Hi Andrea,

Our selection in the Book of Mormon for this last week has been from 4 Nephi though Mormon 6. It
has been very interesting reading especially from the perspective of having returned recently from my
mission. I am very grateful for missions because of how they bring one’s focus to the basic principles
of the Gospel and their role in daily life. While reading in Mormon this week I found it very interesting to
compare the faith of Mormon and Moroni with the fear and despair of the fallen Nephites. This section of
the Book of Mormon is of course the section where Mormon witnesses the total destruction of his people
in the final battle at Cumorah. Over these final chapters of the Book of Mormon the people are given
many chances to call on God and ask him to help them but reject this opportunity. I can only imagine
just how dark it must have been to be so uncertain as to the future of their civilization and their individual
lives. The final battle at Cumorah is of course the climax and ultimate fall. In this darkest moment I found
verse 7 of Mormon 6 to be especially descriptive of the people’s lack of faith. It says: “And it came to pass
that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching
towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to
receive them.” Without Christ and faith in God there is nothing left but to fear. We don’t know the end and
what will happen to us at any given moment.

Moroni, just as his father Mormon, had a different point of view with regard to his purpose and future. Interestingly, Moroni was also unsure of his future. He had people hunting him that wanted him dead. His attitude, however, was completely different from that of the fallen Nephites. Repeatedly throughout Mormon chapter 8 he says “it mattereth not” speaking of his life and future. I think we can learn a lot from this example because in the end it really doesn’t matter as long as we have faith in Christ. If we live by his law and by his commandments what happens will always what he wants to have happen and we do not need to concern ourselves with the details. We can place ourselves in his hands with complete certainty that there is nothing more to be done. I know that I have felt many times a feeling of complete peace and tranquility while in the midst of some of my biggest challenges. It is a wonderful feeling and
truly overcomes the sadness and despair of any external events. If we are here on earth and want to be happy then we can do what the Lord has asked and be certain that we will have happiness. I know this is true and am very grateful that I have felt many times in my life certainty and faith in God’s plan. My goal is to strive everyday to live with an attitude of faith and complete trust, seeking to complete the tasks that the Lord has planned for me. He wants the best for me and wants to guide me to find happiness.

I love you bunches and am glad for the wonderful life you live and the great example you are of service
and love. I hope the best for you every day and that you can have the inward peace the spirit brings.

Love,
Luke

This week in Book of Mormon we read the story of the Brother of Jared, who (fun fact) is actually named Mohonri Moriancamur! I probably spelled that really wrong…anyway, I read this scripture and was hit with how applicable this imagery is to so many different gospel principles.

We must keep our relationships and marriages “tight like unto a dish”. We can’t allow “cracks” such as pornography, pride, or judgmental thoughts through. Because in the end, even just one crack in a ship can be enough for water to get in and eventually sink a vessel, no matter how big or well-made it is.

We also must keep our relationship with the Holy Ghost, Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ “tight” so that we can make it through the storms of life and finally to the “Promised Land”, or the Celestial Kingdom. I think that this has become one of the biggest struggles in the world today. If we could have a physical list of every person’s list of priorities in the world, the phrase “Celestial Kingdom and eternal life” would probably not be at the top of most lists. It’s important that we keep our line of communication with our Heavenly Father free from any static that can be distracting us from our real goal.

Third, we’re always encouraged to keep our standards high and be immovable in situations where these are tested. Once again, one little sin, one little crack in the side of a ship, can be enough to sink the best of us! Thus it’s important to identify “the line”, and then stay far from it.

Someone shared a story with me once that outlined this idea really well…let’s see if I can remember it!

Once, there was a rich man looking for a new driver for his carriage. He had several applicants for the job. Eventually only three applicants were left. According to them, they had the most experience of all of those who had wanted the position. The wealthy man couldn’t choose between them, so he decided to ask them each a simple question: How far would you be able get to the side of a cliff-road without falling off?

The first answered, “Well I can drive so that the wheel closest to the drop off is skimming the very edge!” The second answered, “I can drive with one wheel on the road and one wheel off without falling off the cliff!” The third answered, “I suppose I wouldn’t know. I always try to stay as far from the edge as possible. It’s not worth the risk!” Who do you think the wealthy man chose for his driver?

Finally, a common phrase is “Hold tight to the iron rod”. We must always stick to the ‘straight and narrow’. The beauty of this gospel is that it isn’t a 50% or 80% or even a 99.9% gospel. It’s 100%, all or nothing. Ironically, we all know that it’s pretty impossible to be that perfect, but , because of Christ’s Atonement for us, we can make it all the way, as long as we try our best and strive to keep ourselves “tight like unto a dish”.

I found my answer right under my nose; my faith. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by the media “the Mormon Church.”) Turning to the scriptures has helped me overcome my addiction. Are you still laughing? Well, I know I wasn’t a alcoholic or a smoker, but for me, every morning I try to get out of bed it is like every thread that makes up my mattress, bed frame, sheets, and blankets wraps around me as to not let me leave. I was consistently late to work and school, my wife and boy would be half-way through their day before I got out of bed. Yeah, it was that bad.

Now that I got you to take me seriously, let me tell you how I have overcome my addiction. Like I mentioned earlier, it was my faith, but particularly the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is subtitled “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” It was given that subtitle referring to the Holy Bible. We believe that both are testaments of Jesus Christ. While the events recorded in the Holy Bible took place in greater Asia-Europe area, the Book of Mormon took place in the ancient Americas. We believe Jesus Christ visited the people there after his Resurrection. It is a scriptural text like the Bible.

Now, how does that connect with overcoming my addiction? Let me give you a verse from the Book of Mormon that helped me:

“Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things.” (Alma 26:12)

When I read this scripture, I realized I could not overcome my addiction on my own. I had tried many other times to overcome my addiction to sleep. I had loud alarm clocks across the room, I asked my wife to turn the lights on, and I tried  getting more than enough hours of sleep. I even had an alarm clock that had a propeller that flew around the room and you had to return the propeller to the base to stop it. That didn’t even work.

I needed help from somewhere else. I depended on my God as described in The Book of Mormon, and that was the key for me. Each night before bed, I would plead with my Heavenly Father to help me get out of bed the next morning. It has helped tremendously. I know the Book of Mormon is another testament of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Their reality. They love us and will help us. The Book of Mormon has helped me know that They can help us, even when it seems something as minor as sleeping in.

There are stories in the Book of Mormon that speak of the Lord’s deliverance. These stories also give me strength and a desire to rely on God. A good example is a story about the Nephites. The Nephites were a group of people who followed Jesus Christ, but were strapped by oppression and were ordered not to pray. Despite the looming threats, the Nephites prayed silently to God to release them from the burden of their oppressive rulers. God lightened the burdens on their backs and then ultimately delivered them. Pretty amazing. The pattern is noticeable. By contrast, the Lord also shows examples of those who refuse His deliverance.  Two others in the Book of Mormon come immediately to mind. They are brothers who continually complained along their divinely-led journey to a new land; their names are Laman and Lemuel. I think they were actually addicted to themselves, their own desires, their own will, their own self-relying system. It failed them. They chose not to seek deliverance.  Clearly, the Book of Mormon and the Bible are books about God’s power to deliver us from any affliction or addiction, no matter the size or shape. Even a mattress.

This article was written by Tyler James Bell, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Tyler James Bell was born and raised in Taylorsville Utah. He grew up playing the drums and playing tennis in high school. He currently lives in Provo, Utah and is studying business at Brigham Young University. Tyler spends most of his time studying for exams, but when he is not, he is spending his time with his sweet wife Ashley and his newborn son TJ. In the summers Tyler enjoys playing disc golf (frisbee golf) and enjoying the outdoors. Tyler also enjoys serving in his local church unit and he spent two years serving an LDS mission in the Chicago Illinois Spanish speaking mission. Tyler finds joy in the Christ’s Gospel by realizing that the Savior Jesus Christ had to suffer for all of us; “that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according  to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:13).

Additional Resources:

LDS Addiction Recovery Program

Mending the Armor

Challenge to Read the Book of Mormon in the same amount of time it took for Joseph Smith to translate it by the power of God

It seems as if in each age, more complications to life and everyday requirements are heaped upon us.

So, like many, I struggle with being overwhelmed.  I worry about my day, those around me, and I constantly think about the future.   Too much, maybe — focusing so much on what has not yet occurred and one cannot yet control is not helpful.

Perfection is quite often expected in many areas of life.  I know I struggle with facing the fact that I can’t be 100% perfect in my many pursuits at once, all the time.

And a few days ago this was the case with me.

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (often mistakenly called the Mormon Church).  This is the Christian religion which focuses on peace, repentance, and receiving grace through Jesus in order to return to our Father in Heaven.

I’m pretty lucky I have access to this “restored gospel” (it is the full restoration of Christ’s original church),  because it teaches me how to find peace in this life and the next through our Savior.

Feeling worrisome and burdened with tasks one day, I decided to take it to the Lord.

I read in the Book of Mormon, (a companion scripture to the Bible that testifies of Christ), about a prophet of God in Jerusalem who didn’t let the unknown get the best of him.

Around the time of the biblical prophet Jeremiah, another prophet of God was warned to leave Jerusalem because it was going to be destroyed.  (The Babylonians shortly thereafter destroyed the city and enslaved the Children of Israel.)

1 Nephi 3:17, 18:

For he knew that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people.

For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land.

This prophet named Lehi followed God, left behind all he had and fled with his family into the wilderness.  God then revealed to Lehi that his sons should go back into the city and retrieve the metal plates engraved with scriptures of God.  God told Lehi this was essential so that his descendants would not live in ignorance of the gospel.  The plates were in the possession of a powerful man named Laban who lived inside the city walls.

1 Nephi 3:19, 20:

And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;

And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.

Lehi’s sons Laman, Lemuel, Nephi, and Sam, agreed to go— but the difference was their attitude.

Laman and Lemuel complained excessively, saying it was hard thing their father asked of them.

I have read this story often throughout my life.  I think those who know the account well may think, ‘Well of course I would never murmur like Laman and Lemuel.’ I know I have had this line of thought before.

But then it dawned on me: I do complain sometimes getting frustrated over my demands, feeling hopeless about getting it all done.  My main habit is to constantly question how on earth it’s all going to work out.   This is a lack of faith in our Heavenly Father.  And Nephi helped me understand this.

HIs response to God’s command to get the plates was strong and faithful:

1 Nephi 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.

Nephi didn’t know how he was going to accomplish this seemingly impossible challenge.  Nephi had no idea exactly what to do.  But Nephi drew faith in what he did know.

He knew that God will always prepare a way for us to accomplish our righteous endeavors.   He knew that God would not give a commandment to men that was impossible to achieve.

Nephi and his brothers were eventually successful despite intense opposition and extreme danger.  Laman and Lemuel became angry at the first sign of failure and wanted to give up.

But instead, Nephi was positive and did not despair.  Instead of thinking about what wouldn’t work, he tried again with faith in God and came up with a new, creative solution.

As I read these words I’d already read hundreds of times, something dawned on me.  These truths don’t just apply to a prophet on a dangerous mission, the truth applies to us! Everyday!

While I am trying to be my best, obey God, accomplish all the tasks on an unending list, I need to remember that it is not impossible.  And more than that, I need to remember that God is going to provide my way to achieve it.

One scripture that, though beautiful and true, previously stressed me out is found  in Matthew 5:

 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

This seemed so daunting!  I would think – “I feel like I’m struggling already.  Now I have to be perfect too?”

But paired with 1 Nephi 3 in the Book of Mormon, this overwhelming command now became the brightest beacon of hope.  Because I knew that if God would not give us a commandment without preparing a way for us to accomplish it – that means it IS possible for me to eventually become perfect!  It IS possible to become like my Heavenly Father.

And if God can prepare a way for flawed, mistake – ridden me to eventually become perfected, that gives me hope.  Because it reminds me that God can do anything.

And suddenly, life doesn’t seem so overwhelming after all.

This article was written by Livi Whitaker,  member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints.

Livi is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon”). She is a Communications Specialist at an Insurance Brokerage firm in Boise, ID. Professional experience include writing – based positions at the United Nations and AARP, Media Services, Inc. She is an avid blogger at thebrightbit.com and sensiblystyled.com, a modest fashion blog. Livi Whitaker is a freelance writer and authors the positive blog for all things lovely, www.thebrightbit.com.

Additional Resource:

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Book of Mormon: Ordinances, Progression, and Becoming the Children of Christ

Dear Addison,

This might be a little scatterbrained, but I feel like I’m grasping trying to understand something both infinitely important and infinitely bigger than me. So perhaps it will, of necessity, be a little dazed. I have a question for you that I have been pondering for the past several months:

Do you feel like you understand why ordinances are critical for progression?

I don’t. And I am about to receive some of the most critical ordinances of my life in just two and a half weeks. I’m also about to embark on a mission to hopefully be an instrument in the hands in the Lord in persuading others to make and keep sacred covenants. And that necessarily involves ordinances.

In response to this ignorance of mine, this semester I have been endeavoring to understand the import of ordinances. I made that topic the theme of my Book of Mormon project. It is changing how I read the scriptures, both the New Testament and the Book of Mormon. Now my central focus has been: “What do the actions of this person/people teach me about ordinances?” And I’ve been studying The Holy Temple by Boyd K. Packer.

This is one of the scriptures that struck me as pertaining to ordinances and covenants as I was studying:

“And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God… And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 9:17, 20, emphasis added).

Reading this, especially within the context of ordinances and covenants, made me realize how critical this essential principle is. Yes, we are children of God. But are we worthy to be called by that name? Are we in the paths of progression, becoming the person the Savior wants us to be? Can we say we are becoming very much “one” with the Savior, so that His thoughts are our thoughts, and His desires for us are our desires, and His actions are ours? Are we His little children? Will we not only allow ourselves to be adopted by Him, but try to understand what that truly entails?

I know we’ve already been taught this principle, but I think it’s one principle that we recognize is so critical, and yet we truly know so little about. And while the connection to ordinances is not always explicit in the scriptures, I think it is very real in far more scriptural passages than we realize, this one included. The scheme of eternity and the role of ordinances in our progression is so much bigger than I initially and currently realize—I’m kind of like the blind man feeling a boundless, limitless elephant; you remember that story, right?

I promise you, if you make the topic of ordinances a pursuit in your scripture study, your historical analysis of scripture, your prayer and temple attendance (are you going regularly?), you will be blessed far more than you can realize. It’s such an incredibly rich, poignant, beautiful thing, and I still understand so very little about it.

To end, here is what C.S. Lewis has to say on progression:

“‘Make no mistake,’ He says, ‘if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect—until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less.” ~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Perhaps we would do well to keep in mind that the Greek word for “perfect” in the New Testament can be better translated to mean “whole.”

I love you. May God ever be with you, not only because His Spirit will guide and protect you, but also because He will become so much a part of who you are that His face may be engraven in your countenance.

Morgan

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Book of Mormon: Nephi Typifies Christ

In the Book of Mormon there is a prophet named Samuel. He has a prophecy in which he says five years from now will be the sign of Jesus Christ’s birth. After approximately 5 years had passed, the enemies of the Church decided they had had enough of the Christians and their prophets. They decided that they would choose a day to put the Christians to death, unless the sign occurred. This ultimatum was troubling to the prophet Nephi; rather than be afraid, he turned to the Lord in faith and prayed for the safety of his people. The Lord heard his prayer and consoled him, explaining that the time was at hand and the signs would begin. The scriptures I am referring to can be found in 3 Nephi 1:9-11, and they read as follows:

Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet. Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful. And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers.

In my life I have never had to deal with such an extreme test of my faith. I have never been threatened with death, I have never feared for the safety of my family because of our beliefs, and I have never had to pour my heart out to the Lord in order to try and save what I believe in. I hope that if a similar circumstance arose in my life that I too would turn to the Lord in prayer, not only in hopes that He would save me, but for the welfare of all those in danger.

I like these scriptures because it teaches us how we should respond when faced with trials. Nephi typifies Christ in his concern for others even over his concern for himself. I have a testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that it is true, and I know that I can become more like Christ as I follow the teachings and examples found in the Book of Mormon. These scriptures highlight just one example, but it is my hope and prayer that I will be able to follow Nephi’s example and live my life as the Savior lived His.

 Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America. (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names. We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Book of Mormon: Arise and Come Forth

The story of Christ’s visit to the people of the Americas following His resurrection is so beautiful. In 3 Nephi 11:14, Christ stands before them, a resurrected being, and says “Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.”

Though there is a very large group of people gathered, no one is denied the opportunity to spend a personal moment with their Savior. Verse 15 says, “And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come” (emphasis added).

Just as Christ invited the people living in the Americas in ancient times to come to Him one by one, He invites us today to come to Him personally. Despite the extremely large amount of people on this earth, He makes time for each one of us and cares for us deeply. Christ’s Atonement is not only infinite, extending to every human being, but intimate, catering to our every need and circumstance. We may often feel misunderstood or forgotten, but Christ truly understands our deepest hopes, sorrows, weaknesses, and desires. He will not leave us alone and continues to call out to us, “Arise and come forth unto me.”

 Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

Book of Mormon: Having Security in a World of Uncertainty

I hope things have been good recently. I just wanted to share with you what I have been learning in my Book of Mormon class. We have been reading in Helaman and 3 Nephi. The topic I am going to focus on is trials of faith. There are two stories involved with this; one with Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman 13-16), the other about Nephi before Christ’s birth (3 Nephi 1).

Some interesting things about Samuel:

1) His prophecies were very specific, potentially the most specific of any prophet.

2) We don’t know anything about his past or future. To us, he is just Samuel, a Lamanite. This shows what God can do with ordinary people.

3) In 3 Nephi 23, Christ tells Nephi to include Samuel’s words in the record.

4) He was a very deep, great doctrinal theologian.

With that said, he is sent to Zarahemla to preach the gospel. After being rejected, he turns around, ready to head home. However, the Lord tells him to return. Samuel could have been thinking a lot of different things at that point – why didn’t He help me earlier? Why should I return, they don’t even care for the message? However, he still did as he was told and returned. At that point, he is rejected again. This doesn’t stop him, though. He then climbs onto the wall and proceeds to teach the people. And because he has the courage and exercises the obedience necessary, he brings about a lot of great things. I think this shows a lot about how we need to have faith in God’s timing and remember that He knows all. And He won’t leave us hanging if we choose to come to Him.

In 3 Nephi 1, the wicked pick a day for all those who believe that Christ will come to be killed. We know that Nephi prayed for everything to work out, but we don’t know when the prayer recorded happened. It could have happened the night before the day they would have been killed, or it could have happened weeks before. My teacher explained that we don’t know, but we can learn a lot from this story if this happened the day before (which is very probable). Nephi could have been praying for weeks, looking for an answer. However, he had to continue to hold out, not knowing what would happen. In this scenario, he would have gotten pretty nervous. He would have also been pretty confused because he had probably prayed repeatedly for quite some time without receiving an answer. But in the end, the Lord told him that everything was going to be fine and that Christ will be born on the morrow (3 Nephi 1:12-15). The lesson learned from this story is that we need to have faith to know that God knows everything, and we know nothing in comparison. He won’t always tell us what is going to happen or take us from trials, because from those hard things, we learn the most. Just before the probable breaking point for Nephi, the Lord answered his prayer. Our Heavenly Father loves us and is watching out for us. He knows what is best for us, and we need to remember that we can’t see our full plan, but He can.

Many things in life come unexpectedly, and lots of times those things make no sense at all. However, I know that if we remember that Christ is looking out for us, in this craziness of life we will find peace. I know that if we can remember this, we will find joy in the journey. It is so important for us to develop the “but if not” faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They knew that God would help them, but if not, they would still not lose faith in Him. What would happen is what God knew would be best. I hope that you can find that happiness and peace in your life always

 Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs

In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.

In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America.  (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names.  We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)

Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.

One Size Fits All
Letter to younger brother preparing for a mission

Hey Elder-to-be,

I had the most amazing lesson this week from 3 Nephi 10 and 11; it was a spiritual experience. As you read this letter you should go grab your scriptures and notice some of the amazing things in this chapter.

First, while I was reading it alone, chapter 10: 3-7 were a little confusing. The voice coming from heaven was speaking in past tense then switches to present and future tense. I didn’t know exactly what was going on until my teacher let me in on a small insight; he is speaking to both people in the spirit world and on earth! He is talking about gathering his people and how he had tried in these verses. This is just another example of life after death and those in the spirit world. So that was the interesting head thought of the lesson, then we switched into deeper doctrine in 3 Nephi chapter 11 when Jesus shows himself unto the people. In verse 12, it says that the whole multitude fell to the earth (the first fall). This was a cool concept because Jesus didn’t make them fall, they did it instinctively.

After the lesson I thought about this and everyone really would fall… there would be no stopping yourself because the presence of the Lord would be too strong. Then in verse 14, Jesus asks the multitude to “Arise” from their fall (the first fall, or physical death). After he arose the multitude and asked them to “thrust” their hands in his side, not just touch the spear wound to his heart, and feel the prints of the nails. My teacher helped me picture this moment and when you really put yourself in that position, what could you say to this man who suffered for your sins. I started to cry just thinking about it because there would be no words that could compensate for what I was feeling. Then, verse 15 reads,”And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come”. The multitude went one by one and felt the wounds of the Savior.

In my opinion, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he must have likewise experienced our sins one by one to truly know what each of us were going through. I don’t think it was anyone who has cancer He felt at once or everyone who broke and arm He felt it once. I picture Him, for every person, experiencing our sins one by one giving the atonement not only a measure of infinity, but intimacy also for each and every person. After this experience, the multitude fell again (a second fall) and then He gave the power of baptism to Nephi and others. As He gave them this power He asked these individuals to “Arise” from their second fall that was voluntary (spiritual death). He gave the power to baptize to these individuals so that through this power, the rest of the multitude could arise from this second death and live with Christ. Another side note. When these people had the opportunity to go to Christ one by one, each of them needed a different thing from Christ at that time; some might need a shoulder to cry on, children would need someone to smile with, etc. This is where you come in. On your mission you will need to take on this characteristic of “one size fits all”. You will need to stretch and condense as needed for the people of Peru to truly be a tool in the hands of God. Some will need encouragement, some will need love, some will need assurance, or some will need a friend. You will have an opportunity to do this.

I love you and know you will be great!

-Kimmy

Mormon Beliefs

First is “blessed are the poor in spirit.” All of us are poor in spirit at one time or another. Especially when we realize we have sinned before God. Second is “blessed are all they that mourn.” When we sin, we feel bad and mourn for what we have done. Third is “blessed are the meek.” Because we feel bad we humble ourself before the Lord and ask for forgiveness. Fourth is “blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” Once we ask for forgiveness we need to strive to be better and do the right thing. Fifth is “blessed are the merciful.” If we want to be forgiven by the Lord, then we need to be forgiving of others. Sixth is “blessed are all the pure in heart.” Are we actually being better, are we hungering and thirsting after righteousness at this point. Seventh is “blessed are the peacemakers.” We need to strive to do the right thing and be peaceful and friendly with others. This shows that we are becoming like Christ. Last is “blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake.” We are going to be persecuted for doing what is right and for following Christ. The important thing is that this is a process we will continually go through in life.

The very first and last beatitudes both say that we will be blessed with the kingdom of heaven. Think of these 8 things as a spiral staircase going towards heaven. We will continually experience each step, but we will be moving upward, toward Heavenly Father. As we move upward ours will be the Kingdom of Heaven.

I hope you enjoyed this and learn something about our progress and repentance.

Mormon Beliefs