Mosiah Chapter 22

22:9 - "...And it came to pass that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon..."
If we are leaders over others, it is important to realize that they will have great ideas, so we should be willing to accept those ideas and run with them.
This implies, also, that when we have ideas as subordinates, we should make them known in appropriate ways to our leaders to help with decision making.


22:9 - "...the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon..."
Sometimes we need to show faith in our fellow man, in addition to the faith we show in Christ.  We must work on our trust, and have faith in those people around us who can and will accomplish great things, if they only have a little trust.


22:13-14 - "...[the people of Limhi] joined Mosiah’s people, and became his subjects..."
There's a power in taking someone's name upon you.  By becoming Mosiah's subjects, they agreed to live the laws and pay the tribute.
If we want to become the Lord's subjects, we will take His name upon us, and keep His commandments and laws and sacrifice what is needed.  It is how we take His name upon us.

Mosiah Chapter 21

21:13-15 - "...And they did humble themselves even to the dust..."
They were humbled in their afflictions.  It's good to be humble rather than prideful, yes, but it is better to humble yourself rather than be compelled to be humble.
Gratefulness goes a long way, but actions help, too.


21:14-15 - "...they did humble themselves..."
True humility takes a lot of faith, especially when the Lord sees fit to keep us in our trials a bit (or a lot) longer than we would like.  We must continue in faith and remain humble, and we will receive the blessings in the end.


21:32 - "...And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments..."
When we start to understand the doctrine, our attitudes and behaviors change.  We want to live a more righteous life and make a covenant with God to do so.  I think it's natural...the way that it just happens.
However, it does take a lot of work.

Mosiah Chapter 20

20:8 - "...And now Limhi had discovered them from the tower, even all their preparations for war did he discover; therefore he gathered his people together, and laid wait for them in the fields and in the forests..."
Limhi saw their preparations for war, so he was prepared.  We need to realize that there are always many different people and situations that are preparing to make us fall, so we need to prepare ourselves continually.


20:11 - "...the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites..."
The people of Limhi were only half as numerous as the Lamanites, but still drove them back because of their righteous desires and motivation.
If I want to defeat my enemies in the way the Lord wants me to, I will need to have righteous motivations.


20:25-26 - "...And it came to pass that they followed the king, and went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites..."
That sounds like it hurts.
Ok fine.  In all seriousness, this shows a lot of faith...in the Lord that He would protect them while going without weapons in front of an army.  It also shows that they had faith in the King of the Lamanites that the Lamanites would spare them and show mercy.
We should have faith in our brothers that they will support us, and we should support them.

Mosiah Chapter 19

Chapter 19 - "...The Lamanites invade the land—King Noah suffers death by fire..."
This chapter shows the danger of putting your trust in man instead of God.  The people trusted King Noah to lead them to safety...and when push came to shove, King Noah told the men to leave the women.  This is not the ideal leader!  We need to look outward to others, instead of being selfish...trusting that the Lord will help us where we lack.  And instead of putting our trust in man, we must put our trust in the Lord.

19:5 - "...and when the king saw that he was about to overpower him, he fled and ran and got upon the tower which was near the temple..."
King Noah had been living in such a manner that Gideon was upset and wanted to kill him.  It looks like there may have been two choices for King Noah...flee to the tower, or flee to the temple (considering that they were near each other).  He chose to flee to the tower.
It's a bit of a stretch, but we are constantly in spiritual danger, and we should flee to the temple as often as possible to escape the natural world and go to the "real" world.


19:11-12 - "...the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites. Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them..."
I think if I were in this situation, I would have stayed with my wife and children.  It had to have been an intense situation...so intense that many of the men did leave their wives and children!  It is a sad situation.  I find it somewhat odd to send forth the daughters to pacify the Lamanites...that seems to me to be asking for trouble.  I don't know if the Lamanites would have been open for talks, but I would definitely prefer that action.

Mosiah Chapter 18

18:4-5 - Understand the setting
Understanding the setting helps so much sometimes.  Here in these verses, it talks about the Waters of Mormon.

1. It says that the waters were in the borders of the land, so on the fringes - secluded and withdrawn.
2. The land was infested by wild beasts - maybe people avoided the area as a result of the danger.
3. There was a fountain of pure water.  At first glance, it seems like a "fountain" wouldn't be well suited for baptism...so I looked in the index for "fountain" and found a reference to 1 Nephi 2:9, which talks of the fountain of the Red Sea.  The footnote there says, "IE fount, or source, like the Gulf of Akaba, which empties into the Red Sea." This makes more sense because a source of water is much more suitable for baptism than a fountain.
4. There was a thicket of small trees.  Note that it's not a small thicket of trees, but a thicket of small trees.  The thicket had to be large enough to keep a lot of people hidden from King Noah's regular view (about 450 people!).

Having this understanding of the setting helps us see more insight into the motivations, trials, struggles, and deliverance of these people, and we can better see how the Lord will deliver us.


18:8-11 - "...as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death..."
This is the attitude that we should have.  True love involves selfless attitude and selfless actions.  If we truly understand the doctrine of the character of God, and have perfect charity towards those around us, we will want to help them, and then we will.
Bishop Richard C. Edgley talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 9-11 - he said that this idea of mourning with those who mourn, and comforting those who stand in need of comfort is essential to a loving and caring organization.  "I choose to call it 'enduring together.' What happens to one happens to all.  We endure together."
Elder Michael J. Teh also talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 35-37.  He said, "Many believe that for service to be meaningful, it should consist of having elaborate plans and forming a committee.  Although many of these worthwhile projects help, much of the service needed in the world today relates to our day-to-day associations with each other.  Often we find these opportunities within the confines of our own home, neighborhood, and ward."
He also quoted C.S. Lewis from the Screwtape Letters: "Do what you will, there is going to be some benevolence, as well as some malice, in your patient's soul.  The great thing is to direct the malice to his immediate neighbours whom he meets every day and to thrust his benevolence out to the remote circumference, to people he does not know.  The malice thus becomes wholly real and the benevolence largely imaginary."
This tongue-in-cheek view helps give us insight into helping others.  We should not extend our malice onto those close to us, but rather benevolence.  And really...we should extend benevolence to all and malice to none.


18:20 - "...preach nothing save it were repentance and faith..."
This doesn't mean that this is all that we preach...we just teach that others should come unto Christ.  This is the end result of what faith and repentance does for us.

Mosiah Chapter 17

17:2-4 - "...Alma...believed the words which Abinadi had spoken...and did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken..."
True doctrine, understood, improves attitudes and behavior.  Alma understood, and radically changed his attitude and behavior.  It's practically natural and automatic.  When we understand, we improve our behavior.

17:10,20 - "...having sealed the truth of his words by his death..."
I don't know if I would be able to handle that sort of situation...I'm definitely a people-pleaser. I want to be obedient to God, and if He asks me to do something, I want to do it.  However, I would much rather lift people up instead of condemning them.
I suppose the main point here is that although it may be hard, and may lead to your death, it is eternally important to do what the Lord asks of you.

17:20 - "...having sealed the truth of his words by his death..."
Abinadi gave his life for the gospel and the Lord.  We should have the faith required to give our life for the Lord.  Whether that is giving our life as in sacrificing it in death, or living our lives to build the kingdom, it still takes faith.
We must work and keep the commandments and we will develop faith.

Mosiah Chapter 16

16:1-2 - "...The time shall come when all shall see the salvation of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall cconfess before God that his judgments are just. And then shall the wicked be cast out..."
If we wish to not be cast out, then we must hearken unto the voice of the Lord.  This means that we keep the commandments, and follow the Spirit, and act in faith on His name.

16:6 - "...and now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption..."
Abinadi speaks as though the Savior had already come...I like that, because I know I would live differently if the Second Coming had already happened.  So why not live that way right now?  It will bring a lot more happiness!

16:13 - "...and now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?"
We need that faith.  We need to remember that we can't do it on our own.  We need the partnership of the Lord to cover for the many, many areas that we lack.  It's like playing doubles' tennis with Roger Federer on your side, or team best-ball golf with Tiger Woods on your team.  You gain these benefits, and you put your own efforts in.  Sure you will get a nice shot in now and then, but it's the Savior who really does the heavy lifting.  But to win as a team, you still have to follow the rules and hit your ball.  You have to do what the Lord requires.

Mosiah Chapter 15

15:5 - "...suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation..."
The sin does not lie in the temptation, but in acting on that temptation.  Even Jesus was tempted...He did not act/succumb to the temptation.
If I want to be like the Savior, I will not succumb to temptation, or I will repent and do better next time.

15:10-11 - "...who shall be his seed?"
According to this passage, whomever wants to be the Lord's seed are those who:
1. Have heard the words of the prophets
2. Have hearkened unto those words
3. Have believed that the Lord would redeem his people
4. Have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins.
All of these imply faith and work on our part...it takes a lot longer than overnight to accomplish these "steps" or state of being.  However...if I want to be his seed, then I will do these things.

15:11 - "...who shall be his seed?"
If we want to be His seed, then we will have faith in the Lord.  We have to believe that He will redeem His people.  If we have this faith, then we will do what it takes to be His seed, which involves helping others come unto Him.  It's part of our responsibility...to act in faith.

Mosiah Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - "...Isaiah speaks messianically..."
It's interesting to note that Abinadi quotes Isaiah and teaches about Jesus Christ.  That doesn't seem too abnormal...and it isn't!
The prophets teach about Jesus Christ even more than condemning behavior because when we understand true doctrine, our behavior improves automatically.
Alma understood Abinadi's words.
I also need to understand the words of the prophets - from the past as well as today.


14:2-3 - "...and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not..."
If we find that we are "hiding our faces" from the Lord, then we know that we need to repent and change the way we am doing things, but also why we do them.
We need to leave both sin and the desire to sin behind.

14:6 - "...all we like sheep have gone astray..."
We all go astray in some manner or another.  We all need to come back to God and Jesus Christ.  This takes faith to come back.  But we have to act on that faith, or it doesn't benefit us at all...that's just how it goes.

Mosiah Chapter 13

13:25-26 - "...if ye had [taught this people to keep the commandments], the Lord would not have caused me to come forth and to prophesy evil concerning this people..."
Good point!
If the prophet says that there is something wrong, it probably means...that something is wrong!  However, when a message comes during General Conference, it is going to the church in general.  This is why it is important to have the Spirit with us in a greater measure.  The specific message to us in where we need to change and improve will be different from others.
We have to be willing to self-inspect and change if we need to.

13:28 - "...salvation doth not come by the law alone..."
You have to find the happy medium...we are not saved solely by the law, but we are also not saved solely through the Atonement.
We each have our own roles, and we must follow those roles.  We cannot take Christ out of the picture, but we also cannot take ourselves out of the picture if we want to have eternal life, returning to live with God and the Son.

13:32 - "...for they understood not that there could not any man be saved except it were through the redemption of God..."
It's all about understanding.  If they truly understood the purpose of the redemption, they would keep the commandments.  We also need to make sure that we understand and keep the commandments.  As we do so, we come closer to Christ, who made it possible for us to be saved.

Mosiah Chapter 12

12:19 - "...Abinadi withstood them in all their questions..."
When we are living our lives in such as way that we have the Spirit with us at all times, we will be able to be guided to say what needs to be said, and withstand all that needs to be withstood.
We have our own proverbial Priests of Noah.  For some, it may be a co-worker or family member...for others it may be themselves.  In Abinadi's case, his Priests of Noah were the actual Priests of Noah.
He showed a great example of how we should be following the Spirit.

12:27 - "...apply your hearts to understanding...be wise..."
That's the best way to live.  If we work to be wise and apply ourselves to understanding, then we will be more empathetic to the people we know.
They don't need to be judged...they need help and support.

12:29-30,37 - "...if ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it..."
The Priests of Noah claimed to preach the Law of Moses, and yet they didn't follow it themselves.  This is much worse than disobedience.  This is claiming obedience and teaching obedience, yet living in hypocrisy.
If we truly want the blessings of obedience, we must follow what we preach, and do so willingly and cheerfully.  I'm grateful for laws, but we shouldn't need to have any.  If we truly understood the doctrines of the gospel, we would be living in such a way that we wouldn't be violating those laws in the first place.

Mosiah Chapter 11

11:25 - "...except they repent...and cry mightily to the Lord their God, he will be slow to hear their cries..."
If I want the Lord to hear my cries, I need to repent and cry mightily to the Lord.
He will answer our prayers.

11:25 - "...except they repent in sackcloth and ashes, and cry mightily to the Lord their God, I will not hear their prayers, neither will I deliver them out of their afflictions..."
Why would he deliver us from afflictions, when these afflictions are there to help us learn what we should be doing?  There are times that we may need to be delivered, but very often, we just need to be strengthened in our afflictions to learn and grow.

Just because we pray to the Lord, we're not guaranteed to have no afflictions.  However, if we repent and cry unto the Lord, we may still have the afflictions, but we will have a clear conscience, which opens us up to the Spirit...which will teach us and we will learn from our experiences.
11:29 - "...the eyes of the people were blinded; therefore they hardened their hearts against the words of Abinadi..."
If I'm taking the truth to be hard, or if I harden my heart against the words of the prophets, then I know I'm becoming spiritually blind.
It's a good gauge to use to assess our current situation and see where changes are needed, especially in coming unto Christ.

Mosiah Chapter 10

10:10 - "...and I, even I, in my old age, did go up to battle against the Lamanites..."
Zeniff was a good example of a good leader - he went up himself to battle against the Lamanites.  He was willing to lead them into battle and not just sit back and send them forward.
When I lead, I need to be willing and actually do what I tell others that they need to do!

10:11-19 - "...the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord..."
The Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, contrasted with the Nephites, who were inspired by putting their trust in the Lord.
If we want to win our own battles and be on the Lord's side, we need to find out which side He is on, then make sure that we're on the same side.
Sometimes the Lord takes sides in a battle, but it's always the right side.
 
10:14 - "...Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord..."
Nephi was favored of the Lord because he was faithful in keeping the commandments.  The Lord heard his prayers and answered them.  If we are faithful in keeping the commandments and covenants, we can have faith that our prayers will be answered.

Mosiah Chapter 9

9:1 - "...I was desirous that they should not be destroyed..."
Zeniff was desirous that the Lamanites should not be destroyed.  It's probably a good thing they got the conflict over with at that time...because if the kingdom had been established, this "austere and bloodthirsty" man could have caused much more damage, both among themselves and also with the rest of the Nephites.  Granted, fighting in any situation is undesirable.  We should all live our lives so that we are inviting the Spirit, and not driving him away, as well as our associates, friends and family.

9:1 - "...when I saw that which was good among them I was desirous that they should not be destroyed..."
It's about understanding.  When we have an understanding of the character of God and our ability to become like Him, then we want to help others to lift themselves up to come unto Christ.
 
9:17-18 - "...for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies...and God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might..."
God wants us to succeed, and when we ask for His help, He will help us.  But if not, we should act in faith anyways, knowing that any righteous choice will eventually bring us happiness.

Mosiah Chapter 8

8:8 - "...And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days, yet they were diligent..."
Even though the people that were sent forth became lost, they were still diligent.  They were blessed to find the records of the Jaredites.
Even if we seem to be lost, we are still being guided if we are keeping the commandments.

8:13 - "...I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God. And the things are called interpreters, and no man can look in them except he be commanded, lest he should look for that he ought not and he should perish. And whosoever is commanded to look in them, the same is called seer..."
Not only was king Limhi being taught here, but also Joseph Smith.  It says that no man can look into the interpreters except he be commanded.  This was probably after the 116 lost pages incident that Joseph Smith reached this part of the translation...so Joseph probably had some explanation to why there were huge consequences.  It relates even more to Oliver Cowdery and his attempt to use the interpreters.  That didn't work for many reasons, and this is probably one of them.
We also must act when we are commanded.

8:18 - "...thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings..."
it is a blessing to receive faith.  Yes, it's a responsibility and a commandment, but it is also a blessing.  Thus we have the responsibility when we receive faith to share that with others...to lift them and be instruments in God's hands to bring them unto Christ.

Mosiah Chapter 7

7:18 - "...the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made..."
It will not be easy, but this struggle liberates us from our enemies.  We do this with an eye single to His glory, and we will comprehend all things (D&C 88:67).

7:33 - "...if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage..."
This is not a guarantee, however, that we will be delivered.  We must have faith that He will deliver us, but we must also have faith and trust that it may not be the kind of deliverance we had in mind.  As long as we are putting ourselves into the position of being delivered and learning from our experiences, then we will be happy and are at least spiritually delivered.

Mosiah Chapter 6

6:1-2 - "...king Benjamin thought it was expedient, after having finished speaking to the people, that he should take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God to keep his commandments..."
If we want to be good leaders like King Benjamin, then we will remember those we lead. We do that through teaching, service, charity, etc.

6:1-2 - "...[they] entered into a covenant with God to keep his commandments..."
This is a very good way to increase our faith.  It's not enough to just make the covenant, though...we need to keep and renew them.  We must continually search to bless others, and as we reach out, we will have the Holy Ghost with us more. That is always good!

6:6-7 - "...king Mosiah did cause his people that they should till the earth. And he also, himself, did till the earth..."
King Benjamin was willing to work...putting his actions where his words were. He didn't command them to do anything he wasn't willing to do.
That's another great example of leadership.  Live righteously then go and do what you command others to do.

Mosiah Chapter 5

5:2 - "...a mighty change in us...or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually..."
This is true repentance...if I want to truly repent, then I will not only leave my sins, but also the desire to sin.  When we do this, we come even closer to Christ (Alma 5:14).

5:7-8 - "...your hearts are changed through faith on his name..."
It is through faith on his name that we have the mighty change of heart.  The only way we will change is if we believe that it is worth it...if we believe that Jesus Christ has atoned for our sins, and that we can have eternal life.
We need to work on gaining this great faith...which comes from keeping our covenants.

5:13 - "...how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served..."
Why do we forget the master?
"...and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?..."
This is why.  When we let other things take the place of God in our lives, we become a stranger unto Him.  If we want the Lord in our lives, we need to let Him in!

Mosiah Chapter 4

4:2-3 - "...and they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ..."
Why apply the atoning blood? The verse explains:
"That we may..."
1) Receive forgiveness of our sins
2) Our hearts may be purified
3) Spirit of the Lord come upon us
4) Be filled with joy
5) Have peace of conscience
This is how we can apply the atonement - by having faith, repenting, and letting virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly.  Then we gain these amazing blessings.  We should be applying the atonement daily.

Elder David A. Bednar talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 80-83.  He talked about clean hands and a pure heart.
"In this verse we find the twofold blessing of both forgiveness of sin, suggesting clean hands, and the transformation of our nature, signifying pure hearts...brothers and sisters, it is possible for us to have clean hands but not have a pure heart.  Please notice that both clean hands and a pure heart are required to ascend into the hill of the Lord and to stand in His holy place."
I don't think I could put it better.  Let's do our best to apply this.

4:11-12 - "...Remember...the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come..."
If we do this, we shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of our sins...and we shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created us, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true...as the verses specify.
We want to retain this remission of our sins, and it takes work.  It takes a change of heart.  But we can receive it.  And what a blessing!

4:20-25 - "...he has [not] suffered that ye have begged in vain...he has poured out his Spirit upon you...o then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another..."
We need to understand that God grants according to our petitions, and we need to become like God.  We need to be careful when we judge what people do and don't deserve.  It's interesting, because often I don't want to hand out money to people on the street...probably because I don't want them to be tempted and abuse the gift.  However, in certain situations, such an act *could* technically be the catalyst that helps them change their life around.  That's why it's important to follow the Spirit and be ready to do what He asks us to do in any situation.

Mosiah Chapter 3

3:1-2 - "...and the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God..."
King Benjamin describes in this chapter a very similar vision to the one that Nephi, Jacob, and Lehi had received relating to some of the history of the world.  It is a great testament to the principle of having more than one witness.

3:16-17 - "...little children...are blessed...there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ"
We only receive salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, and even through Christ, we need to become as little children.  Child-like, that is...not child-ish.

3:19 - "...the natural man is an enemy to God..."
It takes faith to put off the natural man...great faith sometimes.  But that's what it takes.  If we don't have faith, we won't become meek and submissive.  We won't be humble and patient or full of love.  We need to have faith, and we gain faith by keeping our covenants.
Also...the "natural man" is really just our fallen state.  It's not our "natural" or "original" state...as it says in Alma 41:4-5, at the last day all things will be restored to their "proper order" or their "natural frame"...with corruptibility putting on incorruptibility.
Our "natural frame" is our eternal nature...NOT the natural man.  If we keep this in mind, it will help us to make correct decisions, remembering that our natural desire is to become like God...and that our "fallen" desire is to be like the natural man.

Mosiah Chapter 2

2:6 - "...every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple..."
In Exodus 33:8 - the people had their tents facing towards the tabernacle.
In Genesis 13:12,18 - Lot pitches his tent towards Sodom, while Abram removed his tent to move to another spot and build an altar unto the Lord.
Where are we facing?  Do we face towards the temple and our covenants, or to Sodom & the world?
It's pretty tough sometimes, especially with the television and the internet in the home.  We must be careful.
--One other note about Genesis 13:18 - the word "altar."
We have altars to make a sacrifice to God and leave our sins to come closer to Him.  I like how the word is really close to the word "alter," or "to change," becuase when we make that sacrifice, we alter or change ourselves in order to come unto Christ!

2:17 - "...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God..."
If we love God, we'll keep His commandments (Matthew 25:40, D&C 42:30-31).  Also, if we truly understand the doctrine of the Character of God, then we will improve our behavior automatically and serve our fellow man, because we know they have the potential to become like God, and we would never treat God in that way.
President Henry B. Eyring talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 55-58 - describing how we receive callings: "I had prayed, as you will, about overwhelming inadequacies.  The answer was very clear and very direct and really a rebuke as I prayed. 'Forget yourself - start praying about the people you are to serve.' That does wonders, I can testify, to bring the Holy Ghost."
Elder Steven E. Snow also talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 102-104.  "This service is to be given unselfishly, with no thought of personal gain or reward.  It is to be given as needed, not when convenient.  Opportunities to serve may not always seem obvious, as it is human nature to worry about our own wants and needs.  We must resist such tendancies and look for opportunities to serve.  When we visit with those who are suffering from sickness, loss of loved ones, or other heartbreak, it is not enough to simply say, 'call if there is anything I can do.'  Rather, look for ways to bless the lives of others through seemingly simple acts of service.  It is better to do even things of little consequence than to do nothing at all."
Every little bit counts.  We can and must make a difference in our own small way.

2:41 - "...the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments...if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness..."
We have a great promise as we remain faithful.  God wants us to be happy...not only in the life to come, but also right now.  And we can have that as we are faithful to Him and His commandments.

Mosiah Chapter 1

1:2-5 - "...the sons of King Benjamin were taught in all the language of their fathers...so that they might know concerning the prophecies...which were engraven on the plates of brass...otherwise they would have suffered in ignorance..."
If they would not have had the Brass Plates, they would have dwindled in unbelief...much like Omni 1:17.

1:7 - "...I would that ye should remember to search them diligently..."
This reminder is also shown in D&C 1:37-38.  Search the commandments, because in them, the prophecies are found...and they will be fulfilled.  There's no better way to be prepared than to...prepare.  We do that by searching the commandments and following them.

1:17 - "...therefore, as they were unfaithful they did not prosper nor progress in their journey..."
We are the same in our own journey in life.  If we are faithful, we will receive the direction and guidance that we need.  Otherwise, we will be reminded, sometimes in a harsh manner, of what we need to do to become faithful again.

Words of Mormon

verses 1-2 - "...behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites..."
Many of the Book of Mormon prophets had this same sad experience, whether in vision or in their own lives.  To see the destruction of your own people must be a tough experience!  If I experienced the same thing, think I would pray for the same blessings that these prophets prayed for...that the words of the Book of Mormon might one day touch the lives of so many more people and help them to come unto Christ.  I have personally been so blessed by living the teachings taught in the Book of Mormon, and I am grateful to the Lord and all the prophets and writers...for putting in the effort, thought, and prayers.  It has helped me so much, and I know that I am closer to Christ because of it.  I hope that my own writings and teachings correspond with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others come unto Him, too.
verses 6-7 - "...and I do this for a wise purpose..."
Mormon followed the Spirit and had faith that putting these records into the Book of Mormon had a wise purpose.  Because of his faith and actions, we have great truths that we can learn about and follow.
If we want to be effective servants, we must have faith and follow the Spirit.
verse 14 - "...in the strength of the Lord they did contend against their enemies..."
Sometimes the Lord takes sides in a battle...but it's always the right side.
If we want to be on the right side, we must take the Lord's side. To know which side this is, we must listen to the Prophet as well as the Holy Ghost.

Omni

verse 7 - "...the Lord...did spare the righteous that they should not perish, but did deliver them out of the hands of their enemies..."
If we are living the way we should, we will not be destroyed, at least spiritually...which is what really counts.  None will He destroy that believe in Him (2 Nephi 6:14).

verse 17 - "...and their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them..."
The two portions of this excerpt may be very closely related.  A BYU Professor did a study on the words in the Book of Mormon, and found that reading the Book of Mormon helps improve reading and language skills.  Interesting - not only are we fed spiritually, but we also improve our literacy.  Reading the Book of Mormon in French sure helped me learn French quicker! (Mosiah 1:2-5)

verse 25 - "...for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil..."
This is a good standard to compare to.  If the things that we are doing persuade, or entice us to do good, then it comes from the Lord, but if it entices us to do evil, that's from the devil (2 Nephi 2:16).
We would not do anything unless we were enticed to do it...so we need to look for the good enticements and remove as many of the evil ones as we can out of our lives.

verse 25 - "...believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good..."
Part of the key here is believing in these blessings and manifestations of the Spirit.  God wants to give these blessings to us and help us grow and progress, especially in helping others...but it requires faith.  Often we miss out on these blessings because we don't believe we'll receive.  We need to exercise our faith!

Jarom

verses 3-4 - "...God is exceedingly merciful unto them..."
God had not swept the people off the earth because He is merciful.  He knew that there were righteous and faithful people among them.  Sometimes the power of faith is enough to save others.  Just like some people receive the consequences of another person's sins, even though they aren't guilty...sometimes people receive the benefits of somebody else's faith, even if they don't have that same faith.

verse 4 - "...and there are many among us who have many revelations, for they are not all stiffnecked..."
We receive revelation when we are not stiffnecked - which entails having faith, and having communion with the Holy Spirit.  With those prerequisites, you are leaving your pride and opening yourself to recieve more revelation, according to your faith and willingness to apply it.

verses 9-10 - "...inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land..."
When we keep the commandments, we prosper in the land; conversely, when we do not keep the commandments, we are ripened in iniquity and are destroyed from off the face of the land.  We need to know the commandments first, then keep them!

verses 11-12 - "...persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was..."
This refers back to Enos 1:23 - because here in Jarom, the prophets and teachers are teaching that the people should believe in Christ as though He already was, pricking the people's hearts with the word of God.
In Enos, apparently nothing helped the people except extreme harshness.  People can change, and so should our methods/modes/theories of teaching...based on what is needed, but also upon revelation.  When we have the Holy Ghost with us, we will know what needs to be taught...and how to teach it in the most effective manner, even if it may seem counter-intuitive.

Enos

verses 1-19 - Enos prays
These verses show an example of how our attitudes and behavior can change, even in a relatively short amount of time.  Enos started by praying for himself, and when he received forgiveness for his sins, he desired the welfare of his brethren, the Nephites and Lamanites.
As we receive great blessings in our own lives, we then desire to share that with our family, friends, and everyone else we know.  We gain forgiveness and other blessings through our faith and acting on that faith.

verse 23 - "...there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness...and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction..."
You could look at this method of teaching and say, "well, this method kept the people from destruction, so that's what we need to do, too!"  There is a fundamental flaw with this attitude - this method of teaching is exactly that: a teaching method.  A method is also a theory...a model that the prophets used at that time because it worked, based on the people's current status/behavior.
The flaw would be if we tried to use that one method as a "catch-all" method for every situation in exhorting and calling people to repentance.
We should not limit our thinking.
Many times, just helping people understand the doctrines of the gospel will help them improve their behavior.  It doesn't have to be harsh if it doesn't need to be.

Jacob Chapter 7

7:5,12 - "...And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken..."
Jacob had great faith in the Lord, and could not be shaken.  This is because he not only saw angels and heard the voice of the Lord, but he also had it witnessed unto him by the power of the Holy Ghost.  Laman and Lemuel, Jacob's brothers, also saw angels and did not have faith to not be shaken.  They did not act on the experiences they had received and develop unshakeable faith.  If they had, they could have been like unto Jacob and received a witness from the Holy Ghost.  We all have experiences that give us the possibility to become like God and have faith in Him and His Son.  It's how we receive these experiences and how we act on our faith that determines how we will grow.

7:8 - "...but behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words..."
The other day I was thinking about following the Spirit, and if there were other lesser well-known examples of being guided by the Spirit in the scriptures.  This appears to be one of those accounts (much like Nephi in 1 Nephi 4:6).
I like this, because even face to face with a tough enemy of the church, the Spirit can help us say the right things.
We just need to be worthy at all times to receive it!

7:10-12 - "...And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea. And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ..."
Understanding is so important.  When we understand true doctrine, our behavior improves automatically.  If Sherem had understood the scriptures, he would have understood that Jesus was the Christ, and that He would come to save us from our sins.  Sherem's behavior would have been to help others to come unto Christ.  We see that right after the sign was given from Jacob, Sherem understood immediately what he had been doing, and that God knew.  So what happened?  His behavior improved, immediately.  We just need to search for understanding, then improve our behavior, daily and immediately.

Jacob Chapter 6

6:2-3 - "...And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard..."
If we want to receive joy and fulfill our glory while aiding in His glory, we must labor diligently to help others come unto Christ.  Not easy, but definitely worth it.

6:5 - "...Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you..."
Jacob is fulfilling his glory (being an instrument in the hands of God to bring some souls to repentance - Alma 29:9) by exhorting us to fulfill our work (keeping the commandments through repentance and coming unto Christ - D&C 11:20).
We do our part by choosing God, and, in turn, we become chosen.  We must cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto us.

6:8 - "...will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye...deny the good word of Christ...and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit..."
Elder Keith K. Hilbig talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 37-39 - we either quench or invite the Spirit based on the choices we make.  Where are our priorities?
"1. Do I spend more time with sports than Church attendance or callings?
2. If I have a free day, do I choose to attend the temple or to visit the mall?
3. Do I resort to computer games or surfing the Internet rather than offering meaningful service to others in my home and community?
4. Do I read the newspaper religiously but find it difficult to read the scriptures daily?"
These and other questions help us determine our priorities in life, and can help us realize what we need to do in order to improve our choices.

6:11 - "...repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life..."
This is a great blessing of acting in faith.  Eternal life is awesome!  As we act in faith, we will prepare ourselves in the necessary way to gain eternal life, with the help of the Godhead.  They make it possible to us through grace.

Jacob Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - "...And now, my beloved, how is it possible that these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their corner? (Jacob 4:16-18)..."

Symbol	What it may Represent
The Vineyard	The World
Master of the Vineyard; Lord of the Vineyard	God
Servants	God's Prophets, servants, and missionaries
Tame Olive Tree	The house of Israel, the Lord's covenant people
Wild Olive Tree	Gentiles, or non-Israelites (later in the allegory the wild branches are apostate Israel)
Branches	Groups of People
The roots of the Tame Olive Tree	The covenants the Lord makes with His children, a constant source of strength and life to the faithful.
The Fruit	The lives or works of men.
Digging, Pruning, Fertilizing	The work the Lord does for His children to help them be obedient and fruitful.
Transplanting the Branches	Scattering groups of people throughout the world, or restoring them to where they came from.
Grafting	The joining of one group of people to another; referring to scattered israel, it also means to "come to the knowledge of the true Messiah" (1 Nephi 10:14)
Burning	Destruction of the Wicked
Decaying Branches	People dying spiritually from sin and apostasy
Casting Branches into the Fire	God's judgments

5:48 - "...the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots..."
This could be interpreted as the people rejecting the roots (or covenants) and relying upon their own knowledge.  This is very dangerous.  We must keep our covenants if we truly want to be happy and return to live with God and be like Him.


5:50 - "...but, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a little longer..."
This testifies of the love that the Lord has for us...that even though He knows the "best" procedure, He will answer our prayers and grant unto us pretty often what we ask for...even if sometimes it's not the best for us.

5:70 - "...And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few..."
Many are called, but few are chosen (D&C 121:34-36). We must choose God in order to become "chosen."

5:71-72 - "...if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come..."
This is really what it's all about...this describes our work and glory (Moses 1:39, D&C 11:20, Alma 29:9, 2 Nephi 2:25).

5:72-73 - "...the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things..."
If we are obedient and hearken unto the voice of the Lord, we will be effective servants in His hands.  We have to act in faith and work from our current knowledge and understanding.  As we do this, we will see the results and feel the Lord's approval, because He will be right there with us.  "...and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them."  We are not asked to do this on our own.  The Lord will help us, guide us, and direct us through the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We just need to do our part and act in faith.

Jacob Chapter 4

4:6 - "...we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope and our faith becometh unshaken..."
This is not how we first receive faith, but how our faith can grow.  If we study, act, and hope, we will develop our faith and become unshakeable.  We know it's important to have faith because it helps us develop other attributes and understanding...we just need to remember that we have to develop faith, too.

4:6-8 - "...we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea..."
As we search the prophecies, receive revelations, and receive the spirit of prophecy, we receive also a hope, a faith that becometh unshaken, and we can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.  We can do those things, but we need humility!  God shows us our weakness that we can be made strong.  Our weakness is our distance from God (Ether 12:27).
I wonder what we could do and how we could help others if we followed the requirements and had enough faith to move mountains.

4:8 - "...no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him..."
Elder Richard G. Scott talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 90-92. "The best way of finding truth is simply to go to the origin of all truth and ask or respond to inspiration.  For success, two ingredients are essential: first, unwavering faith in the source of all truth; second, a willingness to keep God's commandments to keep open spiritual communication with Him."
This is how we can and will receive revelation.

4:13 - "...behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men..."
We need to understand what is being taught so we can apply it.  That's why it needs to be plain (Alma 5:43).  When we search beyond the mark, the plainness is taken away and we dive into confusion.  That's not how we want to end up.  Sticking with the basic doctrines and principles of the gospel will help us understand all we need to understand.
The distance to Kolob is not important right now.  Having faith enough to move mountains...that's more important.

4:16-18 - "...how is it possible that [the Jews], after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it..."
The Jews (in general) rejected Jesus Christ...how can they build again upon that foundation...or the head of their corner? (Psalms 118:22).  The answer lies within Jacob 5.