As the Book of Mormon comes to a close I can almost see Moroni trying to write everything possible that he can that he feels would benefit us in our day. One of my favorite verses is in the last chapter of Moroni is when he wrote:
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot." (Moroni 10:32-33)
The Young Men General Presidency commented on this verse saying, "This is a sacred invitation to draw near to the Son of God. Because of
His Atonement, we can gain the power to serve, to deny ourselves of
ungodly things in our lives, and to feel His infinite love. As we do so,
we will find true peace and happiness." (Come Unto Christ) Here, one of the last thing Moroni tells us to do is to come unto
Christ. He promises that if we do, his grace is sufficient that we may
be perfected through him.
As we go through life we can come unto Christ as we exercise faith in him. We can also come unto Christ as we look for that which is good "for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ" (Moroni 7:16) As we look to Christ in our lives, exercise faith, are obedient, continually repent we come unto Christ. This can help us to find happiness be perfected in him.
I know that the Book of Mormon is a testament of Christ that can help us to come unto Christ. This book helps serve as a testament of Him.
As we come unto Christ we can be better than we were yesterday. We can learn and be perfected through His Atonement. We can find peace in this life and in the next as we come unto Christ.
Weaknesses cannot stop us from succeeding. Throughout my life I have sometimes been painfully reminded that I have various weaknesses. For this reason I have found comfort in the words of the Lord to Moroni concerning Moroni's weaknesses, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27) I have often been comforted by the fact that if I am sufficiently humble that I may be able to overcome my weaknesses.
As I have grown I have found this verse fulfilled in my life in two different ways. The first way is that the Lord will help me to overcome a weakness so that my weakness no longer exists. President Monson provided an example of a young man whose weakness was at least temporarily done away with:
"Fifty
years ago, I knew a young man—even a priest—who held the authority of
the Aaronic Priesthood. As the bishop, I was his quorum president.
Robert stuttered and stammered, void of control. Self-conscious, shy,
fearful of himself and all others, this impediment was devastating to
him. Never did he fulfill an assignment; never would he look another in
the eye; always he would gaze downward. Then one day, through a set of
unusual circumstances, he accepted an assignment to perform the priestly
responsibility to baptize another.
I
sat next to Robert in the baptistry of the Salt Lake Tabernacle. He was
dressed in immaculate white, prepared for the ordinance he was to
perform. I leaned over and asked him how he felt. He gazed at the floor
and stuttered almost uncontrollably that he felt terrible, terrible.
We
both prayed fervently that he would be made equal to his task. Suddenly
the clerk said, “Nancy Ann McArthur will now be baptized by Robert
Williams, a priest.”
Robert
left my side, stepped into the font, took little Nancy by the hand and
helped her into that water which cleanses human lives and provides a
spiritual rebirth. He spoke the words, “Nancy Ann McArthur, having been
commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.” Not once did he stutter! Not once did he falter! A modern
miracle had been witnessed. Robert then performed the baptismal
ordinance for two or three other children in the same fashion.
In
the dressing room, as I congratulated Robert, I expected to hear this
same uninterrupted flow of speech. I was wrong. He gazed downward and
stammered his reply of gratitude." (The Call to Serve)
In my own life I have found that my weaknesses have been overcome as I am sufficiently humble and submit to the will of the Father. As we humble ourselves we can be further perfected in overcoming our weaknesses.
The second way that I have seen this scripture fulfilled is that the weakness is not removed but that it instead works as an blessing to us. Paul experienced this when he had a "thorn in the flesh". He stated that he sought to have it removed by the Lord. However, the Lord did not remove the infirmity. Concerning this Paul stated, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12:9) Here, Paul's infirmity was not removed.
In my life I had a period on my mission where I was struggling with the mission language and was becoming frustrated. I felt that I would never get to the level with the language that I wanted to. One day I was teaching a lesson to a less-active member of the ward where I was assigned when I realized that my struggling with the language was forcing the members to pay closer attention in order to understand what I was saying. This struggle also forced me to be humble and to rely more on the Lord as I taught people. I did eventually learn the language, but the lesson that what we see as weaknesses may serve as blessings to us stayed with me.
I know that the Lord is there and that he is aware of us. I know that he loves us and is willing to help us. As we humble ourselves have faith in Him he will help us to succeed in mortality.
(Keil's note: I asked my brother Spencer to write today's post. He shared a post from his blog Inspiration Through Perspiration. I recommend it to everyone along with this post.)
One of my all time favorite scriptures comes from D&C 6:36 "look unto me in every though, doubt
not, fear not" this scripture was brought to my attention years ago as I
was a young student in the LDS seminary program. though it was not until I was
in my mission that I really looked at the verses that proceeded this. in
particular verses 33 and 34:
"33. Fear not to to good my sons, for
whatsoever yo sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good, ye shall
also reap good for your reward.
34. Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; Let
the earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock,
they can not prevail"
When I read these the first time I was serving a
mission and my first thought was "heck yeah I am doing good" but as
time has gone on and I have settled back into my post-mission life they have
taken a new meaning, it is no longer the battle cry of prevailing against the
forces of "earth and hell" but rather it is now a comfort in
how the Lord calls to me, with the call to do good "MY SON" and the
comfort the he provides when says "little flock". These are the words
of a loving father who is comforting a scared child, and is that not what we
are at times? In fact I would venture to say is that not how we are at most
times?
Before my mission I always knew what my purpose in
life was, if you would have asked premie Spencer what he was doing in life you
have heard the resounding response "going on a mission of course" I
knew who I was and where I was going, but the thing that most premies don't
understand is that missions end and adulthood begins and it is like you are
constantly in a state of uncertainty, questions constantly surround you such
as, what will I study, who will I marry, where will I go to school. and then as
you start to answer these questions they are replaced with new questions,
"ok now that I am in school how will I pay for this"... I had one
institute teacher who called this the greenie principle, we are always in a
state of learning because right when we think we got it all figured out life
changes and we are back as a greenie. with this in mind it is no small wonder
that as we face this life we a re filled with a certain amount of fear.
But fear is not of the Lord, it is something that
satan has established to hold us back from our full potential. it says in 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given
us the spirit of fear..." there it is right there! fear is not of the
Lord, in fact in is the opposite of what he teaches us. The Lord has on many
occasions told us to "fear not", or "be not afraid" we
should all take courage for the Lord is with us and he does not forget his
children. But as any loving father would, the Lord wants us to grow and see the
power and potential that we have in ourselves the Lord has given us a spirit
"of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7) with that in
mind it is no wonder that the Lord often does not allow us to see the blessing
after the trial of our faith, after we have taken courage and faced our fear.
remember how the children of Israel under the direction of Joshua faced the
daunting task of transporting the Ark across a river? They stood on the banks
of the river for sometime, waiting for something to happen, and why wouldn't
they? they had seen Moses part the Red sea! surely a river would be no problem,
right? but it was not until after the trial of their faith by first stepping
into the river and getting their feet wet did the Lord make a way (Joshua 3:7-17). I would that I could be like
Nephi who when searching for the plates went forth "Led by the spirit not
knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went
forth..." (1 Nephi 4:6-7). as a parting thought I love
the Experience that Elder Packer shares, it is about a time when he did not
know how to accomplish some counsel that he received from President David O.
McKay. not knowing how to move forward he sought further counsel from then
elder Herold B. Lee who stated the following.
“The trouble with you is you want to see the end
from the beginning.” I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two
ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: “You must learn to walk to the edge
of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will
appear and show the way before you.” (Boyd K.
Packer "The Edge of Light")
Trust the Lord that he knows what lies ahead and
will light the way only when we step into the darkness, we have no reason
to fear for the Lord is with us and we are his children. "It is our light,
not our darkness that most frightens us. our deepest fear is not that we are
inadequate. our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is in
our light not our darkness that most frightens us. we ask ourselves, who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? you are a child of God...
we are born to make manifest the glory of God that is with in us." (Marianne
Williamson)
Reading the Book of Mormon this time I have been impressed with how much the book is tailored to our day. Near the end of the book Mormon and Moroni seem to know that their civilization's time is up and include several messages specifically to us in our day. This book helps us to know of our relationship to God and his love for us. It warns us of spiritual dangers that we face today. In Mormon 8 Mormon warns that "there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day." (Mormon 8: 31) These and other spiritual dangers are shown to teach and warn guide us of them to help us today.
If we follow the teachings contained in the Book of Mormon I know that we will be safe from these dangers. Elder Holland testified, "God always provides safety for the soul, and with the Book of Mormon, He has again done that in our time." (Safety for the Soul) I know that the Book of Mormon can help us as we study it and that it does provide us safety and comfort in our lives.
In the Book of Mormon there was a period of where the people were one. In describing this period Mormon says, "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." (4 Nephi 1:17) Henry B. Eyring has testified that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can allow hearts to be made one. (That We May be Made One) As a church we have been asked to be unified with the Lord saying that if we were not one we were not his. (D&C 38:27) In our personal lives we should desire unity in our families. David O. McKay testified, "I can imagine few, if any, things more objectionable in the home than
the absence of unity and harmony. On the other hand, I know that a home
in which unity, mutual helpfulness, and love abide is just a bit of
heaven on earth. I surmise that nearly all of you can testify to the
sweetness of life in a home in which these virtues predominate." (Conference Report, Oct. 1967, 7) The Gospel of Jesus Christ can bless us with greater unity in our associations with others. As we do we will experience greater strength and peace in our families.
Henry B. Eyring gave several suggestions to us in developing greater unity in our lives:
1) Invite the Savior into our lives. In talking about the people of Alma in The Book of Mormon President Eyring shared,
"Everything
Alma and his people were inspired to do was pointed at helping people
choose to have their hearts changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That is the only way God can grant the blessing of being of one heart.
In Mosiah we read:
“And
they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ, from that
time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was baptized by the
power and authority of God was added to his church. …
“And
he commanded them that they should teach nothing save it were the
things which he had taught, and which had been spoken by the mouth of
the holy prophets.
“Yea,
even he commanded them that they should preach nothing save it were
repentance and faith on the Lord, who had redeemed his people.
“And
he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another,
but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one
baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.
“And thus he commanded them to preach. And thus they became the children of God.”
That
is why Alma commanded the people to teach faith and repentance. That is
why my children came to expect in every lesson in family night that I
would find a way to encourage someone to testify of the Savior and His
mission. Sometimes the parents did it. On our best nights we found a way
to encourage the children to do it, either by presenting the lesson or
answering questions. When testimony about the Savior was borne, the Holy Ghost verified it. On those nights we felt our hearts being knit together."
2) Invite revelation into our lives. President Eyring testified that "Revelation is the only way we can know how to follow the will of the Lord together." The Lord gives us revelation as we are worthy and receive his commandments. As we do the Spirit will guide is in what to do and what to say in being more unified.
3) Be humble. President Eyring testified that pride is the enemy of unity. The first sign of the downfall of the Nephite civilization was that they began to be more prideful. (4 Nephi 1:24) Ezra Taft Benson taught about pride, "The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.”" (Beware of Pride) If we are in a state of enmity towards our fellow men it is unlikely that we would be able to be unified with them.
4) Speak well of one another. A common saying is that if you can't say something nice you shouldn't say anything at all. The Lord has commanded us to "cease to find fault one with another". (D&C 88:124) This means that we should look for the best in others around us. We should seek to love others as Christ loves them. As we do we will become more unified.
I know that the Gospel blesses lives. As we choose to look for the good in others, be humble, invite revelation into our lives, and keep the Savior in our lives we will be blessed with unity in our homes, and in our relationships with others.
P.S. Here is President Eyrings talk where he gave these suggestions "Our Hearts Knit as One"
(Keil's note: I have been busy with finals and school so I have been asking some people to help me with this blog to give me time to worry about finals. Today my dad volunteered to share what he read in the Book of Mormon as well as his testimony.)
As father it is my hope that I have taught my sons the correct
principles to follow in their lives. Like Alma of old I often ponder the
trails that I have experienced and wok,d hope that I can give the same
sound advise that Alma gives to his sons. So K, S, T, P, A and of course
M I bear my solemn testimony of the Book of Mormon, Alma 36 is the
beginning of a powerful section in the Book of Mormon where Alma imparts
fatherly advise to his sons. Alma gathers his sons that he might give
unto them every one his charge, separately (Alma 35:16). Accordingly,
the next seven chapters deal with his advice and commandments to his
three sons, Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton. Helaman as the oldest was
entrusted with the records; Shiblon was so righteous that Alma had
relatively little in the way of advice for him; and Corianton gets an
earful. For four chapters Alma counsels and instructs this third son on
the evil of his ways. The main focus is that the sinner will not escape
punishment in the resurrection. In these seven chapters, many priceless
gems of doctrinal insight are given. We should be thankful to Alma for
his diligence in teaching his sons. We should follow his example of
fatherhood in teaching our own.
I was overwhelmed by the love of our Savior Jesus Christ in these chapters. After teaching the people and spending time with them, the Savior says:
"my time is at hand" (3 Nephi 17:1)
Essentially, "it's time for me to go". Yet after doing so observes the multitude to be sad at His departure. This is a stark contrast from the shunning, persecution, and eventual crucifixion He had recently experienced. He responds with compassion, stating:
"Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? (3 Nephi 17:7)
The addition of "afflicted in any manner" implies that ALL were invited to come unto Him and be healed. The same is true in our day as the Atonement's effect is ever reaching, having no limits. We are invited to come unto Him, today and everyday and find peace and healing in our lives.
In 3 Nephi 7-12, we read about the signs of the crucifixion of our Savior Jesus Christ. What stood out most to me was the symbolism of lightness and darkness used. We read:
"And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled...And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land. And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days...and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the people continually...because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them." (3 Nephi 8:21-23)
A beloved sign of the Savior's entrance into the world came in the form of light:
"for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day." (Helaman 14:3)
When the Savior of this world was crucified, no earthly light could fill the void of his absence. When he entered the world, no earthly power could stop the light from filling the earth. In simple words: NO JESUS=NO LIGHT, but to KNOW JESUS=KNOW LIGHT.
I know that when I make choices that invite the Savior into my life, my world is brighter and I feel hope for the future. Alternatively when I do not make room for the Savior, my world seems dark and dreary, which is not a life that I want for myself.
Something that has been bugging me lately about this blog. I feel as if I have not mentioned Christ enough. The Book of Mormon is a testament of Christ. It begins with him and is full of testimonies of him. It testifies that every prophet has testified of Christ. It testifies of his premortal work (Ether 3:14), birth (3 Nephi 1:14-20), mortal ministry (Mosiah 3:5), and of his atonement. (Alma 9:7-13) It then testifies of his post-mortal work among God's children. (3 Nephi 11)
Jesus Christ is central to our faith today. The prophet Joseph Smith taught, "‘The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ,
that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended
into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only
appendages to it.’ In that spirit, we add our witness to that of our
predecessors." Christ is there for us to strengthen us in trials. He enables us to repent. Christ's love is the reason that I feel that Joseph B. Wirthlin could testify "Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of
discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles. It leads us
through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end
love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life." (The Great Commandment)
In the end I know that Christ lives and because of him we can be clean and return to live with God again.
A number of years ago the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve put out The Living Christ as their testimony of Jesus Christ. I recommend reading it this Christmas season.
Growing up reading I was told that the scriptures were full of examples for me and that I should "liken' them to me. (See: 1 Nephi 19:23) One of the first times I felt like I really did this was as a missionary reading about Samuel the Lamanite. I realized that we were in a similar situation where we were both missionaries sent to people. The major difference was that he had a slightly more aggressive audience. I learned from Samuel that you succeed as a missionary when you do your best to obey the Lord and try and testify to people. I also learned that a good missionary testifies of Christ whenever possible. Samuel also taught me not to give up easily and to be firm in doing what I know to be right. In our lives there are situations that we can compare to experiences people in the scriptures had. If we compare their lives to our own and learn from the example of those in the scriptures we will gain greater knowledge from the scriptures.
I know that the scriptures can provide us with patterns for how we can live our lives. Neal A. Maxwell testified that applying the scriptures to our lives would hasten our process towards perfection. (See:Lessons from Laman and Lemuel) As we apply scriptural lessons in our lives we can grow closer to God; find safety in the scriptures; and gain greater knowledge from them.
I realized the other day that the Book of Mormon and the LDS church in general are somewhat interesting ducks. The church is one of those groups that challenges you to test if what is being taught is true. In the Book of Mormon there is a challenge to whoever reads the book to test whether or not it is true. The Book of Mormon then promises that God will inform the reader of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon "by the power of the Holy Ghost". (See: Moroni 10: 3-5) David A. Bednar defined revelation as, "communication from God to His children on the earth" (The Spirit of Revelation) This communication is often through the Holy Ghost. Communication from God is not a loud voice. In the Book of Mormon when God communicated with a group of people it was described in this way: "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" (Helaman 5:30; See: 3 Nephi 11:3) Frequently communications from God can come as thoughts or feelings. (See: D&C 8:1-2) I have found that this is usually the case in my own life where if I am not careful I can miss important spiritual promptings. A few days ago I was visiting an investigator with the Elders. The investigator had met with the elders several times and did not feel as if he had received an answer about the whether or not the Book of Mormon was true yet. We then spoke about how the Spirit speaks to us. Having had this experience recently I read this by President Packer, "A testimony is not thrust upon you; a testimony grows. We become taller in testimony like we grow taller in physical stature; we hardly know it happens because it comes by growth.
It is not wise to wrestle with the revelations with such insistence as to demand immediate answers or blessings to your liking. You cannot force spiritual things. Such words as compel, coerce, constrain, pressure, demand, do not describe our privileges with the Spirit. You can no more force the Spirit to respond than you can force a bean to sprout, or an egg to hatch before it’s time. You can create a climate to foster growth, nourish, and protect; but you cannot force or compel: you must await the growth." (The Candle of the Lord)
I have learned that we must be patient with the Lord's answers to our questions. What we can do is facilitate them by making it easier for the Spirit to be present. We can remain worthy and keep our lives clean so that the Spirit is present in our lives. The Spirit is in our lives more as we listen to it. (Helaman 6:36) We must also be willing to use our own intelligence to make decisions. Sometimes, we must first exercise a degree of faith and act without a knowledge. Boyd K. Packer taught, "It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead..." (The Candle of the Lord)As we do the Lord will speak to us and tell us what we should do.
In my own life I was encouraged by my own parents to find out for myself if the Book of Mormon was true. God did, and continues to answer me as I read through the book that it is true. This is also the reason that I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that the Lord does answer prayers and will guide us through our lives. That sometimes we must have faith in him to receive these blessings, but they do come.
The Book of Mormon is written for our day. President Ezra Taft Benson testified that the Book of Mormon was written for us today when he said, "The Nephites never had the book; neither did the Lamanites of ancient
times. It was meant for us. Mormon wrote near the end of the Nephite
civilization. Under the inspiration of God, who sees all things from the
beginning, he abridged centuries of records, choosing the stories,
speeches, and events that would be most helpful to us." (The Book of Mormon- Keystone of Our Religion) This book is evidence of God's love for his children today because he did prepare something for us today. For me, the books of Helaman and 3 Nephi seemed to especially mirror our day. These two books are about the period right before Christ came to a people. It has several similarities with us today such as the unbelief of the people in the coming and the very existence of Christ.
For me, the lessons that Mormon chose in these books seem to stand out to me in some ways. In these books Mormon highlights the dangers of "secret combinations". (See: Helaman 2:13) A secret combination is an organization created to help people to sin against the laws of man and God. (See: Helaman 6:23) In our day we have been warned that in order to confront the challenges that these kinds of organizations present by standing up for truth. (Standing for Truth and Righteousness)
Mormon teaches that the reason that the Nephite civilization began to wane during this time was because of the "wickedness and abomination" among the Nephites and specifically the members of the church. (See: Helaman 4:11) Today we are tempted to do what is wrong and to do something other than what the Lord would have us do. Meanwhile, Mormon testified that there is safety in the word of God,
"Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—
And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand
of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac,
and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out." (Helaman 3:29-30)
I know that the commandments of God can bless our lives. They can keep us safe in troubled times and help us to return to God's presence and hope that we do study the word of God in the scriptures and obey them to help us to return to God's presence.
I knew someone who once criticized the "war chapters" in the Book of Mormon. The war chapters in the Book of Mormon are from Alma 46-63. He stated that it was a section filled with violence and very little for us today. However in general, have learned that this is not the case. The Gospel Doctrine teacher's manual suggests that just as the Nephites were under attack we are under attack by the forces of evil. Ezra Taft Benson stated, "I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer’s leadership and as the
forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be
growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues
become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to
align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil.
As these conflicts rage, either secretly or openly, the righteous will be tested.
God’s wrath will soon shake the nations of the earth and will be poured out on
the wicked without measure." (I Testify, Ensign, November 1988, pg. 87).
The Book of Mormon was written for our day and teaches us how we can survive the conflicts that we encounter. So here is partial list of some of the things that I have learned from the war chapters of the Book of Mormon.
Stand up for what is right.
The power of righteous leaders.
A testimony of the immortality of the soul and the afterlife.
The need to be vigilant.
The power of personal righteousness.
The need to fortify oneself where one is weak.
The importance of being prepared.
God will help his children.
The need for unity.
The need to control one's temper.
The importance of covenants.
The Lord will protect those who keep his commandments.
The power of the youth of the church.
The power of righteous parents.
We need to act on our beliefs.
How we can face trials.
Forgiveness for misunderstandings.
There are many more lessons that we can learn from the wars in the Book of Mormon if we study them. The scriptures can bless our lives and teach us what we need to know if we read and apply them.
I am not a parent so my experience is somewhat limited. But I have been blessed with amazing parents. My mother stayed at home to raise us for almost as long as I can remember. I remember growing up, and to this day she gets up early to read her own scriptures, then wakes up everyone in the house to read the scriptures together and pray. Every time I go home, I don't leave without some snack or some other contribution to my welfare.
Abraham Lincoln once shared “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Looking at the good in my life I feel as if I could say the same. I have also been blessed by amazing grandparents who have also helped me to accomplish what good I have. Shortly after his wife died, Gordon B. Hinckley shared the following message:
On one occasion Thomas S. Monson shared this thought,
"One
certain way each can demonstrate genuine love for mother is to live the
truths mother so patiently taught. Such a lofty goal is not new to our
present generation. On this continent, in times described in the Book of Mormon,
we read of a brave, a good, and noble leader named Helaman who did
march in righteous battle at the head of 2,000 young men. Helaman
described the activities of these young men: “… never had I seen so
great courage, … as … they said unto me: … behold our God is with us,
and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; … Now
they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; … yea, they had been
taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver
them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We
do not doubt our mothers knew it. (Alma 56:45–48.)
At
the end of the battle, Helaman continued his description: “… behold, to
my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea,
and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men
known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty
power. …” (Alma 56:56.)
Miraculous strength, mighty power—mother’s love and love for mother had met and triumphed." ("Behold Thy Mother")
I am grateful for my mother and the example that she sets. Thomas S. Monson also taught, "May each of us treasure this truth; one cannot forget mother and
remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because
these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love,
in sacrifice, in service, are as one." I am grateful for my mother and the person that she has helped me to become.
P.S. My reading today did not mention fathers so I did not spend much time on the subject. But my dad is pretty amazing. D. Todd Christopherson once shared the following story about his father. I love it because it is about the kind of man my father is, and the kind of person I want to be:
We should be willing to stand up for our convictions. In the Book of Mormon we read about while Amalikiah was campaigning to be king of the Nephites, there were many Nephites who began to follow Amalikiah. Moroni became frustrated with the dissension caused by Amalikiah and his followers and rent his coat and wrote "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our
wives, and our children." (Alma 46:12) Moroni then, "went forth among the people, waving the rent
part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he
had written upon the rent part, and crying with a loud voice, saying:
Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them." (Alma 46:19-20) After he did so people came to him and stood with him.
Moroni was someone who was willing to stand by what he knew to be right in spite of what other people believed. In contrast to Moroni who stood firm in his convictions we have Lehonti who when he heard that the Lamanites were going to go to war, went with a large group of fellow Lamanites to Mount Antipus to avoid being forced to fight the Nephites. This group was determined to do whatever it took to avoid fighting the Nephites and were prepared to defend themselves from the Lamanite army to this effect. In order to get them to join him Amalikiah took an army to the base of Mount Antipus and sent for the leader of the Lamanites on Antipus, named Lehonti. Lehonti refused to go down to the base of the mountain to meet with Amalikiah. So Amalikiah sent for him again, Lehonti refused and Amalikiah sent for him again. Lehonti then refused Amalikiah for a third time. Amalikiah then went up the mountain nearly up to Lehonti's camp and asked Lehonti to meet him there. Lehonti agreed and met with Amalikiah. Amalikiah then proposed that Lehonti go down to the base of the mountain and surround Amalikiah's army. Amalikiah then promised that he would surrender his army to Lehonti if Lehonti would agree to make Amalikiah his second in command. Lehonti agreed, went down to the bottom of the mountain and captured Amalikiah's army. However, after Lehonti took command of Amalikiah's army, " it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died." (Alma 47:18)
Commenting on the story of Lehonti Brad Wilcox taught, "You're in control! I only want
to talk! You have your guards! You only have to come down a little
bit!" Amalickiah assures his victim. Lehonti, feeling secure although
undoubtedly mistrustful, made his first mistake: He descended from the
heights of the mountain. In his own mind, however, he was still safe,
because he was in control (Don't Leap with the Sheep [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 2001], 35-36).
Today we have Satan tempting us to come down, just a little. He tells us that God "will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no
harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it
so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at
last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God." (2 Nephi 28:8) He wants us to believe that we are fine if we commit just a little sin. Gordon B. Hinckley taught the men of the church, “You cannot be immoral in any sense. You cannot be dishonest. You cannot
cheat or lie. You cannot take the name of God in vain or use filthy
language and still have the right to the ministering of angels.” (Personal Worthiness to Exercise the Priesthood)
In speaking to the priesthood Thomas S. Monson taught, "As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our
faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by
others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone
concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral
courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand
alone? As holders of the priesthood of God, it is essential that we are
able to face—with courage—whatever challenges come our way. Remember
the words of Tennyson: “My strength is as the strength of ten, because
my heart is pure.”" (Dare to Stand Alone) If we choose to stand up for our convictions we have been promised that "if we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously,
strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we
stand with our Father in Heaven." (Dare to Stand Alone)
When we are willing to stand up for what is right we can know that the Lord is pleased with us. We will have peace in our lives that comes from knowing that we have done what is right and be able to help those around us.
As his last piece of advice that Alma gave to Corianton about the resurrection and the final judgment. The reason for this can be summed up by a statement from President Eyring, "People have to believe that the danger is real to want to find safety."(As a Child) Alma taught his son that first, "it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works" (Alma 41:3); then secondly, "and the desires of their hearts" (Alma 41:3) Then if their works and desires were good then they would have good restored to them.
I once had a priests quorum adviser who taught seminary in ancient times. He had some students who would bring food to class. At one point they brought food, tying it into a lesson. They brought pulled pork sandwiches with the lesson, "prepare for the great barbecue" In his message to his son Alma told him how to prepare. He taught him to repent. (See: Alma 41:6) He then taught him, "Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy
restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again;
ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye
shall have good rewarded unto you again." (Alma 41:14) As we bring our lives into harmony with God's teachings and follow his living prophets, as we choose to learn to be like God we will be blessed and will be able to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.
The words of Christ in the scriptures and modern revelation can provide us with guidance in our lives. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Nephi taught "I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3) Alma taught his son Helaman about the Liahona in the Book of Mormon. The Liahona was a director that showed them where to go according to their faith. Alma explained "it [the Liahona] did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go" (Alma 37:40) Alma then there is a lesson to be learned from the Liahona. He said, "And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as
this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the
promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course,
carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise." (Alma 37:45)
The words of Christ contained in the scriptures and modern revelation can guide us. Commenting on Alma's teaching Elder Rolfe Kerr testified,
"So we see, brethren and sisters, that the words of Christ can be a
personal Liahona for each of us, showing us the way. Let us not be
slothful because of the easiness of the way. Let us in faith take the
words of Christ into our minds and into our hearts as they are recorded
in sacred scripture and as they are uttered by living prophets, seers,
and revelators. Let us with faith and diligence feast upon the words of
Christ, for the words of Christ will be our spiritual Liahona telling us
all things what we should do"("The Words of Christ- Our Spiritual Liahona")
As we search the scriptures and ponder them we will be blessed with guidance on how to live our lives. We will learn how we should live and find comfort in troubled times. I know that the words of Christ in the scriptures can bless us and encourage everyone to read and ponder them
P.S. The church just put out a video for Christmas. Here it is in case anyone wants to watch it.
Faith can bless our lives. Alma taught that faith is not to have a perfect knowledge, rather it is a hope in things which are not seen which are true. (Alma 32:21) This hope is a strong belief in something that is true. Faith, requires us to act. Hence the saying that "...faith, if it hath not works, is dead" (James 2:17) Faith is developed as we are obedient. We should have faith in Jesus Christ. Alma taught the people what they should do if they were to begin to develop faith. He taught,
"Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief,
that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to
swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye
will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good
seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul;
yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." (Alma 32:28)
If we exercise a desire we have started the process. We then nourish our faith by obeying the commandments of God. Bruce R. McConkie taught “Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness. It
is always given when righteousness is present, and the greater the
measure of obedience to God’s laws the greater will be the endowment of
faith” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 264)(See: John 7:17) As we are obedient to God our faith will be
strengthened.
Faith can help us in our lives. Joseph Smith taught that faith is a principle of action and power. (Lectures on Faith) It helps encourage us to act in the hope that we will accomplish something. Gordon B. Hinckley taught “Faith in something greater than ourselves enables
us to do what we have said we'll do, to press forward when we are tired
or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming
and the course is entirely uncertain.”(Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues that will Heal our Hearts and Homes, p. 129)
I know that our faith can grow and be strengthened. I know that as we continue to obey God and grow closer to him we will be blessed with greater strength to accomplish what we need to. We will be better able to endure and overcome our challenges.
We can know for ourselves and strengthen our belief that God is there if we are willing to reach out to him in prayer and extend the effort to know God. In the Book of Mormon Aaron was a missionary who went to teach the Lamanites. The king of the all the Lamanites was one of the people that he taught. The king listened to Aaron and after being taught asked Aaron how he could gain all the blessings that Aaron had taught him. He expressed a willingness to give up all that he possessed to have the blessings that the Gospel provides. Aaron then taught him that if he wanted he needed to bow down and pray. Aaron taught him that he needed to repent and exercise faith in the Savior. The king of the Lamanites then prayed to God and said,
"O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. " (Alma 22:18)
Here the king of the Lamanites showed a willingness to repent and give up all that he possessed to know God. Near the end of his mortal ministry Christ taught,"And this is lifeeternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) He promised earlier in his ministry “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matt. 7:7–8.)
If we want to know God and effort must be made. President Howard W. Hunter taught,
"As important as scientific research may be, the greatest quest is a search for God—to determine his reality, his personal attributes, and to secure a knowledge of the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. It is not easy to find a perfect understanding of God. The search requires persistent effort, and there are some who never move themselves to pursue this knowledge. In place of making the struggle and effort to understand, they follow the opposite course, which requires no effort, and deny his existence." (To Know God)
The Lord had this to say to Oliver Cowdery about revelation, "you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me." (D&C 9:7) Elder Douglas L. Callister taught "If you want to know that you know that you know, a price must be paid. And you alone must pay that price."
Here the king of the Lamanites demonstrated how we can know God. He sought God in prayer. He placed everything on the altar to know God. He was willing to give up his sins; he was willing to change his identity (Alma 23:16-17); he and his people were even willing to give up their lives in order to know God. (Alma 24)
Elder Douglas L. Callister once shared the following story in General Conference,
"Years ago a man was accused of a serious crime. The prosecution presented three witnesses, each of whom saw the man commit the crime. The defense then presented three witnesses, none of whom had seen its commission. The simple jury was confused. Based on the number of witnesses, the evidence seemed to the jury equally divided. The man was acquitted. It was irrelevant, of course, that untold millions had never seen the crime. There needed to be only one witness.
In the genius of the gospel plan, there ultimately only has to be one witness, but that witness must be you. The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself. None can permanently endure on borrowed light." (Knowing That We Know)
If we want to know and gain that testimony of the restored gospel we should be willing to do as the Lamanites and countless others have done. We should be willing to pray to God, repent of our sins and ask with a sincere heart if the Gospel is true. (See: Moroni 10:4-5) As we do so, walking in obedience to the commandments of God we will be blessed with to know God and his Son. I know that even as active members of the church with testimonies we need to continually strengthen our testimonies and as we do we will be blessed with greater faith and confidence in our lives.
