Moroni 10

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

Ether 1

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

Congratulations, Tori!

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.