the land—The Nephites lament and mourn with the sorrowing of the damned—Their day of grace is passed—Mormon obtains the plates of Nephi—Wars continue. Between A.D. 327 and 350

This is a sad chapter. The Nephites are wicked and the Lamanites are warring against them. Mormon is encouraged by the Nephites' distress, thinking that they will repent so God could bless them again (vs. 12). However, the only sorrow the Nephites have for their sins is the "sorrowing of the damned," meaning that they lamented the fact that God could no longer allow them to take happiness in their sins (vs. 13).

Mormon comments on the Nephites' future due to their sins:

14 And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives.

15 And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually; for I saw thousands of them hewn down in open rebellion against their God, and heaped up as dung upon the face of the land. And thus three hundred and forty and four years had passed away.

Mormon 2:15. “The Day of Grace Was Passed”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland noted the chilling line in Mormon’s account that time had run out for saving his people: “It is at this moment in Nephite history—just under 950 years since it had begun and just over 300 years since they had been visited by the Son of God himself—that Mormon realized the story was finished. In perhaps the most chilling line he ever wrote,Mormon asserted simply, ‘I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and
spiritually.’

His people had learned that most fateful of all lessons—that the Spirit of God will not always strive with man; that it is possible, collectively as well as individually, to have time run out. The day of repentance can pass, and it had passed for the Nephites. Their numbers were being ‘hewn down in open rebellion against their God,’ and in a metaphor almost too vivid in its moral commentary, they were being ‘heaped up as dung upon the face of the land’”
(Christ and the New Covenant, 319).

(Found in the Institute Manual.)

Mormon writes that though the Lamanites came against the Nephites again, and the Nephites won, the Lord was not with them. "Yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren." (vs. 26)

These are chilling reminders, and a chilling prediction of what is to befall the Nephites when they don't turn their hearts toward God. We know there will be battles upon battles until the Nephites are destroyed. Thankfully, Heavenly Father preserved Mormon so he could record the history and we can learn from their mistakes.

Elise

Congratulations, Tori!

2009-12-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, Tori had her baby boy early this morning.

Daniel Adam James

born 12/3/09 at 1:33 am, weighing 7lbs 1.2 oz, and 20 1/2 inches long.

. . .Need I say more?

What a darling, darling baby! And she did it all naturally, folks! Tori, we're proud of you. Here's to the fastest recovery, ever.

3 Nephi 29

2009-12-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

This chapter has two parts. The first explains what is the effect of the Book of Mormon coming forth:
1. It means the Lord has begun to gather Israel to its land of inheritance.
2. The words of the Lord as revealed to his prophets are being fulfilled.
3. We cannot spurn the doings of the Lord or we will feel the hand of his justice upon us.

The second part is cautionary:
1. Don't spurn the doings of the Lord or deny Christ.
2. Don't deny that revelations can and still come from the Lord.
3. Don't deny that Christ can still perform miracles.
4. Don't abuse the children of Israel!

It's an interesting chapter. We have just read all about Christ's visit among the Nephites, and we're about to get an abbreviated account of the next several hundred years of their history. I'm not sure why Mormon placed it here particularly but I think it serves us as a good reminder that the Book of Mormon is the word of the Lord, its emphasis is on Christ, and we need to both accept it and recognize what its coming forth means. This is the dispensation of the fullness of times and we are a part of it! That is always thrilling to think about. Whether or not we live to see Christ come again, we are a part of a very great work and we can either help it or attempt (and fail) to hinder it. The work will go forward regardless but hopefully we will too, as faithful saints of God.

-Tori

3 Nephi Chapter 28

2009-12-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

Nine of the Twelve desire and are promised an inheritance in Christ’s kingdom when they die—The Three Nephites desire and are given power over death so as to remain on the earth until Jesus comes again—They are translated and see things not lawful to utter, and they are now ministering among men.

This is an incredible chapter! I really want to quote 80% of it, but I wont. I definitely recommend that you READ IT.

Christ asks his chosen 12, "What is it that ye desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father? (v.1)"

9 of the12 asked that, "after we have lived unto the age of man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom.(v.2)"

And Christ responds, "Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me; therefore, after that ye are ^aseventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in my ^bkingdom; and with me ye shall find ^crest."

How positively wonderful! Isn't that what we want? I know that is what I want more than anything! How amazing is our Savior and Father in Heaven!

The other 3 are hesitant to tell the Savior what they desire, but he knows their thoughts. He knows that they desire the same thing as John the Beloved. Versus 7-10 tell us what Christ thinks about this:

"Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall ^anever taste of ^bdeath; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the ^cpowers of heaven. And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from ^amortality to ^bimmortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father. And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the ^asins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might ^bbring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand. And for this cause ye shall have ^afulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are ^bone; "

Then we learn of the events that took place, (13-17) "And behold, the heavens were opened, and they were ^acaught up into heaven, and saw and heard unspeakable things. And it was ^aforbidden them that they should utter; neither was it given unto them ^bpower that they could utter the things which they saw and heard; And whether they were in the body or out of the body, they could not tell; for it did seem unto them like a ^atransfiguration of them, that they were changed from this body of flesh into an immortal state, that they could behold the things of God. "

Here is something I found very interesting from the Book of Mormon Student Manual about the definitions of Transfiguration and Translated Beings...

Translated beings. “Persons who are changed so
that they do not experience pain or death until their
resurrection to immortality” (Guide to the Scriptures,
“Translated Beings”).
“Many have supposed that the doctrine of translation
was a doctrine whereby men were taken immediately
into the presence of God, and into an eternal fullness,
but this is a mistaken idea. Their place of habitation is
that of the terrestrial order, and a place prepared for
such characters He held in reserve to be ministering
angels unto many planets, and who as yet have not
entered into so great a fullness as those who are
resurrected from the dead” ( Joseph Smith, History of
the Church, 4:210).

Transfiguration. “The condition of persons who are
temporarily changed in appearance and nature—that
is, lifted to a higher spiritual level—so that they can
endure the presence and glory of heavenly beings”
(Guide to the Scriptures, “Transfiguration”).

The three were transfigured and then translated if I'm not mistaken. Fascinating!

They are now known as the "Three Nephites" and they were able to endure some pretty incredible situations like...

being cast into prison, and "the prisons could not hold them (19)",
they were buried and "they did smite the earth with the word of God, insomuch that by his power they were delivered out of the depths of the earth...(20)",
"they were cast into a furnace and received no harm(21)", and
"they were cast into a den of wild beasts... and received no harm(22)"

I find it interesting in verse 25, Mormon tells us that he was about to "write the names of those who were never to taste of death, but the Lord forbade; therefore I write them not, for they are hid from the world." He also tells us that "great and marvelous works shall be wrought by them" both among the Jews and Gentiles and they shall know them not.

Mormon also explains that he inquired of the Lord, "and He hath made it manifest unto me that there must needs be a change wrought upon their bodies, or else it needs be that they must taste of death; Therefore, that they might not taste of death there was a ^achange wrought upon their bodies, that they might not ^bsuffer pain nor sorrow save it were for the sins of the world. Now this change was not equal to that which shall take place at the last day; but there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could have no power over them, that he could not ^atempt them; and they were ^bsanctified in the flesh, that they were ^choly, and that the powers of the earth could not hold them. And in this state they were to remain until the judgment day of Christ; and at that day they were to receive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens. "

Incredible, absolutely incredible!

3 Nephi Ch. 27

2009-11-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Jesus commands them to call the Church in his name—His mission and atoning sacrifice constitute his gospel—Men are commanded to repent and be baptized that they may be sanctified by the Holy Ghost—They are to be even as Jesus is. Between A.D. 34 and 35

I loved this chapter. The disciples are busy ministering throughout the land, and are working hard to be of one purpose and one heart. There have arisen some disputations among the people concerning what to call the church. The disciples ask Christ, who appears to them and simply reminds them that they have taken upon them His name, and that since this is His church it should be named accordingly.

Then, as a reminder, Christ goes through a brief synopsis of the gospel and the plan of salvation--in order to re-emphasize what His church is about. It is a great summary, and it is also a little lengthy to just copy on this post, but it is worth a read:

13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.

14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.

16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.

17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

18 And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

This is what we believe! We follow Christ. We live as best as we possibly can, and when we make mistakes, we repent. Christ sacrificed for us--not just us as a whole, but each one of us--so we could have this ability. He wants us to use the power of repentence so we can experience eternal exaltation. That will be worth anything we need to go through in this life.

I was recently talking to an older friend of mine who has five children. Her youngest son left the church for a time during his teenage years, and maybe even into his twenties, but he finally returned. During the years he was wayward, she spent countless hours fasting and praying for his welfare. She often would have friends say to her that at least she had four children who were faithful in the church.

This comment would make her sad. No matter how exceptional her other children were, that joy did not take away from the profound sorrow she experienced for her youngest one.

I think this is the same way Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel about those who know what they must do to return to them, but choose to disregard that great sacrifice. They are mindful of us, of each of us. Our difficulties do not go unnoticed. All we need to do is put our faith in Christ and follow Him. As difficult as this can be sometimes, it is not as difficult as it will be if we choose to not follow Christ and lose all the blessings He wants to give us.

Elise

3 Nephi 23

2009-11-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

Jesus tells the people that "great are the words of Isaiah" and "all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake." When the Saviour emphasizes something like this we know that it is important. Reading Isaiah is tough sometimes, but I think if we open our hearts we'll find insights we previously missed. Also, sometimes you just need a good interpreter. There are a bunch of books out there that explain Isaiah in easier terms. Someday I think I would like to buy one of them and really attempt a serious study of Isaiah.

Then the Saviour asks to review their records. He reads them and asks where they recorded the prophecies of Samuel. They sheepishly admit that it hasn't been recorded and promise to recitify that. I like this little story because it shows 1. that very righteous men can overlook important things, and 2. that we need to be mindful that we are recording important things in our lives. I have a blog, a pregnancy journal, and an actual bound journal that unfortunately I don't write in very often. With all of those journals, I think I stil let things fall through the cracks sometimes, especially spiritual experiences because they are too personal to write about on my blog and don't make it to any other journals. I challenge us to all do better at recording those special moments in our lives, both temporal and spiritual.

-Tori

3 Nephi Ch. 21

2009-11-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Israel shall be gathered when the Book of Mormon comes forth—The Gentiles shall be established as a free people in America—They shall be saved if they believe and obey; otherwise they shall be cut off and destroyed—Israel shall build the New Jerusalem, and the lost tribes shall return. [A.D. 34]

Jesus told the Nephites He would give them a sign (3 Nephi 21:1) so they would know when the gathering of Israel had begun. He then foretold the Restoration of the gospel, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the establishment of a free nation in America, and thetaking of the gospel to their seed (see vs. 1–7). He called the Restoration of the latter days “a great and a marvelous work” (see v. 9).

The way Jesus says something in verse 6 was very interesting to me:

"6 For thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel;" (emphasis mine.)

Why is this an important blessing? Where is the benefit in actually being numbered among the people of God?

Verse 11 mentions God's people again as the "people who are of the covenant." What covenant is this, and why is it important? The covenant Jesus is talking about here is the Abrahamic Covenant.

Among the promises made to Abraham were the following:

~ His posterity would be numerous (see Genesis 17:5–6; Abraham 2:9; 3:14).

~ His seed, or descendants, would receive the gospel and bear the priesthood (see Abraham 2:9).
~ Through the ministry of his seed, "all the families of the earth [would] be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal" (Abraham 2:11).

A person can receive all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant—even if he or she is not a literal descendant of Abraham—by obeying the laws and ordinances of the gospel (see Galatians 3:26–29; 4:1–7; D&C 84:33–40).

(information found here.)

But so what? We could live our lives, having no knowledge of the Church, have our work done for us after we have passed on, and accept the Gospel in the next life, right? Why is being numbered among God's people in this life such an important blessing?

I believe it is because making and keeping covenants with God serves as a compass in this life. We have the way back to our Father in Heaven laid out for us; all we need to do is follow Christ. He led the way. When we are active among God's people, He will bless us with His spirit. This spirit will guide us through the difficult or confusing parts of this life.

Our mortal lives will be better. We will find it easier to endure. We will experience more joy and greater perspective. These are some of the blessings that are waiting for us right now.

One final quote from President Hinkley on the blessings and responsibilities we have as members of Christ's church:

"Do we really comprehend, do we understand the tremendous significance of that which we have? . . .

“We of this generation are the end harvest of all that has gone before. It is not enough to simply be known as a member of this Church. A solemn obligation rests upon us. Let us face it and work at it. “We must live as true followers of the Christ, with charity toward all, returning good for evil, teaching by example the ways of the Lord, and accomplishing the vast service He has outlined for us" (in Conference Report, Apr. 2004, 84–85; or Ensign, May 2004, 83–84).

Elise

3 Nephi 20

2009-11-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

Summary: Jesus provides bread and wine miraculously and again administers the sacrament unto them—The remnant of Jacob shall come to the knowledge of the Lord their God and shall inherit the Americas—Jesus is the prophet like unto Moses, and the Nephites are children of the prophets—Others of the Lord’s people shall be gathered to Jerusalem. [A.D. 34]

This chapter starts with Jesus administering the sacrament--first to his disciples, then to the multitude. We see the miraculous power of Jesus:
6 Now, there had been no bread, neither wine, brought by the disciples, neither by the multitude;
7 But he truly agave unto them bread to eat, and also wine to drink.
Can you imagine being present for this incredible event? Jesus Christ himself institutes and administers the sacrament. The sacrament is truly a reminder that He is always with us, that He died for us, that He loves us, and that we can be forgiven of our sins. I seldom think about this when I am in churh, partaking of the sacrament. I get so focused on Brooklynn, or my mind wanders to other things. But just taking the time now to think about what an incredible blessing the partaking of the sacrament actually is has completely changed my perspective, and I hope I can have a very different, more meaningful experience in church today. And as I said before--can you imagine being present for this event? What an incredible experience that would be.

23 Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.
24 Verily I say unto you, yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me.
25 And behold, ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
How incredible would it be to witness the fulfilling of things prophesied for more than 600 years? I can just imagine the incredible, overwhelming feeling. The Spirit would testify to us that all of this is true, and we would stand in the Lord's presence, listening to Him, learning from Him. I imagine that the love He has for each of us would be felt individually and more powerfully than we could ever imagine.Jesus goes on to talk about the many prophecies that have been and will be fulfilled. But what I felt the strongest in this chapter was the magnitude of being a witness to all of this and being in our Savior's presence. What an incredible moment that will be when we all first experience it for ourselves. May we continue to strive to be worthy of such a great blessing!

3 Nephi Chapter 16

2009-11-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

Jesus will visit others of the lost sheep of Israel—In the latter days the gospel will go to the Gentiles and then to the house of Israel—The Lord’s people shall see eye to eye when he brings again Zion. [A.D. 34]

Right off, in verse one, Jesus says, "And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have ^aother sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister".

I automatically think of the isles of the sea. In Hawaii, there are stories about the God "Lono", who is associated with the clouds, harvest and peace. The stories tell that Lono left with a promise to return. It is not widely acknowledged that this could indeed be our Savior, but among the saints on the islands, it is a very real possibility.

It makes me wonder where He is talking about and if these "other sheep" kept a record of his visits...?

Christ goes on to explain the promises of the gathering of Israel by the Gentiles. He also explains how the Gentiles are blessed when they believe on His name but if the gentiles "shall ^asin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be ^blifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and ^cmurders, and ^dpriestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall ^ereject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them."

This makes me just a little bit nervous because of the way our country is going. God is slowly (or quickly depending on how you view it) trying to be taken out of the foundation of our country.

Again, I love this part of the scriptures. There is nothing that compares to the words of our Savior!

3 Nephi Ch. 15

2009-11-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Jesus announces that the law of Moses is fulfilled in him—The Nephites are the other sheep of whom he spake in Jerusalem—Because of iniquity the Lord’s people in Jerusalem do not know of the scattered sheep of Israel. [A.D. 34]

Jesus Christ tells the Nephites some important things in this chapter: of note was that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled by Him.

Verse 2: "And it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words he perceived that there were some among them who marveled, and wondered what he would concerning the law of Moses; for they understood not the saying that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new."

Some of the people were a little confused. However, their hearts were ready to accept new doctrine, so Christ went on to explain that He fulfilled the law, but that the covenant was not entirely fulfilled (vs. 8). The institute manual does a good job of explaining what this means. It is a little lengthy but full of good information and clarification:

"Jesus said that "old things had passed away and that all things had become new” (3 Nephi 15:3). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained: “It is crucial to understand that the law of Moses was overlaid upon, and thereby included, many basic parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which had existed before it. It was never intended to be something apart or separated from, and certainly not something antagonistic to, the gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . Its purpose was never to have been different from the higher law. Both were to bring people to Christ” (Christ and the New Covenant, 147). Thus Jesus could say, “For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me” (3 Nephi 15:8).

"What did Jesus mean when He said, “The covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled”? (3 Nephi 15:8). Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham anciently. Abraham was promised (1) eternal posterity, (2) a land that would eventually be the celestial kingdom, and (3) God’s priesthood power. These promises were also made to Abraham’s descendants (see D&C 132:30–31) and will be fulfilled in the future.

Finally, another powerful part of this chapter was Christ's explanation of the people in Jerusalem. He said that they were too hard hearted, so He could only tell them that He had other people. He said that because of their iniquity, they did not know of the people in the Americas. He also says this:

20 And verily, I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them.

There are people all over the world, and Heavenly Father is mindful of each one of them. My last thought from the institute manual is especially powerful. It discusses Christ's analogy of being a shepherd to His sheep--or his people.

"One day a missionary, meeting a shepherd on one of the wildest parts of the Lebanon, asked him various questions about his sheep, and among others if he counted them every night. On answering that he did not, he was asked how he knew if they were all there or not. His reply
was, ‘Master, if you were to put a cloth over my eyes, and bring me any sheep and only let me put my hands on its face, I could tell in a moment if it was mine or not’” (George M. Mackie, Bible Manners and Customs [n.d.], 33, 35).

Jesus Christ does know us. He cares for us, guides us, comforts us. We just need to trust Him and follow Him in return, and we will always be fed.

Elise

3 Nephi 11

2009-11-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

So this chapter is pretty much the culmination of all that the previous six hundred years of Nephites had been looking forward to. The Nephites are gathered around the temple (we're not told why, but I assume Christ picked this time to come because so many of them were gathered there). They hear a voice that is indiscernable but after it speaks twice more, they finally understand it: Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

This chapter always brings me to tears as I imagine what it must have felt like to have been there. These people had just gone through one of the most traumatic things that has happened on the earth. Their world was literally torn apart and many of the people they knew had been killed. But they had also all heard the voice of Christ during the darkness. I can't even imagine the joy they must have felt to actually see Him.

I think the order of events here is interesting. It gives insights into what Christ finds most important:

1. He testifies of himself.

2. He invites everyone to come and feel his wounds so that they can know for themselves that he is Jesus Christ.

3. He calls forth Nephi, the prophet and head of the people, and gives him authority and direction to baptize. Then he does the same with the 12 disciples.

4. He instructs them to all repent and be baptized because it is necessary for salvation.

5. He directs them to go forth and declare this to the rest of the people.

It seems almost so simple, doesn't it? He gives them authority, some direction, and then tells them to go share with others. That's what he does today too. These 19-year-old boys that we send on missions have had a lifetime to learn about the gospel (some of them), but they are still relatively new and untrained in the gospel. Then they are given the Melichizedek Priesthood, set apart as missionaries, and sent out into the world to teach others. I think the most important thing to remember that even if all we have is a simple testimony of Christ, we can and should share that with others. People through the ages have probably wondered so many times why Christians are so anxious to share their faith with everyone else. I think it's because when we know Christ, we just can't help but want to share, and that's the same for Mormons and other Christians everywhere.

Well, I diverged a little from my original goal, but I really enjoyed this chapter and love reading it over and over. I'm so glad we have this record of Christ visiting his disciples in America and I know if we study his words, we can only grown closer to him.

-Tori

3 Nephi Chapter 10

2009-11-03T07:14:00.001-08:00

There is silence in the land for many hours - The voice of Christ promises to gather his people as a hen gathereth her chickens - The more righteous part of the people had been preserved.

Christ promises to gather his people as a hen gathereth her chickens. "How oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you.(v.4)" "How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.(v.5)" "...how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.(v.6)" I think this goes right along with what Elise said yesterday. Isn't this exactly how we feel about our own children? Aren't we quite the mother hens and would love nothing more than for our children to just come to us and let us nourish, protect, teach and love them?! I love this analogy.

What an awful time in the scriptures. Loved ones and friends and a government have been destroyed! Without knowing what blessings will come next (which we do, because we know this story) they must feel incredibly lost! I know I would! I'm not a big fan of darkness anyhow and this would send me into some sort of confusion and possibly even incomparable fear. Do you think they are scared that the quakes and destructions aren't really over? What about being a mother during this time, trying to care for her children in impenetrate darkness! Or what about being pregnant?! I'm sure there were women in these circumstances.

It is explained that "it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not; and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared-(v12)". Doesn't sounds like it would have been that difficult to be the more righteous part of the people. I guess we may be surprised to know just how unrighteous the people were!

Then, in verse 14 there is a message directed to the readers about these things were repeatedly prophesied of by the prophets, Zenos, Zenock, and their "father" Jacob.

It is also mentioned that those who had been spared, "did have great favors shown unto them, and great blessings poured out upon their heads, insomuch that soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto them-" My absolute favorite part of the Book of Mormon! I imagine that this is what it will be like when Christ returns! This is what it is all about!

3 Nephi Ch. 9

2009-11-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: In the darkness the voice of Christ proclaims the destruction of many people and cities for their wickedness—He also proclaims his divinity, announces that the law of Moses is fulfilled, and invites men to come unto him and be saved. [A.D. 34]

This chapter is an interesting summary of what happenes to those who choose wickedness, and what the rest of us need to do to be saved. The first thing Christ says to these people is this:

2 Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall arepent; for the devil blaugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen!

Considering the destruction the people listening have witnessed, this would be a sobering reminder.

Christ goes on to explain how many of the cities were destroyed (fire, earthquakes, etc.), and then tells the people why they were saved and what they need to do now. We know that after Christ comes to visit the people, there is a period of great peace. This is the beginning

13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?
14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
Christ also explains that the law of Moses has now been fulfilled (by his own sacrifice) and that instead of blood sacrifices, the people need to sacrifice in this manner:

20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

Essentially we are asked to make the same sacrifices today. In order to draw closer to Christ and our Heavenly Father, we must "sacrifice" some temporal things, or things having to do with the desires of our natural man. Pornography, laziness, ingratitude, these are all sins having to do with our temporal desires. The more we sacrifice these things to know God, the more we want to sacrifice these things and the less of a sacrifice it feels.

The other thing that hit home for me in this chapter is that when Christ asks the people to come unto Him, He is not doing it to be important. He is pleading with the people. He says his arm of mercy is extended, that He will receive whoever will come, and whoever does come will be blessed. (vs. 14).

I am only in the beginning stages of parenthood, but I feel like I understand this a little more each day. This is the same thing I tell my children (and will tell them for the rest of their lives).

Come to me. I will help you! You do not have to do this on your own. Look at all your frustration! If you would listen to me, you would have an easier time. If you are hurt, come into my arms. I will help you heal. If you are angry, come to me and I will help you to calm down. Trust me. I love you. I will help you. All you need to do is come.

This is the message I give to my children all the time. This is the message our Heavenly Father gives to us. This is what Christ is asking the people to do. What a beautiful reminder.

Elise

3 Nephi 8

2009-11-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Summary: Tempests, earthquakes, fires, whirlwinds, and physical upheavals attest the crucifixion of Christ—Many people are destroyed—Darkness covers the land for three days—Those who remain bemoan their fate. [A.D. 34]

This chapter is about all of the destruction upon the face of the earth, in the Americas, that follows the death of Christ. Even though they knew that this was coming, because they had seen the signs, many people were still not ready for it. I can imagine that, even though this is something we have learned about our entire lives, it will probably feel so surreal when it actually happens. I am sure that is how it was for them as well. One thing that is still hard for me to grasp is the idea of not being afraid. The thought of having to endure so many terrifying events scares me. But I think the comfort comes from knowing that the Lord would not leave us unprotected. He will provide a way for us to endure it if we are righteous. God has a plan. We just have to trust in that plan and know that everything will work for our good. I think the most important principle in this chapter is in the last verse:
O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah.
How many times have the leaders of the church told us this very thing? Do not procrastinate the day of our repentence. One day, we will run out of tomorrows. We need to live righteously everyday. We need to treasure each moment we have with our families. We need to constantly strive to choose the right. We do not want to be like those people in this chapter. We want to be ready to meet Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when the time comes. That is the lesson I feel that this chapter is trying to teach.

~Chelsea~

3 Nephi 7

2009-10-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

The chief judge is murdered, the government is overthrown, and the people divide into tribes—Jacob, an antichrist, becomes king of a league of tribes—Nephi preaches repentance and faith in Christ—Angels minister to him daily, and he raises his brother from the dead—Many repent and are baptized. Between A.D. 30 and 33

1 Now behold, I will show unto you that they did not establish a king over the land; but in this same year, yea, the thirtieth year, they did destroy upon the judgment-seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land.

2 And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.

9 Now this secret combination, which had brought so great iniquity upon the people, did gather themselves together, and did place at their head a man whom they did call Jacob;

10 And they did call him their king; therefore he became a king over this wicked band; and he was one of the chiefest who had given his voice against the prophets who testified of Jesus.

11 And it came to pass that they were not so strong in number as the tribes of the people, who were united together save it were their leaders did establish their laws, every one according to his tribe; nevertheless they were enemies; notwithstanding they were not a righteous people, yet they were united in the hatred of those who had entered into a covenant to destroy the government.

I think it is very, very interesting to read the chapters about the people living in the world before the coming of Christ. Sometimes when I study these chapters, I wonder if there are parallel's in the way the people of the world are going to be or are becoming, before the 2nd coming of Christ. Just some thoughts.

Hopefully we will be on the same side as the Prophets called of God. That we will be truly converted so that we cannot be deceived. So that leaders such as Jacob cannot influence us by speaking with "flattering" language.

15 And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord, therefore having seen angels, and being eye-witness, and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ, and also being eye-witness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations;

3 Nephi 7:15–26. On bright spot in the otherwise sad account of the Nephites’ turn from their righteousness is thesteadfast faithfulness of Nephi and his people. Their example provides a pattern to help us maintain our righteousness during times of wickedness. We read of Nephi’s firm testimony, born of personal experience (see 3 Nephi 7:15), that he boldly taught “repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 16). He ministered with power and authoritybecause “great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 18), and those who responded to his testimony were themselves visited “by the power and Spirit of God” (v. 21). Those who believed were healed (see v. 22), repented, were baptized, and “received a remission of their sins” (see vv. 24–25).

21 And it came to pass that the thirty and first year did pass away, and there were but few who were converted unto the Lord; but as many as were converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and bSpirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed.

3 Nephi 7:21–26.
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of the difference between those who are fully converted and those who are still lacking. Apostles spoke of the difference between those who are fully converted and those who are still lacking. He further taught the continual need for a cycle of conversion, which builds steadiness in true followers of Christ:
“Each of us has observed how some individuals go through life consistently doing the right things. . . . When difficult choices are to be made, they seem to invariably make the right ones, even though there were enticing alternatives available to them. We know that they are subject to temptation, but they seem oblivious to it. Likewise, we have observed how others are not
so valiant in the decisions they make. In a powerfully spiritual environment, they resolve to do better. . . .Yet they are soon back doing the same things they resolved to abandon. . . .
“Sometimes the word converted is used to describe when a sincere individual decides to be baptized. However . . . conversion means far more than that. . . .President Marion G. Romney explained conversion:
“‘Converted means to turn from one belief or course of action to another. Conversion is a spiritual and moral change. Converted implies not merely mental acceptance of Jesus and his teachings but also a motivating faith in him and his gospel. A faith which works a transformation, an actual change in one’s understanding of life’s meaning and in his allegiance to God in interest, in thought, and in conduct. In one who is really wholly converted, desire for things contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ has actually died. And substituted therefore is a love of God, with
a fixed and controlling determination to keep his commandments’ [in Conference Report, Guatemala Area Conference 1977, 8]. . . .
“Stated simply, true conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of God [see Romans 10:17] and responding to it. You will receive from the Holy Ghost a confirming witness of things you accept on faith by willingly doing them [see Ether 12:6]. You will be led to repent of errors resulting from wrong things done or
right things not done. As a consequence, your capacity to consistently obey will be strengthened. This cycle of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience will lead you to greater conversion with its attendant blessings” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2002, 26–28; or Ensign, May 2002, 24–25).

Congratulations, Holly!

2009-10-23T21:43:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to tell let you all know that Holly had her beautful baby boy on the 21st! And I was blessed to be there with her as her doula. She is an absolutly incredible woman! I was amazed by her strength, determination, and her willpower.

And.....

She had her little baby naturally! No epidural!

She was on four hours of pitocen and her Dr. had broken her water right off. I have been there before, so I can attest to that situation being extremely intense. But she remained calm and focused. She's so inspiring! What a beautiful woman and what a gorgeous baby!

Congratulations, Holly!

3 Nephi Ch. 3

2009-10-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Giddianhi, the Gadianton leader, demands that Lachoneus and the Nephites surrender themselves and their lands—Lachoneus appoints Gidgiddoni as chief captain of the armies—The Nephites assemble in Zarahemla and Bountiful to defend themselves. Between A.D. 16 and 17

This is a pretty important chapter: in it we learn that the leader of the Gadianton Robbers intends to destroy the Nephites, whether by murdering them or forcing them to join his ranks. We also learn that Lachoneus, the Chief Judge, is a righteous man and does everything he can to help the Nephites fortify themselves against the attack.

I was struck by the similarities between the world these righteous Nephites were living in and the world we are living in now. The are a lot of parallels between what is happening in this chapter to what is and will be happening in the "last days" before Christ comes again. Here is some of what I've found (feel free to add thoughts of your own).

~ Giddianhi wants the people of the Nephites, their cities, their lands, and their posessions. The choice is to give all this up or die (vs. 6,7). Satan, I think, works in a similar manner. He cannot have posession of our souls until we give ourselves to him--and this can happen piece by piece by choosing him over God.

~ The only crime the Nephites committed against the Gadianto Robbers was that they "had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers" (vs. 11). I pray that I always have the strenth to simliary "wrong" the adversary.

~ Lachoneus replies to the demands of Giddianhi by "send[ing] a proclamation among all the people, that they should gather together their women, and their children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were their land, unto one place." We also have a proclamation from our prophets. Isn't the purpose the same? To gather our families together unto one "place" as a protection against adversity?

~ The Nephites fortified themselves (vs. 14). We have to make the choice every day to add to our spiritual fortifications or to take away from it. If we are not adding, we are weakening the structures we need to protect our families.

~ Then, they repented! They repented "in their might". (vs. 15,16)

~ Lachoneus appoints captains to be stationed among the people and among the fortifications to warn the people of an attack(vs. 17,18). We have modern day "captains"--our Church is set up in the same way. We have bishops, stake presidents, area leaders, and prophets to guide us and help us know how to overcome our enemy. They, like these Nephite captains, are only imperfect men, but they still have the ability to be inspired on our behalf.

~ The Nephites want to go to where the Gadianton Robbers are in order to destroy them, but Lachoneus tells them they must prepare together in their strongholds and wait (vs. 21). Similarly, we should not fight against the adversary on his terms, and we cannot do it alone.

And here are the final verses. We can see how the Nephites placed every effort in preparation and defense, but especially in repentance and faith.

25 And they did fortify themselves against their enemies; and they did dwell in one land, and in one body, and they did fear the words which had been spoken by Lachoneus, insomuch that they did repent of all their sins; and they did put up their prayers unto the Lord their God, that he would deliver them in the time that their enemies should come down against them to battle.

26 And they were exceedingly sorrowful because of their enemies. And Gidgiddoni did cause that they should make weapons of war of every kind, and they should be strong with armor, and with shields, and with bucklers, after the manner of his instruction.

What do you think? My synopsis is a bit clumsy, but I am still learning. Did anything impress you about this chapter?

Elise

3 Nephi 2

2009-10-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

So there is no Helaman 17 or 18...hehe. So here is 3 Nephi 2:
Summary:
Wickedness and abominations increase among the people—The Nephites and Lamanites unite to defend themselves against the Gadianton robbers—Converted Lamanites become white and are called Nephites. Between A.D. 5 and 15
1 And it came to pass that thus passed away the *ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen—
2 Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.
These 2 verses stood out to me the most in this chapter. The signs and wonders that these people had witnessed were prophecied for years. Then they had the privilege of witnessing them and receieve the ultimate confimation of their testimonies to this point in time. Despite that, they lost faith in the coming of Christ. They returned to their wicked ways. I think we are all vulnerable to this in our lives. I know that I have been blessed with some incredible experiences and manifestations from the Spirit. I am not perfect in my faith, but those experiences serve as reminders to me that deep down, I do know this church is true. I do know that the Lord will answer prayers and fasting. I do know that the Lord loves me. I know these things becasue He has blessed me with so much. Sometimes my faith and testimony are not what they should be, but those past experiences are so important in helping get me back on the right course. In conjunction with those experiences are the daily manifestations and answers I receive when I need some sort of answer or help. Heavenly Father has never not answered a prayer. He has blessed me with a gift of being sensitive to the Spirit, and I have learned over the years to give heed to those feelings He blesses me with. It makes me sad that so many people lost their way after such an amazing manifestation from Heaven. And they knew because of those manifestations that Christ would appear to them soon. Nine years does not seem so long when these signs had been prophesied about for hundreds of years. But I know we are all vulnerable to this. I hope we can learn from this and not fall victim to the same 'wickedness' and 'blindness' they did. Heavenly Father blesses us iwth the answers that He does so we can learn and increase our faith and testimony.

~CHELSEA~

Helaman 15

2009-10-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I missed the last two weeks. I have no excuse other than I always remember in the mornings and figure I have all day to do it, and then I forget!

Verse 2 gives me the chills. Samuel is telling them to repent and warns them that if they don't, their pregnant and nursing women will "have cause to mourn" because they will flee and have no place to go, so they will "be trodden down and left to perish." I always want to cry a little when I read this verse, having been pregnant and nursing so much of the last few years. But then I remind myself that these are warnings for those who have not repented!

Samuel tells them something important in the next verse. He tells them that the Lord has chastened them because he loves them. I think this is a concept we hear a lot but it's hard to actually live through. The Lord doesn't give us trials because he doesn't love us, he gives them to us because he does love us and wants us to grow from them. I know I need to remember that more.

Samuel also compares the Nephites to the Lamanites. I think it's interesting that he says that if the Lamanites had experienced the "mighty works" that the Nephites had experienced, they would not have fallen away. At this point, the Lamanites were actually much more righteous than the Nephites. I can see how the Nephites would have been angry to hear that said. The Lamanites had always been their enemies and they probably had a superiority complex. It's too bad that most of them couldn't humble themselves like the Lamanites did.

Helaman Chapter 14

2009-10-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

Samuel predicts light during the night and a new star at Christ’s birth—Christ redeems men from temporal and spiritual death—The signs of his death include three days of darkness, the rending of the rocks, and great upheavals of nature. About 6 B.C.

Samuel predicts signs of Christ's Birth

"there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day."(v3)
"there shall a new ^astar arise, such an one as ye never have beheld" (v5)

And signs of Christ's death:

behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his ^blight unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of ^cthree days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead. (v20)
there shall be ^bthunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble (v21)\
there shall be great ^atempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called ^bvalleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great. (v23)
many ^agraves shall be opened, and shall yield up many of their dead; and many saints shall appear unto many. (v25)

A great, all encompassing truth in verse 8, "And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall ^abelieve on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life." Isn't this what it is all about?

I like verse 29 because it explains what the purpose of the signs is, "And this to the intent that whosoever will believe might be saved, and that whosoever will not believe, a ^arighteous judgment might come upon them; and also if they are condemned they bring upon themselves their own condemnation."

Verses 30-31 really sum up accountability and put the responsibilities where they belong!

"And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto ^ahimself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are ^bfree; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a ^cknowledge and he hath made you free. He hath given unto you that ye might ^aknow good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might ^bchoose life or death; and ye can do good and be ^crestored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you."

Helaman Ch. 13

2009-10-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: (The prophecy of Samuel, the Lamanite, to the Nephites. Comprising chapters 13 to 15 inclusive.) Samuel the Lamanite prophesies the destruction of the Nephites unless they repent—They and their riches are cursed—They reject and stone the prophets, are encircled about by demons, and seek for happiness in doing iniquity. About 6 B.C.

We're starting to get into the Samuel the Lamanite chapters, which is fun. It is always nice to re-read what he has to say to the Nephites here in Zarahemla.

We learn that destruction is awaiting these people, but also that they would have already been destroyed if not for the few righteous among them (vs. 12,13). We also learn that when the wicked cast the righteous out, they will then be "ripe for destruction." (vs. 14)

But what happened to the Nephites to make them so far gone? What are they doing that makes them turn away from God so strongly? Samuel answers these questions with some of his counsel:

~They have set their heart upon riches more than the things of God. (vs. 21)
~They are not grateful for what God has given them. (vs. 22)
~They are filled with so much pride they will boast, persecute others, and even murder. (vs. 22)
~They not only throw out prophets who come, they murder them. (vs. 24)
~They have procrastinated repentance. (vs. 38)
~They have sought happiness in doing wickedness. (vs. 38)

I think the key to the seriousness of these sins is found in verse 29:

"Yea, how long will ye suffer yourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides? Yea, how long will ye choose darkness rather than light?"

They chose darkness. You cannot make a true choice between darkness and light if you do not have knowledge of those things. They know what is right but they choose to disregard the eternal consequences for their actions.

What choices do I make on a daily basis that might draw myself farther from my Father in Heaven? What activities do I spend my time in? Do I have too much pride? Do I love my things? Do I get more pleasure from buying something new than from strengthening my testimony? Where do I put my efforts? Are my thoughts consumed by things they shouldn't be?

These are all questions I had to ask myself. The Nephites in this chapter knew the choice they were making. So do I; I just need to make sure I don't choose wrongly.

Elise

Helaman 12

2009-10-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Summary: Men are unstable and foolish and quick to do evil—The Lord chastens his people—The nothingness of men compared with the power of God—In the day of judgment men shall gain everlasting life or everlasting damnation. About 7 B.C.

Verse 1: We can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.
I have a testimony of this principle. I have seen it working countless times in my life, especially recently. I often reflect on the verses that come later in the chapter, expounding upon this principle.
8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.
9 Yea, behold at his avoice do the hills and the mountains tremble and bquake.
10 And by the apower of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley.
11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the awhole earth shake;
12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center.
13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved.
Reading these verses gives me faith to exercise this principle. In essence, I think to myself: "If God can move mountains, literally, then I know He can help me do this if I have faith." This principle gives me the strength I need to get through daily challenges. Sometimes He moves mountains by sending people into our lives to help carry the burden. The week following Jeff's surgery was very trying for both of us because he couldn't do anything, and I had to do everything, on top of school. We got many calls from people in the ward offering to bring meals and pick up Brookie for us. Of course I took advantage of that! And with each call, my heart filled with gratitude, knwoing that God was aware of us and our needs. He sent His servants to help us in our time of need. This experience increased my testimony of the importance of service--if I know how much it helped me out, then I need to reciprocate that.

The other principle that stood out to me was repentance.
22 And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he cannot be saved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared.
The Lord did not send us here to fail. He established these principles, like repentance to help pick us up when we fall and bring us to the "finish line." We would be foolish not to take advantage of and exercise faith and repentance in our lives. God gave us these gifts to help us learn and grow and find our way back to Him.

Helaman 11

2009-10-02T19:54:00.001-07:00

Nephi persuades the Lord to replace their war with a famine—Many people perish—They repent, and Nephi importunes the Lord for rain—Nephi and Lehi receive many revelations—The Gadianton robbers entrench themselves in the land. Between 20 and 7 B.C.

This chapter is yet another example of the Pride Cycle cycling over and over and over again. When I was younger, I used to wonder why there were so many chapters like this in the Book of Mormon. These chapters didn't seem to have "quotable" scriptures and neat stories to repeat. It wasn't until later that I realized that even though these people lived much before our time, we can learn from them. With scriptures like this we can start to recognize the world that we live in and the pride cycles we are going through. As I grow up, this cycle becomes more and more apparent to me.

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles lamented mankind’s failure to break outof negative cycles: (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 19;or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 16). Surely the Lord has placed these obvious patterns of behavior in scripture for ourbenefit, to help us avoid the same problems in our own lives (see D&C 52:14–19).

3 And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the Lord, saying:

4 O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn unto thee.

And so it was done. A famine came upon the land, and the work of destruction did cease by the sword, but became sore by famine.

7 And it came to pass that the people saw that they were about to perish by famine, and they began to remember the Lord their God; and they began to remember the words of Nephi.

9 ......when Nephi saw that the people had repented and did humble themselves in sackcloth, he cried again unto the Lord, saying:

10 O Lord, behold this people repenteth; and they have swept away the band of Gadianton from amongst them insomuch that they have become extinct, and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth.

11 Now, O Lord, because of this their humility wilt thou turn away thine anger, and let thine anger be appeased in the destruction of those wicked men whom thou hast already destroyed.

12 O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, thy fierce anger, and cause that this famine may cease in this land.

13 O Lord, wilt thou hearken unto me, and cause that it may be done according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth, that she may bring forth her fruit, and her grain in the season of grain.

14 O Lord, thou didst hearken unto amy words when I said, Let there be a famine, that the pestilence of the sword might cease; and I know that thou wilt, even at this time, hearken unto my words, for thou saidst that: If this people repent I will spare them.

15 Yea, O Lord, and thou seest that they have repented, because of the famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come unto them.

16 And now, O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, and try again if they will serve thee? And if so, O Lord, thou canst bless them according to thy words which thou hast said.

You know what this reminded me of? It actually reminded me of September 11th. When our whole nation stopped and turned to God. It was a tragic time, and a spiritual time. At this time of our suffering, our Prophet also prayed to Heaven Father. His prayer is recorded:

“O God, our Eternal Father, . . . whose children we are, we look to Thee in faith in this dark and solemn time. Please, dear Father, bless us with faith. Bless us with love. Bless us with charity in our hearts. Bless us with a spirit of perseverance to root out the terrible evils that are in this world. Give protection and guidance tothose who are engaged actively in carrying forth thet hings of battle. Bless them; preserve their lives; save them from harm and evil. Hear the prayers of their loved ones for their safety. . . .“O Father, look with mercy upon this, our own nation, and its friends in this time of need. Spare us and helpus to walk with faith ever in Thee and ever in Thy Beloved Son, on whose mercy we count and to whom we look as our Savior and our Lord. Bless the causeof peace and bring it quickly to us again, we humbly plead with Thee, asking that Thou wilt forgive our arrogance, pass by our sins, be kind and gracious to us, and cause our hearts to turn with love toward Thee. We humbly pray in the name of Him who loves us all, even the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Savior, amen” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 112; orEnsign, Nov. 2001, 90).

Back to the seventy and sixth year....The Lord heard the prayer of Nephi and turned away his anger from the people.

I have always felt awe, peace, appreciation, and gratitude that God is such a loving and Forgiving God. We just need to turn to Him, ask for his forgiveness, and we are sincere, it's done. Even when He should probably hold a grudge! I stand all amazed at the love....

So.. the people began to prosper again! Yet... it only lasted about three years! In time, the Gadianton robbers were built up again. I don't think history will ever get rid of them.

33 Yea, for they did visit many parts of the land, and did do great destruction unto them; yea, did kill many, and did carry away others captive into the wilderness, yea, and more especially their women and their children.

34 Now this great evil, which came unto the people because of their iniquity, did stir them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God.

36 And in the eighty and second year they began again to forget the Lord their God. And in the eighty and third year they began to wax strong in iniquity. And in the eighty and fourth year they did not mend their ways.

37 And it came to pass in the *eighty and fifth year they did wax stronger and stronger in their pride, and in their wickedness; and thus they were ripening again for destruction.

38 And thus ended the eighty and fifth year.

Helaman 10

2009-10-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: The Lord gives Nephi the sealing power—He is empowered to bind and loose on earth and in heaven—He commands the people to repent or perish—The Spirit carries him from congregation to congregation. Between 23 and 20 B.C.

I can just picture how forlorn and alone Nephi feels as the Nephites divided and he was left completely alone in the midst of them. Yet, as he walked home he did so in deep, heartfelt thought (pondering) the things the Lord had shown him. Then, the voice came. Does this happen to you? When you're in the shower, the car, laying in bed, sitting in church, on your way to/from Visiting Teaching?

I love that the Lord comforts Nephi so completely with His words:
4 ^aBlessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with ^bunwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine ^cown life, but hast sought my ^dwill, and to keep my commandments.

5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that ^aall things shall be ^bdone unto thee according to thy ^cword, for thou shalt ^dnot ask that which is contrary to my will.

6 Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with ^afamine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.

7 Behold, I give unto you ^apower, that whatsoever ye shall ^bseal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

As a humble and obedient servant, Nephi, after hearing these words, IMMEDIATELY returns to the multitude of people and tells them what the Lord shared with him about their destruction if they would not repent. (I feel this way as a mother with my children so often.... to a much less extreme.)

Unfortunately the Nephites still would not listen and began to threaten slaying him and tried to cast him into prison. Interestingly, the Lord was with him and they could not take him and he was "...taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them" (v 16).

Yet his continued ministering caused more contention and divisions among the Nephites and they began slaying each other. Poor Nephi. He was doing his job as a righteous servant and elicited so much hate and pride out of those he loved and was trying to save. Makes me wonder if our missionaries and General leaders of the Church don't feel this way in their ministering.

That darn pride cycle:

Helaman Chapter 7

2009-09-29T09:22:00.001-07:00

I've been behind on my reading and have been trying to catch up, and missed 2 weeks (SORRY!) so I decided to skip ahead to catch up and do my chapter today! I briefly read over the headings - and without reading the details of the chapters, I have started up again in Helaman 7. SO MUCH HAS CHANGED in so little time! And that's what it says in verse 6 ("Now this great iniquity had come up on the Nephites, in the space of not many years...") .

In verse 5 it explains specifically how and why the Nephites had fallen into transgression, "Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their ^bmoney; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the ^cworld, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills—"

I found it interesting that in verses 7-8, Nephi tells us how he wishes he could have lived in the days that Lehi had first reached the promise land... "That I could have ^ajoyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, ^bfirm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord— Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren."

The reason I find it interesting is because we know from studying the Book of Mormon, that there were still very very wicked people... I guess there just weren't as many - and they certainly hadn't overthrown the government... yet.

And I think verse 9 is applicable to most generations ( and definitely now), "But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with ^asorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren." Have you ever felt that your life would have been easier or happier in some other time of the world?

After a multitude had gathered to wonder why Nephi was lamenting so, he begins his lecture. One of my favorite parts is verse 16, "Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to ^aeverlasting misery and endless wo?" What great imagery! If we thought of sin like this, and really believed it, I think we would be less likely to commit any sins!

Verse 26 is also profound, and very applicable to our days, "Yea, ^awo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches!"

Hm... there are many similarities between this time in the Book of Mormon, and our current time. Anyone agree?

Helaman Ch. 6

2009-09-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: The righteous Lamanites preach to the wicked Nephites—Both peoples prosper during an era of peace and plenty—Lucifer, the author of sin, guides the Gadianton robbers in their murders and wickedness—They take over the Nephite government. Between 29 and 24 B.C.

This is an interesting chapter. I'm going to be lazy this week and copy the following list from the Institute Manual. It really lays out the characteristics of the secret combinations and I found it helpful to go through it. Feel free to skip (as it is lengthy), but if you want to read more you can find it here.

From this chapter and other places in the Book of Mormon we learn the following important characteristics of secret combinations:

1. The devil is the inspiration and source of all such organizations (see Helaman 6:26–30 ). Mormon clearly pointed to Satan as the grand conspirator, the real organizer of all such organizations.

2. Such organizations are viewed by the Lord as constituting a wickedness “above all the wickedness of the whole earth” ( 3Nephi 9:9 ; see also Ether 8:18 ). While individuals may rob, steal, plunder, and murder, how much more wickedness occurs when men plunder and kill on a national or an international scale involving millions of lives?

3. Such organizations flourish and thrive when the “more part” ( Helaman 6:21 ) of the people are wicked and seek to benefit from the spoils of such wickedness (see v.38 ).

4. Secrecy is one of the basic operating tenets of such organizations (see vv.22, 25–26 ).

5. Joined with the idea of secrecy is the idea of making covenants (see vv.22, 25–26 ). An oath of loyalty to the organization is made which involves a vow to maintain the secret of the conspiracy. After the murder of the chief judge, Kishkumen “went unto those that sent him, and they all entered into a covenant, yea, swearing by their everlasting Maker, that they would tell no man” ( Helaman 1:11 ). Helaman 6:21 refers to “their covenants and their oaths.” Moroni described this same covenant making among the Jaredites (see Ether 8:13–14 ). Ironically, the oaths were sometimes made in the name of God (see Helaman 1:11 , Ether 8:14 ).

6. The objectives of such secret combinations are power or gain, or both (see Helaman 6:38 , Ether 8:22 , Moses 5:31–33 ). Since the government is a source of great power, it is not surprising that often the target of action is to take over the reins of government (see Helaman 1:1–4 , 2:4–5 , 3Nephi 3:6 , 6:30 , 7:12 , Ether 9:1–6 , 13:18 ).

7. These organizations use immorality, money, and violence to achieve their ends (see Helaman 6:15, 17 , Ether 8:10 ). Assassinating government leaders to bring their own people to power is a common tale found in the Book of Mormon.

8. The only way to lastingly curtail these organizations once they are established and begin to flourish is through conversion of the people to righteousness (see Helaman 6:37 , 3Nephi 5:4–6 ).

Now, how is it that what started as a small group of wicked, plotting people became a large group known as the Gadianton Robbers? Verse seventeen states that the Nephites began to set their hearts upon riches. Once a people starts down this path of "idol" worship, they begin to commit sins in order to procure more riches. Then the sins don't seem to be a big deal anymore, because the riches are more important to them than God. It was a quick road to wickedness for the Nephites.

The Lamanites, however, grew stronger in righteousness and faith. When the Gadianton robbers began to be a real problem, what did they do? They did not go to war in the usual sense, but they fought the wickedness at its root:

37 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.

And the Nephites? Well, the Nephites "built them up and support[ed] them [. . .] until they had overspread all the land." (vs. 38)

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21)

Elise

Helaman 4

2009-09-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Nephite dissenters and the Lamanites join forces and take the land of Zarahemla—The Nephites’ defeats come because of their wickedness—The Church dwindles and the people become weak like the Lamanites. Between 38 and 30 B.C.

This chapter can be quite depressing and yet inspiring. Amazing how the scriptures, particularly the war chapters do that, isn't it? As I read about the Nephite dissention (in not many years) from the Church it saddened me, and yet I found how similar it is to our day. I hear of and know of so many faithful members of the Church who temporarily or permanently lose their faith and dissent from the Church. I selected several words and phrases from this chapter that paint the picture well of how and why this happens.

(Ask yourself if you don't witness these things daily among Latter-day Saints and other God-fearing people... not in a judgemental way, but in the spirit of recognizing that we all have need for the Atonement and our trials and struggles are different and come at different times and seasons. We need to love and serve each other as Christ would rather than assist in the dissention of His children.)

The Helaman 4 Dissention word/phrase list:
contention, bloodshed, rebellious, slain, driven, stir up to war, afraid, stirring up to anger, preparing for war, battle, the work of death, slaughter, wickedness, abomination, profess to belong to the church of God, pride of their hearts, exceeding riches, oppression to the poor, withholding food from the hungry, withholding clothing from the naked, smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which is sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, adultery, great contentions, deserting away into the land, boasting of their own strength, did not prosper, afflicted, smitten, lost possessions/lands, stiffnecked, set at naught the commandments of God, altered/trampled the laws, corrupted laws, withdrawl of the spirit.

Sad state of affairs, isn't it? I love the verbage of verse 23: "...and the judgements of God did stare them in the face."

Essentially all the dissention of faithful Nephites caused the church to dwindle. They eventually saw their strength matched with that of the unfaithful Lamanites and it scared them. Moronihah preached unto them and they repented and when they did they prospered again. The miracle of Christ's infinite Atonement. The Nephites recognized their weaknesses and were allowed to change and gain faith again. They began to remember the prophecies of Alma and the words of Mosiah from long long before their time.

Helaman 3

2009-09-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

The Nephites enter into a brief time of peace and they spread outward into the land northward. Helaman, who is both prophet and chief judge, has two sons, Nephi and Lehi, named of course after the first Nephi and Lehi. The people become so righteous at this time that even their leaders are astonished. I love these verses:

27 Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.

28 Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.

29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.

I think those verses are beautiful. Unfortunately for the righteous, the wicked start to persecute them, but here is what it says about the righteous:

35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sancitification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

I think we can all find ways in which we can better yield our hearts unto God. I know we don't face constant persecution like these Nephites, but we do face a lot of stress and other things that try to tear us down. But if we can yield our hearts to God and stay firm in the faith, we will be blessed like the Nephites to know that we will live with God again.

-Tori

Helaman Ch. 1

2009-09-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Pahoran the second becomes chief judge and is murdered by Kishkumen—Pacumeni fills the judgment-seat—Coriantumr leads the Lamanite armies, takes Zarahemla, and slays Pacumeni—Moronihah defeats the Lamanites and retakes Zarahemla, and Coriantumr is slain. Between 52 and 51 B.C.

Pahoran, the chief judge, has died. Three of his sons are vying to replace him: Pahoran, Pacumeni, and Paanchi; therefore the Nephites have split in three ways in support of each. But Pahoran ends up being appointed by the people to the judgement seat.

There are two reactions to this: Pacumeni sees that he cannot obtain the seat, so he unites with the people.

Paanchi, however, decides to convince as many people as he can to rebel against the new leadership. What is the penalty for someone who seeks to destroy the liberty of the people? Death. Of course, Paanchi's supporters were upset by this, and some of them send Kishkumen in disguise to murder Pahoran while he is on the judgement seat. No one can catch him at the time, but eventually many of those who were in on the plot were found and sentenced to death.

Pacumeni takes the judgement seat. But what a mess! I can't believe it would get to the point of brothers fighting and murdering this way.

Later in the chapter, the Lamanites plot (again) to overcome the Nephites by taking Zarahemla, so they recruit Coriantumer to lead the armies. They battle, many people die, but eventually Moronihah outsmarts the Lamanites and the Nephites obtain victory and regain their city.

One thing stood out to me about this battle sequence. This is how the Lamanites warred:

27 But behold, [. . .] (they) were marching through the most capital parts of the land, slaying the people with a great slaughter, both men, women, and children, taking possession of many cities and of many strongholds.

And, this is how the Nephites fought:

33 And it came to pass that Moronihah took possession of the city of Zarahemla again, and caused that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace.

As long as they fight with the desire for peace, the Lord blesses them. President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency stated that the Spirit of the Lord cannot abide contention: “When there is contention, the Spirit of the Lord will depart, regardless of who is at fault” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1996, 57; or Ensign, May 1996, 41).

Elise

Alma 60

2009-09-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

In this chapter Moroni takes Pahoran to task for not sending help to the armies. He condemns Pahoran for "sit[ting] upon [his] throne in a state of thoughtless stupor" while thousands of Nephites are dying in Pahoran's defense. Now, it's really easy to think that Moroni is being too harsh because we know that in the next chapter Pahoran explains what is going on and Moroni forgives him. But I am trying to see things from Moroni's point of view and I can see why he is so upset.

It's also interesting to compare this latter from Moroni to the one he wrote to Ammoron. In both, he is experiencing righteous anger. But in the one Ammoron, he was speaking to a wicked mad, and in this chapter, he is speaking to Pahoran, who he believes to be righteous, or at least knows that he used to be righteous. So a lot of this chapter comes across as calling Pahoran to repentance and telling him to shape up, just in very harsh terms.

I like what Moroni says in vs. 23: Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also. I've always liked the metaphor of the clean cup. We can look good on the outside and still be filthy on the inside, and vice versa. But we should strive to be as clean as possible on the outside and the inside.

Moroni closes with a powerful statement that shows that he knows who he really answers to in the end: God, not the government leaders. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. I really admire Captain Moroni for his zeal and continual righteousness and I hope to emulate him in my own life.

-Tori

Alma Ch. 58

2009-09-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Helaman, Gid, and Teomner take the city of Manti by a stratagem—The Lamanites withdraw—The sons of the people of Ammon are preserved as they stand fast in defense of their liberty and faith. About 63 B.C.

I really enjoyed reading this chapter; it was faith-promoting to read about the odds Helaman and his armies overcame in being able to defeat the Lamanites. This is what they were up against:

~ They almost perished for want of food (vs. 7)
~ The Lamanites grew stronger by the day (vs. 6,8) and far outnumbered the Nephites ("innumerable", vs. 8)
~ Helaman requested strength and provisions, but only received a little food and 2000 men (vs. 8,9)
~ The Lamanites would not be fooled by a decoy because they remembered this was previously done (vs. 1)
~ The Nephites were fearful for their lives and that God would send poor judgements upon them (vs. 9)
~The Lamanites were defending a stronghold, Manti (vs. 1)

It seems pretty bleak. They could have easily let their discouragement overcome them or become embittered toward God. But this is what they did in response to their circumstances:

10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

They took courage, and with the Lord's help, they defeated the Lamanites. This is how they did it:

~ The Nephites camped in the wilderness by Manti so the Lamanites' spies would see them. (vs. 13, 14)
~ Helaman has Gid and Teancum take small groups of men and hide in different parts of the wilderness. (vs. 16)
~ The Lamanites came to fight them, due to the Nephites' poor numbers. (vs. 15)
~ The Nephites retreat through the wilderness; the Lamanites pursue (vs. 18)
~ Gid and Teancum come behind the Lamanites and cut off the spies so they couldn't go back to the city. Then they go back to the city and reclaim it--the Lamanites left only the guards behind. (vs. 20-23)
~ The Lamanites discover that they are going toward Zarahemla. Afraid it is a trap, they turn to go back. (vs. 24)
~ Helaman has his armies march all through the night to beat the Lamanites back to Manti. (vs. 26)
~ The Lamanites arrive at Manti to discover the Nephites have occupied the city. They are astonished and flee from that entire quarter of the land. (vs. 29-30)

I loved reading the strategies the Nephites used in this chapter. I think they can be summed up nicely by verse 28:

28 And thus it came to pass, that by this stratagem we did take possession of the city of Manti without the shedding of blood.

This is why I love reading about the Nephites when they are righteous. They truly fight to defend. They do not delight in the shedding of blood. And the Lord blesses them.

So, what is the true asset the Nephites had? What made the difference? It is made obvious in this chapter. It is their faith in and reliance on God. They remembered their blessings, and that they wouldn't have all they do without Him.

vs. 40: But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.

This is what we can take away from this chapter. We are going to experience some very difficult circumstances as we draw nearer to the second coming. Our greatest asset to our surivial will be our faith and our trust in God. As long as we are doing our best faithfully, He will magnify our abilities. We may experience "many wounds" but those hardships are only temporary. We know that the important things are not temporal, and that they last for eternity.

Elise

Alma 57

2009-09-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Sorry for my tardiness! Tori was kind enough to switch days with me since I started school and am crazy busy. But I still wanted to particpate, so wonderful Tori switched with me. Thanks Tori!

Summary: Helaman recounts the taking of Antiparah and the surrender and later the defense of Cumeni—His Ammonite striplings fight valiantly and all are wounded, but none are slain—Gid reports the slaying and the escape of the Lamanite prisoners. About 64—63 B.C.

In this chapter, the Nephites take two cities. They are very smart in how they do this. But what really struck me about this chapter was the last part, talking about the faith of all the warriors. The outcome of this battle was miraculous.
26 And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
27 Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

These verses are amazing. It would take a tremendous amount of faith to go into battle and know that you would be preserved. God really does have the power to do all things if we but have the faith that He will grant us answers to our prayers. We do need to put our trust in God continually. He has put us on this path and called each of us to endure some battle on this earth. I know that we cannot endure it without His help. I have never felt this so much as in the past few weeks since starting school. I feel like such a huge burden has been placed on my shoulders, and I really want to stick with it. But I come home each day not sure houw I am going to make it. I have never pleaded and prayed so much for help. And I know my prayers have been heard. It's only been two weeks, but I feel like I have accomplished so much with the Lord's help, and I know there is no way I will finish without His help. I feel so blessed to have His influence in my life.

35 And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us.

What I love about this verse is that they Nephites have overcome another mountain. And the first thing they do after accomplishing this amazing feat is thank God. Heavenly Father is always there for us. He will lift us up and give us strength beyond our own. He will help us overcome anything, get through anything. We just need to believe. We need to continually exercise faith. "The times we feel alone are the ones when we forgot to ask for His saving Grace. We must do whatever it takes to stay in His embrace." (From an EFY song) The Lord is always there for us. We just have to have the faith to turn to Him. It is amazing what He will do for us when we have the faith.

2009-09-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Helaman sends an epistle to Moroni recounting the state of the war with the Lamanites—Antipus and Helaman gain a great victory over the Lamanites—Helaman’s two thousand stripling sons fight with miraculous power and none of them are slain. About 66—62 B.C.

Okay, I think this is probably such a famous chapter in the Book of Mormon. Everyone loves this chapter, and so do I. It is about the Sons of Helaman!

Two-THOUSAND young men were willing to take up weapons of war since their fathers covenanted that they would never fight again. Two-thousand. That is a lot of faithful young men. Kind of like the spiritually strong and faithful fifty-something-thousand young men we have serving missions around the world.

And those young men chose Helaman to be their leader. He called them his own sons -since "they were worthy to be called sons.)

And they did set out to help the army of Antipus against the army of the wicked Lamanites. They led the Lamanites in a strategic way...their plan was working until the Lamanites got too close, but fortunately Antipus's army was speedy and they caught the Lamanites from behind.

Helaman writes:
43 And now, whether they were overtaken by Antipus we knew not, but I said unto my men: Behold, we know not but they have halted for the purpose that we should come against them, that they might catch us in their snare;

44 Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?

45 And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen aso great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.

46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

49 And it came to pass that I did return with my two thousand against these Lamanites who had pursued us. And now behold, the armies of Antipus had overtaken them, and a terrible battle had commenced.

Now Antipus's army had become very weak, and the Lamanites realized this and fought harder. Then all of a sudden, Helaman's army came from behind to attack the Lamanites. This gave the army of Antipus time to regroup.

Both armies then surrounded the Lamanites, insomuch that they were compelled to deliver up their weapons of war and also themselves as prisoners of war.

And then the miracle:

55 And now it came to pass that when they had surrendered themselves up unto us, behold, I numbered those young men who had fought with me, fearing lest there were many of them slain.

56 But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war.

Now, to go back to a famous scripture:

...Yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them......And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

Wow. THAT is the kind of Mother I want to be. That is the kind of friend I want to be. I want to not only be able to teach my children to have that much faith in God, but through my actions and example, I want my children to be able to say, "I do not doubt that my mother KNEW it." And how neat would it be to have a others say, "I do not doubt that my FRIEND, TEACHER, WIFE, DAUGHTER, NEIGHBOR, knew it."

That is how I want to live my life.

Boy, I love the scriptures!

Missionary Work in Chinatown, NY

2009-09-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

A friend linked to a great video collection on her blog. Someone with the NY times has put together a series of videos on different people in New York. . .and one of them just happens to be a Mormon Missionary in Chinatown named Naisi Zhao.

Her story is short but touching. The photography is breathtaking. She is a real person. It is really worth taking the time to watch.

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.html#naisi_zhao

Chapter 54

2009-09-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Chelsea and I have decided to switch days, so this is my first Wednesday post. Hopefully I'll do a little better about getting it done on my actual day and not the day after!

This is an interesting chapter. It's done completely in letters between Moroni and Ammoron, king of the Lamanites. Moroni is interested when Ammoron proposes an exchange of prisoners. One thing that shows the difference between the two armies was that the Nephites only took soldiers prisoner, but the Lamanites took women and children too. So Moroni hopes to exchange one Lamanite for one Nephite plus his wife and children. The language of the epistle surprises me. Moroni calls Ammoron a "child of hell", tells him that the wrath of God will be coming upon him and his armies, and really uses such harsh language that Ammoron's response is no surprise. I've always wondered why he is so harsh if he really wanted to have a chance at exchanging prisoners. I bet that at this point he was so disgusted with the evilness of Ammoron that he didn't really want to negotiate with him. He says "ye have sought to murder us, and we have only sought to defend ourselves." This to me is one of the principles that stands out in these war chapters. War is an evil thing. Captain Moroni does sometimes go on the offensive, but he largely sticks to a defensive strategy, and because of this the Lord blesses them. Both sides end up killing the other, but for the Lamanites it is murder and for the Nephites it is only defending themselves, and the Lord judges them accordingly.

Ammoron responds in anger. While he does agree to Moroni's terms for the exchange of prisoners, he insults the Nephites and their religion, tells Moroni that they will both be in hell together (yikes!) and weirdly enough, accuses their ancestors of wrongly stealing the Lamanites' right to government. What? That is such a strange claim. I guess they felt that they should have ruled over the Nephites from the beginning. I can't even comprehend how they must have twisted history to think that way.

Anyway, there's not a lot to this chapter, but it's interesting to witness the difference between the righteous anger of Moroni and the wicked anger of Ammoron.

Alma Ch. 52

2009-09-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Ammoron succeeds Amalickiah as king of the Lamanites—Moroni, Teancum, and Lehi lead the Nephites in a victorious war against the Lamanites—The city of Mulek is retaken, and Jacob the Lamanite is slain. About 66—64 B.C.

Sometimes it is interesting to read these warring chapters because of the strategies the leaders employ to win the wars. Moroni, Teancum, and the others are very clever but they also rely on the Lord. This doesn't mean that they always win but it does mean they know how to do the right thing.

In verses 21-26 we learn about how they won back the city of Mulek, which had been occupied by the Lamanites. They sent a small decoy army (led by Teancum) past the city and drew out the Lamanites, who thought they could easily overtake such a small group of soldiers. Meanwhile, Moroni led a larger group of soldiers to reclaim the city from the few Lamanites left to guard it.

The following thought is taken from the Institute Manual for the Book of Mormon:

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) observed, “From the Book of Mormon we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war” (in Conference Report, Oct.1986, 5; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 7). Mormon included several accounts of war in the Book of Mormon for a purpose. These accounts teach about the need to preserve freedom in order to maintain religious rights, the damage traitors inflict, the value of even a few righteous youth, the moral justification for war, and strategies to combat evil while relying upon God’s power to intervene.

Moroni embodied this. He was a righteous, intelligent leader and I wish we could have a leader like him in our country today.

Led by wicked and apostate Nephites (Ammoron and others), the Lamanites sought to violently capture and maintain Nephite cities. Each city was taken at a high price, however: "They had not taken any cities save they had lost much blood" (vs. 4). Captain Moroni was always reluctant to take up the sword and far more eager to lay it down for peace (vs. 37). He knew that even when the Nephites were victorious, it cost thousands of lives on both sides. War would never occur if all people were living the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the Prince of Peace, and those who follow Him are emissaries of peace.

We will eventually experience this in the time of the Milennium. It will be beautiful to live in a time when all are following Christ and are "emissaries of peace."

Elise

Alma 51

2009-09-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

This chapter talks about the struggle between the king-men and the free-men. I am amazed at how people, when they don't get their way, are so quick to violence. And I am also amazed that these people were so anxious to have a king. This isn't the first time this has happened in the Book of Mormon. In Nephi's time the people insisted on keeping Nephi's descendants as a king. The people in King Mosiah's time were so eager for Aaron to be king that Mosiah had to warn them against forcing someone to be king. Why do people want a king so much? Sure, the first one might be great, but you never know what things will be like in several generations. My husband studies economics and he told me once that in his class, they discussed how the most efficient type of government is an all-knowing, benevolent dictator, followed by a free market-style government. (This was in reference to allocating scarce resources, but I am stealing it for my own purposes). Well, since the only all-knowing, benevolent dictator isn't going to be ruling on earth for a little while, I'd rather share the power among many people rather than put it in the hands of a few.

It even says that the people in support of having a king were those of "high birth", who wanted a king because they wanted the power that would fall upon them. It all comes back to greed and pride, doesn't it? Even when the voice of the people supported Pahoran, these king-men didn't stop there. When Amalickiah comes marching towards the borders with his armies of Lamanites, the king-men refuse to defend their country. This of course infuriates Moroni, who gets permission to compell these men to fight or to be killed. This seems a little extreme in the days of conscientous objectors, but Moroni understood something crucial--we can't fight the forces of the enemy that strike from the outside if we aren't fortified on the inside. To me, this applies both to us personally and in a more broader sense, to our homes and families. If our homes are filled with contention and don't have the Spirit, how can we withstand the temptations and trials that come our way?

The last part of this chapter talks about Teancum, who was a brave commander of the Nephites who took things into his own hands. He snuck into the Lamanite camp and personally killed Amalickiah, which he probably hoped would end the war. Unfortunately Amalickiah's brother takes over in the next chapter, but I think Teancum is another real Book of Mormon hero and seems to have been both a great warrior and a very righteous man.

Alma Chapter 50

2009-09-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE

Moroni fortifies the lands of the Nephites—They build many new cities—Wars and destructions befell the Nephites in the days of their wickedness and abominations—Morianton and his dissenters are defeated by Teancum—Nephihah dies and his son Pahoran fills the judgment-seat. About 72—67 B.C.

I think it is interesting how there are so many places in the scriptures that describe wars and preparations for wars. In this chapter we begin reading about how Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites.

Now I think it's easy for us to skim over these verses, since we don't see any "quotable scriptures" or spiritual moments. But, if we try and liken the scriptures to us, we actually can find a lot of symbolism.

I like to think about how we are always fighting a spiritual war. A war against temptations. A war against even. And even though we do not need to dress in armor and fight against an enemy, we actually DO need to dress in the armor of God and fight against the adversary.

So isn't it interesting that even though Moroni and his armies were not fighting at this very moment, they were still making all the preparations necessary. I think we can do this in our own lives. We always need to be preparing ourselves. That is why we attend church, pray, read our scriptures, fulfill our callings, attend the temple, have family home evening, go visiting teaching, listen to conference. These things help us to prepare to be strong in times of war -when adversity and temptation hit us really hard.

And you know what? As we are righteous and do all of these things as we are commanded,

18 And they did prosper aexceedingly, and they became exceedingly rich; yea, and they did multiply and wax strong in the land.

19 And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi, saying:

20 Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my acommandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be bcut off from the presence of the Lord.

22 And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites.

23 But behold there never was a ahappier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.

Alma chapter 47

2009-09-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

Amalickiah uses treachery, murder, and intrigue to become king of the Lamanites—The Nephite dissenters are more wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites.

I find this chapter intriguing. How one man (Amalakiah) goes so far to gain power (in his case, he doesn't even seem to care whom over!). Amalakiah is just straight up evil! He cares for no one but himself, going so far as to manipulate and murder! I encourage you to read this chapter yourself.

I find the story with Lehonti most relevant. Lehonti would not (at first) come down from his safe keep in the top of Mt. Antipas, but after subtle persistence from Amalakiah he came down just a little. And that was all it took for Amalakiah to accomplish his desires. And ultimately, Lehonti was poisoned until dead.

How often do we compromise our safe hold just a little bit? How often do we just barely step over the line of sure safety? How often do we allow ourselves to do the little things we have been asked by the prophets not to?

Satan just needs us to take one step away from our Heavenly Father and with that he will poison us by degrees until we are spiritually dead - If we allow him to. We have knowledge other do not. We know there is a war going on, consisting of daily battles for our souls. Our choices determine the outcome of these battles. Always remember the story of Lehonti who did not want to be subjected, yet came down from the top of the mountain just enough that Amalakiah was able to destroy him. Lehonti did not know Amalakiahs intentions or what he was capable of. But we do. We know Satan's intentions is to destroy us - subtlety and indefinitely.

Now have a great day! :D (Sorry if that was a little intense, but this is something I feel strongly about!)

Alma Ch. 46

2009-08-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Amalickiah conspires to be king—Moroni raises the title of liberty—He rallies the people to defend their religion—True believers are called Christians—A remnant of Joseph shall be preserved—Amalickiah and the dissenters flee to the land of Nephi—Those who will not support the cause of freedom are put to death. Between 73 and 72 B.C.

I love this chapter. I love hearing about the Title of Liberty and the greatness of Captain Moroni.

Hugh Nibley wrote a great summary of the military aspect of this chapter. It is lengthy but good:

To check Amalickiah’s move, ‘Moroni thought it was expedient’ to force a peace on the dissenters with all possible haste. Moving with his usual dispatch, he intercepted them before they got out of the country, made them surrender to him, and required them to take an oath, ‘a covenant to keep the peace’ and not fight against their own government. ( Alma 46:35 .)
No citizen could give less, and those who refused were knowingly accepting the status of combatants, and could expect to be treated as such. At the time Moroni was acting with special military powers given him ‘by the chief judges and the voice of the people,’ ( Alma 46:34 ) and accordingly put to death as an enemy in arms those who refused to lay down their arms; but these were only a few ( v.35 ); instead of a blanket order for the execution of all Amalickiahites as traitors, in the modern fashion, Moroni merely exacted from them a promise to support the government during a dire national emergency” (Since Cumorah: The Book of Mormon in the Modern World, pp.340–41).

Of course, we have a great section in here about the Title of Liberty. Reading what was on the title makes me grateful for the armed forces we have in this country, and that those men are willing to sacrifice it all to protect the wives, families, peace, and religions of our country.

Elder Ezra Taft Benson said:

“Human liberty is the mainspring of human progress.

“The one great revolution in the world is the revolution for human liberty. This was the paramount issue in the great council in heaven before this earth life. It has been the issue throughout the ages. It is the issue today....

Then Moroni rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole, and hoisted it up upon every tower in the land.

“‘... (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, ...’ (46:12–13 .)

“While this incident occurred some seventy years B.C. , the struggle went on through one thousand years covered by this sacred Book of Mormon record. In fact, the struggle for liberty is a continuing one—it is with us in a very real sense today right here on this choice land of the Americas” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1962, pp.14–15).

One final thought: the verse that stood out to me in this chapter the most was verse 30:

Now Moroni thought it was not expedient that the Lamanites should have any more strength; therefore he thought to cut off the people of Amalickiah, or to take them and bring them back, and put Amalickiah to death; yea, for he knew that he would stir up the Lamanites to anger against them, and cause them to come to battle against them; and this he knew that Amalickiah would do that he might obtain his purposes.

It strikes me that this is what we, as families, must do to combat Satan in our homes--we must cut him off. We can't tolerate him, even a little. It also strikes me that this would be the same reaction Satan would have to us cutting his presence off ("stir[red] up to anger against [us], and [. . .] to come to battle against [us]).

We need to be increasingly smart, increasingly strong, and increasingly wise in our efforts to disregard Satan's influence. I know for my family, this means we need to be better about having family scripture study (among other things). What do you think you and your family need to do to have a better defense against Satan? What do you do that works for you now?

Elise

Alma 45

2009-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

This chapter marks the first chapter of the record of Helaman and not Alma. It's a little confusing, because it is still the Book of Alma, but his son Helaman is the one now writing the record. I'm pretty sure that the Book of Helaman is named after Alma's grandson Helaman.

Alma comes to Helaman and and asks him three questions: Do you believe what I have told you about these records? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Will ye keep my commandments? Helaman is able to respond yes to all three. Alma then reveals to him things that he is supposed to write down and not reveal to the people.

Alma prophesies that the Nephites will fall into wickedness and be destroyed only four hundred years after Christ's coming. This must have been so sad and depressing for Helaman to hear. But I am glad that the prophets in the Book of Mormon realized the importance of their ministry to both their own people, and the people of future generations long past the end of the Nephites.

Alma leaves a final blessing on the land and church: 15 And now it came to pass that after Alma had said these things to Helaman, he blessed him, and also his other sons; and he also blessed the earth for the righteous' sake.

16 And he said: Thus saith the Lord God—Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said so shall it be; for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.

17 And now, when Alma had said these words he blessed the church, yea, all those who should stand fast in the faith from that time henceforth.

I'm glad that I can feel that I am a righteous inhabitant of the land, though it is scary to look around and see so much wickedness. However, I feel better when we drive by all the churches near us and see how many people are going faithfully each Sunday. This nation is still predominantly God-fearing and that makes me optimistic.

-Tori

Alma 41

2009-08-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Summary: In the resurrection men come forth to a state of endless happiness or endless misery—Wickedness never was happiness—Carnal men are without God in the world—Every person receives again in the restoration the characteristics and attributes acquired in mortality. About 73 B.C.

This chapter is full of some incredible doctrine! Our goal should be to obtain
this "endless happiness." Just thinking about the joy that awaits us on the other side fills my heart with peace. All of our sufferings and efforts to endure will be rewarded in the next life with happiness we cannot fathom. I have no doubt that we can all look forward to being "raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God" (4). When I ponder on this concept, I can't help but feel how incredible the eternal nature of this life is. We have some wonderful things promised to us if we continue in righteousness throughout this life.

I love how perfectly the word "restoration" is described in this chapter:
12 And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?
13 O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.
Where there are so many people attempting to interpret the Bible and twist it to fit their beliefs and desires, this scripture is perfectly clear. We are left with no doubt as to what state we will be in in the next life. Knowing that gives me the motivation to try harder to stay on the path of righteousness. It is up to me to determine what my reward will be in the next life, so I hope I can make the best of my life here.

This chapter also makes me think of the importance of the gift of agency.
8 Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.
The Lord has prepared the way, and we must choose to follow that path. He has set the rules, so to speak, and He cannot change them, regardless of what we must decide. So we must take this knowledge and use it to stay on the path of righteousness. The Lord has given us so many incredible gifts to help us through this life. We are so blessed to be a part of this Gospel and know what we know. We need to use these gifts wisely.

Alma Chapter 42

2009-08-25T09:17:00.001-07:00

Hey there! Sorry I was M.I.A.! But I'm back! :) This chapter is pretty deep and the doctrine is incredible! How blessed we are to have this knowledge!

Mortality is a probationary time to enable man to repent and serve God—The fall brought temporal and spiritual death upon all mankind—Redemption comes through repentance—God himself atoneth for the sins of the world—Mercy is for those who repent—All others are subject to God’s justice—Mercy cometh because of the atonement—Only the truly penitent are saved.

Verse 4 sums up what this life is all about! "And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God."

Basically, Alma continues to talk with Corianton because Corianton is worried about what he cannot understand - "concerning the justice of God in the punishment of the sinner..." This is such an amazing chapter, one I think we all need to read and re-read to truly understand the laws of God concerning sin, repentance, the atonement and resurrection. When I read it, I felt like this was all stuff I'd heard before... but there are a bunch of verses that have caught my attention for one reason or another...

Alma explains that because our first parents partook of the fruit and gained knowledge of good and evil, the Lord protected the Tree of Life in such a way that they would not partake of it and live forever in their sins. Thus, we are given this "probationary time"/life on earth to repent of our sins and serve God, before we die and are brought into his presence to be judged.

I found verse 10-13 interesting, "Therefore, as they had become ^acarnal, sensual, and devilish, by ^bnature, this ^cprobationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state. And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were ^amiserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord. "

I don't know exactly how man became carnal, sensual and devilish by nature, but we can clearly see this is true. I believe that the biggest trial of this life is overcoming that "nature" which is the opposite of what we need to be to attain Celestial Glory!

It is fascinating to me the connection between Justice and Mercy in regards to the Laws of Heaven. It's simple, yet complicated. Simply put, mercy cannot rob justice. Christ's suffering will satisfy the demands of justice for those who sincerely repent. But read verses 14-26ish for the in-depth explanation.

I also love the counsel Alma give Corianton in verses 29-30. "And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things ^atrouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance. O my son, I desire that ye should deny the ^ajustice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his ^bmercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in ^chumility. "

What wise counsel of a loving parent who truly understands!

Alma Ch. 40

2009-08-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection of all men—The righteous dead go to paradise and the wicked to outer darkness to await the day of their resurrection—All things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame in the resurrection. About 73 B.C.

This is an interesting chapter; it chronicles what happens to us after we die. If only everyone who has asked this question (probably almost everyone who has lived) could read this and understand part of the immediate afterlife.

The institue manual had a lot of interesting information about this chapter, so I used a lot of it here. Don't feel like you need to read all of this, but it was helpful to me to break the chapter down into sections.

Verses 6-10 discuss God's Time.

Alma said that he did not know if there was more than one time appointed for the resurrection of men, but that it did not matter because "all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men."

Our Father in Heaven has a different perspective of time than we do here in mortality. The Prophet Joseph Smith revealed that where God dwells all things “are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord” ( D&C 130:7) The Prophet also said that the Lord “contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth, pertaining to the plan of salvation, before it rolled into existence or ever ‘the morning stars sang together’ for joy; the past, the present, and the future were and are, with Him, one eternal ‘now’” ( Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.220).

Verses 11-15 talk about death and resurrection.

Vs. 12 says, "The spirits of the righteous are received into a state known as paradise: “a state of happiness, ... a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow"

Orson Pratt has this to add:

"When our spirits leave these bodies, will they be happy? Not perfectly so. Why? Because the spirit is absent from the body; it cannot be perfectly happy while a part of the man is lying in the earth. How can the happiness be complete when only a part of the redemption is accomplished? You cannot be perfectly happy until you get a new house. You will be happy, you will be at ease in paradise; but still you will be looking for a house where your spirit can enter, and act as you did in former times, only more perfectly, having superior powers. Consequently, all the holy men that have lived in days of old, have looked forward to the resurrection of their bodies; for then their glory will be complete" (in Journal of Discourses, 1:289–90).

Verses 16-22 discuss the First Resurrection.

Alma was unsure about the order of the Resurrection, but he gave it as his opinion that "the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into heaven."

"While there was a general resurrection of the righteous at the time Christ arose from the dead, it is customary for us to speak of the resurrection of the righteous at the Second Coming of Christ as the first resurrection. It is the first to us, for we have little thought or concern over that which is past. The Lord has promised that at the time of his Second Advent the graves will be opened, and the just shall come forth to reign with him on the earth for a thousand years....

"Following this great event, and after the Lord and the righteous who are caught up to meet him have descended upon the earth, there will come to pass another resurrection. This may be considered as a part of the first, although it comes later. In this resurrection will come forth those of the terrestrial order, who were not worthy to be caught up to meet him, but who are worthy to come forth to enjoy the millennial reign...."

(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:295–97).

Verses 23-25 talk about the Resurrection:

Alma tells us that "yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame." This is a comforting statement.

"... What else would satisfy us? What else would satisfy the desire of the immortal soul? Would we be satisfied to be imperfect? Would we be satisfied to be decrepit? Would we be satisfied to remain forever and ever in the form of infirmity incident to age? No! ... From the day of the resurrection, the body will develop until it reaches the full measure of the stature of its spirit, whether it be male or female." (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pp.23–24).

And of course, there are the Sons of Perdition verse 26 talk about. Bruce R. McConkie has an interesting statement to add to this verse:

"Eventually, all are redeemed from spiritual death except those who have ‘sinned unto death’ ( D.&C. 64:7 ), that is, those who are destined to be sons of perdition. John teaches this by saying that after death and hell have delivered up the dead which are in them, then death and hell shall be ‘cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death .’ ( Rev. 20:12–15 .) And thus the Lord said in our day that the sons of perdition are ‘the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power’ ( D.&C. 76:37 ), meaning any power after the resurrection” ( Mormon Doctrine, p.758). "

Elise

(and the institute manual)

Alma 39

2009-08-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I sometimes find this chapter so depressing. Obviously Corianton had been a little wild, and Alma is forced to tell him basically how disappointed he is. He even says that Corianton's actions had prevented some missionary work from being successful. The thing that makes it better for me, is that a few chapters later, Alma calls him once again to be a missionary, telling him to shape up and repent! I feel like there is a lot of hope for Corianton, and in turn us, so even though these chapters are kind of sad, ultimately we can feel better after reading them.

First of all, Alma compares Corianton to his brother, Shiblon. Shiblon's chapter was pretty short, but Alma says here the reason--Shiblon was righteous and needed less instruction than Corianton. I know none of us likes to be compared unfavorably to our siblings, but Corianton obviously needed it. Among his transgressions were boasting about his own strength and wisdom, but worse, he chased after a harlot. Sexual sin is much worse than boasting.

Alma gives us a hierarchy of sort of major sins. The worst is denying the Holy Ghost, and then murder, and then sexual sin. I remember when I was a kid, I was afraid that I might somehow accidentally deny the Holy Ghost, or for some reason say I denied it and then I would commit the unpardonable sin. I was happy to find out later on that denying the Holy Ghost is not that simple or easy, and I definitely am not in danger of casually doing it. Murder seems easy enough to avoid. Sexual sin--easy. Right? Sadly, I think this is one of the easiest sins to commit these days. Pornography is a form of sexual sin that is easy to justify because it doesn't seem as serious as fornication or adultery. But our prophets tells us all the time how serious it is. Both men and women are susceptible, and it can take many forms, through images, media, and books. I love to read and it's easy to find pornographic passages in books. These days, we often have to sacrifice watching a great movie or reading a great book, and it's no fun, but I think we will find ourselves blessed for that choice. There was a movie that came out recently that my husband and I really, really wanted to see. But at the same time, we knew there would lots of violence and that it would be a really dark movie. We weighed it back and forth, and decided that for us, it would be better to not see that movie. His deacons thought we were crazy! But I am so glad we made that choice. I don't need those sorts of violent images in my head. I really wish I made good choices like in regards to media more often.

Verse 11 has one of the saddest lines in it. Alma tells Corianton that the Zoramites witnessed his behavior, and "when they saw their conduct, they would not believe my words." How many of us have talked to non-member friends who have said "But that person is a Mormon and they drink/swear/wear bikinis (or whatever else you just said you don't do because of your religious beliefs)." I have heard that before. I hope that I can be a righteous example to others, like Shiblon, and not the negative example that Corianton was.

Alma tells Corianton to turn his life around. I had thought that there was a mention of Corianton later on in the book of Alma, and there is. All it says though, was that he went north with Hagoth. I'd like to think that he listened, repented, and went on to become a better person and missionary.

Alma ends with addressing a concern of Corianton's, which is how they can know of Christ's coming so long in advance. Alma says simply, "is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming?" Also, he tells his son that it is just as easy for the Lord to send an angel testifying of Christ before his coming as afterwards. I like that thought. Sometimes I marvel at the faith of those who lived before Christ and just had to have faith he would actually come. But those who knew Christ had to have faith that he was the son of God, and we have to have faith that he lived and atoned for our sins. It requires faith for everyone!

Alma 37

2009-08-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: The plates of brass and other scriptures are preserved to bring souls to salvation—The Jaredites were destroyed because of their wickedness—Their secret oaths and covenants must be kept from the people—Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings—As the Liahona guided the Nephites, so the word of Christ leads men to eternal life. About 73 B.C.

Chapters 36-39 are Alma's testimony expressed to his sons Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton. I love that we have these accounts... especially as I will soon have 3 sons of my own I take personal courage and insight into bearing simple, profound testimony to my sons.

Essentially I learned these things:

* We need to keep a record of "our people" (family). The good, bad, ugly, and sacred.
* "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise" (v.6). Think of a small object such as a nail, bolt, or our small children.... they are small and simple but do great things. What might happen if we didn't have these things in our lives?
* What are some small and simple things that hold our families together?
* We need to enlarge our memory of the past in order to live in the present and control the future.
* Ammon couldn't have had the success he did as a missionary without the preservation of the plates/record. ... and we can't have missionary experiences without knowing the scriptures either.
* REMEMBER, REMEMBER... God's commands are strict, but if we keep them, we prosper.
* God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words.
* Teach an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.
* "Life is fragile, handle with prayer." Counsel with God in all thy doings...

Alma 37:36-37:
36 Yea, and ^acry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy ^bdoings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy ^cthoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

37 ^aCounsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for ^bgood; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the ^cmorning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

* Our promised land = eternal life
* "...do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way... The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever" (v.46).
* Look to God and live!

Alma 36

2009-08-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Summary: Alma testifies to Helaman of his conversion by an angel—He suffered the pains of a damned soul; he called upon the name of Jesus, and was then born of God—Sweet joy filled his soul—He saw concourses of angels praising God—His converts have tasted and seen as he did. About 73 B.C.

I love verse 3: And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day. This is one of the basic principles of the gospel, in my opinion--trust in God. He will help us through our trials. He will not leave us alone, as long as we exercise our faith in Him.

Alma give his account of the repentance process he had to go through to be forgiven for the many sins he committed. The miracle of it all is amazing. He suffered unspeakable torment for 3 days, but the moment he cried unto Christ for forgiveness, the pain was gone. I believe the spirit put the thought into his head that Christ would come and atone for the sins of the world--it was the light in his dark torment. And after being reminded of all his sins and suffering because of them,the moment he turned to Christ, he was immediately relieved of this burden. What an incredible example of Christ's role in our lives. He is there--waiting and listening. All we have to do is ask.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
This verse is amazing: 22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.
Where, a day ago, Alma feared to be in the presence of the Lord, he now longed to be there. He was granted a glimpse of the glory that lay beyond the veil. This just shows how completely and miraculously he was forgiven. He was blessed to taste of God's love and glory.

I also love this verse: 24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
This is the principle behind missionary work. We want to spread the gospel across the earth because we have been blessed to taste of its joy, and we want others to know of it. The gospel is the greatest gift in life, and we have a responsibility to spread the joy. Missionary work will always be an important part of our lives.

This is a great way to wrap up the chapter:
27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.
28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him foreverWhat a glorious, amazing comfort. Alma has great faith. He had to work for it, as we all do, but he has amazing faith. We can all have that same faith. We can all look forward to these same blessings if we endure faithfully to the end.

Alma Ch. 34

2009-08-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

SUMMARY: Amulek testifies that the word is in Christ unto salvation—Unless an atonement is made, all mankind must perish—The whole law of Moses points toward the sacrifice of the Son of God—The eternal plan of redemption is based on faith and repentance—Pray for temporal and spiritual blessings—This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God—Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. About 74 B.C.

This is a powerful chapter, and I learn more each time I read it. One of my favorite teachers in the Book of Mormon is Amulek, and I think this chapter really shows his spiritual strength.

One of the most well-known verses in this chapter is verse 32: "For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God." I often think about what life will be like when we have died and entered the spirit world. How will we experience things? What will it feel like? Well, I found a quote that might explain some of why it is so important to repent now.

“It is my judgment that any man or woman can do more to conform to the laws of God in one year in this life than they could in ten years when they are dead. The spirit only can repent and change, and then the battle has to go forward with the flesh afterwards. It is much easier to overcome and serve the Lord when both flesh and spirit are combined as one. This is the time when men are more pliable and susceptible. We will find when we are dead every desire, every feeling will be greatly intensified. When clay is pliable, it is much easier to change than when it gets hard and sets. --Melvin J. Ballard, The Three Degrees of Glory, pp.11–13

Another thing I really like about this chapter is the feeling I get from Amulek's exhortation to pray. These verses are a little lengthy, but when I read them I feel how important he felt this principle is. I almost hear the pleading in his voice, and it makes me want to remember to pray more often.

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is ^amighty to save.

19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in ^aprayer unto him.

20 Cry unto him when ye are in your ^afields, yea, over all your flocks.

21 ^aCry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your ^aenemies.

23 Yea, ^acry unto him against the ^bdevil, who is an enemy to all ^crighteousness.

24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

26 But this is not all; ye must ^apour out your souls in your ^bclosets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your ^ahearts be ^bfull, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your ^cwelfare, and also for the welfare of ^dthose who are around you.

You know, I am not very good at remembering to pray often. Many times in the morning I get up and go about my day without even thinking about praying. But it is important! It helps our spirits overcome the physical desires that might draw us farther from God. If this life is the time to repent, I certainly want to make a lot of progress, and oh my heavens, do I need to make progress. I can see that prayer is the best way to do that.

There is so much more to this chapter. Amulek talks about the Atonement, our need for repentance and salvation, the Law of Moses, and so many other things. What impressed you the most as you read? What do you love about this chapter or about Amulek himself?

Elise

Alma 33

2009-08-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

This chapter is right after Alma tells the poor Zoramites about the need to be humble and faith being like a seed. The chapter begins with them inquiring about how to plant the seed, or how to exercise their faith. They are particularly concerned because the synagogue is off limits to them, but Alma emphasizes that you can worship God at any time. That seems like such a no-brainer to me, but I guess that when all the rich people were only worshipping on the Sabbath, and in such loud, effusive ways, the idea of quiet, constant faith was probably quite foreign!

Maybe there were some skeptical looks in the congregation, because Adam starts quoting scriptures to prove that you really can worship God at any time. He quotes Zenos, who talks about praying in the wilderness, and at home, in his fields, and in his closet. Also, remember how the Zoramites denied Christ? Alma teaches the poor about Christ and quotes the testimonies of Zenos and another prophet, Zenock. We read about these prophets in other parts of the Book of Mormon, but we know nothing about them. It makes me really curious. Jacob quoted them in the allegory of the olive tree. When do you think they lived? Anyway, their influence was long-lasting, because Alma uses them as examples.

Finally, Alma talks about Moses, and how in the wilderness the people only had to look up at the snake on a pole to be healed. Some people were still too stubborn to do that. Alma tells the people to not be so stiffnecked that they aren't willing to believe in Christ, which is as easy as looking up at a serpent on a pole that is right in front of us. I like verses 21-22:

21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?

22 If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.

-Tori

Alma 30

2009-08-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Summary:Korihor, the antichrist, ridicules Christ, the atonement, and the spirit of prophecy—He teaches that there is no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and no Christ—Alma testifies that Christ shall come and that all things denote there is a God—Korihor demands a sign and is struck dumb—The devil had appeared to Korihor as an angel and taught him what to say—He is trodden down and dies. About 74 B.C
If there is one thing I have learned recently, it is that God tests His children so that they have the chance to grow. As we go through our day to day lives, it is so easy to forget the bigger picture. We may forget that God is there. We may neglect our prayers and our scripture study. We may take this Gospel for granted. But we must not do those things. This life is the time to prepare to meet God. To prepare to meet our Savior so that we might one day feel the joy of being in His embrace. What Korihor does in this chapter is play on weakmindedness. He tries to convince the people that there is no God and no Christ because the people have not seen them. And maybe sometimes, we fall into that trap ourselves. But I testify that even tho we may not see them while we are on this side of the veil, we can feel them. That is why we have the Gospel. Without it, I believe that we would miss the miracles that continue to occur in our lives everyday. Heavenly Father allows us to be tested and tried so that we do remember Him. And when the miracle finally comes after suffering through these tests, we have the opportunity to feel of the most amazing gift--His love for us. He also might provide us with little miracles along the way to let us know that He is there, holding our hand. We can't give up. The only way to know of God's existence in this life is through feeling Him and watching His miracles unfold. That is why "life happens."

I know that this only touches on one principle in this chapter, but I felt like it was the most important. I had been feeling the past few weeks like my testimony was slowly slipping away. I was losing sight of the bigger picture. I felt detached from God. But some things have happened the past few days that are nothing short of miracles. And through those miracles, both Jeff and I have been blessed with light and knowledge, and we have felt of His love for us. That is how I know that He exists and that this plan He has set out for us is true.

~Chelsea~

Alma Chapter 29

2009-08-04T07:47:00.001-07:00

Alma desires to cry repentance with angelic zeal—The Lord grants teachers for all nations—Alma glories in the Lord’s work and in the success of Ammon and his brethren.

I love this chapter because of Alma's joy, appreciation and over all positivity. My favorite passage is in verse 9. "... yes, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

It reminds me of that song "If it so be that ye should labor all your days..." you know the one I'm talking about? How great shall be your joy!

This joy that Alma is experiencing is unlike any joy the world encourages or understands. It is a pure and unselfish joy. It is the joy that comes from knowledge of the Plan of Happiness, seeing the fruits of your labors and those of whom you care about. It is an indescribable joy.

Oh, how I want to experience that joy!

Alma 27

2009-08-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Here we read about the incredible generosity and forgivness of the Nephites towards the Ammonites. The Amalekites, who really have an incredible capacity for wickedness, once again go against the Anti-Nephi-Lehites, who are so intent on their change of heart that they are willing to lay down and die rather than kill again. Ammon tries to convince the reformed Lamanites to rely on the Nephites, but their king is scared that the Nephites won't want to help them. He tells Ammon that his people are willing to be slaves to the Nephites. I am amazed by the humility of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. They would rather be slaves than defend themselves and risk their salvation again.

When Ammon goes to meet Alma, it says :

17 The joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.

18 Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.

I have to admit that I can't really imagine feeling this way. But I do feel better because it says that the joy of Alma and the other brothers of Ammon was also great, but not so much that they fell to the earth. I wonder what it would be like to feel the joy of God so much that I collapsed, but I think it's fine even if I don't.

The Nephites not only allow the Anti-Nephi-Lehies to come live in their land, they give up a large portion of their land to them and offer to guard the borders from the Amalekites. I am touched by their love for their former enemies.

Finally, I like how the Ammonites are described (aren't you glad they stopped going by the Anti-Nephi-Lehies? Too many hyphens). 27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end. I sure hope that I can strive to be more like them. I haven't committed nearly the sins that they had, but I know that I still have the need for repentance and greater zeal. I hope we can all strive to be more perfectly honest and upright like the Ammonites, and more generous and forgiving like the Nephites.

Alma 26

2009-07-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

Ammon glories in the Lord—The faithful are strengthened by the Lord and are given knowledge—By faith men may bring thousands of souls unto repentance—God has all power and comprehendeth all things. Between 90 and 77 B.C.

1 And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have we to rejoice; for could we have supposed when we ^astarted from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto us such great blessings?

I love this chapter. I love how joyful Ammon sounds. They have been missionaries and instruments in the hand of the Lord and now they are seeing the fruits of their labors.

I mean, they converted the Lamanites! No one thought that was possible.

8 ^aBlessed be the name of our God; let us ^bsing to his praise, yea, let us give ^cthanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.

9 For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with ^ahatred against us, yea, and they would also have been ^bstrangers to God.

And as Ammon said these words, isn't it interesting that Aaron said something like, "Hey Ammon, I'm afraid that your joy is turning into boasting."

But Ammon explained to him that he is just so full of joy and has so much desire to glory in the Lord, and to rejoice in God.

12 Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnot boast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

13 Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of ^ahell; and they are brought to ^bsing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?

14 Yea, we have reason to praise him forever, for he is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the ^achains of hell.

I love how as he continues he points out, who can glory too much in the Lord? It is so true. Have you had one of those kinds of experiences in your life? Ones where you feel so blessed, have witnessed a miracle, experienced forgiveness, or just feel joy in the plan? It's those times when maybe we can get a glimpse of what Ammon felt. For in those moments, we cannot glory too much in the Lord.

And as I read verses 28 through 31, the thought came to me as to how we can apply this into our own lives. What these men went through was so hard, so inspiring, so long, painful at times, discouraging, etc. Yet, they worked and perservered because they knew that something could come out of it in the end. In a way, that is a lesson to us in our own lives. Sometimes we have to go through really hard things to get to the really good things. Sometimes we have to perservere for years and years with the faith and the hope that one day, we will reap a reward. Life can be just as difficult. We may "suffer all manner of afflictions." We may be "cast out" and "mocked." But behold the fruits of our labors will be many! I guess that's what it means about enduring to the end!

Alma 24

2009-07-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

I need to apologize to everyone for missing the last two weeks. Our brand new computer crashed after a month! So we have been without a computer until now. I have missed so much! I am so sorry! Here is my chapter for the week.

Summary: The Lamanites come against the people of God—The Anti-Nephi-Lehies rejoice in Christ and are visited by angels—They choose to suffer death rather than to defend themselves—More Lamanites are converted. Between 90 and 77 B.C.

This chapter tells an amazing story of faith. Basically, The Anti-Nephi-Lehies refuse to take up arms in defense of themselves against their enemies. As I read this chapter, I kept thinking: when have I ever valued something so much that I was willing to sacrifice everything? These men showed tremendous faith in the Savior. After their many sins, they were forgiven, and they never doubted that they could be forgiven for the unthinkable things they did. They showed how important the Atonement was to them, and they showed their love for Christ by covenanting never to take up arms again, even if it meant laying down their lives. They had seen the dark side and refused to go back, no matter the cost. They had tasted of forgiveness and righteousness and valued those things above their own lives. They wanted to be able to meet Heavenly Father on the other side of the veil with clean, pure hearts. And they did just that. The other miracle in this story is the conversion of thousands of Lamanaites upon seeing their enemies in prayer to God as they were being slain. I love how it is stated:
27 And there was not a wicked man slain among them; but there were more than a thousand brought to the knowledge of the truth; thus we see that the Lord worketh in many aways to the salvation of his people.
This just goes to show that these men understood the bigger picture. Their sacrificed lives saved more than 1000 souls, including their own. This is one of the strongest examples of putting the Lord first I have come across. Nothing was more important than showing their devotion to their God, not even their own lives. It just makes me realize how far I have to go before I reach that point. This chapter was such an incredible testiment to me. What a beautiful plan Heavenly Father has in store for us.

~Chelsea~

Alma 23

2009-07-28T07:43:00.001-07:00

Religious freedom is proclaimed—The Lamanites in seven lands and cities are converted—They call themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies and are freed from the curse—The Amalekites and the Amulonites reject the truth.

After the king of the Lamanites is converted, not only does he proclaim religious freedom on the lands he rules, but he he also proclaims that no one should lay their hangs on Ammon, Aaron, Omner or Himni. It is decreed that no one should put them in prison, spit on them, smite them, cast stones at them or cast them out of their places of worship, but that they should have free access to the peoples homes, temples and sanctuaries. The king does all in his power to clear the way for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be taught. What a missionaries dream! (I would think!)

The Lamanites in 7 cities are converted. And in verse 6 we read, "... yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away." Which is absolutely incredible!

But we learn that the Amalekites and Amulonites (Nephites who fell away from the Church and joined up with the Lamanites) were not converted. "...but they hardened their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt..." So, not only were these rebellious Nephites a problem for the Nephites, but their hard hearts were a canker sore for the progression of the gospel among the Lamanites as well. It's like they are poison. How is it that so many have accepted the Truth, yet they refuse to be humble and believe the truth!? Pride truly is the downfall of man.

in verse 16 we learn that "the king and those who were converted were desirous that they might have a name, that thereby they might be distinguished from their brethren..." and we learn that they decided on the name Anti-Nephi-Lehi "and they were no more called Lamanites."

"And they began to be a very industrious people; yea, and they were friendly with the Nephites; therefore, they did open a correspondence with them, and the curse of God did no more follow them."

Alma Ch. 22

2009-07-27T10:12:00.001-07:00

Read it HERE.

Aaron teaches Lamoni’s father about the creation, the fall of Adam, and the plan of redemption through Christ—The king and all his household are converted—How the land was divided between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Between 90 and 77 B.C.

This is one of my favorite stories from the Book of Mormon. I always wonder what it would have been like to be there when some of these great teachings happened.

King Lamoni's father had heard of the "generosity and greatness" of Aaron's brother Ammon, so when Aaron came, he immediately asked Aaron to teach him. This must have taken Aaron by surprise--he went there asking to be the King's servant, and was instead asked to begin teaching.

Here is some good background information, taken from the Institute manual:

Aaron needed some common understanding from which to start teaching the gospel to King Lamoni’s father. The Lamanites believed in a Great Spirit who had created all things (see Alma 22:11 ), so Aaron began with this basic principle in teaching the king.

Concerning the Lamanite’s belief in the Great Spirit, Elder BruceR. McConkie said: “According to Lamanite traditions, God is the Great Spirit . It is obvious that by this designation the Lamanites had in mind a personal being, for King Lamoni mistakenly supposed that Ammon was the Great Spirit. ( Alma 18:2–28 ; 19:25–27 .) Both Ammon and Aaron, using the same principle of salesmanship applied by Paul on Mars Hill ( Acts 17:22–31 ), taught that the Great Spirit was the God who created the heavens and the earth. ( Alma 18:8–29 ; 22:8–11 .)” ( Mormon Doctrine, p.340).

When Aaron begins talking with King Lamoni's Father about God, King Lamoni's Father almost immediately trusts what he says:

"And if now thou sayest there is a God, behold I will believe."

They go on to discuss who God is, what Christ's mission is, and the Plan of Redemption. Aaron must have been thrilled that King Lamoni's Father believed him so readily. What a person to convert! This is a King over an enormous kingdom.

But my favorite, favorite part of this whole chapter is the King's prayer. I cannot imagine a prayer that is more child-like and full of honest faith than this one.

He begins by asking Aaron "What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy. "

Then, when Aaron tells him to pray for forgiveness of his sins, the King throws himself on the ground and cries,

"O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day."

This makes me teary each time I read it because it is inspiring to read what this man is willing to do in order to gain Eternal Life. He is King of many lands and could probably have anything he wanted, but he realized that true happiness comes from following the Lord. Am I willing to give up all my sins? Am I willing to give up my "favorite" sins, the ones I have the hardest time getting the motivation to keep from committing? WHAT am I willing to do? Am I willing to do enough?

After this prayer, the King falls down under the power of the Lord. His wife discovers what looks like his lifeless body and asks that the servants slay Aaron. They shrink away because they fear his power. Aaron knows the nature of the people, and knows they would do him harm and become unteachable if they thought Aaron killed their king, so he extends his hand to the King and asks him to stand.

The King does, the people are amazed, his whole household is converted, and the King sends out a proclamation throughout the entire land.

What a blessing! We know, of course, that these people become some of the most righteous people in the Book of Mormon, and this happens all because Aaron teaches one man, and does it with the power of the Lord.

This chapter gives me a lot to think about. What did you find especially touching in this chapter?

Elise

Alma 17

2009-07-21T07:30:00.001-07:00

I love this story! I was able to tell it in my CTR 5 Primary class 2 weeks ago... and got the 2 boys in my class all fired up about it! It was so fun!

Then reading it yesterday, it just all made perfect sense to me how important service is, and how directly it is linked to the gospel of Jesus Christ! I'm getting ahead of myself... that's in the next few chapters... :D

We don't hear about the Sons of Mosiah until Alma runs into them on his way to Manti, and they are on their way to Zarahemla.

I found it interesting that "they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites" v.4. Fourteen Years! It makes me wonder if they left behind sweethearts in Zarahemla before they left or possibly among the Lamanites...? Do you think any of them started families? I bet they did. Fourteen years is a long time.

My favorite quote in this chapter is in verse 11, the last part. "... I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." I want to be an instrument!!!

When the Sons of Mosiah reach the borders of the land of the Lamanites, they go their separate ways "...trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of the harvest..." (v13).

I could go on and on about the faith they must have had! I'd like to think that their mom had something to do with that faith... ;)

Let's move onto Ammon's story...

Read it HERE. Verses 18-39. To summarize,

Ammon goes to the land of Ishmael. He is bound and taken to the king of the land - King Lamoni. King Lamoni asks Ammon if he wants to stay in Ishmael or return to the Nephites, and Ammon tells him that his desire is to dwell among the Lamanites perhaps until the day he dies. This (for some reason) makes King Lamoni so happy that he offers Ammon one of his daughters as a wife. Ammon responds, "Nay, but I will be thy servant."

This says a lot about Ammon, instead of taking a princess for a wife he would rather be a servant. Like is earlier decision to not become the Nephite king, he would rather be a missionary. He knew what was most important on an eternal scale.

Ammon works with other servants, watching the kings sheep. While they are "watering" their sheep, other Lamanites scatter the kings sheep. The servants Ammon is working with murmur and even cry because they feared being slain by the king like previous servants had been when the flocks were scattered. Ammon takes this opportunity to show what he is capable of. He tells them not to worry and they gather the sheep together and preserve the flocks so the king wont slay them. The "bad" Lamanites try to scatter the flock again, but the servants encircle them while Ammon goes to contend with these men...

It is written that "they were in number not a few. "

35 "Therefore, they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that He would deliver his sons out of their hands..."

36 But ^aAmmon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a ^bcertain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore, seeing that they ^ccould not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him.

37 But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that they began to be astonished, and began to flee before him; yea, and they were not few in number; and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm.

38 Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he ^aslew none save it were their leader with his sword; and he smote off as many of their arms as were lifted against him, and they were not a few.

39 And when he had driven them afar off, he returned and they watered their flocks and returned them to the pasture of the king, and then went in unto the king, bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon, of those who sought to slay him; and they were carried in unto the king for a testimony of the things which they had done.

Come back for the rest of the story!!!

Alma Ch. 16

2009-07-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: The Lamanites destroy the people of Ammonihah—Zoram leads the Nephites to victory over the Lamanites—Alma and Amulek and many others preach the word—They teach that after his resurrection Christ will appear to the Nephites. About 81—78 B.C.

This week I checked the Book of Mormon Institute manual to see what it said about this chapter. I found an interesting paragraph discussing the destructino of Ammonihah, which takes up the first half of this chapter:

"We are told that “Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah” ( Alma 8:9 ). In spite of the powerful preaching of Alma and Amulek and the conversion of Zeezrom and others, the majority of the people rejected their last chance for averting destruction, putting to death those who had been converted. In their wickedness, the people haughtily told Alma, “We will not believe thy words if thou shouldst prophesy that this great city should be destroyed in one day” ( Alma 9:4 ). Alma 16:1–11 tells how this mocking taunt was literally fulfilled and the people were utterly destroyed in one day.

You know what I was thinking when I read about the Amonihahites? That when we have the wrong attitude, it is easy to forget the Lord. It is easy to forget how much He helps us in our lives, and how much of what we have is because of Him. However, I have found that when I have the correct attitude, it is much easier to remember the Lord in my day-to-day life. Usually this attitude comes around when I have been doing things to invite His presence, such as reading the scriptures or trying to be mindful of him.

One (very) small thing I've started doing that helps me remember how grateful I am to Him is when I say the blessing on the food, I specifically thank Him for providing us with the food, rather than just saying "we thank thee". It is only a difference in semantics, but it helps me personally to really remember who the food came from, and it always gets me thinking about the other little things I usually forget to acknowledge.

What do you do to acknowledge the Lord in your lives? What do you do to help your children remember the Lord? What ideas would you like to implement?

---------------------------------------------------------

I had one other major thought with this chapter. The second half talks about how Alma, Amulek, and many others continue to preach to the people, reminding them of Christ and their continual need for repentance.

These verses really stood out to me:

13 And Alma and Amulek went forth preaching repentance to the people in their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews.

14 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually.

These verses shout to me about missionary work. I think about the opportunities I have to do missionary work here in Indiana, and it is a little overwhelming. We are attending a deeply religious school, and I am surrounded by very pious people. They love their religion. They feel the Spirit on a regular basis. "What do I have to offer them?" I wonder.

But I have realized that my goal should be to keep an open conversation about spiritual matters, our churches, and the gospel, rather than looking for ways to sneak the first discussion in over lunch. I have made friends with a very religious Catholic woman, and she and I have a great time discussing religion. I try to talk to her the way I would talk to a Mormon friend (taking care to use terms she is used to) even mentioning things like how I'm trying a new scripture study program.

And you know what? It's been really easy. I think it helps all of us to see that we're not so different from each other.

But what about if we are already surrounded by practicing saints? What then? What kind of missionary work can we even do? Many of the non-members in areas with a high concentration of Mormons are already familiar with the Church's teachings, as well as the church members' missionary "tactics" :).

Elder Eyring talks about his father's many scientific lectures in which he discussed a "Creator" and other things many of his associates would scoff at. Elder Eyring commented,

"He had not even known that he was being brave. He simply said what he knew was true. When he bore testimony, even those who rejected it knew it came not by design but because it was part of him. He was what he was, wherever he was."

So, what I learn from this is to be who I am, wherever I am. This takes practice, and sometimes this takes courage, but it is important, not only for non-members, but to encourage each other in the Church.

Consider also these thoughts from the Giles H. Florence's article in the 1987 Ensign:

"Missionary work is merely an assignment to share love—the Savior’s love. Activation work is merely missionary work among the Saints. Both bring eternal blessings to those who give as well as to those who receive. It takes great love to be a giver. Then the receivers become givers, and the love continues on."

"Passing on the blessings. That’s what the Church is about,” says Vicki. “We receive from one person and pass the blessings on to another. Sometimes we can even give back the good that a person has done for us." --Giles H. Florence Jr., “Links in the Chain of Good,” Ensign, Feb 1987, 15

We, as church members, still need to be edified. We still need to teach each other. We still need to "bear one another's burdens." We still need to feel love from our fellow saints, so we can remember why we believe what we do, and that it makes us happy.

If uplifting each other isn't missionary work--a very important kind of missionary work--then I don't know what is.

The opportunities are always here. Our responsibility for serving others and doing missionary work never wanes. What missionary suggestions or experiences do you have?

Elise

Bucket Filling Success Passed On!

2009-07-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

I hope you all don't mind that I'm posting this here, but I had to share! (I'll post it on my family blog too). I recently returned from a week-long Cousins Camp (an annual family tradition) where usually only the cousins get to camp with the grandparents for a whole week in the summer at our family cabin in AZ. Well this year it was a reunion of sorts and all the families came to California over the 4th! As part of the camp my mom always has a treasure hunt and "trophies". This year the theme was "Like a Lighthouse", referring to Christ as our eternal beacon of light when we are on stormy, or calm, seas. The kids all got their own pocket-sized copy of the Book of Mormon as their trophy.

My 2-year old was ecstatic. Our nap and bedtime routine had been to read 2 library or other books and then Jeff or I would tell him a made-up story about a boy named Makai (who was actually him). He loved it and looked forward to sleepy times twice daily. Well, when he got his Book of "Norman" he told me, "Mommy we need to read Book of Normon stories before bed." Well, I'd been wanting to do that with him, but wasn't sure if he was ready. His request was gladly granted and every night since we've been home (and in our new house) we now read a chapter out of the illustrated (and highly condensed version) of the Book of Mormon as Corbin holds his own little Book of Mormon trophy treasure! It not only fills his bucket each night but mine too!
If you're not reading this with your kids yet because you think they're too young.... try it! You might be surprised how ready they are. And it's great to refer to it during the day when situations arise.... such as, "Are you acting like Nephi or Laman and Lemuel when you don't share with your brother?", etc. He gets it! Let's just hope it sticks! So, I'm curious, what do you do to fill your kids/families' buckets?

Alma 13

2009-07-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Men are called as high priests because of their exceeding faith and good works—They are to teach the commandments—Through righteousness they are sanctified and enter into the rest of the Lord—Melchizedek was one of these—Angels are declaring glad tidings throughout the land—They will reveal the actual coming of Christ. About 82 B.C.

First of all I have to apologize for going MIA for the past 2 weeks. I was on vacation... and unfortunately I VACATED this important responsibility in my life. I missed it. I'm sorry. I'm back!

Now... That being said, I love how every time I read the Book of Mormon I feel God's love for ME! Even when I read about other people in another time, I feel that God loves me and is speaking to me through this account of His people in the Americas who witnessed His Son. I have recently opened a new chapter of my life... moved to Utah and am settled in our new house and ward (as of the last week) and this chapter is so fitting in our transition process.

Alma speaks many bold things in this chapter as he teaches Zeezrom and others in Ammonihah about the plan of redemption, the priesthood, and foreordination. Some great doctrinal topics. As Alma calls men as high priests he teaches them that this calling they were "ordained--being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowlede of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works..."(v.3). A great quote from the Book of Mormon Sunday School Study Guide explains further: "The Prophet Joseph Smith said, 'Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was'" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 365). How profound is that? What does that tell us about our husbands who choose good over evil and accept callings to serve and teach to the inhabitants of the earth?

And women? Well, here's another great quote from the same source: "President Spencer W. Kimball taught: 'Before we came here, faithful women were given certain assignments while faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood tasks. While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to. You are accountable for those tings which long ago were expected of you just as are those we sustain as prophets and apostles!'" ("The Role of Righteous Women," Ensign, Nov. 1979, 102).

So... give us strength according to our faith in Christ to the things we came to earth to do. I think we are all working hard at fulfilling two major assignments called ETERNAL COMPANIONSHIP and MOTHERHOOD... among our other Church and personal callings and assignments.

Alma makes a great explanation about the holy order of the High Priesthood and how those who come into this Melchizedek Priesthood do so on account of their "exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish" (v.10). I find this an interesting perspective of how the Priesthood brethren, and those who support them, make their personal decisions to serve others.... it's out of a desire to work righteousness rather than perish.

Another highlight for me was verse 20: Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the ^ascriptures are before you; if ye will ^bwrest them it shall be to your own destruction.

Plain and simple. We have the scriptures right in front of us. If we do not read and understand them it will be to our destruction.... almost like the people of Moses' time with the golden staff who would just look and live. Makes me glad I'm part of this BUCKET FILLER blog, it helps me not to "wrest" my scriptures.

Finally, Alma speaks of the Coming of Christ and I love his emotional expression in verse 25: And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we ^aknow not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice.

AND verse 27:
And now, my brethren, I ^awish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great ^banxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not ^cprocrastinate the day of your repentance;

What a kind and loving teacher and leader Alma was. Amen, Alma and may I have only a part of his courage and conviction in teaching and living.

Alma 11

2009-07-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, I'm back. I was a few chapters behind and I never reported last Tuesday, I apologize. I got caught up this morning, reading 4 chapters, amazingly my children slept in and I was able to even do that! And I loved it! What a great feeling it is to be filled with such words of truth! My husband bought me some highlighting crayons which has helped me study more efficiently. I have divided the colors into "topics", of popular scriptures (Scripture Mastery, ones I have somewhat memorized or heard repeatedly), commandments, promises, phrases or passages I like, pondering questions and counsel/doctrine.

You can read chapter 11 HERE.

Nephite coinage set forth—Amulek contends with Zeezrom—Christ will not save people in their sins—Only those who inherit the kingdom of heaven are saved—All men shall rise in immortality—There is no death after the resurrection.

Oh, the coinage! Versus 4-19 breaks down the Nephite coinage, or currency. Honestly, I find this part boring, but definitely see the benefit of having the records. I'm sure there are many people who find this information fascinating; I am not one of those people. But! It's there.

I found it interesting in verse 20 that it's pointed out about the lawyears that, "Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their ^bemploy, therefore, they did ^cstir up the people to ^driotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might ^eget ^fmoney according to the suits which were brought before them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma and Amulek." Which sets the stage for the infamous encounter with Zeezrom.

Verses 21-45 covers the conversation held between Zeezrom, the corrupt lawyer, and Amulek, a servant of God. I have, thankfully, never been in a situation like this where the words I say could mean life or death. I know that is not what was most important to Amulek, but I find it incredible how strong the spirit was with him; that he was able to "contend" with this cunning, skilled, manipulator of words!

The first of my 2 favorite phrases are in verse 22, after Zeezrom asks them if he can ask them a few questions, and Alma responds, "Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord." Isn't that the way it should always be? We should live our lives and speak our words by the Spirit of the Lord. Alma and Amulek are just amazing. What great examples of the believers!

And the second is in verse 23 when Amulek chastises Zeezrom after he offered him money to deny the existence of a Supreme Being, he says, "O thou child of hell, why tempt ye me? Knowest thou that the righteous yeildeth to no such temptation?" So many probably would deny His existence for monetary gains, but not the righteous! I just love that. And the fact that he called him a child of hell, just tickles me. It would probably be inappropriate to repeat that now days though...

Amulek goes on to testify of the resurrection and how the final judgement will go. By the end of Amulek's words, "the people began to be astonished, and also Zeezrom began to tremble." Sheesh. It would have been incredible to be there, and hear that.

Alma Ch. 10

2009-07-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Lehi descended from Manasseh—Amulek recounts the angelic command that he care for Alma—The prayers of the righteous cause the people to be spared—Unrighteous lawyers and judges lay the foundation of the destruction of the people. About 82 B.C.

This is a good chapter. Alma and Amulek are just starting to preach together, and we learn a little about Amulek's personal history. This is what we know:

~He is of noble lineage, even descended all the way down from Joseph of Egypt (vs. 3).
~He is wealthy, well-respected, and has many friends and associates (vs. 4).
~He has a large household (vs. 11)
~He admits that he has seen many instances of the Lord's power but has not given them the thought and attention he should have in order to really come to know of the Lord's power (vs. 5).
~He says he was "in rebellion" against God, had become wicked, and had hardened his heart (vs. 6).

Why is this so important to know? Why does Amulek tell the people this about himself? We know that he was preaching to people who were just like he was--their hearts were hardened. He tells the people of how the Lord blessed him when he became faithful again.

We know Amulek is talking to many of his friends in this group. I think he is desperately trying to help them understand that no matter how prosperous they may feel, their lives are incomplete without following the Lord. He is frank about their need for repentance:

"20 And now I say unto you that well doth the Lord judge of your iniquities; well doth he cry unto this people, by the voice of his angels: Repent ye, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

21 Yea, well doth he cry, by the voice of his angels that: I will come down among my people, with equity and justice in my hands.

22 Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword."

Of course, the people did not take this message well. Many of these people were his friends! Yet they still called him a "child of the devil" and reviled against him (vs. 28).

I have one final thought. We learn about Amulek's noble heritage but we also learn of his many, many imperfections.

6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was acalled many times and I would not bhear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling cagainst God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.

Notice that he calls himself wicked, hard-hearted, and rebellious. Yet Heavenly Father still calls him to do a great work. Heavenly Father provides him with an opportunity to have a change of heart, and Amulek takes it. We are also called to do a great work--we are members of God's church and have a responsibility to live up to our covenants and help others come to the knowledge of the gospel.

But we are also mothers, and this can be taxing and discouraging at times. I think many of us have days or years in our lives when we feel we are not living up to our potential. I think it is easy to get caught up in all of the things we are doing wrong, and none of the things we can do right. We need to remember that on the days we don't feel as close to the Lord, and on the days we've been neglectful or irritable toward our children and spouses, that Heavenly Father knows our full potential and still needs us in His kingdom. But more importantly, we need to be a part of this great work. We don't need to be perfect. We just need to be willing to try.

Elise

Alma 9

2009-07-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is the first of several chapters where Alma and Amulek are preaching to the wicked people of Ammonihah. Remember, this is the second time that Alma has preached to them. He is only returning because the angel of the Lord commanded him to return.

The people are scornful because Alma expects them to listen to the witness of just one man. This is why the Lord sends missionaries in pairs, because people are more likely to listen to the testimonies of two people than just one.

Alma spends most of the chapter trying to impress upon these people the importance of repenting. He uses the Lamanites of an example of those who have turned against the Lord and have been cut off from his presence. However, he tells the Ammonihahites that the Lord will be more merciful to the Lamanites at judgment day than to them, because the Lamanites are wicked because of the sins of their fathers, but the people of Ammonihah should know better, having had so much light and knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God. We too have had so much light and knowledge poured down upon us. That is why the Lord will be much harder on us than on people who never have heard the Gospel and who have never lived its precepts, like we have. There is a lot of responsibility in being members of the Church. The Lord doesn't want half-hearted service, he expects us to serve him with all of our heart.

Alma tells the people that the Lord is basically giving them one more chance before they are destroyed off of the earth. The Lord likes to give his people as many warnings as possible before exacting justice. If we listen to the words of the prophets and follow them, we will be safe.

-Tori

Alma Chapter 8

2009-07-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

Summary: Alma preaches and baptizes in Melek—He is rejected in Ammonihah and leaves—An angel commands him to return and cry repentance unto the people—He is received by Amulek, and the two of them preach in Ammonihah. About 82 B.C.

When I read this chapter, there were quite a few things I found to be impressive, and a few thoughts that I had. So for this post, I want to share those with you.

1: Verse 10: 10 Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance.
-And yet, the people still hardened their hearts and did not hearken to his words. They knew who he was, that he was the high priest. But they said that since he gave up the judgement seat and they are not of his church, he has no power over them. That is sad. I think that all prophets probably have this experience. They pray and pray and pray for people, but agency still plays in part. They can not be forced to repent, they still have to choose. But what sadness it must cause the prophets.

2: As Alma left the city of Ammonihi, an angel appeared unto him to tell him that he has been faithful, and he needs to return to the city to preach to the people, otherwise they will be destroyed. He also lets him know that he was the angel that delivered the first message to him, from the Lord. I assume he is the same angel that came and asked why he was persecuting the church with the sons of Mosiah. I thought that was kinda neat that the Lord sent the same angel.

3: I was very impressed that after Alma had received this message, he SPEEDILY returned to the city. Impressive. What faith, after what had just happened to him in that city.

4: When Alma asked Amulek for something to eat, he tells him that an angel appeared to him and told him to receive Alma unto his house. I wonder if that was the same angel too?

5: Verse 27 says that Alma tarried many days with Amulek before he started preaching again. I wonder if he was teaching Amulek....since soon, Amulek basically becomes a partner in preaching with Alma.

Verse 32: And it came to pass that they went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people, according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them.

And if you have read about Alma and Amulek before, you know that they were very powerful and very faithful. There are quite some stories coming up about them. What trust they must have had in the Lord. It's a good example for us - that no matter what, we just need to trust in the Lord. If we do then we will be filled with the spirit, his power, and be protected.

Alma Ch. 4

2009-07-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

(Read it HERE.)

Summary: Alma baptizes thousands of converts—Iniquity enters the Church, and the Church’s progress is hindered—Nephihah is appointed chief judge—Alma, as high priest, devotes himself to the ministry. Between 86 and 83 B.C.

This chapter, I think, does a really good job of showing how righteous people get caught in the "pride cycle," especially verses 6 and 8:

"[They] began to wax proud because of their exceeding riches [. . .] and all manner of precious things which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes.

"[They] set their hearts upon riches and upon vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another."

I think the basic and grievous problem these people have is that they are forgetting the reason they are blessed with all they have. They are forgetting that they are blessed with those things. They have forgotten that it is Heavenly Father who has given them abilities and opportunities to obtain those things. And because of this, they grow to love those objects, and they grow to love their abilities and talents more than the Lord and their fellow men. The things they have really are not theirs--they belong to the Lord, for He is the one who gave them to the people.

They have set their hearts upon riches and upon "vain things of the world." You know, I am married to an MBA student. I don't feel that we have a lot of "riches" at this time in our lives. With the current state of our economy, there are many, many people who feel the same way I do. But you know, I do have lots of time. I have all day to spend with my children. Do I use this time, this thing that I have been blessed with, in as righteous a way as I would want to use my money? I am accountable for the time I spend with my kids. Heavenly Father is the one who has blessed me with time; I need to remember to be a good steward of that the same way I would be with money. "My" time should be the Lord's time.

What are some of your assets? Time? Talent? Money? How do you feel you succeed in remembering the Lord in your blessings and using them for a righteous purpose? It took two years for these people to forget the Lord and be crippled by their pride. Two years. That is not very long.

But what I really found touching about this chapter is the deep desire Alma feels to bring the people back to the Lord, and that he wants to do it himself.

This is understandable, right? Alma taught many of these people from their "infancy" in the gospel. He baptized them. He helped them establish a church (vs. 4). He called righteous leaders. Alma knew, from personal experience, that wickedness is not the Lord's way, and therefore does not bring lasting satisfaction.

As a mother, this really touched me. I am raising my children ("from infancy") now, and I hope more than anything that they will grow to love and live the gospel. But what am I doing to encourage this? When do my children see me lead by example, the way Alma is doing by going to bring his people back to the Lord? When was the last time they saw me read the scriptures or pray by myself? This is something I can really improve on.

"19 And this he did that he ^ahimself might go forth among his people, or among the people of^bpreach the ^cword of God unto them, to ^dstir them up in ^eremembrance ofof God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure ^ftestimony against them."

If my children go astray, you can bet that I am not leaving them to just anyone. Or anyone else, for that matter. I am going to do everything I personally, possibly can to bring them back to "remembrance of their duty." Sometimes this means waiting. Sometimes, however, it means taking action.

Julie Beck gave a great talk relating to Motherhood two conferences ago. Here is part I thought related to this chapter (it is a little lengthy, but still good):

Mothers Who Know Are Teachers

"Mothers who know are always teachers. Since they are not babysitters, they are never off duty. A well-taught friend told me that he did not learn anything at church that he had not already learned at home. His parents used family scripture study, prayer, family home evening, mealtimes, and other gatherings to teach. Think of the power of our future missionary force if mothers considered their homes as a pre–missionary training center. Then the doctrines of the gospel taught in the MTC would be a review and not a revelation. That is influence; that is power.

Mothers Who Know Do Less

Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power. "

And you know? Sometimes we do everything we can and our children still fall away, and this does not mean we caused them to reject the gospel. But the possibility of this happening does not mean we don't try as hard as we can to raise them to be "builders of the Lord's kingdom." I need to improve in this area. How about you? What do you do to teach your children to love the gospel?

Elise

Alma 3

2009-07-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

I was in New Jersey last week, so I forgot to write when I got home Saturday night! So here we go.

In this chapter the Nephites recover from a crippling war with the Amlicites. It's really sad that many women and children were also killed, and their homes were destroyed. The book of Alma really is a book full of war. But it also has some of my favorite doctrinal chapters of the Book of Mormon. I wonder why that is?

Apparently the Amlicites had voluntarily marked themselves like the Lamanites. Alma briefly recounts how the Lamanites were marked by the Lord for their disobedience by having darker skin to set them apart from the Nephites, and so the Nephites would know not to mingle with them. Alma points out how the Amlicites chose to mark themselves, saying:

18 Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads; nevertheless they had come out in open rebellion against God; therefore it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.

He then says that just as they brought upon themselves their own curse, we bring upon ourselves our own curse and condemnation by rebelling against God. That makes sense, but it is still sobering. I think we often spend a lot of time reacting to things. But when we do that, we think of ourselves as victims of circumstance and we tend to blame other people for what is going on to us, kind of like how the Lamanites blames the Nephites for everything wrong that happened to them. Pretty soon we are choosing the wrong path because we assume that that will bring more happiness. So instead of just reacting to things, we should try to act. I'm not sure exactly what I mean by that, but it's something I want to ponder on more.

He ends the chapter describing how in one year alone, tens of thousands of people died. I like the final verses:

26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.

27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth.

I really want to make sure that I am choosing to obey the Lord, and not choosing to follow Satan either voluntarily or by not actively following the Lord. I think we can all find things in our lives that we aren't doing that we know we should. I am going to make a commitment to you all that I will try actively to do better at this. My goal is to hold Family Home Evening every Monday.

Mosiah 29

2009-07-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Summary: Mosiah proposes that judges be chosen in place of a king—Unrighteous kings lead their people into sin—Alma the younger is chosen chief judge by the voice of the people—He is also the high priest over the Church—Alma the elder and Mosiah die. About 92—91 B.C.

The majority of this chapter is concerning why it is unwise to have a king be ruler over the people. Mosiah's reasons include the following:
*7 And now if there should be another appointed in his stead, behold I fear there would rise acontentions among you. And who knoweth but what my son, to whom the kingdom doth belong, should turn to be angry and bdraw away a part of this people after him, which would cause wars and contentions among you, which would be the cause of shedding much blood and perverting the way of the Lord, yea, and destroy the souls of many people.

*all men are not just

*much ainiquity doth one bwicked king cause to be committed

*ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous aking save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood

*22 For behold, he has his afriends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;
23 And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he acauseth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous bking doth pervert the ways of all righteousness.

Because of all of these reasons, Mosiah proposes that judges be appointed "that will judge this people according to the commandments of God." (vs. 11)

There are 2 important principles taught in this chapeter. 1)We are reminded that Alma and his people were saved from bondage because they humbled themselves and cried continually to the Lord. 2)And we learn that we must be God-fearing.

1)There comes a time in everyone's life when we need to be reminded of the Lord. We get so caught up in the day to day that it gets easy to forget the Lord. We forget the Lord by neglecting our scripture study, forgetting to pray, neglecting our callings or temple worship or service. There is a reason the Lord has put these commandments in place: to help us remember Him and remember from where all our blessings come. And further, to allow us to be instruments in His hands. I personally know that the Lord has "saved me from bondage" many times. I did have to be humbled, so that I could more sincerely and fully rely on the Lord and see His hand in my life. I know that it will happen again because I am not perfect and still have much to learn. But through it all, the Lord has blessed my family so much. Especially in these hard times, I have seen His hand. He has worked miracles in our home. I know that we would have NOTHING without Him. I hope I can always remember that.

2) I admire so much how the people in this chapter come to realize the importance of being God-fearing. Especially Mosiah. By that I mean, everything he does, he considers what it is the Lord would want him to do. He mentions that several time throughout the chapter. He was a righteous man who remembered the Lord in all that he did and constantly sought to do His will. 25 "Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord." 30 "And I command you to do these things in the fear of the Lord."
This just made me think, how often do I strive to truly follow the will of the Lord?

Mosiah 28

2009-06-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

The sons of Mosiah shall have eternal life—They go to preach to the Lamanites—Mosiah translates the Jaredite plates with the two seer stones.

The sons of Mosiah want to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Lamanites. They have six purposes for doing this (v. 2-3):

to bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God
to convince them of the iniquity of their fathers
to cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites
to rejoice in the Lord their God
to become friendly to one another
they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.

v. 4 "And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very ^avilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite ^bmercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever."

- I don't know about you, but that is pretty heavy. They were the vilest of sinners. I don't even want to imagine what you would have to have done to be labeled that. It such a blessing to repent, and the sons of Mosiah must have had an incredible understanding of the gospel to want so desperately to share it and undo what wrongs they could.

Mosiah inquire of the Lord, and receives a promise that "they shall have eternal life; and [The Lord] will ^adeliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites." (v.6-7)

Again, the sons of Mosiah must have had an incredible understanding of the gospel, because they all refused their father's kingdom! They would rather be missionaries than kings! What an example!

We learn more about the "adventures" of the sons of Mosiah, and the story of the Jaredite people later in the Book of Mormon.

Mosiah 26

2009-06-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

In this chapter, the rising generation who were children when King Benjamin gave his address begin to be a problem because of their unbelief and dissension. I find myself a little confused by this. Sure, we all know people who have grown up more wild than their active, church-going parents, but this sounds like it was really widespread. And the author makes it sound like it was directly related to the fact that these kids were too young to understand that address. I'm guessing that King Benjamin's speech and the resulting spiritual renewal that followed was a really big deal, as in, people still talked about it for years afterwards. Could it be that the younger generation basically felt left out? I am totally grasping at straws here, but I am just intrigued at the difference between these youth and their parents. We find out in the next chapter that the sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger were included in this group.

So the priests of the church take the issue to Alma, the high priest. He is very disturbed, and decides to take the issue to the king. Here, he learns a lesson--as the leader of the church, people's spiritual welfare is his concern, not King Mosiah's. I think it's interesting that King Benjamin was spiritual and temporal leader, but that his son decided to split that office. It makes sense, because it would be really hard to run both the church and the kingdom. And we know that King Mosiah had a seerstone that he used to interpret the Jaredite plates, so it wasn't as if he lacked in righteousness. He just chose to put the church in the hands of Alma, another righteous prophet.

So Alma has the problem back in his lap. He prays hard for guidance. The Lord answers him and blesses him for his obedience. He also tells Alma that those who are repentant will be accepted back into the church, but those who are still rebellious will have their names taken from the records. This makes sense to us now, but I think to Alma, it didn't seem right for his fellow citizens to not be apart of the church. Their whole society was based on principles of the gospel. But the Lord understands the principle of agency better than we do and instructed Alma to forgive the repentant and judge those who were wicked.

Alma labors diligently after this and the church moves forward. It is also mentioned that they are greatly persecuted by those not of the church. It's such a shame that people who decide to leave the Church today always are its worst enemies afterwards. Satan really tries to turn us against the church because he knows he can turn the resultant bitterness into a tool against the Church. I hope that he won't ever turn me into such an evil tool! I love the Church and the Gospel and I feel so blessed to be a member. And even though I may not have had the same spiritual experiences as some of my ancestors, I am determined to not be like this generation of Nephites, and instead to be a righteous member of the Church.

Mosiah 25

2009-06-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Summary: The people (the Mulekites) of Zarahemla become Nephites—They learn of the people of Alma and of Zeniff—Alma baptizes Limhi and all his people—Mosiah authorizes Alma to organize the Church of God. About 120 B.C.

The chapter starts off by stating something interesting. It says that there weren't as many Nephites as there were Mulekites. And there weren't so many of them combined as there were Lamanites.

Mosiah gathers his people together and reads about the people of Zeniff. When he was done, the poeple were struck with wonder and amazement. The rejoiced that they had been delivered by bondage, and they wept for those that had been slain.

That really impressed me to think that the people were that unified and that caring of one another. I think that can happen within our church family - our wards our stakes. And it's really a neat thing when it does happen. But isn't it incredible when it happens as a people. I mean, remember September 11th and the incredible unity it brought to our nation. It's sad that it took such a tragic even to bring that to pass, but wow. I remember the feeling. I remember the kindness that everyone had to each other. All the flags, all the prayers. It was amazing.

7 And now, when Mosiah had made an end of reading the records, his people who tarried in the land were struck with wonder and amazement.

8 For they knew not what to think; for when they beheld those that had been delivered out of bondage they were filled with exceedingly great joy.

9 And again, when they thought of their brethren who had been slain by the Lamanites they were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.

10 And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God.

11 And again, when they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls.

Then it explains that all the people united together, became the people of Zarahemla and were numbered with the Nephites.

After Mosiah finished all these things, he then had Alma preach to the people. And when he was done speaking, King Limhi and all of his people were desirious to be baptized. Wow, what a cool mission story. It's like the stories people have with then convert a minister and his whole congregation. Well, not completely the same, but that's what it reminds me of. :)

Then Mosiah gave power to Alma to establish churches, and ordain priests and teacher. Okay, what a perfect system. The king and the prophet working hand in hand. Boy, wouldn't it be great if our nation could do that?! The President and the Prophet working together. I believe in the government of the church. It seems to work most excellent and could be a good example for our nation's government.

In the land of Zarahemla, they did organize 7 churches. (I wonder if that was wards or stakes :)..) And anyone who believed on the word of God, joined the church and the Lord's spirit poured out upon them.

Mosiah 24

2009-06-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Read it HERE.

Summary: Amulon persecutes Alma and his people—They are to be put to death if they pray—The Lord makes their burdens seem light—He delivers them from bondage, and they return to Zarahemla. Between 145 and 120 B.C.

I LOVE the Book of Mormon. I love how it relates to my life and I feel empowered by its words and the feeling of peace and love I get when I read it. This chapter is one of those that I completed related with TODAY for selfish, self-pity reasons.... because the Lord shows His great love for His people and delivers them from their bondage and burdens. It's always a testimony builder to me that He really is a part of our everyday lives.... he cares about the good and the bad that happens to us and wants us to be HAPPY. He will deliver us from the turmoil and burdens of our lives if we are faithful in Him.

Here are a few of my favorite verses that illustrate this with Alma and his people:

12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

And the deliverance and thanks:

19 And in the morning the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the Lamanites, yea, and all their task-masters were in a profound sleep.
20 And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness.
21 Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.
22 And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.

-Holly