As I've been reading 1st Nephi this time around, I have picked up on some lessons that Nephi repeats over and over that I hadn't noticed before. The first is that the Lord wants to help us help ourselves. We see this in several of Nephi's stories. For example, Nephi breaks his bow, so rather than asking for the Lord to fix it or give him a new bow, he makes himself a new bow and asks for the Lord's help in knowing where to hunt for food. Another example is when Nephi is commanded to build a ship, the Lord doesn't give Nephi a ready-made toolkit. Nephi asks the Lord where to find ore so he can make his own tools. Archaeology experts say that near Bountiful, where Lehi's family camped, there is ore sitting right on the surface, ready to gather for any who knows the location. Not only does the Lord show Nephi where the ore is, but he makes it easy for him to retrieve it and make the tools. The Lord is willing to help Nephi because Nephi is willing to do his part.
This lesson has been dancing around in my head for several days. I have found myself reflecting on this form of tender mercies and the parallels of Nephi's experiences with my own life. Allow me to share my most recent experience of this principle.
My husband and I are in the middle of moving out of our tiny apartment into a much bigger house and each day we have been taking several truckloads to break up the job. It happens that today, in the midst of unloading, I locked the only key we have to the Blazer, inside the Blazer in my purse. Panic ensued. We quickly discovered that one of the seat-belts had gotten caught in a door, causing it to not close all the way, however, the lock had worked and it wouldn't budge. I just knew that if the door was open a crack, it was the Lord's way of helping us. I was certain that something could be done with that small opening. We realized that we could fit something through the small opening and after 45 minutes of intense effort, we were able to hook the door lock and pull it upwards. We felt immensely grateful. Again I was reminded that the Lord helps those who help themselves.
Another principle that Nephi teaches is the concept of "if... then". This means that if we do something, there is a consequence based upon our actions. Nephi teaches that if we keep the commandments, then the Lord will bless us and we can live with Him again. After a particularly rough weekend, I can testify that this is true. I had my own "if... then" situation this week. Suffice it to say, that I was able to justify an action I wouldn't normally do which led to additional bad decisions being made. I chose to take a wedding decorating job on Saturday and Sunday. I usually have a policy not to work on Sunday and this messed up my entire schedule and really threw me off. I made some bad decisions that ended up ruining my set-up on Saturday. I was mortified, embarrassed and humbled. I recognized that the Lord wasn't able to bless me and help me pull off the decor as a consequence of my poor decision to work on Sunday. I can also testify that the Lord loves us and when we repent he is eager to shower us with blessings, which is what I have felt this week.
I am so thankful for the many tender mercies the Lord shows each of us, and especially the multitudes of blessings I have received just in the past week. No question about it, God loves us!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Pondering on Revelation
One of the things I love most about this Gospel is that we believe in personal revelation. It is a simple statement that is swathed by so many truths and explains so much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To believe in personal revelation is to believe that God speaks to man today, one-on-one and answers prayers. This denotes that our God is personable, that he is involved in our life and is aware of us individually. Perhaps this seems very obvious to some of us, but this is a mind-blowing concept for many. The gods of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology, for example, were far too concerned with their own affairs to trifle with men, unless it was in their own interests. Likewise, we find gods in the New World whose believers felt it necessary to offer human sacrifice to attract their attention. These false gods were anything but personal. How refreshing and amazing it is to know that our God loves us with a profound parental love and that we are His children!
Additionally, we believe in praying and that God will answer us. We are encouraged to gain our own testimonies of the Gospel and its principles rather than being told to believe the words of others. This concept sets us apart from many other denominations and completely destroys the false belief some people have that the LDS church is a cult that forces & controls its members. The reality is exactly the opposite! We are free to make our own choices and are encouraged to make them based on our own instincts, impressions and answers from the Lord.
This belief of personal revelation pulls us from the dark ages of religion, where the Bible was the sole word of God and preachers had the final say when it came to interpretation, into a world filled with light and hope. Our entire church is based on the concept.
Nephi gives us a wonderful example of how one receives revelation in 1 Nephi 10. In this chapter, Nephi asks the Lord to show him the vision his father had seen of the Tree of Life. He tells us:
vs. 17: ...I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him.
vs. 19: For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost...and then in Chapter 11, vs. 1:
For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord...In Nephi's story we see a pattern for how one seeks revelation. First, you must have a righteous desire. As Joseph Smith found in James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God." The Lord wants us to learn and grow, he wants us to ask those questions.
Secondly, we must believe. In 1 Ne 11:4-5, the Spirit asks Nephi if he believes in the words of his father. Nephi responds by saying, "Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father." The Spirit then tells Nephi that because he believes in the Son of God, that he will behold the things which he has desired.
Thirdly, we see Nephi pondering in his heart. I believe pondering to be a very active type of thinking, consisting of meditating, prayer and quiet reflection. It is an act that puts us in a position to listen and learn. Often, our surroundings are such to allow the Spirit to be with us. It is only when we are listening that we can hear the quiet whisperings of the Spirit.
I am so thankful for this blessing of revelation and I feel blessed and strengthened every day by the loving guidance of my Heavenly Father's influence in my life.
Praying for Strength
1 Nephi 7, contains the story of Lehi's sons traveling back to Jerusalem to bring Ishmael and his family on their journey. I have always found it slightly entertaining that while Laman and Lemuel complain about most things, they didn't complain about this journey, which would have been about 200 miles each way, through the desert. Apparently the prospect of bringing the girls was something with which they could all agree. However, once they convince Ishmael to join them, it doesn't take long for the complaining to start, including half of Ishmael's family (I imagine that a day walking through the dirt and hot sun would make any girl want to change her mind).
Laman and Lemuel encourage a rebellion to go back to Jerusalem and Nephi, again, is the one who has to take charge of the situation. He firsts tries to reason with them, reminding his brothers of the many miracles they had witnessed and the blessings they had received. When that fails, his brothers tie him up with the intent to kill him and leave him for the wild animals. What happens next is of particular interest: Nephi prays that the Lord will give him strength to burst the cords. I love that Nephi doesn't ask the Lord to just break the cords for him and strike down his brothers, he only wanted enough help so that he can take care of the situation himself. Elder David A. Bednar addresses this beautifully:
Nephi gives us a wonderful example of the attitude in which we should be praying. The Lord is eager to help us, but more importantly, he wants to help us help ourselves. When we step up to the challenges with which we are faced and then go on to conquer those trials we find ourselves growing, learning and becoming the person we have the potential to be.
Imagine if your parents hadn't wanted to put you through the bumps and falls of learning how to walk and instead opted to carry or push you around everywhere, never setting you down to try out your own two feet. You may not have learned to walk and you would have missed out on all the opportunities and growth associated with that.
The same principle is applied to our spiritual growth. We need to use it and exercise it ourselves and when the going is rough and difficult, we can pray for strength and the Lord will hold our hands and help us continue on our journey.
As an adult I have found myself a little annoyed with the "Footprints in the Sand" poem. I know it has good meaning and I can appreciate the sentiment. However, I feel that instead of the Lord carrying us through our trials, he instead walks next to us, close enough to whisper encouragement, offer a steadying hand and share our burdens. I think that it is vital that, especially in our trials, we are the ones putting each foot in front of the other in an active show of faith and courage. It is in those moments of deciding to continue forward that we grow the most.
Laman and Lemuel encourage a rebellion to go back to Jerusalem and Nephi, again, is the one who has to take charge of the situation. He firsts tries to reason with them, reminding his brothers of the many miracles they had witnessed and the blessings they had received. When that fails, his brothers tie him up with the intent to kill him and leave him for the wild animals. What happens next is of particular interest: Nephi prays that the Lord will give him strength to burst the cords. I love that Nephi doesn't ask the Lord to just break the cords for him and strike down his brothers, he only wanted enough help so that he can take care of the situation himself. Elder David A. Bednar addresses this beautifully:
"Nephi is an example of one who knew and understood and relied upon the enabling power of the Savior...Please note Nephi's prayer in verse 17: 'O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound'.
It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not pray...to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances. And may I suggest that he prayed in this manner precisely because he knew and understood and had experienced the enabling power of the Atonement of the Savior".I can't help but wonder how often we turn to the Lord, praying for him to change our situation, only to be disappointed when that prayer is not answered in the way we had hoped.
Nephi gives us a wonderful example of the attitude in which we should be praying. The Lord is eager to help us, but more importantly, he wants to help us help ourselves. When we step up to the challenges with which we are faced and then go on to conquer those trials we find ourselves growing, learning and becoming the person we have the potential to be.
Imagine if your parents hadn't wanted to put you through the bumps and falls of learning how to walk and instead opted to carry or push you around everywhere, never setting you down to try out your own two feet. You may not have learned to walk and you would have missed out on all the opportunities and growth associated with that.
The same principle is applied to our spiritual growth. We need to use it and exercise it ourselves and when the going is rough and difficult, we can pray for strength and the Lord will hold our hands and help us continue on our journey.
As an adult I have found myself a little annoyed with the "Footprints in the Sand" poem. I know it has good meaning and I can appreciate the sentiment. However, I feel that instead of the Lord carrying us through our trials, he instead walks next to us, close enough to whisper encouragement, offer a steadying hand and share our burdens. I think that it is vital that, especially in our trials, we are the ones putting each foot in front of the other in an active show of faith and courage. It is in those moments of deciding to continue forward that we grow the most.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
I Will Go and Do
Colophon: A certification that an account was written by the author, that it is true because the author has witnessed it. The Book of Mormon has several of these colophons written by several authors validating their work. Below I write my colophon to this blog.
I, Annalee, having been recently called to teach early morning seminary for the youth of my ward, do write this account of the things we did discuss and learn in our quest to understand the scriptures. Despite my lack of training, little preparation time, and aversion to early mornings, nevertheless, I know that the Lord will qualify me for the work, for I know He gives no callings unto his children save He shall prepare a way for them to accomplish His work.
As I am re-reading 1st Nephi, I am struck by the sheer number of times Nephi shares his amazing testimony found in scripture mastery scripture 1 Ne 3:7:
In seminary class, I shared a rather silly, minor example of this truth that I experienced last week. While still adjusting to learning how to go to bed on time and getting up hours early than I was accustomed, I found myself struggling to stay awake in my 3 hour accounting class. During the short break, several of my classmates went to the cafe for something to perk themselves up. I glanced at the cafe, realizing that there really wasn't anything there that was going to help me and briefly the thought crossed my mind that I wish I drank coffee because that would probably help me stay awake. The thought surprised me as I had never wished to drink coffee before, nor was there anything really stopping me from going and buying a cup. No one there knew my religion. However, I just refilled my water bottle and went back to class.
In class, sitting next to me was a girl who had a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. I thought again that I wished my water had a bit more caffeine in it when she suddenly took the lid off her drink. A strong smell came to me, which was decidedly more unpleasant than usual and not appetizing in the least. I realized that perhaps this was God's way of helping me keep his commandment to not drink coffee or tea. I found myself in gratitude for these minor, yet precious experiences that help keep me on the straight and narrow and I am pretty sure that my water really did help me stay awake through the rest of that class period.
I have witnessed many examples of God's love for His children and His willingness to help them keep His commandments. Like Nephi, I hope to be able to continue to go and do and remember to share this testimony throughout my life.
P.S.: I like this music video of the Living Scriptures portrayal of Nephi's willingess to go and do:
P.P.S: Please ignore the caveman outfit Nephi is wearing. It is unfortunate...
I, Annalee, having been recently called to teach early morning seminary for the youth of my ward, do write this account of the things we did discuss and learn in our quest to understand the scriptures. Despite my lack of training, little preparation time, and aversion to early mornings, nevertheless, I know that the Lord will qualify me for the work, for I know He gives no callings unto his children save He shall prepare a way for them to accomplish His work.
------------------------------------------
As I am re-reading 1st Nephi, I am struck by the sheer number of times Nephi shares his amazing testimony found in scripture mastery scripture 1 Ne 3:7:
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.We read similar words spoken by Sariah in 1 Ne 5:8 when her sons return from Jerusalem unharmed with the brass plates. We read them again in 1 Ne 7:12 when Nephi bears testimony to the revolting Laman and Lemuel after getting Ishmael's family. Each time we are reminded of this precious gospel truth: that God will not ask us to do anything which is impossible for us to do and He does not expect us to do it all on our own. If we are faithful and are trying to live His commandments, He will help us every step of the way.
In seminary class, I shared a rather silly, minor example of this truth that I experienced last week. While still adjusting to learning how to go to bed on time and getting up hours early than I was accustomed, I found myself struggling to stay awake in my 3 hour accounting class. During the short break, several of my classmates went to the cafe for something to perk themselves up. I glanced at the cafe, realizing that there really wasn't anything there that was going to help me and briefly the thought crossed my mind that I wish I drank coffee because that would probably help me stay awake. The thought surprised me as I had never wished to drink coffee before, nor was there anything really stopping me from going and buying a cup. No one there knew my religion. However, I just refilled my water bottle and went back to class.
In class, sitting next to me was a girl who had a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. I thought again that I wished my water had a bit more caffeine in it when she suddenly took the lid off her drink. A strong smell came to me, which was decidedly more unpleasant than usual and not appetizing in the least. I realized that perhaps this was God's way of helping me keep his commandment to not drink coffee or tea. I found myself in gratitude for these minor, yet precious experiences that help keep me on the straight and narrow and I am pretty sure that my water really did help me stay awake through the rest of that class period.
I have witnessed many examples of God's love for His children and His willingness to help them keep His commandments. Like Nephi, I hope to be able to continue to go and do and remember to share this testimony throughout my life.
P.S.: I like this music video of the Living Scriptures portrayal of Nephi's willingess to go and do:
P.P.S: Please ignore the caveman outfit Nephi is wearing. It is unfortunate...
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