My 40 Day Book of Mormon Journey: Day 8

2 Nephi 25-33

Sometimes things we don't understand today will be of great worth in the future. There are some things we will only understand at the right time. We need to hand it over to God. He's got it. Really. That's something I have been able to see in my own life and I know that when anyone takes the time to reach out to their father in heaven in prayer, they will see the same thing in a very personal way. 

Sometimes we allow ourselves to suffer under the weight of sin when all we need to do is hand it over to Christ. He WANTS to help. It is His work. Don't turn away from the help He freely gives. God's way is simple and beautiful even when our lives and the journey we are on are not. We are made alive in Christ because of our faith. Don't turn away. Don't choose the dark.

Being without the spirit is a very dangerous place to be. It is putting down your defenses on enemy lines. It is inviting the adversary to take control. We need to watch ourselves. We need to know where we stand.

Today in mission prep we got to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. At first I was nervous because I hadn't spent any time preparing for teaching, but as I looked at the concepts in Preah My Gospel, I saw that I have been preparing. By reading the Book of Mormon I have been immersing myself in the doctrine of Christ! The fourth article of faith says, "we believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are first, faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, second repentance,  third baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, fourth the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." As I read these chapters, I learned about all of these principles and ordinances. We can be made clean through our Savior Jesus Christ. Faith in Him allows us to feel of his grace and mercy. As we strengthen our faith we will want to follow the Savior and obey God's commandments. Following Him means we will have to change. We have at our disposal the beautiful gift of repentance which slows us to change and grow closer to God. Repentance should be a way of life. God stand ready to forgive all of us and help us on our way home. As we grow in this journey, as we desire to follow Christ, we will need to be baptized as He was. Following baptism we can receive the Holy Ghost as a constant companion in our lives. No matter where we are in our journey, we must press on. Press on in faith, with a brightness of hope! As I read, I was filled with a new resolve. I thought to myself, "this is what I want! I want to follow my Savior! I will follow Him!" It has been the most worthwhile endeavor of my life. 

My 40 Day Book of Mormon Journey: Day 7

Day 7: 2 Nephi 12-24

Sometimes I feel like I've messed up too many times to try again. I feel like Christ wouldn't want me to follow Him because I'm not clean. But the more I learn about my Savior the more I see that those things just aren't true. I'm not too far gone. Christ wants me to follow Him because through Him I can be made clean! One verse that really hit me while I was reading was 2 Nephi 12:5, "O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways." I like that we are all called to follow Christ and we don't have to be perfect to do it. He knows we each have our struggles with sin, we each have our "wicked ways," and still He invites us to follow Him. Only in Him can those sins be taken away.
I love the verses that talk about the envy of Ephraim being taken away.  2 Nephi 21:12-13 in this case. Jealousy has been a constant struggle in my life. I know Christ can and IS helping me with it, but I stumble a lot. I love to know that someday the envy will be gone. I have seen Him help me recognize when I am letting envy creep into my mind. I feel His love when I ask Him to help me take it away. It has been a process and I'm still learning, but it is really wonderful. I love being able to see someone else's successes and happiness and feel joy for them. Instead of envy poisoning how I see someone I start to see them how Christ would and that is an incredible blessing. Why would I ever hold onto my jealousy when I know the blessings that come from giving it to God? Yet sometimes I do. But He never fails to remind me what I really want. And that is to follow Him.
In the last days and forever, I want to be on the Lord's side. I know I need to be purified and cleansed from my wicked ways, but I WANT to be the Lord's. I feel like that's a step in the right direction.
These chapters told us that God will destroy the wickedness of the world as He did with Assyria. He will destroy their idols. So, what do we worship? Do we have any idols before God? We can't play for both teams, "no man can serve two masters,"(Matthew 6:24). We may not bow down in front of a golden calf or a shrine of graven images, but putting anything before the Lord is creating an idol and a false god. We all need to look inside ourselves and check where our hearts are. Do we love God with all our hearts, souls and minds? (Matthew 22:37). He has to come first. Only then will everything else fall into place.
We know who is going to win in the end. In the battle between good and evil, God has already won and good has triumphed. The trick is, we need to know what side we're on.

Day 8: 2 Nephi 25-33

My 40 Day Book of Mormon Journey: Day 6

2 Nephi Chapters 6-11

2 Nephi Chapter 6
v2 Jacob receive authority from God.
v3 The entire intent of his message is to help the souls of his people. It's not about personal gain. It's about being concerned for the welfare of another individual.
v3-4 THIS is why members of the church may seem "pushy' at times. We know what's at stake. We have an honest concern for those around us and want them to have the blessings that God is just waiting to give them.
v5 We can apply the scriptures to our own lives.
v6 The Lord sets the standard for us. He lights the way.
v7 Anything we go through in our efforts to follow the Lord will be worth it. We will be filled with joy. We will not be ashamed.
v10 The Lord's judgement is good.
v11 We receive the mercy of God as we turn to Christ.
v12 The Lord is true to His covenants. He requires something of us in return.
Doctrine and Covenants 82:10
v13 Why aren't we ashamed? We stand out and we're different so why aren't we ashamed? Because we know who we are waiting for! We KNOW He will come. We know His power and His love. The mockery of the world means nothing in the light of the gospel.

2 Nephi Chapter 7
I felt like this chapter talked a lot about how God will not abandon His covenant people. What a blessing to know that truth. Something else that really hit me in this chapter was the end. The last verse intrigued me. I looked at the cross references to find out more... What does it meant to "walk in the light of your own fire and in the sparks which ye have made?" I read in Deuteronomy 12:8 and Judges 17:6 and learned that it means doing whatever you decide is right- making yourself the ultimate standard. Going by personal whim. Where does this lead? This verse tells us that this will cause us to "lie down in sorrow."

2 Nephi Chapter 8
v8 God's righteousness and Salvation extend forever. He has everything covered. There is no trial of experience we could go through that would surprise Him. He has paved the way and knows every step each of His children must take. The journey is different for everyone, but the destination is the same.
v12-13 Don't fear men. They are not mighty. Trust in God who created the universe and knows all things.

2 Nephi Chapter 9
Wow there is so much in this chapter. Christ suffered death for all that all will be resurrected. That is His free gift to us. We all receive immortality. In order to receive eternal life and live in God's presence we must follow His laws. EVERYONE will have the chance to accept of reject Him. We must hearken to His voice. We must repent. We must be baptized. He really does have everything covered. Our mortal perspective only allows us to see so much, but God knows all things. He will take care of it.
I imagine coming to the Savior in tears and telling Him all my fears and worries. I can picture Him listening to every word then putting his hands on my shoulders and saying, "I've got this. I've been there. Follow me." Following the Savior has been and continues to be the most worthwhile endeavor of my life. It is not always easy because it requires me to change and change can be uncomfortable, but it is ALWAYS worth it. My growing knowledge has led me to act and to let Him change me. I know God will take His children by the hand and guide them along their path. He knows every step that His children must take to make it back home. He is patient. He is kind. He is our Father. He will never give up on us.

2 Nephi Chapter 10
We are free to choose! What a remarkable gift! The choice is ours: eternal life or death. What we may forget is that that choices we make every day take us a step closer to either one or the other. Through the grace of God we can make it.

2 Nephi Chapter 11
God lives. How do we know? We're here- living, breathing, feeling, thinking... Start with what you know and build from there. Take the simple truths that you even just WANT to believe and let that be the start of your journey. God will help you know Him. He loves you. Just ask Him. It may take some time to understand how He speaks to you, but when you hear His voice it touches your soul. Let Him show you.

Tomorrow's Reading: 2 Nephi Chapters 12-24

My 40 Day Book of Mormon Journey: Day 5

2 Nephi Chapters 3-5

2 Nephi Chapter 3
v4 The more I read, the more I learn how important the covenants we make with God are.
v6 The Lord chose Joseph Smith.
v8 The Lord called Joseph Smith to do His work.
v11 The Lord gave Joseph Smith power to do His work.
Ok, it's important for us to understand that Lehi is a descendant of Joseph in Egypt. That helps us understand the power of the prophecy in verse 12. Lehi's descendants wrote the Book of Mormon and "the fruit of the loins of Judah" wrote the Bible. There is great power in joining these two books of scripture. There is even a verse in the Old Testament which talks about this: 
"The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions:then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick ofEphraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand" (Ezekiel 37:15-17).
v12 The scriptures bring peace and settle contention. They are God's words.

The great work Joseph refers to in his prophecy is the restoration of the gospel. It brings God's children unto salvation. God gives men power and strength to do His will.

The restoration of the gospel is such an important and powerful truth. When you understand the restoration, everything else falls into place. Because the gospel was restored we have a living prophet of the Lord today: Thomas S Monson. We have the Book of Mormon which testifies of Jesus Christ. We have the priesthood of God, the authority of the Lord put into the hands of men, to bless His children through eternity. What a time to live!

2 Nehi Chapter 4
I find it interesting that Lehi's dying words were all calling his family to obey and remember the Lord. I liked how he said that, "if ye are brought up in the way ye should go, ye will not depart from it." That places a large responsibility on the parents, for one thing, but it also tells me how blessed I am. I was raised up in the way I should go. I am so amazed at the faith of those who find the gospel later in life and accept it. That, to me, is incredible.
v15-16 I love Nephi's attitude in these verses! He DELIGHTS in the things of the Lord. What do I delight in?

Verses 15-35 are known as Nephi's Psalm

What powerful verses. Nephi feels the weight of his natural sinful state and mourns, but he knows he can trust in God. God gives him strength. God fills him with love. God gives him knowledge and protection.

26-30 I love how is giving himself completely to God. He knows that he can't do it on his own. I love how he asks God to help him turn from sin and rejoice. Sometimes I get caught up in all that's wrong with me and with the world, even though I have such a reason to have joy. I can choose joy through the Lord! He will change my heart. I have seen it. This chapter ends with a promise: God will give to those who ask.

2 Nephi Chapter 5

v4 It's so tragic to thing that after hearing so much truth Nephi's brethren still chose anger. They chose to turn from the truth. 

v5-6 God will protect His children. We need to believe His words.

v29-32 The Lord commands Nephi to keep a record. Nephi only writes the things of God. If we are pleased with the things of God, we will be pleased with Nephi's words.

Something I find interesting in this chapter is the comparison of the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Lamanites were cursed and cut off from God's presence and because of this curse they became idle, wicked, and mischievous. Man, left on his own, will reach his lowest point. The Nephites, on the other hand, obeyed the Lord and He was with them. They worked hard, they learned much, and they built a temple where they could enter into covenants with the Lord. They "lived after the manner of happiness." Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that what we all want? It starts with having the Lord with us. It requires us to live His way.

Tomorrow's Reading: 2 Nephi 6-11

My 40 Day Book of Mormon Journey: Day 4

1 Nephi 20-22, 2 Nephi 1-2
This is some heavy stuff. I didn't cover everything because it goes so in depth, but I wrote what I felt about what I could understand...

Sometimes I feel like this when I read (the Isaiah chapters specifically)...

1 Nephi Chapter 20

v8-11 Men are born into sin... it is in our nature. God will not let our wickedness detract from His holiness. Whether or not we choose to obey Him, He will be glorified.

v13 The Lord created and orders the universe. All things obey Him.

v16 The gospel is not a secret. We can know truth by the Spirit.

v18 The Lord wants to bless us. His work will be done and His glory made known. The difference for us will be whether or not we obey Him along the way. If we do we can find peace, but there is no peace for the wicked.

1 Nephi Chapters 21-22

I didn't write anything for these chapters because I felt so overwhelmed with them. The main message I got from them was this: Christ is a light to the world and the restoration of His gospel spreads this light to everyone. The covenants of the Lord are a manifestation of His power. The Lord has a plan and it must come forth. The devil will continue to fight against the Lord. We know who is going to win, so what side are we on? We must all obey God and endure to the end to receive all God has to offer us.

2 Nephi Chapter 1

v2-3 Sometimes we do not fully understand the mercies of God until later on.

v5-6 All those who come to the promise land are led by God.

v5-12 The promises of America

v15 One way we can know God's love is by understanding what He did for us. He saved us from the bitterness of hell. His love is eternal. It is like we are wrapped up in a giant, celestial hug.

v19,20,23 God's ways are righteous and He promises blessings if we follow Him. In order to do so, we need to put away any sin and put on t"he armor righteousness."

2 Nephi Chapter 2

I really like this chapter.

It really drives home fundamental principles of the gospel. We are all lost without Christ. CHrist has redeemed our souls and made it possible for all mankind to be resurrected. The Fall was downward and forward. Men fell away from God, but now had the ability to know and choose for themselves right and wrong. That is why God created the earth. So we would be able to come and experience opposition. God lives. If He didn't, we wold not be here. There would be on one to even have the chance to deny Him because there would be nothing. But we are here. And God does live. More than anything else, I know that He lives and His gospel has been restored to the earth today. :)

Tomorrow's Reading:2 Nephi 3-5

My Book of Mormon Journey: Day 3

1 Nephi 16-19

This quote came to mind while I was reading chapter 16 verse 2. Don't be afraid
to change. Christ can sanctify you if you will give your sins to him. Let them go.

1 Nephi Chapter 16
v2 There is good and evil in the world. The truth is that the wicked will be punished and the righteous will be lifted up... Being uncomfortable when we hear truth does not mean it is false. It means we have something to work on.
v3-5 Obeying God takes giving ourselves to Him. It means listening to truth and being willing to change.
v7-8 Marriage is of God and blessings come from doing things His way.
v20 Hard things happen and they are a time to be tested. Will we turn to God for strength or murmur against Him?
v28 The Lord will direct us if we are diligent and faithful.
v29 "By small means the Lord can bring about great things." I love this verse. It helps me understand that I don't have to see an earth shattering miracle to see the hand of the Lord doing great things in my life.
v39 Blessings come from repentance... It is like being spiritually fed.

1 Nephi Chapter 17
v3 Blessings come from obedience.
v13 Obedience helps us know God.
v19 The wicked rejoice in the pain of others. I have seen this in the lives of those around me. I feel like the root of this problem is envy. It then grows into hate and bitterness. I know that Christ can take these feelings away and help us heal if we will let Him.
v23-32 I love how real and undeniable the scriptures are to Nephi. He truly understands how they are meant to teach us of God's dealings with men.
v30 God gave the children of Israel ALL things they needed, but they hardened their hearts. How do we harden our hearts?
v35 God does not hold one man above another. He favors the righteous and blesses them. By disobeying God, we reject His blessings.
v36 The Lord created the world for us.
v37-38 He will bless and raise up the righteous, but must destroy the wicked.
v39 God rules the universe.
v40 God loves those who accept Him and one way He expresses this love is with covenants.
v41 God can heal us. Will we accept it? Will we set aside our pride?
v45 Are we swift to do iniquity and slow to remember God? Where do we face? Do we remember the things we have felt?
v47 I can identify with Nephi's pain in this verse. It is hard to wathc those you love make choices that will hurt them. Still, in those experiences the Spirit will teach you.

The Lord can be our best friend.

1 Nephi Chapter 18
v1-3 I love the description of Nephi's relationship with the Lord in these verses. Nephi worked hard and obeyed the Lord, and as needed the Lord showed Nephi what to do. I especially like how Nephi says that the Lord showed him great things as he prayed oft. I believe that, if we obey God and pray oft, He will show us great things.
v9 The words "forget" and "remember" always stand out to me so this verse grabbed my attention. WE too often forget what God does for us and that leads us to do things we wouldn't if we were focusing on Him.
v11 Sometimes God lets us suffer for a moment so He can show His power.
v16 After all Nephi went through he thanked the Lord. What an example of faith! His relationship with the Lord doesn't waver. He trusts God will provide.


1 Nephi Chapter 19
This chapter talks a lot about the importance of history and record keeping. It all points to the same main goal: persuading men to believe in and remember Christ. Nephi talks about applying all scriptures to his own life and what a blessing that can bring. I know that obeying the commandments and reading God's words give life an added measure of light and invite the Holy Ghost.

Tomorrow's Reading: 1 Nephi20-22, 2 Nephi 1-2

My 40 Day Book of Mormon Journey: Day 2

1 Nephi 10-15

1 Nephi Chapter 10
v4 God sent the Messiah as the Savior of the world.
v5 All mankind would be lost and fallen without Jesus Christ.
v7-10 John the Baptist was called to prepare the way for Christ.
v9-10 The Savior is our example in all things. He was baptized not to be cleansed from sin, but because God commanded it and Christ was obedient.
v10 Christ took away the sins of the world.
v11 Christ conquered death and manifests himself through the Holy Ghost.
v17 Men can receive the power of the Holy Ghost if they have faith in the Son of God, the Messiah. Everyone who seeks it can receive the Holy Ghost.
v18 God is unchanging and has prepared the way for men. Repentance is essential.
v19 He who seeks shall find. That is a promise from God. That is the order of things. He will give us what we ask for in faith.
v20 Everything we do will be judged... If we seek wickedness then we will not be able to dwell with God.
v22 The Holy Ghost can give us inspiration to know what to say.

1 Nephi Chapter 11
Chapter 11-14 are Nephi's vision
v1-3 Desiring to know, believing you will receive answers, and pondering on truth invite the inspiration of the Spirit.
v6 The Lord, the most High God, is over all the earth and above all things.
v11 The Spirit can speak to us in many ways.
v16 Condescension: voluntary assumption of equality with a person regarded as inferior.
v17 I love how Nephi doesn't know everything, but he knows God lives His children and builds from there.
v21 Jesus Christ is the Son of the Eternal Father. They are two beings with one purpose.

Here we tie back to Lehi's dream!
v22 The tree in Lehi's dream is the love of God. It will bring a soul true joy. Just as people fell before the tree, we fall before the Lord and receive His love.
v25 The rod of iron leading to the tree is the word of God. The scriptures, the commandments... As we hold to them we will stay on the path to the Lord.
v27-34 Christ's life, ministry, and death... He was judged by the world.
v35-36 The building in Lehi's dream was the pride of the world. It is large and grand, but it is built on nothing and wil fall.
How will we approach the tree of life? How are you on your journey to the Lord?

 1 Nephi Chapter 12
v6 Following His crucifixion, Christ rose again. He conquered death and made it so all mankind will live again.
v8-9 The twelve apostles of Christ will judge the twelve tribes of Israel. They are able to do so because they are ordained and chosen of God.
v10 The twelve are made clean and righteous through Christ, who is the source of all good.
v11 Men can become clean through faith.
v16-17 The river of water are the depths of hell and the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil.
v18 The building is the pride and vanity of the world. The justice of God keeps it separate from the things of the God.
v19 Great suffering comes through pride and listening to the temptations of the devil.
v22 When men choose disbelief the chose to live below their potential.
v Distancing one's self from God leads to sin and misery.

1 Nephi Chapter 13
v4-6 The devil is the founder of the church which kills the saints of God and wars against good.
v8 Where is your heart? What do you desire?
v12 Here it talks about how Christopher Columbus was led by the Lord to the americas.
v14-19 The colonizing of America was directed by God. The Spirit led men to do what God asked them to do.
v17-19 Revolutionary War
v20-29 The coming forth of the Bible... It was pure and complete but plain and precious truths were removed. Covenants of God were removed. The Lord speaks plainly, but because of the things which were taken away, many stumble and Satan has power over them,
v32 Without those plain and precious truths men were in a state of blindness. God did not intend for it to remain his way forever.
v34 Christ would restore his gospel in His power.
v35 Part of that restoration includes the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
v36 The Book of Mormon contains the gospel of Christ.
v37 Those who seek to build God's kingdom will be filled with the Spirit and will be lifter up at the last day, enjoying salvation after death.
v39 All scripture that comes forth comes through the power of Christ. We are reading the Doctrine and Covenants in seminary and everything is direct revelation from the Lord.
v40 The Book of Mormon and the Bible together will make known to the world that Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. All men must go to him or they cannot be saved.
v41 Men will come unto Christ according to His words which are found in the Book of Mormon and the Bible. They are one and testify of the one true God.
v42 Christ will manifest himself to all men in his time.

1 Nephi Chapter 14
v1-2 If we listen to the Lord then He will take away our stumbling blocks: whatever is getting in the way of our faith growing. We will prosper.
v3 Temptations of the devil are placed all around us with the purpose of destroying us. The devil and his children dig a pit for us, but they will be the ones who fill it.
v4 The captivity of the devil and the justice of God will both take place... Those who are wicked are bound in the chains which they have made according to the justice of God.
v7 The restoration of the gospel will lead to the convincing of souls to either peace and eternal life or spiritual captivity because of the hardness of their hearts.
v10 There is no middle ground. You belong to God or you are held captive by the devil. Covenants bind us to God.
v11 The devil's influence is everywhere.
v12 Though the restored church is few in number, it covers the world.
v13-14 The devil will gather up his followers and fight against the Lord and His church... But, armed with righteousness and the power of God, the covenant people will stand strong.
v15-16 The wrath of God leads to the destruction of the wicked.
v17 Everything God does is to fulfill His purposes.
v23-27 The Lord revealed to the apostle John what He revealed to Nephi... Others have seen and their records will come forth.

1 Nephi Chapter 15
v3 The things of God are hard for men to understand unless they ask Him.
v4-5 I have felt a portion of that pain. Watching someone you love make decisions that will lead to pain is heartbreaking.
v8 I love this question- "have ye inquired of the Lord?" I think we should ask ourselves that question regularly. v11 I love God's promises. If we will believe in Him. He can show us what we need to know.
v35-36 When men die, they dwell with God or they are cast out. Either they partake of the fruit or miss out on it.

Food for Thought
A strong theme I kept going back to in my mind was DESIRES. Any time I see that word in the scriptures it grabs my attention. What desires lead to what outcome? The scriptures make it pretty clear that we pretty much get what we want. By that I mean that if we desire to follow the enticings of the devil because they are attractive, then we can. And eventually we will be under His power. On the other hand, if we desire to follow Christ who has paid the ultimate price for us, who is above all things, then we can have eternal life in the world to come. The choice is ours. Eternal happiness or never ending sorrow. It shouldn't be hard to make this decision, should it? However, I think we need to constantly check ourselves and see where our choices are leading. Where are our desires taking us? We need to hold to the iron rod, the word of God, as we go along the path so that we can make it safely home.

Tomorrow's Reading: 1 Nephi 16-19