Scripture Blog

This weblog is my personal online scripture journal. I try to read the scriptures each morning as I exercise on my cross-trainer. It has a great impact on my life and my testimony of the Savior and his restored church. The journal is really for my own benefit but I have set it up as a web log in hopes to benefit anyone else that may be interested. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." 1 Nephi 10:19

Friday, September 21, 2007

1 Nephi 11

In Lehi 's vision of the tree of life, he recounts that -

"...he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 8:30)

What seems very interesting with this vision is the multitudes did not come directly to the true and did partake of the fruit, but did first, fall down. Why would one fall down other than in reverence to the tree or symbolism of the tree. As the same vision was given to Nephi, an angel shows Nephi -

"...a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:13)

And afterwards -

"...the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:20)

It is after show Nephi the new-born Christ, the angel asks -

"...Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?" (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:21)

It is as if the angel is prompting Nephi that the trees symbolizes the Savior. Nephi answers also in a figurative or symbolic manner as he says -

"Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:22)

I see the love of God also being a title for the Savior. The angel also tells Nephi -

"...Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:6 - 7)

Again, ask the vision of the tree is given, immediately it becomes symbolic as Nephi beholds the Son of God. Elder Bednar said -

"...The tree of life is the central feature in the dream and is identified in 1 Nephi 11 as a representation of Jesus Christ. The fruit on the tree is a symbol for the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement..."

To the Woman of Samaria, the Savior said -

"...whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (New Testament John 4:14)

And Nephi -

"I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 11:25)

Fountain of Living Waters and The Tree of Life is nothing more than names for the Savior

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

1 Nephi 10

As Nephi writes to tell us that -

"...having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 10:17)

...he stops to teach us how his father spake by the power of the Holy Ghost -

"...which power he received by faith on the Son of God..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 10:17)

How is "faith is on the Son of God" developed and manifested? Nephi explains that -

"...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..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 10:17)

Faith then is a gift of God, which gift is only given to those that diligently seek him, for -

"...the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 10:18)

And the promise is -

"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 10:19)

As Nephi testifies of these truths saying -

"...the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 10:22)

Monday, September 17, 2007

1 Nephi 5

Nephi tells us later in his writings -

"...thirty years had passed away from the time we left Jerusalem.
29 And I, Nephi, had kept the records upon my plates, which I had made, of my people thus far.
30 And it came to pass that the Lord God said unto me: Make other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people.
31 Wherefore, I, Nephi, to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, went and made these plates upon which I have engraven these things." (Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 5:28 - 31)

I sense an older and much wiser Nephi as he recounts the happenings of Lehi and Sariah at the time he and his elder brothers had returned to Jerusalem for the brass plates. Nephi later records that his mother -

"...had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.
3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:2 - 3)

I'm sure Lehi was caught between a rock and a hard spot and he tells her -

"...I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
5 But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:4 - 5)

So with all his love, concern, and patience, in -

"...this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:6)

Upon the return of Nephi and his brothers, Nephi tells us of his parents -

"...behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:7 - 8)

I don't think a young Nephi would have necessarily recognized that and written that in his early years. I can remember serving my mission never really thinking about or recognizing the emotional impact it was on my mother and also my father. Some thirty years later as I had a son serve a mission, I began to see these same emotions that Sariah felt in my wife. I to at times expressed -

"...I know that the Lord will deliver my son..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:5)

I dont' believe even a young Joseph Smith would have understood this at the time he translated the sacred record.

Friday, September 14, 2007

1 Nephi 2

Nephi talked of -

"...having great desires to know of the mysteries of God..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 2:16)

So he tells us -

"...I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 2:16)

In contrast, he said of his brothers, Laman and Lemuel that they -

"...did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 2:12)

The comparisons become quite evident that as we murmur with no desire to seek the will of God, we know him not nor his dealings with man. In a sense, they continue to be a mystery to them. Isn't it interesting that because of Nephi's sincere desire -

"...it came to pass (not immediately) that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.
20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 2:19 - 20)

And of his brothers, He said -

"And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.
22 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 2:21 - 22)

It is very simple, as is the theme of my scripture blogs -

"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 10:19)

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

April GC - Elder Uchtdorf, Elder Nelson

Both Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf and Elder Russell M. Nelson spoke on the principle of repentance. Quoting the President David O. McKay, Elder Uchtdorf said -

"Every principle and ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is significant and important . . . , but there is none more essential to the salvation of the human family than the divine and eternally operative principle [of] repentance" (Gospel Ideals [1953], 13)

Then continuing with the words of King Benjamin -

"...salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Book of Mormon Mosiah 3:12)

Elder Nelson said -

"...The doctrine of repentance is as old as the gospel itself. Biblical teachings from the books of Genesis to Revelation teach repentance. Lessons from Jesus Christ during His mortal ministry include these warnings: "The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" and "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

References to repentance are even more frequent in the Book of Mormon. To the people of ancient America, the Lord gave this commandment: "Again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."

With the Restoration of the gospel, our Savior has again stressed this doctrine. The word repent in any of its forms appears in 47 of the 138 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants!"

"What does it mean to repent? We begin with a dictionary's definition that to repent is "to turn from sin . . . to feel sorrow [and] regret." To repent from sin is not easy. But the prize is worth the price. Repentance needs to be done one step at a time. Humble prayer will facilitate each essential step..."

The steps of repentance and prerequisites for forgiveness include -

"...there must first be recognition, remorse, then confession. "By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them." Confession is to be made to the person who has been wronged. Confession should be sincere and not merely an admission of guilt after proof is evident. If many persons have been offended, confession should be made to all offended parties. Acts that may affect one's standing in the Church or the right to its privileges should be confessed promptly to the bishop, whom the Lord has called as a common judge in Israel....The next step is restitution—to repair damage done—if possible. Then come steps to resolve to do better and refrain from relapse—to repent "with full purpose of heart." Thanks to the ransom paid by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, full forgiveness is given to the sinner who repents and remains free from sin. To the repentant soul, Isaiah said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

President Kimball wrote -

"It is not repentance per se that saves man. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that saves us. It is not by our sincere and honest change of behavior alone that we are saved, but "by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). True repentance, however, is the condition required so that God's forgiveness can come into our lives. True repentance makes "a brilliant day [out] of the darkest night" "(Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 362).

Elder Uchtdorf taught -

"Satan will try to make us believe that our sins are not forgiven because we can remember them. Satan is a liar; he tries to blur our vision and lead us away from the path of repentance and forgiveness. God did not promise that we would not remember our sins. Remembering will help us avoid making the same mistakes again. But if we stay true and faithful, the memory of our sins will be softened over time. This will be part of the needed healing and sanctification process. Alma testified that after he cried out to Jesus for mercy, he could still remember his sins, but the memory of his sins no longer distressed and tortured him, because he knew he had been forgiven (see Alma 36:17–19).

It is our responsibility to avoid anything that would bring back old sinful memories. When we continue to have a "broken heart and a contrite spirit" (
3 Nephi 12:19), we may trust that God will "remember [our sins] no more."

"Jesus taught us eternal truth when He taught us to pray: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. . . . For, if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not . . . neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (3 Nephi 13:11, 14–15).

Therefore, extending forgiveness is a precondition to receiving forgiveness
.
For our own good, we need the moral courage to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Never is the soul nobler and more courageous than when we forgive. This includes forgiving ourselves."

In conclusion -

"The fruits of repentance are sweet. Repentant converts find that the truths of the restored gospel govern their thoughts and deeds, shape their habits, and forge their character. They are more resilient and able to deny themselves of all ungodliness. Moreover, uncontrolled appetite, addiction to pornography or harmful drugs, unbridled passion, carnal desire, and unrighteous pride are diminished with complete conversion to the Lord and a determination to serve Him and to emulate His example. Virtue garnishes their thoughts, and self-confidence grows. Tithing is seen as a joyful and protective blessing, not as a duty or a sacrifice. Truth becomes more attractive, and things praiseworthy become more engaging"

"...Brothers and sisters, that means conversion! Repentance is conversion! A repentant soul is a converted soul, and a converted soul is a repentant soul."

Monday, September 10, 2007

April GC - Elder Kikuchi

Quoting from Malachi, Elder Kikuchi said -

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Old Testament Malachi 3:8 - 10)

Elder Kikuchi then emphasized -

"The Lord said, "Prove me now [or test me now] . . . , if I will not open you the windows of heaven." Many of us test the Lord in the right way; however, some do not."

The Lord particularly gave this temporal promise -

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (Old Testament 2 Chronicles 7:14)

Quoting a modern day prophet -

"...President Hinckley said, "While tithing is paid with money, more importantly it is paid with faith."

Another time he said: "This is not so much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith. . . . I urge you, . . . every one of you, to take the Lord at His word in this important matter."

Elder Kikuchi concluded -

"It is a matter of commitment. The earth belongs to the Lord, and this includes our own lives. He allows us to use everything on this earth. He only asks us to return one-tenth. Tithing is a token of gratitude, obedience, and thanksgiving—a token of our willingness and dedication. Paying tithing, willingly, develops an honest and pure heart. Paying tithing increases our love for the Lord."

"...verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 64:23)

Friday, September 07, 2007

April GC - Elder Eyring

Elder Henry B. Eyring begins his conference message with -

"There is a danger in the word someday when what it means is "not this day." "Someday I will repent." "Someday I will forgive him." "Someday I will speak to my friend about the Church." "Someday I will start to pay tithing." "Someday I will return to the temple." "Someday . . . "

Amulek taught the Zoramites -

"...this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.
33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.
35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked." (Book of Mormon Alma 34:32 - 35)

Even the Savior said -

"I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (New Testament John 9:4 - 5)

Elder Eyring explained -

"As the risen Savior, He is this day and forever the Light of the World. It is He who invites us to come unto Him and serve Him, without delay. His encouragement to you and to me is this: "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."

That is as true of a day as it is of a life. A morning prayer and an early search in the scriptures to know what we should do for the Lord can set the course of a day. We can know which task, of all those we might choose, matters most to God and therefore to us. I have learned such a prayer is always answered if we ask and ponder with childlike submission, ready to act without delay to perform even the most humble service."

Procrastination can begin in the morning and extend throughout the day. Morning "can set the course of the day" -

"For most of us the temptation to delay will come from one or both of two feelings. They are polar opposites: one is to be complacent about what we have already done, and the other is to feel overwhelmed by the need to do more."

"Complacency is a danger for us all. It can come to naive youth who feel that there will be plenty of time in the future for spiritual things. They might think that they have already done enough, considering the brief time they have lived. ...Complacency can affect even the seasoned adult. The better and the longer you serve, the more likely that the tempter can place this lie in your mind: "You have earned a rest." "

"For those who are discouraged by their circumstances and are therefore tempted to feel they cannot serve the Lord this day, I make you two promises. Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day with your whole heart. Your circumstances may not be improved in all the ways which you desire. But you will have been given new strength to carry your burdens and new confidence that when your burdens become too heavy, the Lord, whom you have served, will carry what you cannot. He knows how. He prepared long ago. He suffered your infirmities and your sorrows when He was in the flesh so that He would know how to succor you.

The other promise I make to you is that by choosing to serve Him this day, you will feel His love and grow to love Him more. You may remember the scripture:

"I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts . . . that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you."

Thursday, September 06, 2007

April GC - Elder Pace

Elder Glenn Pace spoke of his spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the testimony of Joseph Smith. He explained -

"Once you recognize those feelings for what they are, your faith in them will increase. Soon you will find that you have developed a spiritual sixth sense which cannot be misled...this spiritual sense vibrates only when activated by the Holy Ghost."

Of being touched by the Holy Ghost he expressed an-

"...elation springing forth from the innermost part of [his] being, which is protected from all deceit."

How does this spiritual witness feel? To Hyrum Smith, the Lord said -

"...I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;
14 And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 11:13 - 14)

Some of us have been members of the Church our whole lives. To us Elder Pace said -

"When seeking a testimony, those of you born into the Church may be looking for some spectacular spiritual feeling different than anything you have ever felt before. You may have heard converts testify of their conversion and wonder if you're missing something. One reason it seems so spectacular to them is that it is new.
You have had the same feelings your whole life during family home evenings, youth testimony meetings, seminary classes, scripture reading, and on many other occasions."

But for everyone -

"Sometimes the feeling is like a memory. We first learned the gospel in our heavenly home. We have come to this earth with a veil of forgetfulness. And yet lingering in each of our spirits are those dormant memories. The Holy Ghost can part the veil and bring those things out of their dormancy."

That seems to ring true as the Savior taught -

"...the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance..." (New Testament John 14:26)

We are promised -

"...by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Book of Mormon Moroni 10:5)

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

April GC - Elder Oaks

As Elder Oaks spoke on divorce and the "weakening concept of marraige" in the world today, I seLatter-day Saint spouses should do all within their power to preserve their marriages -

"...They should follow the marriage enrichment counsel in the First Presidency's message in the April 2007 Ensign and Liahona.5 To avoid so-called "incompatibility," they should be best friends, kind and considerate, sensitive to each other's needs, always seeking to make each other happy. They should be partners in family finances, working together to regulate their desires for temporal things.emed to focus on his instruction to those that are married."

Realizing that marraige isn't necessarily living "happy ever after", Elder Oaks said -

"...Of course, there can be times when one spouse falls short and the other is wounded and feels pain. When that happens, the one who is wronged should balance current disappointments against the good of the past and the brighter prospects of the future.

Don't treasure up past wrongs, reprocessing them again and again. In a marriage relationship, festering is destructive; forgiving is divine (see D&C 64:9–10). Plead for the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord to forgive wrongs (as President Faust has just taught us so beautifully), to overcome faults, and to strengthen relationships.

If you are already descending into the low state of marriage-in-name-only, please join hands, kneel together, and prayerfully plead for help and the healing power of the Atonement. Your humble and united pleadings will bring you closer to the Lord and to each other and will help you in the hard climb back to marital harmony."

I feel strongly again with the quote -

"...Don't treasure up past wrongs, reprocessing them again and again. In a marriage relationship, festering is destructive; forgiving is divine..."

A quote from a wise bishop was -

"...Even those who think their spouse is entirely to blame should not act hastily. One study found "no evidence that divorce or separation typically made adults happier than staying in an unhappy marriage. Two out of three unhappily married adults who avoided divorce reported being happily married five years later." A woman who persisted in an intolerable marriage for many years until the children were raised explained: "There were three parties to our marriage—my husband and I and the Lord. I told myself that if two of us could hang in there, we could hold it together."

Elder Oaks testified -

"Whatever the outcome and no matter how difficult your experiences, you have the promise that you will not be denied the blessings of eternal family relationships if you love the Lord, keep His commandments, and just do the best you can."