4:4 - "...inasmuch as ye keep the commandments, ye shall prosper..."
Many times we wonder how we can do better and get better things - but if we seek first the kingdom of God, these things will be added unto us. First, we must keep the commandments (Jacob 2:18-19).
We must keep the commandments if we want to be blessed.
4:15 - The scriptures are written for our learning and profit.
We should delight in and ponder the scriptures. As we do, we realize the great things the Lord has done for our fathers (Moroni 10:3).
Then we are more grateful and humble because we realize that we are dependent upon the the Lord and that He loves and blesses us.
4:24 - "...and by day I have waxed bold in mighty prayer..."
I think I need to study this a bit more, because I think I say "safe" prayers and I could be more bold. I need to figure out the best way to pray in faith, and how to really talk to Heavenly Father.
4:28-35 - "...awake my soul..."
It is true that we are not perfect. We sin. But we do not have to lease heart because of our afflictions. We are immensely blessed, and, to be honest, what are four days of stomach flu in comparison to eternal life and happiness?
Let us be grateful.
3:3-4 - "...thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed..."
Nephi and his brothers went back to Jerusalem to get the plates so their seed would be preserved (1 Nephi 3:2-3).
Today, we preach the gospel to them, and they preach it to us.
3:5 - Joseph truly saw our day.
Mormon also saw our day (Mormon 8:35).
They knew what we are going through, and they wrote so that it would help us overcome evil.
We need to read, understand, and apply the teachings, and come unto Christ.
3:13 - "...out of weakness he shall be made strong..."
Ether 12:27.
The Lord qualifies us so we have help. We need to keep the commandments to take advantage of that help.
3:14-15,24 - Prophecies of Joseph Smith
It was prophesied that he would be "an instrument in the hands of God." He truly was that instrument. We are very blessed to have all that he wrote and revealed through the power of the Holy Ghost to us.
We must be grateful and not squander our own investment and responsibility.
3:21 - "...because of their faith their words shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto their brethren..."
The Book of Mormon is given to us through many means, but especially through the faith of our Nephite brethren who wrote it. It's an amazing blessing and we learn so much through reading, studying, and applying the principles in the book.
We need to do our part...they did theirs already!
2:8 - "...how great the importance to make these things known..."
It's our purpose to be instruments in God's hands to bring others unto Christ. This is no small matter. How sad would I be if I never had the truth?
Let us share the Gospel.
2:12 - Purpose of the creation of the world
The Lord created the earth so that it would be inhabited.
We were created to inhabit, beautify, and replenish the earth.
(1 Nephi 17:36, D&C 88:25, Moses 1:31)
2:16 - "...we could not act without being enticed by one or the other..."
If we were not enticed, we would not act...either for good or bad. We would just sit and do nothing (Moroni 7:13).
If we want to do what is right, we must give ourselves good motivation!
2:25 - "...Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy..."
Moses 1:39 - Purpose of God - His work and glory.
D&C 11:20 - Our work
Alma 29:9 - Our glory...and our joy
D&C 18:10,15-16 - Worth of Souls - our joy
Just as God has His own work and glory - we have our own work and glory. It really involves helping the Lord with His work and glory.
2:25 - "...men are that they might have joy..."
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign pg. 18-21:
"Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your life's situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness."
There really is no reason to be unhappy. We can be going through the most amazingly tough trials and have the attitude, "What wonderful trials I'm blessed to have!"
Sure it's tough. But we can still be happy.
If we're sad or depressed, etc., we need to figure out what's causing these feelings, then change, so we can have joy.
2:27 - We are free to make our choices, no matter where it leads us.
However...the eventual result of any good decision will be our happiness. The Lord paid the price, then told us that we can choose that path or not. Why would I want to choose another path?
Let us resist the natural man and Satan's temptations and choose the Lord's path.
2:28 - "...be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit..."
We have to make the choice. If we are faithful to the Lord, we will have eternal life. If we are faithful to Satan, then we will receive captivity.
It's up to us to decide and then act in faith.
1:1 - Lehi related to his sons the great things the Lord had done for their fathers.
When we are studying the Book of Mormon (and all scriptures) we are invited to meditate upon the same things (Moroni 10:3).
By remembering the great things the Lord has done for our fathers, it helps us to remember the Lord, give credit where credit is due, and be more humble by being more grateful to the Lord for all that He does.
Let us, then, be grateful.
1:6-9 - "...none shall be brought into the land save by the Lord..."
We are blessed to live in this land, and have great responsibility as well.
If we are not righteous, we will be brought into captivity - whether it is slave to Satan and his whims, or slave to the captivity of debt, addiction, etc.
1:21-23 - "...arise from the dust, and be men..."
How can we be men?
By putting on the armor of righteousness, shaking off the binding chains, and letting our light shine - or rather - the Lord's light shine through us.
When we do this, we are instruments in the hands of the Lord.
1:31 - "...because thou hast been faithful thy seed shall be blessed with his seed..."
It's true that we need to be faithful to the Lord. We also need to be faithful to each other.
In order to become more Christlike, we must help those around us and be instruments in the hands of God.
22:7-8 - Prophecies of Gentiles scattering the children of Lehi, then the Restoration.
It is a marvelous work and a wonder to see the gathering of Israel.
It is our responsibility to bring the gospel to others.
22:10-12 - The kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations.
How?
In bringing about His covenants and His gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel, He brings them out of captivity.
All kindreds of the earth are blessed when the covenants and gospel are brought to them.
We must accept the gospel ourselves, then bring it to others.
22:17 - "...wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire..."
As we strive to be righteous, we will have help from the Lord...not just in saving us from destruction, but also in other areas of need. He is faithful to us as we are faithful to Him. We have to do our part.
21:7 - "...kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful..."
This is a different way of looking at things. A lot of the time we look at faith as being a matter of us being faithful to the Lord...but He is also faithful to us. We receive help when we do what's required. Nations notice. People notice. We receive great help from the Lord!
21:8 - "...in an acceptable time have I heard thee, o Isles of the sea..."
The Lord forgets nobody, including the furthest, tiniest island of the sea.
He will not forget us.
Let us not forget Him.
21:20-21 - The children will say, "The place is too strait for me!"
It reminds me of living the Word of Wisdom, or if you have gone to a strict school, they have a code of conduct. For some people, the strictness is too much. What they don't realize is that the strictness helps you to avoid situations that would put you or your reputation at risk.
We must keep the commandments if we want the associated blessings.
21:25 - "...I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save they children..."
The Lord takes our side as we choose Him. He saves our children as we are obedient (Malachi 3:8-12).
Choose the Lord by being obedient to all principles, ordinances, covenants, and commandments of the gospel.
20:3-8 - "...they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say—Behold I knew them..."
The Lord reveals things before they happen so we can't say, "I knew that would happen..." or "my idol revealed it to me." He does that also because of our stiffneckedness.
We need to be more humble and realize that it IS the Lord accomplishing great miracles in our own lives as well as the world. Then we need to be instruments in His hands to help the work.
20:6-7 - "...they are created now, and not from the beginning..."
What comes to mind for me is technology. Computers have only recently been invented, and the rate of increase in knowledge has risen exponentially. It's amazing to see it, and it truly is a miracle from the Lord. This scripture may explain one reason we haven't seen computers before in history..."they are created now, and not from the beginning...lest thou shouldst say - Behold I knew them." We like to say that mankind is brilliant and full of geniuses. This may be true, but without the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, we may never have progressed this far. I am grateful for these many amazing inventions and blessings, and as we are humble and do not develop feelings of entitlement, we will use these inventions in a righteous manner, and even receive more as we do so.
20:21 - "...he clave the rock also..."
In this verse, it mentions twice in a very short amount of words that the Lord caused water to flow out of the rock. When things are repeated, it shows that it has importance.
The Israelites had water flow from the rock.
We have Living Water in the Lord - and in order to receive more, we must be obedient. All things can and will be made known unto us.
19:9 - The Lord suffereth all because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering.
You can see the fulfillment of the prophecy in Matthew 26 & 27. He truly did suffer for us and I am grateful. Now it's up to us to keep the commandments and help others to come unto Him - which is our work and our glory (D&C 11:20, Alma 29:9).
19:18 - "...that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer..."
A few verses later Nephi talks about believing in the Lord, but this verse is talking about remembering the Lord. This is part of the covenants that we renew each week when we take the Sacrament. If we want the Spirit to be with us and have the Lord play a greater role in our lives, we must remember Him!
19:23 - Isaiah more fully persuades us to believe in the Lord our Redeemer.
But - we must liken the scriptures unto us.
It doesn't make sense to just breeze through the scriptures and say "ok, now I'm done."
We must read and re-read the scriptures and apply what we learn.
Elder Spencer J. Condie talked about this in the November Ensign, 2007, pg. 16-18. He said that we can gain and claim the exceeding great and precious promise of the Lord if we will liken all scriptures unto ourselves. This helps us gain divine guidance and inspiration.
If we put forth the effort, we will have direction. God cannot steer a parked car (2 Nephi 32:3).
18:1-3 - Great example of being led by the Spirit, acting in faith.
Nephi built the ship after the manner that the Lord showed him...from time to time (line upon line).
We must follow the Spirit, who will guide us, not only in spiritual matters, but also temporal.
18:3 - "And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things."
It is a great pattern for us to follow if we wish to receive revelation - go to the temple often and pray often.
18:12 - "...after they had bound me...the compass...did cease to work..."
If we are not wise and don't keep the commandments, our own compass won't work. Either it will be removed, or we will not understand it. (Compass in this sense means the word of God from any source - scripture, General Conference, etc.) We need to keep the commandments so we can have the help we need during our own personal storms.
18:20 - "...there was nothing save it were the power of God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts..."
It's sad when some people go so far to lose feeling. They are more concerned about themselves than others. That's dangerous - we must look out to others and forget ourselves.
17:3 - "If it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them."
We want help...we all do. There's no way we can do everything on our own. However, we also can't expect God to do everything for us. We must do our part. If we keep the commandments, as best as we can, we will be enabling the Spirit to be with us more, giving us strength, nourishment, and means to accomplish the other commandments God gives us.
17:3,20 - Difference of Perspective
Nephi said that the women were very blessed, while Laman & Lemuel said that the women suffered too much and it would have been better had they died before leaving Jerusalem.
We have our own choice - we can look at things positively or negatively. President Hinckley was a great example for us to follow in being positive.
17:36 - "Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it."
The purpose of the earth is that we may live here. Our purpose is to live on the earth - keeping the commandments and coming unto Christ, being effective instruments in the hands of God (2 Nephi 2:12, D&C 88:25, Moses 1:31).
16:1-5 - "...wicked take the truth to be hard..."
Amaziah and Jeroboam also took the truth to be hard (Amos 7:10-13).
Lawyers elsewhere in the Book of Mormon took the truth to be hard (Alma 14:3).
Thomas B. Marsh took the truth to be hard.
Other great leaders, such as Brigham Young when confronted and chastised by Joseph Smith, humbled himself.
This is the difference - we must humble ourselves...or risk being humbled.
16:7 - What does the Book of Mormon say about dating?
"I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife."
As John Bytheway has said, "Mr. 'Go and Do' just went and did."
Just a fun little comment.
16:7,11,12,13,14,15,22,23,24,27,30,31,32,33,39 - "...I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded me..."
Nephi sure wasn't joking in 1 Nephi 3:7. All of these verses mentioned above show examples of Nephi or part of his family following one or more commandments from the Lord. As they did so, they received more revelation according to their faith and diligence (1 Nephi 16:28-29).
We must do the same - acting upon the commandments we receive and then we will receive further light and knowledge.
16:28-29 - The Liahona worked according to faith and diligence
There are a lot of great tools that help us, but we need to have faith and be diligent in heeding the commandments. Then these tools (like General Conference) will help us progress & become more like Christ.
15:3,8 - "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"
How poignant! Here were great things to be learned; things of eternal importance, and yet hard to understand because "they did not look unto the Lord as they ought."
When we look beyond the Lord, we are looking beyond the mark. We must study, look, and live. We "look" as we come unto Christ. We live as we keep His commandments and help others to do the same.
15:11 - "...if ye will harden not your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you..."
It is a great promise, and the Lord will hold up his end of the bargain as we do our part. We have to ask and act in faith. Then we will receive what we want/need. We will also receive help from the Holy Ghost to know how to act & what to ask. It's a great promise!
15:14 - "...at that day...they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of His doctrine, that they may know how to come unto Him and be saved..."
In order to be "saved," we must truly understand true doctrine. This will enable us to change our attitudes and behavior. If you do not have a good understanding of a doctrine, live the applied behavior. Often this is how the understanding will come (John 7:17). "Come unto Him"...implies action.
14:8-17 - "Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel?"
This passage describes a lot of the destruction that will come during the last days. At the end of this passage, it says, "at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel."
It seems that the point of this passage is to show us that the Lord uses us as instruments in His hands, preparing the world for the 2nd Coming while preparing us.
14:14 - "...armed with righteousness..."
In the Old Testament, Melchizedek was known as the "King of Righteousness." This can, in one sense, then mean that if we are armed with righteousness, we are armed with the Priesthood. It makes sense, since the power of the Priesthood is contingent upon our righteousness. There's a lot that we can do (and must do) to help others, but we need to cleanse ourselves in order to be effective instruments in the Lord's hands.
14:14 - Covenant people armed with righteousness and with the power of God.
Nephi saw that it was upon all the face of the earth. The gospel will continue to spread until it fills the whole earth and everybody has an opportunity to hear the gospel (Isaiah 54:1-4).
13:23 - "...it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew..."
The Bible is like unto the plates of brass...only there is more on the plates of brass.
The prophets Zenos & Zenock and others prophesied in the plates of brass and we have a few of their words in the Book of Mormon. It will be interesting and edifying to read the rest of the information/stories on the plates of brass and other scriptures. We must accept and apply what we have now in order to receive more light and knowledge.
13:26-35 - "...they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and precious..."
It mentions 8 times that "plain and precious truths" or "parts" that were taken away from the Bible. The plain and precious truths involve the commandments. "...spoken plainly..." or in other words... "according to the commandments" (Alma 5:43).
The commandments are plain so that we cannot err. They are clear so we have no excuse. We study the commandments so we have no condemnation as we follow them.
13:37 - "...blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost..."
A lot of times we ask ourselves what "Acting in Faith" means. We know that when we DO act in faith, we receive the help of the Holy Ghost in directing our paths. Seeking to bring forth Zion (building up the church and its members) is one way to act in Faith. And we will have that help from the Holy Ghost.
12:10 - "...because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white..."
It's tough to be faithful. It takes work. It takes times of picking ourselves out of the despair, doubt, and fear, and trying again each time we have setbacks. You don't have time to wallow in despair when you're acting in faith.
12:15-18 - "...they were gathered together to battle..."
The Nephites and the Lamanites would gather together to battle - showing the fountain of filthy water, the river of Hell, and mists of temptations. When we seek to gratify our own pride and fight others, we stand in impure places. We must remain humble and do all we can to let the Lord guide us to do what He wants.
12:18 - "...a great and a terrible gulf divideth them..."
This gulf divides the prideful from the word of God. It's not that the Lord doesn't want to help us...in this scenario, He can't. This is because we won't accept His help. Because of sin, we put that gulf into place between us...and He can't just show mercy. Mercy cannot rob justice. Many think that mercy is a free gift. But you cannot expect the difference to be paid on justice until you have paid the required price for mercy.
The Lord is ready and willing to pay, and it is by His grace that it is paid. We must do our part now.
11:21-23 - Meaning of the Tree of Life
The tree of life represents the love of God, which was the most desirable and most joyous to the soul.
We search for the love of God, just as we search for love on this earth. To find it, we press forward, feasting upon the word of God, obtaining a taste of the glorious conclusion, if we will but remain strong.
11:25 - Fountain of Living Waters
Satan imitates good and twists it to his own purposes. In this case, attempting to imitate the fountain of living waters, he uses the fountain and river of filthy water (1 Nephi 12:16-17).
We must always be on the lookout for Satan's tricks.
11:25 - Rod of Iron was the Word of God
The rod of iron represents the word of God, which leads people to the tree of life, which is the love of God...which is the most joyous.
This is reminiscent of Alma 44:5 - "...the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness." The word of God will lead us to Him, and we will have joy...if we hold strong until the end.
11:31 - "...and they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God..."
Great miracles can and do occur when we have faith and ask in faith and act in faith. These people went forward, acting, and asked the Lord for a blessing...and they were healed. If we have faith, ask, and act, we will also see miracles.
10:17 - "I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things"
Nephi desired to see the same things as his father, and he received the same vision later on. He received it by the power of the Holy Ghost, because by that power we can know "the truth of all things."
If we want to know truth, we pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ, and receive the answer by the Holy Ghost.
10:19 - "...he that diligently seeketh shall find..."
It shows the importance of asking as well as looking. We could be looking all we can for inspiration and help, but if we don't ask for it, we may not receive it! Acting in faith needs to include asking in faith.
10:20-21 - "...for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment..."
Our acts shall be brought into judgment, but also our words and our thoughts (Alma 12:14).
It's up to us to keep ALL of our thoughts and intentions...and actions...pure.
9:3 - "I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates..."
One of the main reasons that the Brass Plates were retrieved from Laban was that their children would not dwindle and perish in unbelief (1 Nephi 4:13). The Mulekites later on had dwindled because they had no record. Even their language was lost (Omni 1:17).
This shows the importance of 1. Keeping a journal and 2. Studying the scriptures. We need to do both!
9:5-6 - "...which purpose I know not..."
116 pages of the Book of Lehi were lost, and the information on the second set of records were sufficient to get the same message/history across (Words of Mormon 1:5-7, 1 Nephi 19:3).
We must trust in the Lord - do our best, and trust that He knows what He is doing.
9:6 - "...the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning..."
I still don't understand how it works, but I know that I can trust the Lord and act in faith. As I do this, I will come to better understand where I will end up and the process as well. Acting in faith and with faith - it's very interesting, yet essential. If we do, we will have the Holy Ghost to guide us as we are righteous. If we don't, we will give in to our doubt and despair. It is actually our true nature to act in faith.
8:24,25,30 - Some fell away, while others stayed strong.
The Tree of Life is not necessarily the destination. We must act in faith and press forward holding onto the rod of iron...but what about afterward?
We still need to hold strong because it's not over at that point! If we will hold strong, then we can avoid the pitfalls of complacency and entitlement.
8:33 - "...but we heeded them not."
When the wicked mocked the righteous, some didn't pay attention to the mocking.
We must do the same - it doesn't matter what they may say - if we are truly doing our best, then we don't need other people's opinions. We just do our best and the Lord makes up the rest.
8:37 - "And he did exhort them with all the feeling of a tender parent..."
Lehi saw in vision that Laman and Lemuel would reject the fruit - so he talked and preached to them with fervor, because he wanted them to have that joy also.
We need to make sure we don't give up on our children...but to teach continually, and pray for them, no matter what.
7:12-13 - "The Lord is able to do all things according to his will...if we exercise faith in him."
Having faith that things are possible isn't really enough. We need to have faith in Jesus Christ, and that He is able to accomplish those things. When we realize that, we come to a better understanding of faith, which will help us with our requests/duties. We need to truly understand the doctrine.
7:12-13 - "Let us be faithful to him"
The Lord is able to do all things if we exercise faith in him. We do this by proceeding forward to do all that we can and then trusting and hoping that the Lord will take care of the rest. As we move forward in faith, we receive the inspiration of the Holy Ghost to guide us in the things we need to do & say, as well as the direction we need to go. He wants us to succeed, and He will help us. We just need to do our part, having faith in Him. This in turn will help us come closer to Him, and help us become more like Him. We will remember Him more and have virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly -- great blessings!
7:15 - "...if ye have choice, go up to the land..."
I find it interesting that Nephi tells them to go back to Jerusalem if they want to, and that they choose to not go back. Laman & Lemuel made a lot of good & bad choices, and one good one was going to the Promised Land. We need to be obedient in making correct choices.
7:21 - "...I did frankly forgive them..."
President Gordon B. Hinckley talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 62-66. "So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way. Grudges, if left to fester, can become serious maladies. Like a painful ailment they can absorb all of our time and attention."
We will be much happier if we can frankly forgive. Nephi did, and his life was being threatened! We can also forgive in our own situations.
6:4 - "For the fullness of my intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved."
That's the same intent that is mentioned in the Title Page of the Book of Mormon, as well as our purpose here on Earth (D&C 11:20, Alma 29:9, Moses 1:39).
We need to be instruments in the hands of God to help others come unto Christ and partake of His gospel.
6:6 - "...they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men..."
That is amazing, because there were a lot of records kept over thousands of years. If they were all of worth to us, that's amazing. Then...Mormon took the most relevant information and writings for us and put that into the Book of Mormon. It's the best of the best, compiled for our benefit!
We need to realize the importance of the Book of Mormon and read/study it daily so we can learn, apply, and progress.
6:6 - "...they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men..."
This also shows the importance of journal keeping...it may be of worth to our posterity. If nothing else, it will be of worth to us. When we record our feelings and experiences, we are able to learn from them better and remember them better. Remembering is key.
If we remember, then we too can be remembered.
5:1-7 - Sariah was comforted
Sometimes our wife (or husband) will have a bad day, or time of depression, and we need to be there...not to compromise our callings (vs 2-4) as in saying that we are not called of God...but by being a comfort in time of need.
5:10 - First things first
Lehi got the Brass Plates from his sons, and immediately gave thanks to the Lord. The next thing he did was to search the plates.
We should also do the same: 1. Be Grateful, then 2. Study the Scriptures.
5:10 - Gratefulness
As we are grateful, the Lord can help us gain humility. We can have more humility as we put credit where credit is due and realize that our blessings come from God. As we do this, He can trust us with more. There are many areas in our lives in which we need more gratefulness and humility. Otherwise, we will regress.
4:1-5 - Motivational Speech Outline!
1. Start with the problem.
2. Build on the problem, that you can do more than the problem actually is.
3. Cite a great, applicable, classic example.
4. Back to the problem..."We can do this!"
5. Reinforce with an example.
6. Reinforce by being an example.
How was it used here?
1. Let us go up again to Jerusalem...being faithful to the commandments, to face Laban.
2. We can face Laban, and his fifty. AND his tens of thousands.
3. Let us be like Moses - they came through the Red Sea, and Pharaoh's army was destroyed.
4. The Lord is able to deliver us from Laban.
5. ...Even as he delivered Moses & Israel.
6. I went forth - led by the Spirit.
4:6 - "I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."
This is the attitude that we should have. Even when we don't know the outcome, we must act in Faith and go forward, looking in the Mirror of Christ. As we do so, we will be opening ourselves to guidance from the Holy Ghost. We have to do our part, and then listen when we receive direction, acting to follow that direction. Praying can be scary...it implies responsibility. Take it, and walk in faith.
4:11-17 - Inspired Thought Process
1. Laban had not hearkened unto the Lord's commandments.
2. The Lord slayeth the wicked to bring about righteous purposes.
3. Better that one man perish than a whole nation dwindle and perish in unbelief.
4. You perish if you don't keep the commandments.
5. You can't keep the commandments if you don't have them.
6. The person who had the commandments (Laban) wasn't keeping the commandments.
7. When the Lord commands, I obey.
The challenge is to trusted and be known for being solid in keeping the commandments.
3:7 - I will go and do
If we are doing what's right, it's easier to keep the commandments. If we slip away, it becomes harder and harder to keep the commandments because we are giving control over to Satan.
We need to remain steady on an upward course in order to recognize and avoid sin.
3:7 - I will go and do
President Thomas S. Monson spoke on the attitudes and attributes we should have in order to accomplish this scripture (November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 59-61). He said we need to have and develop the marks of vision, effort, faith, virtue, and prayer. Nephi had all of these. This scripture embodies all of the marks, but especially effort. "It is not enough to want to make the effort and to say we'll make the effort. It's in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled."
It's so true. Many times we could accomplish great things, but just procrastinate.
3:14-15 - "My brethren were about to return...[but] we will not [return] until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us."
Nephi's brothers were a form of censor for Nephi. We all have censors, telling us that we can't accomplish great things. To Nephi's credit, he looked in the Mirror of Christ and accted in Faith. When we act in Faith, the Holy Ghost can and will guide us to do what needs to be done at the right time.
3:19-20 - Kept the plates in order to preserve the language.
Without reading or writing, the people can easily lose their language. You can see that with many missionaries as they learn a foreign language, never study it again, and lose the language. Illiteracy is also a problem linked to not reading/writing. It's important to keep a journal, and also teach our children how to read and write.
2:3 - "...obedient unto the word of the Lord..."
Lehi was a great example for his children. When the Lord said "go", he went. We need to be just as consistent in our own obedience.
2:12 - They did murmur because they knew not the dealings of God
If you don't understand a doctrine, then your behavior remains stagnant. However, true doctrine, understood, changes behavior quicker than the study of behavior changes behavior.
We need to understand the true doctrines and understand them well. This will help us to change our behavior.
2:16 - Wanting to know the mysteries of God
Nephi shows us an interesting principle in this passage. He prayed so that the Lord would soften his heart. Sometimes our pride can keep us from learning new things, so we may need to pray so that our hearts will be softened. This will help us to be more likely to have the required humility to learn.
If we want to learn, we must be willing to pray to give up our pride.
1:1-3 - Chaiasmus
Explanation: a chaiasmus is written so that the middle portion is emphasized.
1. Knowledge of the goodness and mysteries of God.
2. Make a record
3. Language
4. Learning of the Jews
3. Language
2. Make a record
1. Knowledge of the Lord
In this case, Learning of the Jews is emphasized because in order to receive knowledge from the Lord from this record (the Book of Mormon), this passage says that we need to understand the language and learning of the Jews. We do understand the language thanks to translation, so the focus is on knowing the learning of the Jews.
Even a lot of the Nephites did not understand the prophecies of Isaiah because they didn't understand the manner of prophesying among the Jews (2 Nephi 25:1). If we study the manner of prophesying among the Jews, we will better understand the prophecies of Isaiah, especially in following the Lord's counsel and commandment to search the words of Isaiah (3 Nephi 23:1).
1:1-3 - Colophon
A colophon is pretty much a self-introduction - who you are, ancestry, qualities, experiences...it's almost like a résumé. This is an example of Jewish speaking/writing. Later on we see Amulek use this same literary technique (Alma 10:2-5).
1:1 - "...I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father..."
Elder Claudio R. M. Costa talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 73-75. He talked about not leaving for tomorrow what you can do today, especially in the instruction of family. "Our Father has taught us that parents are obligated to teach the gospel to their children. The prophet Lehi understood well his responsibility to teach his children."
We also need to understand this responsibility, then live up to our responsibilities!
1:20 - "The tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith..."
As we increase in faith, and act on our faith and in faith, we will be blessed of the Lord. He has a multitude of tender mercies that He wants for us, but we must act. I've seen this in my own life, with opportunities such as performing with Comic Frenzy, Kirby Heyborne & The Society, Jon Schmidt, and other fun opportunities. I have been very blessed, and each one of these opportunities required action on my part. Act in faith, and the Holy Ghost will be there to help guide us.
Basic thoughts
I wonder what Mormon or Moroni or Nephi would have written if they were in the situation that I am in, living in this time period. What would they have focused on while writing in their "journal"? I try to take their example and write about spiritual things as well as struggles and triumphs. It's difficult sometimes! But it's good to keep a journal. It helps you to remember and learn from the past.
8th Paragraph - "...hid it up unto the Lord..."
This is another example of trusting the Lord. Moroni wrote, and then sealed it up, in hopes of helping a future generation. I can do the same by trusting the Lord and following His counsel to write in my journal. I can do better with that...it may help others in the future.
17th Paragraph - "...I obeyed..."
Joseph Smith is a great example to us. He acted in faith. Very often we go through life wanting everything spoon-fed to us. We do have to do our part. However, we can't be too extreme in either direction. Yes, faith implies work on our part, but it also implies dependence on the Lord, reliance on His word, and acceptance of His will.
If we truly understand Faith, then we will be faithful to Him.
Full Text - Basic List of What Moroni Taught
1st Visit
1. His name was Moroni and he was a messenger from God.
2. God had a work for Joseph Smith to do.
3. Joseph's name would be had for good and evil among all nations.
4. Gold plates were deposited, containing an account of people and the Gospel.
5. Other instruments were deposited as well, including the Urim & Thummim, instruments used in translating.
6. Joseph would obtain the plates later.
7. Joseph was to show these plates to nobody except those he was commanded to, or he would be destroyed.
8. Joseph saw in vision the place they were laid.
2nd Visit
All of the above, including:
9. Great judgments would come upon the earth in this generation.
10. Famine, sword, and pestilence.
3rd visit
All of the above, including:
11. Joseph was cautioned that Satan would try to tempt him to use the plates to get rich.
12. Joseph was to use the plates only to glorify God and to build His Kingdom.
4th visit
All of the above, including:
13. Joseph was to go to his father and tell him of the vision and commandments.
