Alma 5

Good evening! Sorry it's been about a week since I last posted...things are getting pretty crazy around here as finals and saying goodbye to new friends draws nearer. Today I wanted to discuss Alma 5. I know I'm skipping over several books since I last posted, but I read this chapter for my Book of Mormon class this week and really love the message. In this chapter, Alma asks over 40 questions. 40! A lot of them have really made me think this week about my calling as a member of this church. I am going to list some of my favorite questions that Alma asks and I challenge you to just ponder them. You can comment if you want, write down your feelings in a journal or just think about it. I won't be writing very much today because I think these are good principles to think about and apply to our personal lives.
1) v. 14: "...have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your heart?"
2) v. 15: "Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith...?
3) v. 16: "...can you imagine yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that last day: Come unto me ye blessed...?"
4) v. 27: "Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?"
5) v 39: "And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye?"
 I would like to end with verse 26: "And now behold, I say unto you my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"
Elder Quentin L. Cook gave an excellent talk regarding this very verse. It is a a great way to get ready for General Conference this week and an excellent way to ponder Alma's questions: Can Ye Feel So Now

2 Nephi 25

Hello all! I apologize for making this post so late this week. March Madness, homework and socializing have gotten in the way this week. Aw, who am I kidding? Really it's just been March Madness and socializing.....anyway....Today I will be discussing chapter 25 in 2 Nephi. Throughout Second Nephi, Nephi and Jacob both quote the prophet Isaiah. Often times it is hard to understand the symbolism and the history that Isaiah describes. I know when I get to some of these chapters I think "alright, get through it as fast as possible and it will all be over soon." I don't recommend that kind of thinking. Verse 4 explains, "...the words of Isaiah...are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy." Luckily, we don't all have to be prophets in order to have this spirit. The Lord has blessed us with the ability to receive inspiration for ourselves and our families. This blessing comes with obedience to "the laws and ordinances of the gospel." If you feel stuck reading Isaiah, or any verse within the scriptures, pray, ponder, and wait for the Lord to reveal understanding to you. Moving on to verse 23 we read, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ..." and onto verse 26, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ..." I love these verses! I think this might be my new life motto. With all the missionaries now going into the mission field, I am so excited to hear about how how the gospel is growing throughout the world. For those (like me) not going on missions, it is still our job to "rejoice in Christ." Be an example to kids at school, coworkers, fellow athletes. I am so grateful for missionary work and for Latter-day Saints who are fantastic examples to others. We were each given the light of Christ and we just shine with it when we share our testimonies through word and deed.

2 Nephi 13

Good afternoon and happy Pi Day! Get it? March 14th, 3.14.....yeah. Here at BYU we are celebrating! Pi day shirts are being worn, games are being played, and I'm sure there will be lots of pie served at the Cannon Center tonight (woohoo!). Anyway, today I am focusing on 2 Nephi chapter 13. Mostly I want to focus on the last 11 verses or so. Verses 17 through 26 talk about how the daughters of Zion will be cursed because of their focus on jewelry, clothing and fine objects. In today's society, men and women are constantly bombarded by advertisements, commercials, movies and magazines that display people with supposed happy lives because of their fame and fortune or brand name jeans. It is important for all women and men to know that pure happiness does not come from a certain kind of perfume or pair of sunglasses. Your house doesn't have to be perfect. You are going to have a bad hair day sometimes. Your car might not be the most expensive one in the parking lot. Realize that it's okay! Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said, "Fixation on the physical is spiritually destructive." Heavenly Father gave us the privilege to have responsibility of our bodies. They are on loan from Him to us, so of course we should take care of them. But our bodies are the homes for our precious spirit. With our bodies, we were also given the privilege to come to Earth to learn and grow and strive to be like the Savior. I love this quote from Sister Elaine S. Dalton (and it can apply to young men, too), " I wish every young woman assembled here tonight would know and understand that your beauty—your “shine”—does not lie in makeup, gooey cream, or the latest clothing or hairstyles. It lies in your personal purity. When you live the standards and qualify for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, you can have a powerful impact in the world. Your example, even the light in your eyes, will influence others who see your “shine,” and they will want to be like you. Where do you get this light? The Lord is the light, “and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.” A divine light comes into your eyes and countenances when you draw close to your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ." It is hard to live in the world today. As President Packer once said, living in modern times is like living in the building full of pride found in Lehi's vision. We do not have to be of the world though. As Sister Dalton explained, our light does not come from sparkly clothes, but from the light of Christ that dwells within us. I am grateful that we have church leaders who emphasize this over and over again! Together as Saints in the Latter-days, we must stand together and make sure that everyone knows their worth. 

2 Nephi 9

Good afternoon! Sorry this is my first post this week. Things have been a bit crazy around here with midterms and such. I wanted to try something a little different today. Chapter 9 is kinda long and there is a lot I could write about it, and since I'd rather not write a novel on this chapter I am going to pick my top five favorite verses and then you guys can read them so you know why I love them so much!
5) 9:14- We were given the ability to remember our sins, but we can also remember the lessons learned from them. Treat this as a blessing, not a curse!
4) 9:51- What are your priorities in life? What are you spending your money on? How about your time and effort? It's okay to have to sort out things that are taking up room in your life! We aren't superheroes, and Heavenly Father knows that.
3) 9:42- Jesus Christ is always issuing an invitation to come unto Him.
2) 9:16- The word "still" implies that we are given chances over and over again to become like Christ.
1) 9:18- The righteous are promised blessings. These blessings will come, even if you have to be a little patient and wait til the next life to receive them.
        I hope you find inspiration and joy in this chapter as I have! There is a lot to get out of this chapter, so I definitely encourage you to read it. Happy Wednesday!

2 Nephi 6-7

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are relaxing a little bit and taking a breather from this week. I know I am! For my second post this week I want to touch on just a few verses in 2 Nephi chapters 6 and 7. The end of verse 7 reads, "...and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me." Part of verse 13 reads, "....And the people of the Lord shall not be ashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who wait for him; they still wait for the coming of the Messiah." Verse 7 in chapter 7 reads, "For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed." So, I'm guessing you are sensing the pattern I found about not being ashamed. I think this is such a great principle for members to know, especially the youth and young adults. This is the time in our lives that we get to learn how to stand up for ourselves. We make more and more decisions without  our parents, we have to rely on our own testimonies, we are growing up all while the world is throwing evil at us left and right. I know it isn't always easy to declare your membership in the church. In high school there were times when I wondered if keeping my standards and living as a Latter-day Saint all the time was worth it. Believe me when I say it is! Heavenly Father has mansions in heaven prepared for those that endure to the end. I challenge you, but the youth especially, to say, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" when you wake up or when you feel tempted to lower your standards or as you walk down the hallways at school because "it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16). Be a proud follower of Jesus Christ. I know some people think we are weird, but really, every person on Earth is their own kind of weird :) Remember, "I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it." (Click on the link to watch a cute video)

2 Nephi 4

Hey guys! I have two exams to study for this week so the post today is gonna be relatively short. Today I am writing about 2 Nephi chapter 4. In this chapter, Lehi passes away after finishing his speech to his posterity. First I want to take a look at verse 5 where Lehi says, "...I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you..." I love that Lehi knew the importance of a father's blessing. Here at BYU, I love seeing when young men exercise the Priesthood. I have had the opportunity to go to the Provo temple and be baptized by my Priesthood holding friends. I've witnessed blessings being given, home teaching lessons being taught on time, young men preparing for their missions and it is so amazing to see the power of God all around me. This next line in verse 20 is one of my new favorites: "My God hath been my support..." President Eyring said at General Conference that if we count our blessings every day, we will begin to easily see the hand of God in our lives. I appreciate that Nephi recorded how much Heavenly Father blessed and helped his family, even in times of trial in the wilderness. They were able to survive hunger and sickness because they relied on their Heavenly Father. For the rest of the chapter, Nephi prays. He prays out of gratitude, he prays for forgiveness, he prays out of joy and faith. I encourage you to read the rest of the chapter because there are some inspiring verses and one liners in there. As you go about the week, ask yourself when "God hath been (your) support." I testify that noticing and acknowledging the hand of God in your life will bless you and open your eyes to blessings you didn't even realize you had.

2 Nephi 2

Hellloo! The Sun is shining here in Provo and I am in a very good mood. That might also be because I'm eating peanut butter m&m's. Anyway, I hope  you are in a good mood as well. If not, maybe something in this post can change that. Today we are moving on to 2 Nephi chapter 2. This is probably one of the most influential chapters of the Book of Mormon in my life. I am also taking some of my thoughts from Brad Wilcox's talk His Grace is Sufficient . This talk is absolutely incredible. If there is one talk I could read in my whole life, this is it. If you have the time, read this talk before you read this post (just click on the underlined title of the talk). I cannot stress enough how good it is. So in 2 Nephi, Lehi is still speaking to his posterity, specifically to his son Jacob. I would like to start in the last line of verse 4, "And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation in free." A while ago I wrote a little note next to the word "free" and wrote "with work." Since reading Brother Wilcox's talk, I have learned that through the grace of Jesus Christ, salvation really is free. We don't have to do anything to be resurrected. Christ suffered for us and as Brother Wilcox said, "Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didn't pay it all except a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished." We don't have to work in order for this to be fulfilled. What we have to work for is change. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "The repenting sinner must suffer for his sins, but this suffering has a different purpose than punishment or payments. Its purpose is change." Going on to verse 7 we read, "Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered." A broken heart and a contrite spirit bring about this change Elder Oaks spoke of. In the middle of verse 8 we read, "...no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah..." Brother Wilcox said, "Heaven will not be heaven for those who have not chosen to be heavenly." I'm serious when I say this quote gives me goose bumps. We must choose heaven. I feel like Brother Wilcox shares this whole topic so much better than I do, so I want to close with this quote by him, "...the older I get, and the more I understand this wonderful plan of redemption, the more I realize that in the final judgment it will not be the unrepentant sinner begging Jesus, “Let me stay.” No, he will probably be saying, “Get me out of here!” Knowing Christ’s character, I believe that if anyone is going to be begging on that occasion, it would probably be Jesus begging the unrepentant sinner, “Please, choose to stay. Please, use my Atonement—not just to be cleansed but to be changed so that you want to stay.” I am so grateful for the all-encompassing love that Christ has for you and I. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to make progress. Like our Earthly parents, they delight in our success, and are by our side when we fall. 

2 Nephi 1

Good afternoon! I hope you are all feeling productive today and have shaken the Monday slums away. This week marks the halfway point in the semester here at BYU. Since I have only gotten us through 1 Nephi, I think I am going to speed things up in the next few weeks. Or I might just continue posting stuff even after the semester is over....I haven't decided. Anyway, while I think about that, I want you guys to think about 2 Nephi chapter 1. This is basically a continuation of 1 Nephi, so it's gonna have some good stuff! It begins with Lehi prophesying to his family members. At this point, he is very old and frail so these are some of his last words to his posterity. In verse 13 he asks the unrighteous to "shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound" and in verse 23 we read, "Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains by which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust." These verses sound a little scary, but in all honesty I love them. Before I talk about these verses, I want to start with a personal story. Up until recently, I felt like repentance was a harsh and hard process. Whenever I learned about it in a lesson or a talk, I just always thought it sounded kinda scary. Maybe I'm the only one with a little bit of pride in my personality, but it's hard for me to admit when I'm wrong. Saying sorry to my parents is hard enough, so saying sorry to my Heavenly Father just seemed like it would be harder. One day I was pondering over this and asked Heavenly Father if I could understand repentance better. I turned to the scriptures and verses like these helped me understand something I never thought about before. 2 Nephi chapter 32 verses 8 and 9 tell us that the "evil spirit teacheth a man not to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray." Nephi goes on to say, "ye must pray always..." Now replace the word "pray" with the word "repent." Heavenly Father wants to hear from us! Whether we are praying out of gratitude or praying because we have to say sorry, He wants to hear it! He has eternal, all encompassing love for you. For me. For your children. For every single person on Earth. Repentance can be hard because it requires us to humble ourselves and admit to a wrongdoing, but our Father in Heaven doesn't want to see us suffer. He wants us to learn from our mistakes, pick up and keep moving forward. Now, back to the verses in chapter 1. I like the phrase "shake off the chains." Whether you are sitting in a chair reading this or standing in your kitchen, just do a little shake. Not hard, right? The gospel makes getting rid of sin simple, but Satan is the one that makes it seems hard. He tells us we don't deserve to be forgiven, or that the process is too difficult to begin. I am here to testify that if we take the first step, our Heavenly Father is more than willing to help us along the way. So, "arise from the dust" and remember that Heavenly Father loves you. YOU! His way doesn't always seem like the easy way, but I guarantee that in the end it will be. He will "pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" if you arise, shine and sparkle the way you were made to.
This is one of my favorite talks of all time. I mean, of all time. Seriously so good, and of course it's by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: It Is Never Too Late

The last chapter of 1 Nephi!

Is it snowing where you live? It's snowing where I live. I still haven't gotten used to it. I would describe it as a blizzard, but most Utahns would call it a "light flurry." So while I am cooped up in my dorm room I thought I'd write my second post for the week (back to back posts, I know, wild). So we are ending 1 Nephi today. I have gotten through 1 Nephi probably a million times, but then my scripture reading habits start to fade and the rest of the Book of Mormon gets a little dusty....but not this time! Stick with me guys, be proud we've finished a whole book in a book! This chapter discusses the last days and what will happen to the Gentiles, Israel, the righteous and the wicked. We are the Gentiles and it is our job to preach the gospel to Israel like....now. In verse 7 we read, "And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles..." now on to verse 8, "And after out seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed..." This "marvelous work" is the restoration of the gospel and all the events that led up to it which helped it occur, like Christopher Columbus finding America and the Constitution including the freedom of religion in it. As the chapter goes on Nephi tells of the blessings the righteous will receive and the punishments the wicked will receive. As Nephi talks about wars and famines and people perishing, it sounds like a scary event doesn't it? As soon as I began thinking this, I read the first line of verse 22, "And the righteous need not fear..." It is such a comfort to know that if I am righteous I will prosper and be blessed in the end. Living the gospel doesn't always seem easy in the world we live in today. The world tells us that it's okay to party and drink and smoke. They tell us that mother's don't really need to take care of their kids because a successful career is really important. They tell us our standards on marriage are way too strict. Do not let your guard down because the world tells you to. Remember your standards and goals at all times! What is your goal? A temple marriage, to be sealed with your family forever, to obtain eternal life. I love this promise, "the righteous need not fear." We are not alone in this world and when we endure to the end, we will certainly not be alone in the very last days. I don't know if we are allowed to have a favorite apostle, but if we are my favorite is Elder Jeffery R. Holland :) His talks are absolutely amazing. In the last General Conference he said, "You never check your religion at the door. Not ever." I hope that we can all make an effort to really live out this phrase, because it is so, so important.

1 Nephi 18

Good afternoon guys! I hope you are all having a good week. With President's Day starting out the week, I have been a bit discombobulated so this post is a little late...sorry! So today I wanted to talk about 1 Nephi 18. In 18 we read about Nephi taking his family on the boat they constructed to the promised land. Everything starts well, but then of course Laman and Lemuel and  the sons of Ishmael revolt against Nephi. In verse 10 they say that they don't like having their younger brother "rule over" them, so in verse 11 we read that they tie Nephi up and leave him like that for four days. While Nephi was bound, a great storm arose and the Liahona stopped working, leaving the family helpless on the sea. As the storm raged on, Nephi's brothers grew afraid and realized they needed to let him go. Now in verse 20 we read, "...wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done..." and in 21 we read, "And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm." Did you notice multiple things had to be done in order for the storm to stop? First, Nephi's brothers had to repent of their sins. Next, they had to make things right by loosening the cords. Nephi then looked to the compass given to them by Heavenly Father and then prayed that the storm might cease. The principle I draw from this is that sometimes our trials aren't going to be taken away in the blink of an eye. In fact, that rarely happens. Trials are given to us because we have sinned, but they are also given to shape, refine and perfect us, even when we are being obedient. Without trials we cannot fully appreciate the Plan of Salvation or become like Christ. It is important to trust in God's timeline and know that there might be multiple things we have to do before we conquer a certain challenge. Something my Doctrine and Covenants professor said in class today is, "The Lord wants to bless us when the blessing will bless us the most." This teaches patience, but it also teaches the importance of faith in God, and knowing that he knows better than we do. I know this topic has kind broadened out from Nephi's story, so I hope you can see the connection I've made. I have learned to be grateful for the challenges in my life. Something I have started to do is instead of asking Heavenly Father to take my trials away, I ask for the strength and knowledge to overcome them. I have noticed that this gives more purpose and focus to my prayers as I learn how to overcome challenges. I challenge each of you to try this approach and I promise that your trials will seem lighter.

1 Nephi 17

Good evening! I'm sorry this post is a few days late...midterms really kicked me in the bum this week. Anyway, I've got the Piano Guys playing and I'm reading to share a few thoughts on 1 Nephi 17. This is the chapter where Nephi is told by the Lord to build a boat to take his family to the promised land. We start in verse 8 where we read, "And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters." Okay, so Nephi has to build a boat....that seems like a pretty big task right? Here is Nephi's reply, "And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find or to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?" Nephi's faith is so inspiring! His first question was "where do I find the stuff to make the tools?" He didn't ask why, or complain, or question whether or not he could accomplish this task. With God's help, he found the supplies, made the tools and built a boat. What can you accomplish with the hand of God in your life? One last thought before I head to bed....look at verse 54 and 55. This is when Nephi uses the power of God to shock his brothers. In verse 55 they tell him that they "know of a surety" that Nephi is accompanied by the Lord. How many times have they seen angels appear or miracles occur during this trip into the wilderness? A lot! They haven't starved to death, they got the plates from Laban, they were able to bring another family with them so that they could have posterity, they have been led to a bounteous land, and the list goes on! The principle is that miracles do not convert. Miracles certainly have a great impact on our testimonies, but our testimonies cannot be founded on them. Faith is where it all starts. I am grateful I get to read about prophets like Nephi who are great examples of faithful disciples and I am grateful for the many friends, leaders, teachers and family members who show me what it means to have great faith everyday.
 Faith to Move Mountains (Awesome video. Watch it!)

1 Nephi 15

Good morning readers. Are you feeling the love in the air? That's right, it's Valentine's Day week! In honor of it, give your loved ones an extra hug this week, tell them you love them, and maybe put a few heart stickers on their bedroom door or something. Anyone in need of a Valentine? I volunteer :) Okay, so back to business. Today I wanted to write about 1 Nephi 15, as you can see from the title of this post. So this whole time, Nephi has been trying to help his brothers understand the teachings of the Lord. Wouldn't it be frustrating to constantly tell your siblings something important, just to have them ignore and ridicule you? Well, in this chapter Laman and Lemuel finally express to Nephi that they just don't understand the teachings of their father. In verse 7 we read, "And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles." Now, Nephi could have easily interpreted Lehi's teachings for them, but instead he said in verse 8, "And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?" Sometimes I just hope I will be given an answer to a question I have without doing any of the work. Ask Heavenly Father, He has the answers! They may not come when or how you want them to, but they will come, you need only ask. Which brings us to verse 9, "And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known to us." Okay, of course they don't understand this stuff, they are just waiting around for answers! It is important to remember to actively inquire of the Lord when we need answers. In verse 11 we are given three steps to achieving these answers: 1) Ask in faith 2)Believe that you will receive an answer 3)Be diligent in keeping the commandments. I am grateful for the power of prayer. I always feel more peaceful, productive, focused and happy when I have "inquired of the Lord." One last principle I took from chapter 15. In verses 13 through 18 Nephi speaks of the house of Israel and how they are a covenant people. He talks about how the Gentiles are a chosen people, a people who the gospel will be preached to and who will preach the gospel I love that the word
"chosen" is used. If we always remembered we were each chosen to be here at this time, we each have our own missions, we are each children of God, how would we act? This is such an important principle. Remember who you are! I am grateful I have had such strong women in my life who act as role models to me and who constantly remind me of my divine heritage. I am a princess, for I am a daughter of a King.
  I made a little handout (<-- that picture over there) so if you want to you can use it. I understand it is directed towards girls, but I'm pretty sure I don't have many Young Men's leaders reading my blog....:) Anyway, have a wonderful week readers!

1 Nephi 13

Good evening all! I just got back from one heck of a BYU Men's Volleyball game (Cougs win! Woohoo!) Now that the social part of the night is over, it's time to write to you lovely people about what I have learned from 1 Nephi chapter 13. In this chapter. Nephi receives a vision on many things, the restoration of the gospel and founding of America included. First read verse 6, "And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it." The principle I draw from this is that Nephi didn't have to put himself in the "abominable church", he didn't have to experience the evil for himself. Nephi simply looked and realized that this church he saw in the vision was of the devil. We don't have to experience things for ourselves to realize whether they are of the devil or of righteousness. Now, look at verse 21 where the angel showing Nephi the vision is teaching about the Book of Mormon, "The angel said unto me: Knowest thou the meaning of the book?" And to verse 22, "And I said unto him: I know not." I don't know about you, but I always feel really....inferior compared to the prophets. But, in this verse it is clear that Nephi doesn't know everything! And the Lord knows that! It is perfectly okay to have weaknesses. It is normal to not be Superman (shocking, I know). It is just humbling to know that the Lord is aware that we don't know everything, but is willing to fill in the holes as long as we are obedient and faithful. Next thought: between verses 32 and 40, the phrase "plain and simple" is used five times. The Lord is emphasizing the difference between the church of the devil and the restored gospel. One thing I take away from this is "fluff" is not needed in our gospel. The Lord does not expect you to spend hours on ward activity decorations or to labor over cute handouts for the Primary kids! The gospel is plain and simple! Sweat over staying righteous, work day in and day out to be an example to others, use your time to be a missionary and go to the temple. Sweating over the perfect CTR shaped cookie is not what the Lord had in mind. I love this gospel, and I'm so grateful we have modern day scripture to guide us. Until next time, ciao.

1 Nephi 11

Happy Monday! I am stuffed from the Superbowl and spiritually enriched from Stake Conference this weekend. Now I'm ready to write about 1 Nephi 11. So my favorite verse in this chapter is verse one. It says, "For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot." Look at all those verbs used, just to get an answer to his prayers. He wanted to know, and he believed the Lord would show him those things. He also sat pondering. He wasn't doing the dishes, or feeding the camels, he set aside time to receive this answer. The word "ponder" has really hit me as I have learned more about the Book of Mormon this semester. When it comes to prayer and reading the scriptures, I guess I always thought if I thought about it for a few minutes, or maybe a day, I would get an answer or some inspiration. But to ponder is much more than that. Ponder is defined as "to consider something deeply and thoroughly; to weigh carefully in the mind." Another verse I like is 7, but mostly just the last part, "and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God." With all the BYU students preparing for missions, missionary work has been a pretty big topic around here. Even if I don't go on a mission, I think it is still important to know that if I have a testimony, I gotta share it! One of the ways that I am doing that is writing it down (well, typing it out), or "bearing a record." One last thing. In verse 31 we read how the Lord is able to heal "multitudes of people who were sick and afflicted with all manner of diseases..." Now, I know they are talking about physical sickness, but what about spiritual sickness? Heavenly Father has the power to  heal "all manners" of sins we commit, as long as we take the first step and repent. His atonement is infinite, absolutely infinite, for which I will eternally be grateful.

1 Nephi 8

This week I have been working on my handout making skills (who woulda thunk it, I know) so in the next few weeks I hope to have a few handouts to give you guys! This college student only has so much time on her hands, so we'll see when these handouts actually get done.....anyway, today is a wonderful day! It is the day we take a closer look at 1 Nephi chapter 8. This is the famous "Tree of Life" chapter. I want to focus first on the people in verse 21. We read, "And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood." Alright, so these people sound like they are in pretty good shape right? Now read verse 23, "And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness....insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost." Uh oh, what happened? They got lost, but they were on the path to the tree, right? Did you notice what they didn't do though? They didn't grab a hold of the iron rod. I have never noticed that til reading the chapter this time around. It wasn't enough for them just to be on the path towards the tree. Remember, tree of life = love of God, iron rod = word of God. The scriptures hold such importance in our gaining a testimony of this gospel. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, so it is vital to "feast upon" them. In verse 30 we read, "But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward: and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree." This verse just sends goosebumps up and down my arms. These people pressed forward, and did not stop. I love the word "until" used here, because it is saying that the people endured to the very end, the very end! That had to have been hard because they "fell down" when they reached the tree of life. This life isn't easy, but the Lord has blessed us with countless outlets to help us make it through. When I was in high school, I liked Seminary, but I definitely didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to attend Seminary, and I am absolutely loving the religion classes I am enrolled in here at BYU. I hope that everyone, not just Seminary and BYU students will hold on to the word of God, for I know that it leads to a place of peace and happiness.
This is an awesome video about Seminary....watch it! Seminary Can Change Lives

1 Nephi 7

Sorry this post is a wee bit late....I spent a little too much time Skyping my family last night, so blogging got pushed to today. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend like I did and are all rested up to dive into 1 Nephi chapter 7. So this is the part where Nephi and his brothers bring Ishmael and his family into the wilderness with them. Nephi, his brothers and Zoram then marry the daughters of Ishmael. Where would this story be without a little romance, right? So, Laman and Lemuel and two of the sons of Ishmael had to ruin things and start complaining and conspiring against Nephi. Now look at verse 11 where Nephi says, "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us, in delivering us out of the hands of Laban, and also that we should obtain the record?" Replace the phrase "out of the hands of Laban" and "that we should obtain the record" and put in one of your own trials. For example, "delivering me from my cold so that I could sleep and be ready for my exam." Or, "delivering me from a late house payment so that I could pay my tithing." This verse is a good reminder that we need to remember the blessings we have received and the challenges the Lord has gotten us through. In verse 12 Nephi goes on to say, "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." It isn't just the Nephi's and Moroni's of the world that receive miracles from the Lord. Its the you's and me's of the world. So, I challenge you to count your blessings this week (don't worry, I'll be doing it too). If you do it, comment and let me know if it changed your day, or maybe even your week! One last thought from chapter 7. In verse 21 we read, "And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive all that they had done..." Nephi's brothers were terrible to him! But he forgave them in the blink of an eye. That was a lesson I needed this week, so I thought I'd share that little tidbit, too.
To go along with the thoughts above ^^ here is an adorable handout (courtesy of the ever adorable Lil' Luna blog) http://lilluna.com/count-your-blessings-printable/

1 Nephi 4

Second post of the week....woohoo! Alright, so we skip a couple of chapters and head over to chapter 4. This is the awesome chapter when Nephi kills Laban and gets a hold of the brass plates. Let's start in the middle of verse 5, "And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban. (6) And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. (7) Nevertheless I went forth...." Isn't that awesome? Nephi went forward with faith, relying on what the Spirit revealed to him what he should do. Now look over at verse 16 where we read, "And I also knew...(17) And, again, I knew...(18) Therefore I did obey..." In all of these verses Nephi was practicing obedience  whether he knew what he was supposed to do or not. In verses 16 through 18, how did he know what he was to do? He was in tune with the Spirit! Through the Spirit we can receive knowledge and truth so that the path we must take is clear. In chapter 5 verse 8, Nephi's mother Sariah says, "Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness...." Before she knew for sure that what they were doing was the right thing, she had faith in her husband and in the Lord. Faith and works people. I found an awesome article by President Monson called Believe, Obey and Endure that goes along with this topic. He is speaking to the young women of the church, so I loved this one! I hope you do, too.
http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/general-young-women-meeting/2012/03/believe-obey-and-endure?lang=eng&query=obedience

1 Nephi 1:1

Alright readers, or maybe it's just reader since I know my Book of Mormon teacher is at least reading this, I am actually really excited to start posting on here, so here it goes! Into the realm of 1 Nephi 1 we go...... So we've read the first verse of 1 Nephi 1 about a kagillion times right? C'mon, say it with me, "I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents...." Well this time, I am going to take the challenge to "feast upon the words of Christ" and really try hard to learn something valuable from a chapter I'm pretty sure I've memorized. After the "I, Nephi" part, we read "therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days." Did you catch that middle part where he says, "having seen many afflictions"? What comes after that part? The word "nevertheless." I love that word! In the scriptures it always seems to mean, "something bad happened but I still went" or "something bad happened but I still trusted." Nephi's life wasn't perfect, yet he still relied on the Lord and obeyed His commandments. I don't know about you, but my life certainly isn't perfect. It is in the times where we feel the most imperfect that we must rely on the Lord. Turn a couple of pages to 2 Nephi 4:26 where we read "...why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?" Now look over at verse 34, "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever." Those are some powerful, powerful verses, no? Nephi knows of God's mercy and has such a testimony of His power to make his trials strengths. I am so grateful for prophets and leaders who stand as examples of men and women who hand their sorrows to Christ, and become better because of it. To end, please please watch this video. I think it just about sums up what I got out of 1 Nephi chapter 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H84laUD95Xc

So this is where it starts.....

Well, this is my first post on my first blog ever. I've never thought of myself as much of a blog person. To be honest, I don't really read other blogs either....don't judge! I am starting now, however, as a project for my Book of Mormon class here at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The sole purpose of this particular blog is for others to read about my insights of the Book of Mormon. I am so blessed to be at a school where I can learn of secular things, but also grow spiritually. My goal is to post at least twice a week about the different things I have gained from reading this wonderful book. I hope that you will comment and add your own insight, as well as take what I have learned and try applying it to your own scripture study and life. I am in no way a scriptorian, but in just two weeks of being here at BYU, I have learned that when diligently looking through the scriptures, even for just five minutes, you can learn something that applies directly to your life. So, with hope in my heart that a few people read this, my challenge to you and I is to pray, ponder and read the scriptures with "pure intent." Let's learn together!