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