1 Samuel 13: 1 - 14

These verses bring up a very important point that is very well discussed and articulated in the Old Testament Student Manual (section 24-30).

The point it makes is that part of our test in this life is to see if we will stay true to God even in the most difficult circumstances, even when things seem hopeless, even perhaps when it seems to our imperfect, mortal eyes that God or His prophets or His Church have failed us in some way. The Lord will at some point in our lives want to know whether we will be faithful to Him even in the most extreme circumstances. That is a really difficult test of discipleship. When all hell breaks loose, will we stick to God and trust Him or turn away from Him?

May the record of my life indicate that I was true and faithful to God in all things, at all times, in all places, and in all circumstances.

1 Samuel 13: 1 - 14.

Moroni 8

Members of the Church in Moroni's day began baptizing their little children, contrary to the established pattern of baptism at "the age of accountability". Moroni's father, Mormon, hearing of this development, writes him a letter concerning the subject. This chapter is that letter he wrote. Regarding the contents of his letter on the baptism of little children, the author himself says it best:

16 ...Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear.

And then again:

21 ...I speak it boldly; God hath commanded me. Listen unto [my words] and give heed, or they stand against you at the judgment-seat of Christ.

That pretty much sums up this chapter. I do find it very bold. Very bold. Very bold in condemning the practice of baptizing little children. I appreciate how the prophet Mormon explains why baptizing little children not only has no effect eternally, but also constitutes a mockery of Christ's sacrifice and atonement for all mankind.

Little children are beautifully innocent of any sin. I have four little living examples of that fact at home.

Moroni 8.

1 Samuel 9-10

If and when greatness, prestige, wealth, and honor come, remember the example and follies of Saul, who started out all right, but who eventually turned fully away from the Lord.

See commentary 24-22.

Moroni 3

Proof that the holy priesthood as administered in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is not an invention of Joseph Smith, but that is the eternal power of God that has always existed and will always exist, and that as used anciently and will always be used for the blessing and salvation of mankind.

Moroni 3.

Samuel 9

God works in mysterious ways. This is evident because of the fact that many times He sends one person to another person to answer a prayer, or to warn or expound, or to exhort or prophesy, and that many times the giver or the receiver of the information doesn't even know that He was either on an errand for God or that God sent someone to minister to him.

Case in point. Saul and his messenger are out on an errand for his father, looking for lost livestock. It turns out that God was guiding Saul to Samuel for a visit:

15 ¶Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

How many times have I been ministered to by a man or woman sent to me by God and I didn't even know it! How many times have I been the one to minister? How can I be more aware of the Lord's hand going forward?

1 Samuel 9.

Moroni 1

In the greatest extremity of his life, as the last of his kind, running for his life, Moroni has this bold and unwavering thing to say:

1 Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.
2 For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

Moroni's resolve was firmly set. He would rather die than deny his faith in Christ. No power on earth or in hell could shake him from his conviction. This is unshakable faith, and Moroni's life and death are proof that man can in fact obtain such faith. How it is achieved is another story entirely, but that it can be done is unmistakably certain.

Moroni 1.

Ruth 1-4

Really good historical background, notes and commentary on the book of Ruth here (scroll down to the section entitled "Notes and Commentary on Ruth 1-4").

Thinking about what Ruth gave up to follow her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem. Some of the things she gave up include:

• Continued association with beloved family, friends, and acquaintances. These were important relationships she had built and nurtured her whole life. There was not the convenience of modern travel and communication methods, so leaving home must have been a much bigger deal than it is now. By traveling to Bethlehem, only (30 - 40 miles away, and yet that constituted a long journey with the means of travel available in those days), Ruth would likely never see her mother and father again. All of her relationships would be severed and become only memories. That must have been a big sacrifice for her. 
• Future opportunities for other relationships with her own people, including the possibility of remarriage to one of her countrymen. 
• Probably most or all of her stuff that she had accumulated at her home in Moab.  I think it is safe to assume that she had some nice things she had to leave behind.
• Probably a better standard of living than what she would have in Bethlehem. The two women were totally destitute when they arrived in Bethlehem. Gleaning, as Ruth did, was an activity of the poor, to scrap up whatever food they could find.

Now let's see what Ruth gained by loyally following her mother-in-law to Bethlehem:

16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

• Ruth gained the God of Israel, the true and living God, with all His blessings and scriptures and Gospel and commandments and promises to His faithful followers. She gained the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She gained the privilege of becoming a covenant follower of God.
• She gained favor with a wealthy gentlemen, ended up marrying him, and has a child with him, a child whose line would continue to produce King David. Out of that same line we know came Jesus Christ.  

I would say Ruth got a pretty good deal on the sacrifices she made. It appears that everything she gave up was well worth it and more!

It is easy to see the moral of the story here: anything we sacrifice to gain God and His gospel will be more than worth it in the end. Easy to see the moral, yes. Easy to make the necessary sacrifices? Not so much. Even so, may we all make whatever sacrifices are necessary in our lives to follow God and His gospel and to be found among His people.

Ruth 1.

How to Obtain Answers to Prayers

Jesus told us the formula for obtaining answers to our prayers:

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 (3 Ne. 18:20).

 So, if you want an answer to prayer, run it through this checklist:

1. Have I asked the Father for it in the name of Jesus Christ? 
2. Does it seem right that I have this blessing or answer to my prayer? Do I think it is right? More importantly, does Heavenly Father deem it right? 
3. Do I faithfully believe I will receive the answer or desired blessing? 

If you can check off those three criteria, it seems that, according to Jesus Christ Himself, you will receive an answer. 

A few things to keep in mind concerning this formula:

• With regard to criteria #1, asking in the name of Christ is more than just saying the words, "I ask this thing in the name of Jesus Christ." The Bible Dictionary clarifies:

We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when His words abide in us (John 15:7). We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent His mind but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart (Bible Dictionary - Prayer).

•  With regard to #2, we should pray for blessings and answers to prayer that are right. But who is defining the concept of "right." God of course. Whatever God wants is right. Therefore, our chances for receiving and answer to prayer go way up if we ask for things we know are right, things that God Himself has already told us are right. For example, God has made it clear that He wants us to share the Gospel with others through missionary work. Well then, I know that praying for courage and strength to invite and teach others the Gospel is right! There is a blessing we know will pass this criteria. There are countless other things God has said in scripture that we know are right.
• And for #3, believing I will receive is an active thing I think, where we get off our knees and then go and do all we can to secure the desired answer or blessing, trusting that God will provide, whether in the form of strength and energy and wisdom and power to obtain the answer, or perhaps in the form of literal "manna from heaven." 

3 Nephi 8

This chapter has given me one of those "don't let this be you" moments. The setting is the Americas. The people are the mostly depraved and wicked Nephite and Lamanite people. The time is the day of Christ's Crucifixion. It seems that all the earth mourned the loss of its Savior as we see this American continent, on the other side of the world, go through terrible storms and violent earthquakes, ravaging fires and whole cities breaking off and sinking into the ocean.

After all these great upheavals the land became quiet, but pitch black. No light was seen for three days. The dark was so thick and intense that no light could penetrate it, no fire could be lit. It was what the people said in these dark and dreary circumstances that impresses me:

23 And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen; and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them.
24 And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, and they would not have been burned in that great city Zarahemla.
25 And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah. And thus were the howlings of the people great and terrible.

The cries of the people or what get to me. They had reached the point of regret. There was no going back to fix things now. The time for repentance was, at least in one sense, past, meaning that they could not repent now and regain bring back their friends and family who had died, or get back to the life they had before. All that was over and now these who survived had a new opportunity to move forward make a new life of it.

The warning that sounds in my ears after reading this chapter is that I must not let this happen to me. I can learn from this people's mistakes. I can choose to repent early and often, and stay up to date with my repentance each day.

3 Nephi 5

We have the assurance of the author himself of the Book of Mormon that it is true:

18 And I know the record which I make to be a just and a true record;

I trust Mormon because I have read and personally received spiritual confirmation that the Book of Mormon is as much the Word of God as the Bible.

3 Nephi 5.

3 Nephi 4

In the post for 3 Nephi 3 I said how I would be wishing for a man like captain Moroni to head my armies in the face of the Gadianton robbers and their intimidating, numerous armies. Well, in this chapter we see that captain Gidgidoni turned out to be every bit as much an inspired and brilliant military leader as his legendary counterpart of the previous generation. It had been less than 100 years since the days of Moroni so I am sure that he was known and remembered, talked about and revered as a legend. Gidgidoni would surely go down in Nephite history in a similar way because of his spiritual soundness and his military genius.

The Nephite armies taught me something, or rather reminded me of an important principle when they saw the terrible armies coming to attack them:

7 And it came to pass that they did come up to battle; and it was in the sixth month; and behold, great and terrible was the day that they did come up to battle; and they were girded about after the manner of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head-plates upon them; and great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor, and because of their being dyed in blood.
8 And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.

When fear gripped these people, their immediate instinct was to fall to the ground and plead with God for strength, for help, for deliverance. All men have fears, but those who face their fears have courage as well. These men cried to God for strength and courage, for comfort, and for success that they might win the day.

When I am faced with my own fears, I know what I must do. I have the privilege of asking for and receiving strength from the Lord to face my fears. May I not be a coward, but courageous every time I fear.

God did answer the prayers of the Nephites. He did strengthen them. They did win the day. They did defeat their enemies. And when they did they praised Him and thanked Him for His help:

30 And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.
31 And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.
32 Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.
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.

May I follow this pattern throughout my life of praying for strength in all of life's battles, and then returning thanks to God for answering my prayers.

 3 Nephi 4.

Under the glance of His all-seeing eye

Elder Christofferson's final words from his most recent conference address stuck out to me most:

Under the glance of His all-seeing eye, I stand myself as a witness that Jesus of Nazareth is the resurrected Redeemer, and I testify of all that follows from the fact of His Resurrection. May you receive the conviction and comfort of that same witness, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

It stands out in my mind as a reminder to me that God does see and know all. It is a reminder to me to follow the counsel of this verse of scripture:

30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

Jesus lives, and He is all-powerful, all-seeing, all-knowing. There is no thought that crosses my mind He is not aware of. There is no word that comes out of my mouth the He doesn't hear. There is no action I do that He does not witness. Every intention of my heart is fully visible to Him at all times.  So don't try to hide anything from Him because it won't work and it'll just make Him angry, and just think, say, and do good and you'll be fine!

3 Nephi 3

The Lord has warned us against those who call evil good, and good evil. Here is a an example of someone who did just that:

9 And behold, I am Giddianhi; and I am the governor of this the secret society of Gadianton; which society and the works thereof I know to be good; and they are of ancient date and they have been handed down unto us.

The specific activities of this secret society were to plunder, murder, and steal under under the guise of secrecy. The whole group of these people took an oath of secrecy and swore to protect one another and keep one another's secrets. There was nothing good about this society or the things they stood for or did. In fact, this society was as far from good as you could possibly get. It's author was Satan himself. It seems strange that the leader of such a society, knowing full well he was lying, would assert that it was good.

Receiving an epistle like that though would make me personally wish I had a guy like captain Moroni of old at the head of my armies:

11 And now it came to pass when Lachoneus received this epistle he was exceedingly astonished, because of the boldness of Giddianhi demanding the possession of the land of the Nephites, and also of threatening the people and avenging the wrongs of those that had received no wrong, save it were they had wronged themselves by dissenting away unto those wicked and abominable robbers.

Luckily for the Nephites, the man at the helm was Lachoneus, a man who feared the true and living God and not some two-bit hack robber. This is how he responded:

12 ...he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them.

The first thing he did was turn the people to pray for deliverance to the Lord God Almighty. He really was the only one who could save them at that point.

Governor Lachoneus also brings up another key point related to obtaining answers to our pleas for God's help:

15 Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers.

God will help us only as we are clean before Him. The best practice seems to be to build up a long track record of honesty, integrity, obedience, and service to the Lord so that when we find ourselves in need of His assistance, we can easily feel justified in asking for it.

3 Nephi 2

Sometimes people just stop listening:

10 And it came to pass that the people did still remain in wickedness, notwithstanding the much preaching and prophesying which was sent among them; and thus passed away the tenth year also; and the eleventh year also passed away in iniquity.

 It's not good when people stop listening to the prophets. Bad things follow:

19 And thus ended the fifteenth year, and thus were the people in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of destruction did hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and this because of their iniquity.

Something to remember. Follow the prophet!

Sunday Talk

I've been assigned to address the congregation on the topic of Obtaining Answers to Prayers. I am to speak for 15 - 20 minutes. Here are a bunch of ideas buzzing around in my head right now:

Elder Hales' 10 axioms for life, one of which is the following:

Pursue your goals with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. You are doomed to failure if you pursue them in a vacillating manner.
So often we are tentative and don’t move forward with conviction. We feel our way along, as if we were afraid in the dark. It is so much better to turn on the light of faith and move ahead with energy and commitment.
If our course is wrong, we will quickly recognize it and make the necessary adjustments. But if we pursue a course tentatively and indecisively, it is difficult to know whether it is right or wrong in time to correct it.
The Lord said, “I would thou wert cold or hot” (Revelation 3:15).
We should decide now to make our decisions prayerfully and then move forward with faith, energy, and determination.

Nicole and I as a couple have tried adopt this axiom as our own. When faced with decisions about our goals, such as education, career, family, etc..., we have tried to go forward with energy and faith.

For example, I was studying business when I started having the desire to move into a more technical educational path of engineering. I was already well into my business degree and there was a lot of uncertainty about switching over. The desire continued to grow. We prayerfully considered the investment and eventually decided to go for it full steam ahead. That decision has lead us right here to Gainesville FL and UF for the next leg of our educational training.

Another example was our decision on when and how many children to have. Each time we made the decision to try for another child, it was preceded by many iterations of being on our knees together seeking counsel from the Lord, telling Him that we wanted to invite another soul into our family, and asking Him if that would be ok. We also took these desires and questions to the temple and tried to listen for the ratifying voice of the Spirit as we sat quietly together in the Celestial Room. After those temple trips we would discuss the feelings and impressions we had on the subject. Significantly, feelings and impressions and confirmations did come from those efforts to seek the Lord's will. We gained from those temple trips confidence that the Lord was pleased with, or at least not opposed to, our decision.

Last week's lesson on personal revelation in Teacher's quorum was helpful. Bro Tim Fogelman showed us a Bednar video on Patterns of light. Three different ways we receive revelation: as a flash of light as in flipping a light switch on; a gradual shift to full clarity as in the rising of the sun; walking through the fog in the light of day with just a few steps worth of visibility. As Nicole and I have made decisions about where to live, education, career, family and church, we have felt most often as if we are walking through a foggy path, where the answers to our questions are not straightforward or clear in any way. Thankfully the Lord seems to have provided just enough light, just enough revelation, just enough of the answer for us to move forward a few steps at a time. We have at times reflected on the following idea: What if the Lord had revealed everything to us all at once. Let's say on the day of our temple sealing the Lord gave us a vision and showed us that we would soon need to move across the country, that we would soon be expecting our first child, and that in five years we will have had 4 children, changed educational paths, and be pursuing and advanced degree in engineering. I think if the Lord would have revealed all that to us all at once we would have both turned and ran for the hills as fast as we could! So I appreciate that we walk through the fog and that we only see a few steps ahead at a time.

President Mark Allred, one of my stake presidents growing up in Utah, gave a talk one time about receiving personal revelation. Part of what he said has always stuck with me. His comments went right along with Elder Bednars patterns of light and Elder Hales' axiom. He taught us that the way he obtains answers to his prayers is that he carefully and prayerfully studies the alternatives out in his mind and then he comes to what he called an interim decision. In other words, he used all the knowledge and wisdom and judgement and logic and reason he could to come to his own decision about a matter, and then, the key step was to take that decision to the Lord in prayer and ask for confirmation if it was right.

Preface

As a preface to my remarks, note that there is an assumption made or a per-requisite required before we can hope to obtain answers to our prayers.

In the book of 3 Nephi, the Nephite governor Lachoneus received a rather disconcerting letter from the head of the Gadianton robbers who infested the land all around. This robber threatened the Nephites with total destruction unless they made a total and immediate surrender.

Luckily for the Nephites, the man at the helm was Lachoneus, a man who feared the true and living God and not some two-bit hack robber. This is how he responded:

12 ...he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them.

The first thing he did was turn the people to pray for deliverance to the Lord God Almighty. He really was the only one who could save them at that point.

Governor Lachoneus also brings up another key point related to obtaining answers to our pleas for God's help:

15 Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers.

God will help us only as we are clean before Him. The best practice seems to be to build up a long track record of honesty, integrity, obedience, and service to the Lord so that when we find ourselves in need of His assistance, we can easily feel justified in asking for it.
So, my remarks on how to obtain answers to our prayers are based on the assumption that the one trying to obtain answers is clean and pure before the Lord; that all major sins and transgressions have been or are in the process of being repented of, and that, in spite of our weaknesses, we are striving to meet the Lord's high expectations of us. As the Lord stated:

10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

If we who seek answers are not clean and pure before the Lord, then the Lord has no obligation to bless us with answers, and we have no guarantee that we will ever find them.

3 Nephi 1

The people of God were waiting for the sign of Christ's birth, for that night which would not darken even though the sun would go down, so that there would be a day and a night and a day with no darkness. Meanwhile, the non-believers saw that the appointed time for the sign to be fulfilled was at hand:

5 But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.
6 And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.
7 And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass.
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.

It must have taken great strength and courage for these people to trust in the Lord and wait for Him to fulfill the sign of Christ's birth. What makes their courage even more amazing is this:

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.

This test of faith required the believers to put their very lives on the line. That is what makes their faith so impressive to me. Their faith had to be stronger than their fear of death. They were facing the very real prospect of having to die for their belief in this sign. The temptation to defect, to denounce their faith and turn to the side of the non-believers in order to save their lives must have been overwhelming.

Placing myself in the shoes of one of the believers, how would I have reacted? Would I have kept the faith? Is my faith currently strong enough? Do I love the Lord enough to die for Him today?

Thankfully, the previous question is just theory. Gratefully I live in a different time with different challenges to my faith. However, discouragement and despair are just as toxic to my faith now as they were to those Christians back then. How will I react to discouragement in my life? When I have worked and sweated and sacrificed and yet it still seems that my faith has been spent in vain, will I give in to despair, or will I do as these faithful people did, watching steadfastly and keeping the faith?

In time I will answer that critical question myself. But I know Who to go to for strength and comfort during those times. God will see me through any trial if I ask Him for help. That's why every day I pray for just that amount of strength I will need to meet the challenges and opportunities of the day. I have noticed from my reading of the scriptures that the sincere prayer for strength is one that God always honors.

Helaman 16

It is very interesting to see how Satan works:

22 And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come.

So next time I feel like I want to spread a rumor or start a fight, I would do well to remember that I am probably acting as the devils hands in doing his work. Spreading rumors can take the form of gossip, whether it is true or untrue. Spreading contention can happen on the sports field or in the stands, during my daily commute, at work or school, and even at home. Ah, the home. Yes, that is especially the place where Satan wants widespread rumors and contention. My home is of course the place to start. I can do the most good by seeing that gossip and contention are minimized and then hopefully eliminated altogether from my home.

Helaman 13

At this time in Nephite history, there was a stark contrast between the two peoples:

1 And now it came to pass in the eighty and sixth year, the Nephites did still remain in wickedness, yea, in great wickedness, while the Lamanites did observe strictly to keep the commandments of God, according to the law of Moses.

Normally we see it the other way around, with the Nephites being the people who keep the commandments of God. But there is one phrase in there that seems to be characteristic of the Lamanite people: strict observance of the commandments of God. The Lamanites seem to go all-out either way: when they are wicked, they are depraved! And when they are righteous, they zealously serve God and keep His commandments. My goal would be to bring my discipleship up to a level that resembles that of the Lamanites in this time period.

Here is a phrase picked out of verse 6 that stands out to me:

6 ...nothing can save this people save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

This one phrase pretty well says it all, doesn't it? So all I need to do today then is: repent; build faith; repent; build faith; repent; build faith. Great, that makes prioritizing my day quite easy!

Remember that scripture that says that Christ grew in favor with God and man? And that other scripture that says all things work together for the good of those who love God? Contrast those ideas with this:

8 Therefore, thus saith the Lord: Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw my Spirit from them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn the hearts of their brethren against them.

It works both ways. If we fail to love God things will stop eventually working out for our good and we will not gain favor with others as easily. I like to think of this phenomena in terms of other people's impressions of you. Have you ever wondered why sometimes you meet people at work or school or church or in the community and they just seem to get a good first impression of you and just seem to generally like you and your relationships begin and stay positive? I think if we are keeping the commandments the Lord helps that sort of thing happen, and that ability to positively connect with people brings great blessings at work, at church, at home, at school, and in the community.

Here's a great indication that you live in a really bad society:

26  ...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.
27 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.
28 Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him.

Helaman 13.

Numbers 25

Get this straight in your head: God hates whoredom! He hates sexual immorality, and He hates when we His children worship false gods.

Numbers 25.

Helaman 12

This chapter starts out by painting a grim picture of the "natural-man" state of humanity. In the absence of the influence and blessings of our God, our hearts are weak, and our character is in serious question:

1 And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men...
4 O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!
5 Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; 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!
6 Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.

Satan, the father of falseness, and unsteadiness, the father of foolishness and vainness and all manner of iniquity, will teach us all his ways unless we first hearken to the ways of the Lord.

Notwithstanding the grim picture at first, the author follows up with a soothing message of repentance and forgiveness, reminding us that it is within the grasp of all of us to work out our own salvation:

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.

Helaman 12.

Helaman 11

Because of his faithfulness, Helaman held great sway with the Lord. Anything Helaman asked, the Lord granted. That is how much the Lord trusted him. That's what this chapter seems to say to me. The relationship Helaman had with God, and the power that was granted to him to bless the Lord's children are impressive.

Helaman 11.

Helaman 10

Nephi had many qualities that the Lord was very pleased with and for which the Lord blessed him greatly:

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. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

One that particularly impresses me is that Lord notes that Nephi had not feared the people. He sought the Lord's will in spite of whatever fears he had and in spite of the negative reaction of the people.

Helaman 9

I  find it peculiar that

8 And now behold, the people knew nothing concerning the multitude who had gathered together at the garden of Nephi; therefore they said among themselves: These men are they who have murdered the judge, and God has smitten them that they could not flee from us.

these men invoke the name of God to explain what happened to the five men passed out on the floor. I find it odd because these people had totally forsaken God and surely knew nothing of His will or His ways. And yet they still spoke as though they knew His purposes.

I find a similar thread of behavior nowadays in our society with everybody, whether believers or not, using God's name in vain in their exclamations and profanities.

It is interesting how different people interpreted the events depicted in this chapter:

39 And there were some of the Nephites who believed on the words of Nephi; and there were some also, who believed because of the testimony of the five, for they had been converted while they were in prison.
40 And now there were some among the people, who said that Nephi was a prophet.
41 And there were others who said: Behold, he is a god, for except he was a god he could not know of all things. For behold, he has told us the thoughts of our hearts, and also has told us things; and even he has brought unto our knowledge the true murderer of our chief judge.

Some people seem to always invent something to explain away the truth.

Helaman 8

"Except ye repent:" a phrase from verse 8 and a repeated phrase in all of Nephi's preaching. This impresses me because the Nephites had done so much wickedness. In the first place they once embraced, then forsook the true Church and faith of God and altogether turned from their righteousness to the grossest wickedness. Mercifully however, Nephi here assures the people that God's hand was stretched out still if they would turn away from their wickedness and back to Him. This illustrates God's mercy in a powerful way I think. 

I think it is significant also that Nephi's words did in fact touch the hearts of some of the people. The word of God was powerful enough to sway the minds of even some individuals whose lives were totally out of harmony with the teachings of the Church. 

Always keep hope alive as long as you have breath to testify. Never underestimate the power of your testimony. Remember that the Spirit of god is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword. But the Spirit doesn't cut flesh like a sword, it pierces the deepest confines of the soul, even to the very heart. The power of the Holy Ghost can pierce any barrier. 

Numbers 23

Ya, this dude Balak just doesn't get it. He seems like he wants to just keep "rolling the dice", hoping that one of these times, this "God of Jacob" will change His mind. He clearly doesn't understand the word and will of God in the least. He thinks he's at a casino playing the slots. In reality he is trifling with the God of the universe who is angry with him and his people for their sins, and who has reserved the land they are currently on for another people.

As for Balaam, what he is doing is not wise or good. He is a willing participant in the games king Balak is playing. His heart is not fully right before the Lord it seems. That's not to say that my heart is pure. I know there is much double-mindedness to be rooted out of my heart and there is great change that still needs to occur so that I may fully give my heart to the Lord.

Numbers 23.

Helaman 7

More contrast between the wicked and the rigtheous:

22 ...wo shall come unto you except ye shall repent. For if ye will not repent, behold, this great city, and also all those great cities which are round about, which are in the land of our possession, shall be taken away that ye shall have no place in them; for behold, the Lord will not grant unto you strength, as he has hitherto done, to withstand against your enemies.
23 For behold, thus saith the Lord: I will not show unto the wicked of my strength, to one more than the other, save it be unto those who repent of their sins, and hearken unto my words. Now therefore, I would that ye should behold, my brethren, that it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent.
24 For behold, they are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them; yea, he will lengthen out their days and increase their seed, even when thou shalt be utterly destroyed except thou shalt repent.

Each day I pray for strength for me and my loved ones, that we may accomplish our daily work.I must remember that if I am wicked, God will cease granting me strength. I will become as weak as any other man who operates without the blessings of strength God can grant. The danger in that can be seen in the Nephite wars, where the Nephites were vastly outnumbered by an innumerable foe, and yet, with the strength of the Lord they conquered their enemies. Without the Lord's help, it was a simple numbers game. It was man for man, technology for technology, armor for armor, strategy for strategy. There was no way the Nephites could win.

It is the same with me. The enemy of my soul, the devil, has 10,000 legions of devils ready to descend upon me, waiting for a weakness to be exposed, searching for a breach, looking for that favorite sin to exploit. I need the strength of the Lord every day or my life is vain and all is lost. I must repent of my sins and do whatever I need to do to qualify for God's blessings.

Have you ever wished for more time? More hours in the day? What an interesting promise the Lord gives when He says he will lengthen out the days of the righteous.

Helaman 7.

Numbers 22

This is a very interesting chapter. I think it illustrates very skillfully a lesson in double-mindedness. Balaam seems to have been a man whose heart was torn between two masters. He certainly knew the right words to say, but it is clear that his heart lusted for the things the king of Balak was offering him. For example, after Balak sent the second wave of princes to entice Balaam to help, and after the word of the Lord had been received in a very definite and final way, namely:

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

To the second set of princes, Balaam truly did say the right thing:

18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.

But it seems that he didn't really mean what he said and that in his heart he was yearning so bad to go and get the riches and honor promised him. This is evidenced by the fact that he let the king's emissaries stay the night again and hoped to see if the Lord might amend His word:

19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.

Shouldn't there simply not have been another night attending the princes? Shouldn't Balaam have dismissed them quoting the previous word of the Lord? Shouldn't he have not questioned the Lord further in this matter as he already had an answer in the negative?

I think it is important to note that even though the Lord eventually gave His consent for Balaam to go, it angered Him. I think it is the anger that you know something is not good for your child, and you know that good will come of it, and yet you consent because the child persistently nags.

As mankind is particularly susceptible to double-mindedness, and as I am myself very susceptible, I should take this lesson and learn to be more wise than Balaam. Don't be foolish! Don't suppose that you can serve God and Mammon. You have to be either cold or hot, because if you are luke warm God will spew you out of His indignant mouth.

Helaman 6

I want to be

1 And it came to pass that when the sixty and second year of the reign of the judges had ended, all these things had happened and the Lamanites had become, the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith.

firm and steady in the faith as this group of Lamanites. What does it mean to be firm and steady in the faith? It means to be consistent, unwavering, and diligent.

Even when other members of the Church (the Nephites) had lost their faith, become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, these members of the Church thrived in righteousness:

3 Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy.

Our children can thrive in righteousness and our family can even when there are bad examples all around us. We just have to push through it, keep the faith, buckle our seat belts and hold firmly onto our principles.

Contrast:

35 And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.
36 And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words.

What a great quality to have: an easiness and a willingness to believe in the word of God. To not have the spirit of skepticism but to have a believing heart, one that seems to instinctively know and seek the truth.

The state of the people at the end of this chapter:

40 And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction.

Helaman 6.

Helaman 5

Nephi called himself on a mission!

1 And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram.
4 And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;

He tied up his earthly affairs and went to work for God for the rest of his life. It impresses me greatly that this man of prestige and stature in the Nephite world would come down off his judgement seat and give it all up to go around door to door getting rejected because of the word of God. That type of condescension I think reflects that of the Savior when He came down from heaven as God of the universe to do the very same.

Missionary success like what Nephi and Lehi experienced hadn't been seen for a long time, since the days of Ammon and the sons of Mosiah:

19 Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers.

The following is an incredible description of the manner in which the Holy Ghost speaks to us:

28 And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them.
29 And it came to pass that there came a voice as if it were above the cloud of darkness, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, and seek no more to destroy my servants whom I have sent unto you to declare good tidings.
30 And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—
31 And notwithstanding the mildness of the voice, behold the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison trembled again, as if it were about to tumble to the earth; and behold the cloud of darkness, which had overshadowed them, did not disperse—
32 And behold the voice came again, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; and seek no more to destroy my servants. And it came to pass that the earth shook again, and the walls trembled.
33 And also again the third time the voice came, and did speak unto them marvelous words which cannot be uttered by man; and the walls did tremble again, and the earth shook as if it were about to divide asunder.

 The Holy Ghost, the voice of God, has the power to speak directly to our hearts and souls.

And again, here is more:

45 And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words.
46 And it came to pass that there came a voice unto them, yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper, saying:
47 Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.
48 And now, when they heard this they cast up their eyes as if to behold from whence the voice came; and behold, they saw the heavens open; and angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them.

The Spirit of God has great power to touch the hearts of God's children.

Let's not forget the reason this group of 300 people came to the prison for:

22 And after they had been cast into prison many days without food, behold, they went forth into the prison to take them that they might slay them.

And now, when they left the prison just a short time later:

50 And it came to pass that they did go forth, and did minister unto the people, declaring throughout all the regions round about all the things which they had heard and seen, insomuch that the more part of the Lamanites were convinced of them, because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received.

Seriously!? Is this not incredible? These people came with murderous intent! But they left full of the Spirit of God and missionary zeal. Truly God works in mysterious ways. Truly He preserves His chosen servants according to His will and pleasure. May I qualify for His divine protection through my faithfulness.

Helaman 5.

Helaman 4

In the last chapter we saw the hearts of many members of the Church waxing stronger and stronger in pride. At the beginning of this chapter I think it is clear to see the fruits of those prideful seeds sown:

1 And it came to pass in the fifty and fourth year there were many dissensions in the church, and there was also a contention among the people, insomuch that there was much bloodshed.

Pride leads to contention, and then, to bloodshed. Those are some of the end fruits of pride. On the other hand some of the end fruits of humility are peace of conscience and peace in the land, and eventual salvation. May I choose to sow seeds of humility and continually root out the weeds of pride in my mind and heart!

Listen to Mormon's commentary on the subject:

11 Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God.
12 And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—
13 And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.

Although I most certainly do struggle with pride issues, as we all do, I must not allow my pride to mature into its many harmful manifestations, some of which are listed in the preceding verses. I have to learn to root out prideful tendencies when they are small, just like pulling weeds in a garden. Pride will always spring up again and again my character, but I can choose to weed it out each time before it takes root and chokes out the good parts of my nature.

The people had to slowly remember the words of the prophets:

21 Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God;

The much better way is to always retain in remembrance the words of the prophets. Perhaps this is why our Church leaders are always urging us to study the scriptures daily and pray regularly. If we immerse ourselves daily in the Word of God, we will more readily remember Him.

Helaman 4.

Helaman 3

I think this chapter clearly reveals one of the greatest dangers to the hearts of members of the Church:

1 And now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year. 

And:

33 And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God—

34 And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction.

And:

36 And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day.

The nasty culprit is pride, the universal sin. The one we all struggle with to some degree or another. The sin that I grapple with on a daily basis. Pride is what causes dissensions, contention, coveting, worshiping other gods, and I suppose virtually every other sin you can imagine.

Humility is the antidote to pride. This chapter also teaches me how I can maintain humility even when there is pride all around:

35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.

Here is a great personal gauge to help me know whether I am keeping pride in check: am I keeping the commandment to pray often, morning and night, giving thanks for meals, praying in my family, etc...? Did I pray this morning and for how long and how fervently did I pray and how long did I listen for an answer from heaven? And again, did I participate in fasting and prayer this month?

If I want to know how I am doing on keeping pride in check, I can answer the questions just above and that will be a good indication.

Helaman 3.

Helaman 2

It is clear that Helaman the chief judge was blessed and protected by the Lord. The Lord protects His faithful servants according to His own will and pleasure.

Helaman 2.

Helaman 1

Wow, what a bloody history between brothers! And all because of what? Pride, hurt feelings, covetousness and other vices. May it not be so in our home.

Helaman 1.

Alma 63

10 And it came to pass in the thirty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, Shiblon died also, and Corianton had gone forth to the land northward in a ship, to carry forth provisions unto the people who had gone forth into that land.

If I am reading this right I think Corianton sailed on the voyage referred to a few verses earlier:

7 And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward.
8 And it came to pass that they were never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go we know not.

That would be hard to see a brother go on a ship and never hear from him again in this life. I wonder why Corianton decided to go. Did the spirit of adventure stir him up to it?

Alma 63.

Alma 62

What do we learn from all of this death and destruction and warfare?  

40 And there had been murders, and contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity among the people of Nephi; nevertheless for the righteous’ sake, yea, because of the prayers of the righteous, they were spared.

We learn that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much in heaven.

  41 But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.

We learn to be humble, and to let our afflictions humble into the depths of humility rather than to become hardened because of them.

48 And the people of Nephi began to prosper again in the land, and began to multiply and to wax exceedingly strong again in the land. And they began to grow exceedingly rich.
49 But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him.
50 Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.
51 And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land.

And we learn, very importantly, maybe even more important than being humble in our afflictions, we learn to be humble in our riches and prosperity.

We learn that we must be humble and grateful, for all the prosperity as well as for all the afflictions that we must suffer.

Alma 62.

Peace

I read Alma 61 this morning and it has brought peace to my soul. Just what I needed amid the heightened stress of final exams looming just over the horizon. Thank you Lord.

Alma 61

Pahorah was struggling and didn't know what he should do with the rebels who had taken over the government. Moroni's epistle provided the guidance he needed:

19 And now, Moroni, I do joy in receiving your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren.
20 But ye have said, except they repent the Lord hath commanded you that ye should go against them.

Moroni was a great leader. He fiercely defended freedom and was not concerned in the least about "popular opinion," whereas perhaps Pahoran, as a politician, put too much weight in his mind on the same.

Alma 61.

Alma 60

Moroni underscores the critical nature of our own personal responsibility to do all we can to support, defend, and save ourselves:

21 Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?

I am to use all the talents, time, strength, and energy God has blessed me with to further His work.

This is an amazing, bold, fearless statement:

28 Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.

When faced with the temptation to sin, I can stand with Moroni and say:

34 And now behold, I, Moroni (Daniel Murff), am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God;

May I let my covenants with God constrain me from doing anything that would jeopardize them, and to do everything that would honor them and uphold them and live worthy of the blessings they bring me.

This statement is massive and poignant and powerful to me:

36 Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. 

Sounds like a great personal motto to live by, every word of it.

Alma 60.

Alma 59

That moment when you have just received encouraging news, and after a lot of hardship things are starting to look up finally, and then disaster strikes again and you begin to doubt if you'll ever come out on top. That's what happened to Moroni and his men in this chapter. It seems like sometimes experiencing frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, little bit of encouragement, and then a whole lot more frustration, frustration, frustration, frustration, can be worse then just suffering all the frustration and not having that bit of relief.

This is a very bad thing:

11 And now, when Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren.
12 Now this was the case with all his chief captains. They doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people, and this because of the success of the Lamanites over them.

This is not a good state to be in.

Exodus 32-33

In these two chapters what impresses me is to see the love Moses has for the erring, backsliding people of Israel. Over the course of these two chapter we see Moses pleading for God's patience and mercy on behalf of the Israelites (even though it seems that they didn't deserve mercy at this time). Even after the Lord assured Moses that he would be not only spared but prospered, and that the wicked Israelites would be destroyed, Moses pleaded on their behalf:

11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

And again, Moses returns to the Lord, and poignantly offers to take the blame for his people's unfaithfulness:

31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

And again:

13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight,shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

Exodus 32.
Exodus 33.

Alma 57-58

The perseverance, endurance, patience, and faith, of the Nephites, in the face of very difficult circumstances, impresses me. For many months they suffered through the almost impossible circumstances of thin military ranks, dangerously low provisions, and an almost numberless foe trying to whittle them down and crush them. They had to try to maintain the fortifications they had against the hosts of enemy troops, and at the same time they were struggling to physically subsist upon their meager rations. And all the while they waited in anxiety, wondering when the government leaders would send them more soldiers and provisions, and why they could be taking so long. They struggled to maintain hope in spite of the fear that the government had broken down, and that they would not be receiving reinforcements, and that they were alone and without support. They feared their own utter destruction.

Their reaction to these afflictions is what impresses me:

10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

Their afflictions drove them to seek strength and comfort from God. Significantly, they echoed almost to a "T", the prayer that Alma the younger prayed during his missionary trip to reclaim the apostate Zoramites. In essence they too prayed for strength, comfort, and success.

This is a pattern I see among God's faithful people. The faithful pray only for strength to endure well their afflictions, not that their afflictions will be taken away. The faithful pray that they may be comforted, infused with hope, preserved from giving in to doubt and despair. The faithful also pray that by and by they might have success in achieving their righteous desires and in completing the work God has for them to do.

Just as He answered Alma's prayer before, so did He answer this prayer by this people:

11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

He did comfort them. He did give them strength to endure. And He did by and by bless them with success.

Alma 57.
Alma 58.

Beyond the Bubblegum Machine, April 2014 Ensign

Something the author said in this article stood out to me above everything else. In spite of much opposition to her decision to investigate the Church, along with a lot of pressure to discontinue her meetings with the missionaries, she makes this statement:

I felt conflicted.... But deep down I knew that the missionaries were teaching the truth. Eventually what I felt and knew on the inside overruled the external pressures in my life.

I love that statement because to me that is strength. That is spiritual power. That shows courage. To be able to honor the inner promptings and convictions of our hearts in the face of the most severe opposition, especially opposition from those closest to us and those we love most, is in my opinion a Godly quality. The author definitely had this quality, and that is a quality that I want to develop and emulate myself. I recognize that many times I am weak and I want to shrink away from certain difficult spiritual promptings. If I would only stay true to them I would learn and grow and progress, and I would, as did the author, eventually receive the desired blessings.

Read the whole article here.

Alma 56

These young men had great courage. They were all young, inexperienced, and unacquainted with the horrors of battle and bloodshed. And yet in the face of what Helaman called the strongest Lamanite army, these young men answered in the affirmative to the question,

44 Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?

And so they went and met the strongest Lamanite army, never having fought in a battle before. And yet we find that they did not fear death, because

47 ...they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

Although they did not fear death, I am sure that these "greenies" did not relish the thought of battle. I can only assume that many of them felt fear about what was coming. However, as our prophet has said many times,

All men have fears. But those who face their fears have courage as well. 

These young men faced their fears and went to the aid of their countrymen. May I learn to face my fears and to develop courage as they did, and learn to think more on the safety and well-being and blessings of others than of myself.  

Alma 54-55

We see Moroni outsmarting the enemy again and again. Is it that he is a brilliant strategist, or is it that he is inspired by a better cause and has the help of the Lord?

Alma 53

Moroni skillfully makes use of his Lamanite prisoners to strengthen his fortifications. He uses his prisoners to build a stronghold to keep his prisoners. I love it:

5 And this city became an exceeding stronghold ever after; and in this city they did guard the prisoners of the Lamanites; yea, even within a wall which they had caused them to build with their own hands. Now Moroni was compelled to cause the Lamanites to labor, because it was easy to guard them while at their labor; and he desired all his forces when he should make an attack upon the Lamanites.
6 And it came to pass that Moroni had thus gained a victory over one of the greatest of the armies of the Lamanites, and had obtained possession of the city of Mulek, which was one of the strongest holds of the Lamanites in the land of Nephi; and thus he had also built a stronghold to retain his prisoners.

Using the enemy against themselves. That is such an awesome concept.

In this chapter again we see that the only time the Nephites lost ground in this war was when they failed to honor the Lord:

8 And now it came to pass that the armies of the Lamanites, on the west sea, south, while in the absence of Moroni on account of some intrigue amongst the Nephites, which caused dissensions amongst them, had gained some ground over the Nephites, yea, insomuch that they had obtained possession of a number of their cities in that part of the land.
9 And thus because of iniquity amongst themselves, yea, because of dissensions and intrigue among themselves they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances.

We also find that the people of Ammon were about to become a part of the covenant-breaker class of people, but they were dissuaded from this end by Helaman:

13 But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country.
14 But behold, as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had made.

Alma 53.

Exodus 18:13–26

We know that Jethro was a high priest, one who held the Melchizedek priesthood. As such, Moses appropriately, and the study guide adds humbly, followed his counsel on the matter of delegation. I would do well to hearken to the counsel of high priest-leader, my bishop.

Exodus 18:13–26.

Feeling the Spirit

I read Alma 52 today. I feel that that chapter has filled me spiritually. I feel the Spirit with me. I feel good inside. I feel that I have been well nourished. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Ghost which provides me with a continuing witness that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is the Word of God, that it contains principles that promote faith and draw us nearer to God. I feel closer to God this morning as a result of my study of this chapter. I feel a stronger desire to emulate His divine characteristics, to be more faithful to Him, to stand for His Gospel principles.

I hope that I can be true to Him throughout this day. I hope that I can open my mouth and let Him fill it. I hope I can have courage. I pray that He will strengthen me to meet every opportunity and challenge this day. I pray for power through His spirit to touch the hearts of those within my sphere of influence, especially here at home and specifically the souls of my sweet wife and adorable children.

Alma 52

The Nephites held a war council to see how they could coax the Lamanites out of their stongholds to battle them on equal grounds. Here is the first idea that came out of that war council (I find it rather comical):

20 And it came to pass they sent embassies to the army of the Lamanites, which protected the city of Mulek, to their leader, whose name was Jacob, desiring him that he would come out with his armies to meet them upon the plains between the two cities. But behold, Jacob, who was a Zoramite, would not come out with his army to meet them upon the plains.

Haha! They marched up to the enemy base and tried asking them politely to come out and battle against them! Hey, you never know, right? Ask and ye shall receive? Ya, not so much here. Nice try though.

I think a powerful principle suggested by the events in this chapter is that although we as the little band of Christians, the Church, will never have majority in numbers against the vast hosts of the enemy, if we will diligently prepare, faithfully execute every command of God, and council together concerning how we will conduct ourselves in this war for the souls of men, then God will be with us and He can make us smarter than our enemy, and He can win us the victory through stratagem.

Moroni and his men diligently prepared for the war by arming themselves and defending their bodies with armor and shields and helmets and fortifying their strongholds and cities. They, overall, with many stumblings and failures, were faithful to God. They counseled together as depicted in this chapter and executed their plans accordingly and that is ultimately how they won this war.

May I do the same. May we do so as a family. May we prepare diligently, live faithfully, and counsel together often so that we can properly conduct the war here in our sphere of influence.

Moroni offered to spare the lives of his enemies if they would surrender. Many did. I wonder if among these were some who had previously attacked the Nephites and who had on that occasion also surrendered, and even made an oath that they would not come to battle against the Nephites again. The covenantmaker-covenantbreaker class of Lamanites. I would characterize this class of Lamanites, if indeed they did exist, and I think they did, as go-with-the-flow-ers, those who did not have the courage to defy the consensus when it went against moral convictions they had, even covenants they had made. This class of people fears being singled out, belittled, punished, or even killed for their morals and standards. This class of people fears man more than they fear God.

I am afraid that perhaps I all too often fall within this class of people. Even recently I have noticed this character flaw in myself. May God strengthen me in this weakness, and help me to become a man who stands for principles and who will not be moved.

Alma 52.

Alma 51

This verse stuck out to me because of one particular phrase:

20 And the remainder of those dissenters, rather than be smitten down to the earth by the sword, yielded to the standard of liberty, and were compelled to hoist the title of liberty upon their towers, and in their cities, and to take up arms in defence of their country.

Yield to freedom!

Later, Teancum and his men became the most critical tide-turning force in the war. After the dissensions and the city-taking campaign by Amalikiah, things were looking bleak for the Nephites... until Teancum met that army head on. Too bad we don't know more about Teancum. I mean, what he know about him is awesome. But I would love to know the details of his life, to see how he prepared himself for this most critical role he played in the temporal salvation of his people.

Alma 51.

Alma 50

Because of the all the hard work he was doing, and because of the excellent strategies, and because he was inspired and led by the Lord, Moroni instilled confidence in his people with this very important effect:

12 Thus Moroni, with his armies, which did increase daily because of the assurance of protection which his works did bring forth unto them, did seek to cut off the strength and the power of the Lamanites from off the lands of their possessions, that they should have no power upon the lands of their possession.

People flocked to his army because they were inspired by it and impressed with its magnitude, strength, and strategy.  How can I instill righteous confidence in our children in spite of all kinds of attacking society forces for evil? How about cultivate a strong marriage, establish lifelong righteous and wholesome family traditions, learn and teach the scriptures and gospel principles in our home, to name a few?

This chapter also illustrates very well the fact that many times the worst damage we can do is to ourselves. because of the preparation of Moroni, and his diligence, and the strength of his armies, and the strength of the fortifications they built, Satan could not get through with his numerous Lamanite hosts to physically destroy the Nephites. And so, as he does so well, he began in infiltration from within. True to his cunning pattern, he went to the weakest part of the Nephite people, namely Morianton, a man who could easily be stirred up and manipulated through his hot temper. That was the weakness Satan teased out of him and his people. Anger and covetousness and pride:

26 For behold, the people who possessed the land of Morianton did claim a part of the land of Lehi; therefore there began to be a warm contention between them, insomuch that the people of Morianton took up arms against their brethren, and they were determined by the sword to slay them.

They coveted their neighbors land, and Satan exploited it. And he exploited their pride. And he exploited their anger. And so he was on his way to breaking down Nephite defenses from the inside out.

This is why it is so important that I strengthen every weakness, so that Satan can find no chink in my armor to exploit. All areas of my life must be sound or else that sneaky devil will find the breach and exploit it. Strengthen every weakness. Pray for strength. It is my job that when I find in myself a weakness, I pray for strength to overcome it.

Alma 50.

Roots and Branches, Elder Cook, April 2014 General Conference

Interesting how he equates family lines to roots and branches. Gives the following scripture new meaning to me:

1 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.

I never thought about this scripture in terms of posterity. I guess I never really thought about "root nor branch" could refer to.

Our Murff, Kogelmann, and other ancestors are all waiting in the spirit world, asking, perhaps, "now what"? While it is reasonable to assume that many of them, whose work has been done already, are rejoicing and praising our names for doing their work, surely many others of them are anxiously awaiting the day we will find their records and take them to the Temple to complete saving ordinances for them.  As Elder Cook suggests in his address, our ancestors are in a very real sense, immortal prisoners in the spirit world until we turn the key to free them.

I am grateful that the stars have aligned and the path to complete family history work has become easy. I am glad that we are organizing ourselves as a family to accomplish this work. I am excited to accept assignments and do my part to bring freedom to our beloved Murff, Kogelmann, Golighltly, and now of course Perkins, Tucker, and other ancestors, and to be connected to them forever.

Let's do this!

Alma 49

Wow, Moroni's preparation is astonishing. His anticipation of the moves and even the thoughts of his enemy is impressive:

14 But behold, to their astonishment, the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong, yea, even to exceed the strength of the city Ammonihah.
15 And now, behold, this was wisdom in Moroni; for he had supposed that they would be frightened at the city Ammonihah; and as the city of Noah had hitherto been the weakest part of the land, therefore they would march thither to battle; and thus it was according to his desires.
16 And behold, Moroni had appointed Lehi to be chief captain over the men of that city; and it was that same Lehi who fought with the Lamanites in the valley on the east of the river Sidon.
17 And now behold it came to pass, that when the Lamanites had found that Lehi commanded the city they were again disappointed, for they feared Lehi exceedingly; nevertheless their chief captains had sworn with an oath to attack the city; therefore, they brought up their armies.

He seems to have known just what his enemy was thinking. Seems like he was reading them like an open book. This is awesome to see how perfectly prepared he was for this. This is inspiring to read. How do I prepare as thoroughly as he did for my coming battles? Why of course the answer is to practice the same diligence in preparation as he did.

Alma 48

Remember that innumerable host of Lamanites who first came against the Nephites and were made to surrender by the strength of the armies of Moroni, and who ended up making a covenant of peace before they were set free? These Lamanites swore on their lives, as it were, that they would never again take up arms against the Nephite people. And yet, now it seems that they have been compelled to fight by Amalickiah:

1 And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites.
3 Therefore he had accomplished his design, for he had hardened the hearts of the Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them up to anger, insomuch that he had gathered together a numerous host to go to battle against the Nephites.

 Compare these with the people of Ammon, who made a covenant never to take up arms and stuck to it, and kept that covenant at the hazard of their very lives. May I emulate the latter, and value my covenants above all else in the world, and stay true to them at every hazard like the Anti-Nephi Lehis.

Moroni wisely allocated his limited resources:

9 And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

It must be true spiritually as well, right? In the weakest parts of my character I must place many resources to defend. For example, if I am susceptible to impure thoughts, it would behoove me to spend ample time memorizing many scriptures, poems, and hymns so that I have plenty of resources to combat against the onslaught of temptations and impure thoughts that present themselves to my mind. It would behoove me to fill my spare time with scripture study and the study of good books, always keeping my mind engaged in a good cause, or in some worthwhile entertainment, or in some wholesome media, thus avoiding idling.

Link to Alma 48.

Celebrate Nurturing, April 2014 Ensign

My review of the article "Celebrate Nurturing", by Rosemary Thackeray, Ensign, April 2014:

This is an excellent article. I love how Sister Thackeray urges women to seek each other out and forge great relationships with each other, regardless of "motherhood" status. I appreciate how she acknowledges the real and difficult feelings that current non-child bearers have to deal with, especially those who may never bear children in this life. I love how she encircles all women under the divine role of motherhood, together with our common mother Eve. That quote by Elder Maxwell she includes in her address resonates with me:

“You can have clear faith in the ultimate outcomes at the end of the trail but still find vexing uncertainties in the steps immediately ahead. The Lord knows the end from the beginning and everything in between. You, however, function in the muddled, mortal middle.”

Elder Maxwell acknowledges that just because we have an eternal perspective on things, it doesn't necessarily make them easy to bear. That can refer to women who are unable to bear children at this moment for whatever reason, and it also applies to a young couple trying to juggle school, church, and family all while trying to find a new house to move into in between semesters!

Exodus 17: 1 - 7

The murmuring, the chiding, the complaining, the wishing they could go back to Egypt. It's all starting to become a pattern now. Here they are complaining to Moses that there is no water to drink. Yes, that is a serious dilemma, but they have seen this sequence before. Do they not remember that a short time ago the Lrod miraculously provided water for them? Again, as I have said before, I must be kind to the children of Israel because not having water is kind of a big deal. But the issue I see is their attitude. They are just relentless in their complaining. Instead, they should be trusting, fervently praying, hoping, watching for the Lord's deliverance. Instead, they find themselves wondering if God is even there at all:

7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

This questioning of the Lord is not good, and does not please God. If it is found in my own life it needs to stop immediately. All I have to do is look at the many great blessings and deliverance in my own life to know that God indeed is with me, even in spite of all my weaknesses and failures to do His will.

Alma 47

This chapter starts with talking about people who did not want to go to battle with the Nephites, in fact they were dead set against it. I wonder if these were the very same Lamanites who had already had a confrontation with the Nephites, knew that God was with them, and had even made a covenant that they would never again go up to battle against them. I suspect these are the covenant makers based on how vehemently they oppose going to war, even at the risk of disobeying their king:

2 And it came to pass that when the proclamation had gone forth among them they were exceedingly afraid; yea, they feared to displease the king, and they also feared to go to battle against the Nephites lest they should lose their lives. And it came to pass that they would not, or the more part of them would not, obey the commandments of the king.
6 And they had appointed a man to be a king and a leader over them, being fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not be subjected to go against the Nephites.

Ya, I think this is them. Let's see what happens to them.

There are more former covenant-makers in this diverse army, aren't there? The Nephite dissenters led by Amalickiah make up part of this newly mobilized Lamanite army:

36 Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God.

That Amalicikiah is a sly old fox.