Thursday, June 20, 2013
As verse 1 tells us, sometimes the Lord speaks to us in dreams. I've had this happen once or twice and I began to wonder why. In a brief conversation with a returned missionary, we were able to conclude that perhaps this is because it is one of the few times in our lives where we are not distracted by worldly events. One of the other things with dreams is we can sometimes receive a divine gift by this. I've also had that happen before. The night going into Valentine's Day, I had a dream that I saw my Opa again. He was standing there smiling and he seemed truly happy. He was not sick or hurting, just very happy. He was also looking at me as though he could see me. I was overjoyed to get to see him again.
Lehi has always been one that has displayed great faith in the lord. The Lord, as He promised in 1 Nephi 1:20, protected Lehi because he was faithful, by telling Lehi in a dream that he needed to leave Jerusalem. And we find in verse 3, Lehi obeyed.
When Lehi left for the wilderness, he took nothing with him save his family and a few necessities. Lehi left behind his wealth, house, and land. I think it would take a ton of faith and trust to leave behind all of your possessions. Lehi pretty much lost all that he gained in his life, materialistically at least. And yet he still trusted the Lord entirely.
In verse 7, we find that even after losing so much, Lehi still gave thanks to the Lord. Honestly, I think I would probably have been pretty upset if I were asked to just give up everything I own and then journey into the wilderness. This also shows us that Lehi is not a selfish person at all. Lehi was a very wealthy man who had a lot of possessions, so we can assume that he lived in great comfort. When he left his house we find that in both verse 7 and it is stated in verse 15 that Lehi dwelled in a tent (which is quite a step down from living in a luxurious house). But he still trusted the Lord and did all the Lord asked him to.
I think Laman and Lemuel demonstrate how we as people, in general, are. They did not trust or really believe in the Lord. And they were also absorbed in material items. As Laman and Lemuel did, people sometimes say that the Lord is not real, and seek to convince us of this (verse 11). But you must stand firm in your beliefs and hold onto what you know to be true. This is why you need a personal testimony, so that when this happens, you have something to hold onto. Trust what you know, not what others tell you. If someone ever tells you something that is questionable, you can always look to your scriptures, or you can pray and ask Heavenly Father concerning the validity of the statement. Heavenly Father is always willing to help us.
Something to also remember is that when we testify to people, they will know by the power of the Holy Spirit that the words which we speak are true (verses 14 and 17). I think we can also use this when people are telling us something that is spiritually related. I think when they speak the truth, we can know by the power of the Holy Spirit whether it is true or not.
In verse 16, Nephi prayed and told the Lord that he wanted to know the mysteries of the Lord, so Nephi wanted to know more about the Lord and he wanted to gain a better understanding of the ways of the Lord. While the Lord may not actually visit us like He visited Nephi, we will know in our hearts, by the power of the Spirit, what is true.
The final thing I'd like to draw attention to is something I know from experience and that is when we harden our hearts against the Lord, He cannot help us. This is because we have been given the gift of agency, which allows us to make our own decisions, so we are entirely independent of the Lord. It is also something the Lord will never interfere with. He will not make decisions for us. With that being said, we need to be wise and careful when making decisions.
Friday, June 21, 2013
1 Nephi 1
Thursday, June 20, 2013
In verse 4, we learn that repentance is a necessity. Heavenly Father through the grace of His Son, Jesus Christ, has given us a way so that we may repent for our sins. Something to remember is that no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God. The really cool thing is once we repent for our sins, Heavenly Father promises us that those sins will be forgotten. One thing to remember about the repentance process that when we repent, we are making a promise to both Heavenly Father and ourselves that we will try not to commit that sin again. If we continually commit the same sin, it means we have not really repented for what we did wrong. We must put forth the effort to not make the same mistake again and again.
Through prayer and faith, we know that the Book of Mormon is true. With that being said, sometimes it is difficult to hold on to the testimony we each individually have gained. When we feel like our own testimony is weakening, we can rely on another's testimony to get us through that rough time. We can use the vision Lehi had (in verse 8) to strengthen our testimony with his testimony; we can help ourselves remember that God is real and will help us. One thing you can do is count the blessings you have. By doing this, you can see all the good things God has done for you. Something else to remember, though, is that when you draw strength for a time from another's testimony, you can never completely rely on theirs. A testimony is personal and it is something you need to develop on your own. Prayer is a great way to do this, as is daily study of the scriptures.
Like what happened to Lehi in verse 12, when we do things that the Lord tells us to or that pleases Him, we allow ourselves to draw closer to our Heavenly Father, which enables us to also have a stronger relationship with the Spirit. Heavenly Father encourages us to read scriptures daily. By doing so, we develop a stronger relationship with both Him and the Spirit.
The coming of the Messiah is also mentioned in this chapter. Christ came to save us of our sins. This allows us to be forgiven for the mistakes we make. This also supports what verse 14 says about the Lord being merciful.
The last verse I'd like to point out is verse 20 which says "the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." This verse tells us that the Lord shall protect all who are faithful unto Him. So when we have even just a little bit of faith in the Lord, He will help us and protect us in our time of need.
In verse 4, we learn that repentance is a necessity. Heavenly Father through the grace of His Son, Jesus Christ, has given us a way so that we may repent for our sins. Something to remember is that no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God. The really cool thing is once we repent for our sins, Heavenly Father promises us that those sins will be forgotten. One thing to remember about the repentance process that when we repent, we are making a promise to both Heavenly Father and ourselves that we will try not to commit that sin again. If we continually commit the same sin, it means we have not really repented for what we did wrong. We must put forth the effort to not make the same mistake again and again.
Through prayer and faith, we know that the Book of Mormon is true. With that being said, sometimes it is difficult to hold on to the testimony we each individually have gained. When we feel like our own testimony is weakening, we can rely on another's testimony to get us through that rough time. We can use the vision Lehi had (in verse 8) to strengthen our testimony with his testimony; we can help ourselves remember that God is real and will help us. One thing you can do is count the blessings you have. By doing this, you can see all the good things God has done for you. Something else to remember, though, is that when you draw strength for a time from another's testimony, you can never completely rely on theirs. A testimony is personal and it is something you need to develop on your own. Prayer is a great way to do this, as is daily study of the scriptures.
Like what happened to Lehi in verse 12, when we do things that the Lord tells us to or that pleases Him, we allow ourselves to draw closer to our Heavenly Father, which enables us to also have a stronger relationship with the Spirit. Heavenly Father encourages us to read scriptures daily. By doing so, we develop a stronger relationship with both Him and the Spirit.
The coming of the Messiah is also mentioned in this chapter. Christ came to save us of our sins. This allows us to be forgiven for the mistakes we make. This also supports what verse 14 says about the Lord being merciful.
The last verse I'd like to point out is verse 20 which says "the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." This verse tells us that the Lord shall protect all who are faithful unto Him. So when we have even just a little bit of faith in the Lord, He will help us and protect us in our time of need.
Introduction to the Book of Mormon
Thursday, June 20, 2013
In the very first line in the Book of Mormon, we are told that the Book is comparable to the Bible and contains "the fulness of the everlasting gospel." By this we know that the words that are spoken in here, just like the words contained in the Bible, are true forever and that time will not change the truthfulness of these books.
The Book of Mormon is different from that of the Bible especially in that it explains parts that the Bible is quite vague on. For example, the Bible tells us that we need to be baptized, the Book of Mormon clarifies how we should be. There is a line in the introduction that says "[The Book of Mormon] puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come." This means this book tells us how to come closer to our Heavenly Father and what we need to do so that we may one day return to Him.
We can know that the Book of Mormon is true through prayer. The Holy Spirit will testify of the truth. When you pray, you must be asking sincerely and with real intent or you will not receive an answer. You also must be willing to act on the answer you receive.
Question from reading: What is eternal salvation?
Answer: Eternal happiness. Sometimes The Plan of Salvation is called The Plan of Happiness, so we can therefore conclude that eternal salvation is eternal happiness.
In the very first line in the Book of Mormon, we are told that the Book is comparable to the Bible and contains "the fulness of the everlasting gospel." By this we know that the words that are spoken in here, just like the words contained in the Bible, are true forever and that time will not change the truthfulness of these books.
The Book of Mormon is different from that of the Bible especially in that it explains parts that the Bible is quite vague on. For example, the Bible tells us that we need to be baptized, the Book of Mormon clarifies how we should be. There is a line in the introduction that says "[The Book of Mormon] puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come." This means this book tells us how to come closer to our Heavenly Father and what we need to do so that we may one day return to Him.
We can know that the Book of Mormon is true through prayer. The Holy Spirit will testify of the truth. When you pray, you must be asking sincerely and with real intent or you will not receive an answer. You also must be willing to act on the answer you receive.
Question from reading: What is eternal salvation?
Answer: Eternal happiness. Sometimes The Plan of Salvation is called The Plan of Happiness, so we can therefore conclude that eternal salvation is eternal happiness.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Matthew 4
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (verse 4) This verse tells us that we must live by the principles and words of the gospel. They are what will guide us, not the words of man alone. I think this is a very significant verse because it helps remind us that we do not have all of the answers. Our friends and family likewise do not have all of the answers. Often times, the best thing to do is ask Heavenly Father for help or search our scriptures for an answer. When you read scriptures, you set yourself up in a position in which you can receive personal revelation for a solution to your problem or the comfort and guidance you need. Occasionally you can receive a divine gift from Heavenly Father. But we need not look to man for an answer, but to those who have the divine power to help us.
"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (verse 7) This is what Christ responded to Satan when He was tempted by Satan to prove His power. The first thing you must answer when you read this verse is 'What does it mean to tempt the Lord?' It has actually taken me much time and thought to come up with an answer, but I suppose we could think of it as asking the Lord to do some miracle when it is of no worth to us, like when we don't need it. Just asking the Lord to do something for the sake of doing it. Heavenly Father has already blessed us with so much, we really should not try to tempt Him in any way, shape, form, or fashion. We need to live worthy to Him.
"And saith unto him, All these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." (verse 9) Satan was trying to convince Christ to come and worship him. I think it is amazing that Satan would try to even make these promises knowing that there was and is no way he could fulfill his promises. They are worthless and best left ignored. We can relate this to a lot of temptations we experience in life. Often times they seem appealing in the moment, but many times we will regret the particular decision later. With this being said, it is easier not to allow yourself to fall to the temptation. If you need help and the strength to resist the temptation, you can always call upon Heavenly Father for assistance and He will happily help you.
I think verse 10 "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" serves as a reminder to us that there is only one God and we should only worship Him. So often people fall into the typical life and end up forgetting or ignoring their religious connections and affiliations, which can really hinder us spiritually. I will admit that there was a point in time in my life for about seven years where I allowed God to play little to no part in my life. It was the biggest mistake of my life because I am now having to learn everything, so everything is quite new. All that has been posted on here, all of the references on here are from what I've learned and applied to my life in the past five months, nothing more. But for those seven years, they were some of the most miserable years ever. I didn't know why then, but I do now. I encourage anyone who has fallen away from God and the gospel to go and seek a better relationship with Him now. Do not wait another day, do it today and you will appreciate it. You can be healed spiritually, emotionally, and physically by doing this.
The story of the men with being turned into fishermen (in the following verses) shows us that Christ is a fisher of men. He wants to enable us to be saved. So He goes and fishes out the wounded and the hurt, the helpless and the weak, the brokenhearted and all those that need help. And He invites them to come unto Him. He tells us that by doing so, we allow ourselves to have the opportunity to be free of all sins and to one day rejoin our Heavenly Father in heaven.
I think in this story, Christ shows an amazing amount of faith and dedication, as well as love. He loves us enough to come out and search for those of us who truly feel the need to have Him in our lives. He also stays with us through everything. No matter how bad or complicated things get, He is always there welcoming us with open arms. When we pray, He can allow us to receive comfort from our Heavenly Father; comfort that we sometimes so desperately need. Heavenly Father and Christ love us more than anything. They also have a complete understanding of all the pain we go through. They are the best to look to when times get tough. Not friends, Google, or anywhere else. But to them and the scriptures. In both we can find our answers and the guidance we need.
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (verse 4) This verse tells us that we must live by the principles and words of the gospel. They are what will guide us, not the words of man alone. I think this is a very significant verse because it helps remind us that we do not have all of the answers. Our friends and family likewise do not have all of the answers. Often times, the best thing to do is ask Heavenly Father for help or search our scriptures for an answer. When you read scriptures, you set yourself up in a position in which you can receive personal revelation for a solution to your problem or the comfort and guidance you need. Occasionally you can receive a divine gift from Heavenly Father. But we need not look to man for an answer, but to those who have the divine power to help us.
"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (verse 7) This is what Christ responded to Satan when He was tempted by Satan to prove His power. The first thing you must answer when you read this verse is 'What does it mean to tempt the Lord?' It has actually taken me much time and thought to come up with an answer, but I suppose we could think of it as asking the Lord to do some miracle when it is of no worth to us, like when we don't need it. Just asking the Lord to do something for the sake of doing it. Heavenly Father has already blessed us with so much, we really should not try to tempt Him in any way, shape, form, or fashion. We need to live worthy to Him.
"And saith unto him, All these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." (verse 9) Satan was trying to convince Christ to come and worship him. I think it is amazing that Satan would try to even make these promises knowing that there was and is no way he could fulfill his promises. They are worthless and best left ignored. We can relate this to a lot of temptations we experience in life. Often times they seem appealing in the moment, but many times we will regret the particular decision later. With this being said, it is easier not to allow yourself to fall to the temptation. If you need help and the strength to resist the temptation, you can always call upon Heavenly Father for assistance and He will happily help you.
I think verse 10 "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" serves as a reminder to us that there is only one God and we should only worship Him. So often people fall into the typical life and end up forgetting or ignoring their religious connections and affiliations, which can really hinder us spiritually. I will admit that there was a point in time in my life for about seven years where I allowed God to play little to no part in my life. It was the biggest mistake of my life because I am now having to learn everything, so everything is quite new. All that has been posted on here, all of the references on here are from what I've learned and applied to my life in the past five months, nothing more. But for those seven years, they were some of the most miserable years ever. I didn't know why then, but I do now. I encourage anyone who has fallen away from God and the gospel to go and seek a better relationship with Him now. Do not wait another day, do it today and you will appreciate it. You can be healed spiritually, emotionally, and physically by doing this.
The story of the men with being turned into fishermen (in the following verses) shows us that Christ is a fisher of men. He wants to enable us to be saved. So He goes and fishes out the wounded and the hurt, the helpless and the weak, the brokenhearted and all those that need help. And He invites them to come unto Him. He tells us that by doing so, we allow ourselves to have the opportunity to be free of all sins and to one day rejoin our Heavenly Father in heaven.
I think in this story, Christ shows an amazing amount of faith and dedication, as well as love. He loves us enough to come out and search for those of us who truly feel the need to have Him in our lives. He also stays with us through everything. No matter how bad or complicated things get, He is always there welcoming us with open arms. When we pray, He can allow us to receive comfort from our Heavenly Father; comfort that we sometimes so desperately need. Heavenly Father and Christ love us more than anything. They also have a complete understanding of all the pain we go through. They are the best to look to when times get tough. Not friends, Google, or anywhere else. But to them and the scriptures. In both we can find our answers and the guidance we need.
Matthew 3
Monday, June 10, 2013
We are told to repent (verse 2). There were people who were trying to be baptized who had not yet repented of their sins. Before we can be baptized, we must first repent of our sins. This is essential and is what we are told to do. It allows us to be "clean" before we are baptized (verse 7).
In verse 11, we learn that without the Atonement, we could not be able to receive the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father has provided us with a way to receive extra guidance from Him. This is through the gift of the Holy Ghost. But we cannot receive this gift until we are baptized. Through this verse, we learn that without Christ, we would not be able to receive this gift.
Something I think that is essential to remember and is also referred to in verse 11 is that God is mightier than us all. He knows everything and loves each and every one of us dearly. It often helps me to remember that Heavenly Father can accomplish far more than man. Things we find impossible are possible for Him to accomplish. In Luke 1:37 we are told "For with God nothing shall be impossible." We know that if we have faith in our Heavenly Father and trust Him even when we are afraid and unsure, all things can be accomplished. Faith is something we all need to have. We are told that even if we have faith just the size of a grain of mustard seed, we can move mountains. This is incredibly reassuring because that is barely any faith at all and yet, Heavenly Father is satisfied with that. He also realizes that we are not perfect and trials can seem like absolute mountains in our lives. A returned missionary once told me to not look at the mountain (or trial) that is right in front of me. He said to look ten feet in front of it. So look beyond our trials and know that Heavenly Father will help us. He will never ask us to do something if He is not willing to help us.
We all need to be baptized just as Christ was. He came to set an example for us in hope that we would all follow it. When we follow the example of Christ, we may one day be able to return to our Father in Heaven.
We are told to repent (verse 2). There were people who were trying to be baptized who had not yet repented of their sins. Before we can be baptized, we must first repent of our sins. This is essential and is what we are told to do. It allows us to be "clean" before we are baptized (verse 7).
In verse 11, we learn that without the Atonement, we could not be able to receive the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father has provided us with a way to receive extra guidance from Him. This is through the gift of the Holy Ghost. But we cannot receive this gift until we are baptized. Through this verse, we learn that without Christ, we would not be able to receive this gift.
Something I think that is essential to remember and is also referred to in verse 11 is that God is mightier than us all. He knows everything and loves each and every one of us dearly. It often helps me to remember that Heavenly Father can accomplish far more than man. Things we find impossible are possible for Him to accomplish. In Luke 1:37 we are told "For with God nothing shall be impossible." We know that if we have faith in our Heavenly Father and trust Him even when we are afraid and unsure, all things can be accomplished. Faith is something we all need to have. We are told that even if we have faith just the size of a grain of mustard seed, we can move mountains. This is incredibly reassuring because that is barely any faith at all and yet, Heavenly Father is satisfied with that. He also realizes that we are not perfect and trials can seem like absolute mountains in our lives. A returned missionary once told me to not look at the mountain (or trial) that is right in front of me. He said to look ten feet in front of it. So look beyond our trials and know that Heavenly Father will help us. He will never ask us to do something if He is not willing to help us.
We all need to be baptized just as Christ was. He came to set an example for us in hope that we would all follow it. When we follow the example of Christ, we may one day be able to return to our Father in Heaven.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Matthew 2
Thursday, June 6, 2013
In this chapter, King Herod
seeks to deceive the people who serve him. He asked to know where Christ was
being born, but it was not for good things. The king was seeking to kill the
baby Jesus.
There are many times when we are
deceived much like the servants of King Herod. There are temptations in our
lives that make us second guess what would normally be viewed as good
decisions. Sometimes temptations come from friends and family, asking you to do
something that goes against your beliefs. Other times, it can be your own
doing. One such example would be questioning your testimony or an answer you
have received from Heavenly Father. It is easy to do these things because
sometimes life can be really challenging. Sometimes we feel like we may not
make it through to the next day. A few months ago, I saw a post that was
talking about death. It said we would not leave this earth until all was well (with
ourselves). That does not mean the world is perfect. But when Heavenly Father
calls us back home, it will be because our time is up and we have done what we
could do in our lifetimes. And as the text up there says, when we leave the
earth, all will be well in our lives.
President Monson had a video
awhile back talking about how we need to stand steadfast in our beliefs. We
need to listen to Heavenly Father and uphold our values even when we don’t
understand our particular situation.
For me, one of my greatest
challenges has just been sticking by my testimony of the gospel. It can be
incredibly difficult without support from family and friends. When we are
especially vulnerable like this, Satan tries to take advantage and wants to get
us to do things we shouldn't. The practice of not following the gospel will
lead you farther and farther away from Heavenly Father. If you aren't listening
to Him and doing what He tells you to do, He can’t help you.
When you need help with
something, pray and ask Heavenly Father for help. He is by far a better person
to ask then google or friends. He knows what we are doing to do in our lives
and He knows where we need to be and what decisions we need to make at all
times. Whether or not we do what He wants is our decision. But He is there to
guide us when we do sincerely seek for His help. Trust Heavenly Father and
listen to Him.
Abraham 3
Monday, June 3, 2013
In the beginning of chapter 3,
Heavenly Father talks about the creation of the moon and the sun. He shows
Abraham how the earth was created. Abraham saw the things the Lord had created
(verse 12). Abraham’s trust in Heavenly Father shows a great amount of faith.
It means that Abraham was able to have enough faith and trust in the Lord that
everything would be alright. And for Abraham, everything turned out quite well.
Heavenly Father promised that He would allow Abraham’s seed to multiply to that
people would be on the earth.
A few verses down, Heavenly
Father tells Abraham that He showed these things to him before he went into
Egypt so that Abraham could declare that God does exist. For Abraham, it would
seem that his faith was unwavering in the Lord. He had so much trust that
Heavenly Father would provide for him and show him all he needed to know.
In the following passages, the
Lord talks about there being two spirits that exist, one more intelligent than
the other. (Verse 19) He says He is the more intelligent one “than they all.” I think it is very reassuring to know that it is
Heavenly Father who is the higher of the two spirits described here. I could
not imagine serving someone other than Him. It is through the grace of Heavenly
Father that we are able to learn. He provides us with the intelligence we
possess and He guides us through every day. Heavenly Father shows true wisdom
as we walk through our life day by day. I once saw a poem called “Footsteps in
the Sand” where it talks about a guy who has died and is now looking back on
his life. At one point, he told Heavenly Father that he only saw one set of
footsteps in the sand. He noticed that these were the points where he felt the
very lowest in his life. He then asked Heavenly Father why He wasn't there
during those times. Heavenly Father replied that He was and the one set of
footsteps the man saw were His. It was during that time Heavenly Father carried
him. This shows that Heavenly Father never leaves us, He is always there.
Heavenly Father goes on to talk
about how we all once lived with Him. This completely relates to The Plan of
Salvation, which says that in the very beginning, we all lived with Heavenly
Father. In Moses, it talks about how we were all created spiritually, or as
spirits, before we were created naturally, as we see ourselves today. This is
proof that we once lived with our Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father created The Plan of Salvation
and the earth so that we could be tested to see if we are fit to live in the
presence of our Heavenly Father.
Almost as a continuation of
this, in verse 23, Heavenly Father tells us that our path and place in life has
been chosen before we were born. Heavenly Father knows all things. He also
allows us through this to know that He already knows our path and what our
place is, what decisions we will make, and what type of life we will live. This
can be quite comforting because we know that He knows exactly what we are going
through on a daily basis because He already knows what our entire life will be
like.
I think, for me personally, I
like knowing that Heavenly Father knows exactly how each of our lives are going
to be. It means that we can know He really does have a plan for each and every
one of us. It also reassures us that He knows we exist and that He is there to
guide us. After all, He created us and completely knows our lives.
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