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.