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.

Book of Mormon: Darkest Night, Brightest Day

Today, I’m writing to those who are barely hanging on.

There is a saying that goes something along the lines of: “The darkest night always comes before the brightest day.” This holds the most true for the Nephite people in 3 Nephi 8-10, unfortunately. We are talking about a people who were once the most righteous people in the land. Then in these chapters and the ones preceding it, we see a dramatic change. They have become more and more prideful, focusing on their riches and their treasures instead of on God. The prophets strive their hardest to call them to repentance, but their words of wisdom fall on deaf ears. Then it finally happens. The prophecies that have been foretold for hundreds of years about the events preceding the Lord’s coming finally are fulfilled, and tragically many people are not prepared. We read that tempests strike, fires rage, whirlwinds blow and the entire earth quakes until everything was in absolute ruin. Thousands of people die, and those who lived “howl and weep” for the loss of their loved ones.

Then one of, if not, the most wonderful happenings in history occurs: the coming of Christ to the Americas. In Chapter 11, the Nephites see Jesus Christ descend from the heavens clothed in white. He declares to them who He is and shows them He has conquered death – both spiritual and physical – for them. They each remember the words of the prophets and begin to weep with joy, crying: “Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!” They are filled with the purest of joys, for they know the truth of the gospel and they feel our Savior’s love.

We ourselves will go through tempests, storms, fires, earthquakes and whirlwinds of our own, but they will be in a spiritual sense, if not a physical one. Some who read this may be going through some stormy times now. Those storms can’t be avoided because they are key to our spiritual progress here on earth. What we can control, though, is how prepared we are and how we act through those storms. If we are faithful, we will not fear whatever Satan blows our way. If we are prepared, we will be able to endure by the power and grace of God. Know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and, thankfully for us, that light is Jesus Christ. He loves you and is not only hoping you stay righteous and endure to the end, He is also doing all that He can to help you. And if times just seem to get darker and darker for you, remember: “The future is as bright as your faith.”

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: Rise or Burn

I learned quite a few interesting things in Book of Mormon in the past week. We focused on 3 Nephi 6-10, which explains about the return of the Nephites to their pride and wickedness and the destruction of many Nephite cities as a result of their wickedness. It is disgusting to know how after all the blessings that the Nephites were given, all the times they were spared, they still returned to their wickedness, while the Lamanites became righteous. 3 Nephi 7:8 describes: “And thus six years had not passed away since the more part of the people had turned from their righteousness, like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire.” What we should ask ourselves about every lesson from the Book of Mormon is “so what?” Whenever we read these lessons from the Book of Mormon, we need to realize that what occurs during these events can be applied to our own lives. We need to understand the gospel principles that are taught, as they are meant for both us today and those who were living at the time. If we don’t obtain something out of what we are taught, then we are just wasting our time.

Another scary thing to note is the incredible destruction that occurred in 3 Nephi 8, which was mainly caused by volcanic eruptions. These eruptions caused lightning storms (the gases of volcanic ash can generate that electric force by collisions of molecules), earthquakes and fires. And they also caused the ash that caused the darkness to pervade the lands for 3 days. A fact that I researched is that with this volcanic ash, people would suffocate, be unable to see clearly, or be unable to light candles, as one of the gases commonly found in volcanic was sulfur dioxide, which would prevent flames from coming forth. This destruction is an example of what will happen at the Second Coming: fire and brimstone. When the destruction had ceased, the more wicked part of the people had been killed off. 3 Nephi 10:12 states: “And it was the more righteous part of the people who were saved, and it was they who received the prophets and stoned them not; and it was they who had not shed the blood of the saints, and they were spared.” What is important to take away from this lesson is that if you work hard to stay worthy, be a good person and keep the commandments, the Lord will bless you in the long run. I have no guarantees for the short run, but in the eternal perspective of things, the Lord will bless you if you choose to do what is right.

We all have a choice to follow the Lord and rise to glory, or follow Satan and burn, both internally and externally. It is our choice, regardless of how many trials or blessings we have had in our lives. We always need to keep this in mind.

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: Christ in the Americas

Today in Book of Mormon we learned about Christ coming down and visiting the Americas after His Resurrection. One particular thing we talked about is how before He came down, a voice spoke out of heaven. This is described in 3 Nephi 11:3-5.

And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.

And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.

The people did not understand at first, probably because they were not yet ready to hear it. They looked to each other first. Symbolically, this shows that their hearts were not completely in tune with the Spirit yet. Their first instinct was still to look to man before God. However, once they had felt the power of the voice in their hearts, then they understood and looked to heaven. They allowed the Holy Ghost to change their understanding, and only then could they understand the voice.

Today, we don’t have such symbolic or life-changing examples. We have little trials and little decisions that show God where we put our trust. One of the indicators I thought of when considering how to show God that I look to Him for my support is by what makes me happy. There are so many wonderful worldly things out there. Some of them are bad, but most aren’t. However, if we put those things first, then we are showing God that those are the things that we trust more. The greatest happiness that can be obtained in this world comes only through Christ and His incredible gift of the Atonement. That should always be first in our lives as the thing that causes the most happiness.

I know that I am certainly not the most perfect at this, because it is difficult for us human beings to always be focused on the eternal. The temporal seems to be always so close and personal that the heavens begin to seem far away and indifferent. Do not allow that; close the gap between you and Heavenly Father. Things go out of style, or are forgotten as new and better things are made. Nothing in this life ever seems to bring long-term happiness or satisfaction. Nothing of this world ever does. The only thing you can place your trust and happiness in with complete certainty cannot be found on this earth. It is okay to want your temporal things, but be sure that the place you put your happiness is on the rock of our Redeemer. Don’t look to man for your salvation, look to Christ. Only He can cause you true happiness.

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: Patiently Awaiting Deliverance

Have you ever struggled with something with no relief in sight? Despite your best efforts, does nothing seem to change? Oh good, I’m not the only one. In fact, you and I aren’t the only ones, either. The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi has a similar, if much worse, predicament in chapter 1 of 3 Nephi.

The year is 1 AD. For centuries, prophets have prophesied among the Nephites (an ancient people living in the Americas) that Jesus Christ will come into the world. Five years earlier, another prophet, Samuel, told them that this sign would accompany His birth:

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. Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign. (see Helaman 14:3-4)

The Nephites have been anxiously awaiting this sign (which was to be given among their nation, not in Jerusalem) ever since, but it still hasn’t happened. The wicked part of the people finally decide they’ve had enough and issue an ultimatum: The sign must happen by a certain day or they will execute all who believed it would come.

Nephi begins praying that the Lord will deliver His people from such a fate. Time passes. The appointed day arrives, and still the Lord has done nothing. I’m sure Nephi, who has undoubtedly been praying his heart out every chance he gets, is a little discouraged. Doesn’t the Lord care about His people? Won’t He do something to deliver His people? Finally, the Lord speaks to Nephi:

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world. (see 3 Nephi 1:13)

The sign is given, the Lord’s people are saved, and those who wanted to kill the believers fall down dead as doornails.

Alright, time for a 21st-century application. Just as the Lord made His people wait until the last minute for deliverance, we are often required to do the same. Perhaps we need to learn patience. Maybe we need to increase our faith in Him. There might be something we need to learn about ourselves, about Him, or both. There are a plethora of reasons, but they all share a common motive: love.

God loves us. In fact, He loves us so much that He is willing to give us challenges to overcome so we can grow and progress. He loves us enough to make us wait, even when we sincerely ask in faith for our trials to stop sooner than later.

I have worked through hard times and felt the Lord’s love as He has assured me things will get better. I have also been delivered after learning the lessons He had for me. I’ve experienced this pattern countless times thus far in life, and I expect that I will until the day I die. Though at times it’s unpleasant, I’ve made progress toward becoming more like Him.

Let us trust that God knows what He’s doing. Let us pray in faith for His help, even if our problems don’t immediately vanish. For help will come, and in time, we will overcome. I know and testify that this is true.

It’s a wonderful day to be alive!

Matt

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: Whatever God Requires is Right

I just thought I’d share with you something that touched me in Book of Mormon class this week as we studied in the Book of Helaman. We can all use a little motivation sometimes to just continue pressing forward along the path. This week, we studied a lot about Samuel the Lamanite in Helaman chapters 13-15. The beginning of chapter 13 stood out to me, in particular. In verse 2, we learn that Samuel had gone to Zarahemla to preach, but had been cast out. He was about to return to his homeland, but then he heard the voice of the Lord commanding him to go back “and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart” (Helaman 13:3). I imagine this would have come as a shock to him; perhaps he was a little confused. After all, he had just been in Zarahemla and they had clearly rejected him. Why would the Lord want him to go back? However, despite this, Samuel immediately turns around and returns to Zarahemla and gives some amazing prophecies about the Savior, converting many Nephites. I believe we can learn a lot from this experience that Samuel the Lamanite had. There are many times in life where the Lord gives us a command we do not fully understand or where a trial comes into our lives and we just don’t get why we are being forced to endure it. What we can learn from Samuel is that the “why” of a trial or commandment doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we follow the voice of the Lord and the promptings of the Spirit and go and do. As we keep the commandments and endure trials, we will come to see why they have been given to us, whether that answer comes right away or in the distant future (John 7:17). Joseph Smith said, “Whatever God requires is right, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire.” Keep pressing forward. Trials may not make sense now, but they will in the future. I promise you that there are always better things ahead for those who have faith in Christ and endure the trials and commandments He gives to them.

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: For the Devil Laugheth

3 Nephi chapters 7-10 describe the state of the Nephites after the terrible destruction of their cities. They lie in a thick fog that keeps them from lighting a flame or seeing much of anything. While in this almost hopeless state, they hear a voice from heaven calling out to them. The voice is Jesus Christ. I think this is significant because when times get tough and trials are beating on us, Christ can be found in our darkness. Christ’s first words to the Nephites are, “Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen!” The phrase “the devil laugheth” hits home to me. Satan laughs at our mistakes. He tries so hard to tempt us and commit us to sin, but he then laughs at us after we’ve fallen. Christ is just the opposite. He will find us in our trials and “pierce our hearts.” The phrase “the devil laugheth” has always intrigued me. Why would the devil laugh? It’s obviously not due to joy. Or is it? Is Satan’s only source of joy from watching his brothers and sisters rebel from their Father? Is his only source of joy coming from the misery and guilt of mankind? What a scary thought!

It’s great to know that in the end Satan will fail.

Additional Resources:

Mormon Beliefs