25:1-2 - "...For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall..."
At the Second Coming, the wicked will be burned like stubble. However, the righteous shall not fear, because they fear the Lord.
It is better to fear Him now, and in a righteous way, than to fear Him later midst the destruction.
25:2 - "...unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings..."
Here is another great blessing that comes through faith on Christ. If we 'fear' Him, we will be doing what we can to live His commandments and do what it takes to live with Him again.
This will put us in the position to receive healing from the Lord.
25:5-6 - "...Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse..."
Elijah has come and has turned the hearts of the children and the fathers. Family History is huge, and we see so many people with the urgency and feeling of accomplishing their family history work. The Spirit of Elijah has helped us a lot with that.
We need to help out with this work now, because soon it may be a lot more difficult (D&C 110).
24:1 - "...And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi..."
The Lord gave them the same words given to Malachi. It was that important.
I like this because it shows that God gives the same word to all His children if they will accept it.
We must accept it, though, or we risk losing what we have received.
24:8-12 - "...Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it..."
I know that this principle is very real, as well as the blessings.
I have seen the blessings come in many forms, including the temples built around the world at this time. I can testify that tithing helps us to not go hungry - physically or spiritually. We must be keeping the commandments, but it gives us the boost that we need.
24:14 - "...Ye have said: It is vain to serve God..."
We need to give up our doubts and believe in Christ, having faith to serve God. We do this in many ways, including serving others. We also do this through keeping the commandments, like paying our tithing.
24:14-17 - "...Ye have said: It is vain to serve God, and what doth it profit that we have kept his ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?..."
Many times it may seem that the wicked are happy and that things don't go well for the righteous. We need to not lose hope but continue faithfully, and we will eventually see that the sum result of every good action is that we are blessed for it.
23:1 - "...And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah..."
This shows one of the commandments about reading scripture. It's important that we search the words of Isaiah. They teach of Christ, and it brings us closer to Christ when we follow the teachings in the scriptures.
23:5 - "...And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved..."
This reiterates one of the 'basic' blessings of faith - Eternal Life! This is actually huge and can be overlooked sometimes.
If we believe Christ and apply His teachings, we will receive the amazing blessings that He offers.
23:6-13 - "...And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded..."
Jesus Christ commanded that Nephi add to the records.
We are asked to keep journals so we can help future generations.
It also shows that the Lord does bless us and it will help us to be more grateful, because as we write down the blessings that we receive, we realize and show more gratitude, especially in giving credit where credit is due.
22:2 - "...Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes..."
One of our duties in helping others to come unto Christ is to perfect the saints. We do this by strengthening our stakes, wards, districts, branches, etc. It says spare not - so we need to spare no pains to accomplish this.
22:10 - "...For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee..."
Even the mountains will move before the Lord will break His covenants. We are the ones who move.
If we want to see the blessings, we need to do what we can to keep the covenants that we have made with the Lord.
22:10 - "...For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee..."
It struck me how much that the Lord wants to give us an excuse to have faith in Him. Or many excuses.
I know because I see them in so many aspects of my own life!
21:1-3 - "...And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion...these things shall be made known unto them..."
One of the signs of the Second Coming is the appearance of the Book of Mormon.
It's here. We have it - and it shows us how we can repent, be baptized, and know of "the true points of [His] doctrine" (vs. 6).
It's up to us to search out and follow the true doctrine.
21:11 - "...Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant..."
I think it's important to focus on the blessings, but we should also keep in mind the consequences of not having and living in faith. If we don't, we are cut off. If we do, we have acceptance, joy, life - even eternal life - and the great blessings of the Atonement.
I would much rather have these blessings than the negative consequences!
21:22 - "...But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them..."
This is how the Lord prepares us for His Second Coming - We prepare ourselves.
To prepare ourselves, we must believe in His words, and then bring those words to those around us.
20:1 - "...And it came to pass that he commanded the multitude that they should cease to pray, and also his disciples. And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts..."
The Savior commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts.
We must follow the same example. We need to always pray in our hearts - it turns us to the Lord and helps us rely more on Him than our own strength.
20:8 - "...He that eateth this bread eateth of my body to his soul; and he that drinketh of this wine drinketh of my blood to his soul; and his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled..."
If we search the scriptures, we will not be hungry or thirsty spiritually. We must do this daily.
20:30-31 - "...the fulness of my gospel shall be preached unto them..."
In the last days one of the signs of the Second Coming is that the Gospel will be preached in the whole world. We are seeing the fulfillment, especially in this latest General Conference where President Thomas S. Monson announced that the age requirements for missionaries have changed from 19 to 18 for young men and 21 to 19 for young women.
We also need to preach the gospel in our own homes, families, neighborhoods, etc.
20:30-34 - "...Then shall they break forth into joy..."
Because of faith and our belief in Christ, as well as gratitude for the Lord's blessings, we will have great joy. We can have joy now if we apply, in faith, these same principles.
19:6-10,17-35 - "...And they did pray..."
The word "pray" or "prayed" (etc.) is mentioned 28 times in this passage.
This is an important thing that the Savior taught them. It was the first thing that he taught after telling them to ponder and come prepared the next day.
It's important that we pray continually and in the correct manner.
19:22 - "...Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them..."
I haven't quite understood this verse for a long time, so if you have any insights, let me know in the comments below.
The thing that confuses me is why the people were praying to Jesus Christ instead of God. Perhaps they were confused. It doesn't appear that Jesus corrects them at that time - maybe he thought it wasn't something that needed to be corrected. Or perhaps he did correct them, and it wasn't recorded, which is definitely possible.
It has been my understanding that we are supposed to pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, so that's why I had that confusion.
19:28-29 - "...Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have chosen, because of their faith..."
This is another great blessing of faith - purification! If we are faithful, and endure our pains and afflictions while following faithfully the words of God, the Savior, and their servants, we can and will be purified. It doesn't have to wait until after this life. That's a great blessing made possible by the Atonement!
18:15 - "...Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led away captive by him..."
If we don't keep our guard up, we will be tricked by Satan.
Constantly and consistently throughout the scriptures, when we see the advice on how to combat Satan, it is through prayer.
We need to pray always so we can discern his temptations and avoid falling for them.
18:18 - "...Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat..."
If we want to be able to resist temptation, we must have the faith to be praying always and watching steadfastly so we are doing positive and uplifting activities and have uplifting thoughts.
18:20 - "...And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you..."
Elder Spencer J. Condie talked about this and said that this is one way to gain and claim the exceeding great and precious promises of the gospel (November 2007 Ensign, pg. 16-18).
As we put forth the effort, with a righteous desire - if it is right and it's what the Lord wants - we shall receive it.
18:24 - "...Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do..."
How do we hold up our light? We do what Christ did and follow His example. As we do so, we have the Holy Ghost in us and others can see that light (Matthew 5:14-16).
17:3 - "...go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow..."
This is a great way to receive revelation - by pondering on the scriptures, words of Christ, and His Apostles and Prophets.
Then - write it down! You'll look back later and have more insights.
17:3 - "...go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow..."
Elder Walter F. Gonzalez talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 53-55. "In a world that increasingly demands more of our time, it is essential that we take time to ponder in our homes, so that we may understand divine doctrine and its principles."
When we ponder, search, and write things down, it helps us remember.
We gain more trust, and respect - great blessings!
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave some great counsel in this manner in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 108.
"All of the proceedings of this conference will appear in a subsequent issue of the Ensign and Liahona. We encourage you again to read the talks in your family home evenings and discuss them together as families. They are the products of much prayer and meditation and are well worthy of careful consideration."
We have this opportunity, so we should take advantage of it, and learn from the best!
17:8 - "...I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you..."
The Savior didn't say that He would heal them to increase their faith but that their faith was already sufficient.
We need to have faith and then have it confirmed by these miracles and not have our faith based on one single thing.
17:20 - "...and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full..."
Another "side effect" of faith is that when we see it in others it makes us really happy. We can help others be happy by sharing our faith!
17:21-23 - "...he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them..."
Jesus Christ was the perfect example of how we should treat children. Through love, patience, and long-suffering, much more is accomplished than hate and anger and yelling (Moroni 8:17).
16:1 - "...And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister..."
In this verse, He's probably talking about the Lost Ten Tries, but no matter who He's talking about, He keeps His promises to visit the people.
We wait now for the Second Coming, and He will keep those promises, too. We just need to have faith and do what He asks us to do.
16:10 - "...At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them..."
If we are not careful and fall into transgression, we will inevitably reject the gospel and it will be taken away from us. We need to be keeping all the commandments without hypocrisy.
16:13 - "...But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel..."
We all have this opportunity to exercise our faith. If we really repent, acting in faith to return to the Father, we will receive the fruits of our faith and be numbered among the House of Israel.
What a great blessing!
15:3-5 - "...Marvel not that I said unto you that old things had passed away, and that all things had become new..."
Jesus Christ gave the law and covenants. He knew what was needful to the people at each time period and what is needful to us today.
We need to look to Him and His prophets so we will know what to do, then do it.
15:9 - "...Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live..."
We look unto Christ today by keeping the commandments and developing Christ-like attributes.
15:9 - "...Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live..."
This requires faith. We have to actually believe that we will truly live if we do look. This applies to keeping the commandments, following counsel, and self-improvement.
14:11 - "...If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
I really like the recently created Joseph Smith video because it shows Joseph Smith Sr. taking his time to make a special gift for one of his sons. It was very thoughtful, and highlighted that we know that our Father will give even better gifts if we will ask Him.
That's what we need to do (D&C 6:5).
14:20 - "...Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them..."
You can know somebody and their intentions by their fruits, whether good or evil.
Elder M. Russell Ballard talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 25-27 - he talked about sharing the gospel with others - that we don't have to be detailed - just specific and to the point, and let the fruits speak for themselves.
We don't have to be long-winded to be effective missionaries! Short and to the point can be much more effective sometimes.
14:21 - "...Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven..."
Faith is much more than saying, "I believe" - it's acting on that belief and trusting while we act and when we can't do everything. We try everything we can do and trust the Lord to help take care of where we lack.
We must try - and trust.
13:8 - "...for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him..."
Even though he does know, we still need to ask. All blessings are predicated upon a commandment. In order to receive a blessing, we need to do some work. For many blessings, that work is prayer.
We must be sincere, and grateful.
13:14 - "...For, if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you..."
If we do not forgive, the we have the greater sin. This is because the sin is pride. We are too proud to forgive, and also we are saying that we know better than Heavenly Father and suppose that we can command God to not forgive somebody.
We need to humble ourselves and truly forgive others (Mosiah 26:31, 3 Nephi 14:1-5).
13:20-21 - "...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also..."
Where do we place our heart? (D&C 6:7)
In sports, antique cars, laptops, games, Pinterest...?
By your fruits shall you be known (3 Nephi 14:20).
13:33 - "...But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you..."
If we truly are seeking to build the kingdom and help those around us, then our efforts will be expanded and validated and blessed. This does not mean that we neglect our health by doing too many church meetings - it DOES mean faithfully acting as God would have us act in helping others. We decrease pride, increase humility, and increase faith as we see the blessings pour in.
I've seen it, and can still do better. We can all do better.
12:13 - "...Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men..."
One of the best tasting things in the world is cooked salted meat.
However, it tastes really bad when the salt is left in humidity and gets stale, losing its flavor. Having lived in a very humid area for a few years, I have seen this firsthand - and had to throw away a bunch of salt.
Granted, salt is a lot less expensive now than it was back during the Savior's time. However, the principle is the same.
We need to always be steadfastly moving towards the Savior so we do not become stale and good for nothing.
12:23-24 - "...Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee - Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you..."
If we want to come unto Christ, we must have faith enough to repent and resolve issues before we can come unto Christ.
12:48 - "...Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect..."
In Matthew 5:48 there is a similar message - but there it just says the Father.
It's interesting because it seems that it's saying that now that Jesus Christ has been resurrected and is perfect, that now it is our ultimate goal to be like both of them.
It takes more than this earthly life, but we can eventually do this.
11:3-6 - "...and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center..."
The voice was very soft - why?
There may be many reasons, including encouraging the people to be more quiet and listen to the Holy Spirit more, but I also think that it could be because there were many children there at the time. In order to not frighten them, God spoke softly, reminding them who was speaking.
The Holy Ghost speaks in a still small voice as well, so we need to be ready to listen.
11:7 - "...in whom I am well pleased..."
There is no such thing as righteous pride - so the Father was "well pleased."
We need to leave all our pride and instead have righteous happiness. We can be pleased in the work that we do, the service that we give, and the blessings that we enjoy, but we must remember the source of all these things and be grateful to God for all that we are given.
11:21-28 - "...And he said unto them: On this wise shall ye baptize..."
The first thing that the people asked for (in verse 17 they shouted Hosanna, which means "Save me") was salvation, so Jesus taught them about baptism first.
That is what they needed to know, and what we need to know and teach. Without baptism, we cannot progress.
11:37-38 - "...And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name..."
A child has great faith in their father and mother. There is a lot of trust and dependence. As we seek to be "saved" we must have the faith and trust and dependence that will help us become as little children - meek, humble, and submissive.
And grateful!
10:5-6 - "...And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen..."
The Lord will gather us under His wings. We must come unto Him with full purpose of heart - or in other words, repent and become like Him.
10:12 - "...And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not; and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, who were spared..."
If we want to be saved, we must personally have the faith to accept our prophets and leaders and apply their teachings.
Sometimes it may seem hard to follow them, but we must do so if we wish to be saved.
10:14-17 - "...Yea, many have testified of these things at the coming of Christ, and were slain because they testified of these things. Yea, the prophet Zenos did testify of these things, and also Zenock spake concerning these things, because they testified particularly concerning us, who are the remnant of their seed..."
Many prophets testified of these things throughout the years, so we have no excuse.
We know the signs of the times, and if we are caught off guard, it is only our own fault. It's up to us to always be prepared and then help others when we are able.
9:2 - "...wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people..."
They laugh because so many people sin and become angels to a devil (2 Nephi 9:9). We need to be righteous and keep the commandments, then help others in the same quest.
9:5,7,9,11 - "...that the blood of the prophets and the saints shall not come any more unto me against them..."
The Lord is Just, and due retribution will be dealt out - many times by the wicked themselves.
If we are righteous, the blessings will come eventually.
It's up to us to do what is right.
9:13-14 - "...if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life..."
If we want to be healed, we must have faith in Christ and come unto Him. He will help us and cleanse us as we exercise our faith. It takes work, yes, but it's worth it!
The Lord has mercy and is always ready to forgive us, if we will just come unto Him. This implies action. We must come unto Him.
9:19-20 - "...And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit..."
The law was fulfilled and now they did away with blood sacrifices.
What we do now is sacrifice a broken heart and contrite spirit.
We need to have a change of heart, repent, and forsake our sins.
9:20 - "...the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not..."
President Boyd K. Packer expounded upon this idea in the November 2007 Ensign, pg. 8. He speaks of when he was called to be an assistant to the Twelve Apostles, and they asked him to bear his testimony. He gave a simple testimony and was surprised when they were pleased.
"It puzzled me for a long time until finally I could see that I already had what was required: an abiding testimony in my heart of the Restoration...through Joseph Smith, that we have a Heavenly Father, and that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. I may not have known all about it, but I did have a testimony, and I was willing to learn.
9:22 - "...Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God..."
We must become as a little child - not childish, but childlike. This is how we can take upon us the attributes of Jesus Christ (Mosiah 3:19).
8:1 - "...and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity..."
It's important that we be ready at all times, especially having the Priesthood, to be worthy to give blessings.
Miracles can and do happen.
8:4 - "...And there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people, notwithstanding so many signs had been given..."
It is interesting to see how there really is no middle ground - either we have faith and look forward to the signs and prophecies being fulfilled, or we try to explain them away.
There really is no avoidance. We either develop faith or doubt and rationalization.
8:24-25 - "...And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day..."
Samuel the Lamanite had warned them of this very thing - that they would say, "Oh had we repented before this day."
We must repent now, or suffer the consequences.
7:15 - "...And it came to pass that Nephi—having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord..."
Nephi had been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord.
We are also visited by the voice of the Lord - at least every six months, then with the Ensign, Stake Conference, etc. (D&C 68:3-4).
7:17-18 - "...And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words..."
Nephi taught with such power and authority that the people could not disbelieve his words.
It's awesome to have power, especially power like that, but it's much better to use that power righteously.
We will be qualified and receive much needed help.
7:18 - "...And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily..."
We can tell if somebody believes what they are saying. We can also tell if what they are saying is true.
There is a difference. People may preach falsehoods and sincerely believe them.
We must develop the faith to really believe what we preach, but also to have the Holy Ghost witness of the truth.
7:24-26 - "...Now I would have you to remember also, that there were none who were brought unto repentance who were not baptized with water..."
Repentance leads to baptism.
This applies to us in showing that we need to repent daily and take the sacrament each week, renewing our covenants that we made at baptism.
This is how we can continually have faith unto repentance and repentance unto baptism.
6:5 - "...And now there was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression..."
The only thing stopping prosperity is falling into transgression.
Why?
When the people start wanting more, or stealing, then they lose what they have. If they are not grateful, they forget the Lord.
We must always be grateful so we do not forget the Lord either.
6:16 - "...And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years..."
Here it is again - a side effect or blessing of faith is having peace. If we act in faith and keep the commandments, we will have peace - even if it is just peace of mind.
6:17-18 - "...Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them..."
It is much worse for us if we know the will of God and don't do it than if we had never known.
Righteousness is definitely the way to go.
5:1-3 - "...And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken..."
It's surprising how quickly things turn from everybody believing the words of the holy prophets to wickedness yet again.
How quick are we to turn from God?
We need to stand with steadfast dedication.
5:1-3 - "...And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken...Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations..."
One of the outward manifestations of faith (the opposite of doubt) is repenting and serving God. We know we are opening ourselves up to receiving more faith when we have a greater desire to serve God and our fellow man.
5:13 - "...Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life..."
We are supposed to stand as witnesses at all times and places. It's not what we know - but what we do with what we know!
4:10 - "...the Nephites did not fear them; but they did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection..."
The Nephites feared God more than the robbers.
We must fear God more than men, for then we will not be defeated physically, mentally, or spiritually.
4:30-33 - "...And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction..."
The Nephites had a great victory because they trusted the Lord and did not lean upon their own understanding.
They waited for the robbers to come - and fought behind the fortifications they knew well.
We must stay in our own spiritual forts, and we will be able to withstand the attacks of the Devil (3 Nephi 3:20-21).
4:33 - "...And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction..."
Their faith, humility, and repentance saved them. If we want to be saved temporally and spiritually, we must do and develop these same attributes.
3:7-8 - "...yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren that ye may be like unto us..."
Misery loves company, and so does wickedness.
We need to watch out for Satan's invitations to join him. It's up to us to always keep the commandments and do what is right. Satan uses good things to try to pull us into sin.
It's also interesting that at one point Osama Bin Laden offered to Bush to "Join in the Brotherhood of Islam."
3:12 - "...this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber..."
Lachoneus was not frightened, but did cry unto the Lord for strength.
This is the key - turn to the Lord and you shall not fear but have faith.
This helps with holding up the shield of faith against the fiery darts of the adversary.
3:20-21 - "...But Gidgiddoni saith unto them: The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands..."
Gidgiddoni knew that you defend and not attack unless the Lord says so.
This shows us the default - what we should do unless otherwise commanded. It's the course we should normally take (3 Nephi 4:30-33).
3:26 - "...And they were exceedingly sorrowful because of their enemies..."
This is the kind of attitude that we must have. If we have faith that our 'enemies' can change, then we will be sorrowful for their sins.
And we will try to help them.
2:1 - "...and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven..."
Great signs do not create conversion - but can definitely strengthen conversion.
The testimony must be there, or it is easy to be "less and less astonished" until we are desensitized.
2:1-2 - "...they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen — Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil..."
You can convince yourself and justify yourself into removing faith.
When we receive more faith, it is a gift. We can open ourselves up to receive more of the gift of faith, but it isn't something that we can give ourselves. However, we can remove faith from ourselves through wickedness.
If we want to increase our faith, we must be putting ourselves continually in the position of being open to receive more. This is done through keeping the commandments.
2:14-16 - "...those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; And their curse was taken from them..."
In a sense, the Lamanites at this point "became" Nephites (Alma 43:4).
It appears that it is more a matter of belief than a matter of lineage. We show whose name we are taking upon ourselves through our actions, thoughts, and words.
The Lord is not racist - he will bless all people if they come unto Him and keep the commandments.
1:8 - "...But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain..."
The people watched steadfastly - it's important to not lose faith, even when what we expect doesn't seem to arrive.
In the last days, the Second Coming will come, but many will think that the time has already passed.
We must watch steadfastly.
1:9 - "...Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet..."
There was a day set apart by the unbelievers - it doesn't say which day, but it was probably soon, so it surely tried their faith.
The Lord tries our faith to give us patience and tries our patience to give us faith.
1:12-14 - "...And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him..."
Nephi went through the same thing as the rest of the people. Just because somebody is in a leadership position doesn't mean they don't go through what we do. They also go through the same experiences, so we need to keep that in mind so we don't judge harshly - alternatively we can learn from their experiences in applying them to our own situations.
1:24-25 - "...And there were no contentions, save it were a few that began to preach, endeavoring to prove by the scriptures that it was no more expedient to observe the law of Moses. Now in this thing they did err, having not understood the scriptures. But it came to pass that they soon became converted, and were convinced of the error which they were in, for it was made known unto them that the law was not yet fulfilled, and that it must be fulfilled in every whit; yea, the word came unto them that it must be fulfilled; yea, that one jot or tittle should not pass away till it should all be fulfilled; therefore in this same year were they brought to a knowledge of their error and did confess their faults..."
A few people began to try to teach that the Law of Moses was over. To their credit, when they understood, they were converted back to living the law until it was fulfilled, every whit.
We must not think that we can live a "higher law" until actually commanded to do so. We must keep the commandments we have received, and then later it may be added upon.
1:30 - "...And thus were the Lamanites afflicted also, and began to decrease as to their faith and righteousness, because of the wickedness of the rising generation..."
Wickedness has a profound effect on faith. This passage also shows that wickedness of others can also affect our faith. If we want to have faith, then we must continually strive to be righteous and follow the commands/promptings we receive each day so we can avoid temptation and wickedness.
16:1,12 - "...And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord...and there was but little alteration in the affairs of the people, save it were the people began to be more hardened in iniquity..."
Many people believed, but there was little alteration in the affairs of the people.
We need to not get complacent in our everyday lives, but continue to progress and become a better people.
16:23 - "...And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were wrought among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which they did, Satan did get great hold upon the hearts of the people upon all the face of the land..."
Their faith was not sufficient to be increased by the signs, or even sustained. It didn't make any difference to them because their faith had not been built beforehand on the basic principles and doctrines.
If we want signs to make a positive difference in our lives, we must work to build our faith first, then allow the signs to open us up to receive more of the gift of faith. Without the daily work on understanding and applying what we learn, we won't progress in a satisfactory manner.
15:3 - "...for behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them..."
Often, if we are not chastened, we won't repent as quickly, which stops us in in our progression.
It is much more ideal to repent before reaching the point of needing to be chastened, but it is better to repent than to not repent at all.
15:9 - "...And ye know also that they have buried their weapons of war, and they fear to take them up lest by any means they should sin; yea, ye can see that they fear to sin—for behold they will suffer themselves that they be trodden down and slain by their enemies, and will not lift their swords against them, and this because of their faith in Christ..."
We must have the faith sufficient enough in Christ to bury our own weapons of war and rebellion to increase our humility and faith in Him.
15:10 - "...And now, because of their steadfastness when they do believe in that thing which they do believe, for because of their firmness when they are once enlightened, behold, the Lord shall bless them and prolong their days, notwithstanding their iniquity..."
Because of their steadfastness, their days were prolonged in the land. It is not good to have short, vigorous pronouncements of loyalty followed by apathy, etc.
What the Lord and His church needs is a steady dedication to the gospel.
14:17-18 - "...But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord. Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not ahewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness..."
Resurrection bringeth to pass the condition of repentance. It's interesting because repentance then brings the effects of the Plan of Mercy, which saves us if we repent.
So because of the Resurrection, we have the possibility to repent, and we must repent if we want to be saved.
We should repent daily and come closer to Christ.
14:30 - "...for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free..."
We have this opportunity to act for ourselves - to act on the faith that we have. The more we come to seek Christ and live His teachings, the more we will act like Him and make the choices that He would make.
That is acting in faith.
14:30-31 - "...He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death..."
We are not free to choose the consequences of our actions -- except in the fact that we can choose which actions we take, knowing which ones will lead to the consequences that we want.
In this sense, we do choose the consequences. We should make righteous decisions to get the desirable consequences.
13:4 - "...And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart..."
They wouldn't let Samuel in by the gate, so he went by the wall.
Application is that when the Lord says to do something, we do it! There may be obstacles, but there is always a way to keep the commandments that God gives us (1 Nephi 3:7).
13:5 - "...Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart..."
We must always follow the Spirit, like Samuel the Lamanite did, and be ready to say what the Lord wants us to say, even if it is difficult.
13:11 - "...But if ye will repent and return unto the Lord your God I will turn away mine anger, saith the Lord; yea, thus saith the Lord, blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not..."
If we repent and come to the Lord, he will turn away his anger.
So if we don't want to be a cause of His anger, we must repent.
13:26-27 - "...Behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil. But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say: Do this, and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: Walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth—and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet..."
Who do we put our faith in and trust? The people at this point accepted false prophets and cast out true prophets.
Do we put our faith and trust in people who tell us that good is bad and that bad is good? Or do we have faith in the Lord and in His teachings? He will guide us if we trust Him.
Additionally, do we really listen to the General Conference talks, or do we just listen to hear what we want to hear?
Chapter 12 - "...Men are unstable and foolish and quick to do evil..."
This whole chapter is a commentary by Mormon on the inconsistency of the Nephites and the nothingness of man.
The climax or moral of the chapter comes in verse 23 - "Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved."
That is what we must do - repent and hearken unto His voice.
12:2-3,5 - "...and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths..."
President Henry B. Eyring talked about this in the November 2007 Ensign, Pg. 66-69. "Sadly, prosperity is not the only reason people forget God. It can also be hard to remember Him when our lives go badly...then it can be hard for the Holy Ghost to bring to our remembrance the lifetime of blessings the Lord has given us from our infancy and in the midst of our distress...The key to the remembering that brings and maintains testimony is receiving the Holy Ghost as a companion."
We must let virtue garnish our thoughts, so we can have the Holy Ghost with us, so we can remember.
12:23 - "...Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved..."
If we want to be saved, we must act in faith and repent of our sins; this is how we apply the Atonement in our lives. It's effective and generous, and a huge blessing!
11:8 - "...Behold, we know that thou art a man of God, and therefore cry unto the Lord our God that he turn away from us this famine..."
Even if the people didn't follow Nephi the whole time, they did know that he was a man of God.
We need to be an example of the believers so nobody wonders who (or whose) we are (verses 18-19).
11:10 - "...O Lord, behold this people repenteth..."
This shows another kind of faith - the faith in our fellow man.
Nephi had this faith. In some cases, I'm sure it could be tempting to say, "Oh I think they need to hurt a bit longer to learn the lesson - they repented, yes, but I think they need to hurt more." While this may be true in some cases, it still isn't our place to judge. If, according to our understanding and appearances, they have repented, then we must understand, frankly forgive if needed, and forget.
That's what Nephi did, and that's what we must do.
11:34-36 - "...Now this great evil, which came unto the people because of their iniquity, did stir them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God. And thus ended the eighty and first year of the reign of the judges. And in the eighty and second year they began again to forget the Lord their God..."
It took less than a year to go from repentance and remembrance of the Lord to falling back into sin and forgetfulness.
We must be consistent and avoid the temptation to fall back into sin, because the temptation will constantly be there.
10:4 - "...Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people..."
It is our responsibility to share the gospel - not only with people not of our faith, but also with members.
We will be blessed as we do so (verse 5).
10:4-11 - "...And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever...And now behold, I command you, that ye shall go and declare unto this people, that thus saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty: Except ye repent ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction..."
The Lord in these verses comforts Nephi, blesses him, and then commands him to go and preach. This shows that Nephi had great faith in the Lord, but also that the Lord had great faith in Nephi.
The more we are faithful, the more the Lord can have faith in us and trust us to be effective instruments in His hands.
10:13 - "...Now behold, notwithstanding that great miracle which Nephi had done in telling them concerning the death of the chief judge, they did harden their hearts and did not hearken unto the words of the Lord..."
Even though Nephi had shown them a great sign, they hardened their hearts.
We can't use great miracles to base our faith, but they can help open ourselves up to receiving more of the gift of faith.
It is interesting, because this was a major event among the Nephites, that should have convinced the people that they needed to repent, yet they didn't.
We need to repent daily and not need the 'big events' to make us repent.
