Alma 55 is so funny to me because here we have the Nephites and the Lamanites and the Nephites come up with a plan to give wine to the Laminites to make them drunk and take over. They send a man named Laman over with wine saying he escaped from the Nephites and have taken their wine. The Lamanites said "Give us of your wine, that we may drink; we are glad that ye have thus taken wine with you for we are weary." He gives them the wine they all got drunk, then they took over the city of Gid without bloodshed. Ne Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God and when the Laminites came to them to offer them wine they didn't take it. Why would you try the same trick on someone who just did it to you? That reminds me of what a child would do not understanding that you know how it works. Because the Nephites were on the Lords side they were able to be inspired as to what they needed to do in order to overtake the Laminites. As we stay close to the Lord and council wi...
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Reading this morning in chapter 54 I find it interesting how much the leaders of the different armies communicate. Today they don't communicate they just fight, I mean the leaders of the country might but not the leaders of the armies. It would be weird to receive letters from the enemy and send letters back. I find it interesting though that they don't really use that harsh of language. in thinking about this and the personal wars and things that we are involved in each day to stay strong in the Gospel I think it is perfect that they put so much about fighting evil into the scriptures. I use to hate reading the war chapters. But as I read them now I love learning about how different people deal with hardships and the enemy of God. I just think how scary it must have been going to war like this, face to face with sward and shield in hand not knowing if you were going to come out of it alive. Plus the two thousand stripling warriors were so young fighting against men that thei...
Having mercy and truly understanding what God wants us to do and how to help others is so important. We are all in our own war for our own lives and we need to be able to stand up to those temptations around us and fight will all our might knowing that God is on our side and we will always win. Alma 52-53 I love chapter 53 because it gets into one of my favorite Book of Mormon stories of the two thousand stripling warriors. I love their willingness to go out and defend their country, family, and freedom. It talks about them as being; "...exceedingly valiant for courage," "true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted/" "men of truth and soberness," "they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him." Alma 53:20-21 These are all very important qualities and things to work on in our lives to that we can truly be an instrument in the hand of our God.
In chapter 50 it talks interesting because it talks about the people living in peace and then getting ready to go to war. What are the kinds of things that stir up our hearts to going to war and make us mad? Pahoran was a righteous judge and governor over the people who judged righteously and gave everyone freedom to worship as hey wanted. We need leaders who are righteous in and outside of the church to help us govern righteous desires. Making sure we elect righteous people is very important today with all the wars and turmoils that are going on. Blessing: That i have friends and family who are there for me and support me through school and other decisions that I have in my life.
The war chapters are interesting to me, I use to hate them but because of the world today they interest me more. I feel like we are each in our own wars to try to do what is right to try to fight for a testimony that will keep us on the right path. We don't have to put on armor like they did in these days and go to battle but we do have to put on our spiritual armor to protect our spirit and our testimony. I also need to thank my Father in Heaven more often then I do for the help he gives me in fighting my battles. and "because of his matchless power in delivering them (me) from the hands of their (my) enemy." Alma 49:28 It's also important like it says in vs 30 to be diligent in the word of God. Blessing- God gives me the power and the strength that I need to fight my battle on earth today and doesn't leave me fighting it alone.
I'm in the war chapters now, it reminds me of Shakespeare stories because they kill the king then marry the queen. weird! Moroni "had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God." I really like that because how often do we prepare our own minds to be faithful unto God? I feel like most of the time we don't we worry to much about what the world around us thinks of us and try to impress them instead of doing things because God wants us to and because that's who he wants us to be. In vs 11 of chapter 48 it says that "Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of perfect understanding;" What does that mean to be of perfect understanding? in the footnote it leads to Alma 18:22 when Ammon is talking and he is teaching the king about God and the powers that He has and by what authority and power he was doing his miracles. These men and serpents, prophets of God truly understood because of experiences the Gospel of Je...
"In memory of our God, our religion, our freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children" Alma 46: 12 This is how we should live our lives. in honor of the blessing around us and show it unto the world the people around us. Its like wearing our testimony on ourselves so that others can see it and know what you believe and why you do and say the things you do. Blessing: New semester = new classes, teachers, new friends
"The Reason for Hope" by Elder Packer I need to have greater hope and Faith in God's plan for me it is so easy to get discouraged when things don't go right, or the way you want them to go. Our Father in Heaven has a better plan for us we just have to learn to trust Him. The hardest times to trust is when things aren't going as you planned them. Which is usually the case in this life anyways. Realizing that there is more to life then what we can even imaging or dream up and He knows what is right for each of us. It is hard to comprehend that He knows what is right for every person at every second in their lives and is there to give us what we need in order to return to live with Him again. I am so thankful for His plan and that He knows what I need so that when others don't like what I'm doing or the decisions I'm making I can know for sure that it is what God has in store for me and that He is in charge. Blessing: That I have Adam as my friend th...
Well it's been a couple days I've been reading conference talks because I have been so busy and that is faster for me. "...blessed the earth for the righteous sake... the Lord cannot look up on sin withe least degree of allowance." Alma 45:15, 16 What does that mean? Well I found out...Well I looked at the foot note which said to go to D&C 1:31 which pretty much said the same thing just in short, "For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." Then in the foot note for that scripture in Doctrine and Covenants I found a foot note to Leviticus 5:17 which says, " And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; through he wist it not yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity." Which means we are accountable for our own sins and we need to repent and become more like our Savior Jesus Christ.
Its interesting how God answers our prayers in a way that is needed for each of us. I was reading President Monson's conference address. Oct 2014 "Ponder the Path of Thy Feet", and couldn't help but think of the perfect example that Christ has set for us. He knew exactly how to come into the is world, survive, and leave. That is what we are all in essence trying to do. President Monson sayed, "He tells us to be merciful, to be humble, to be righteous, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker. He instructs us to stand up bravely for our beliefs,...let our lights shine so that others may see them and may desire to glorify our Father in Heaven. He teaches us to be morally clean in both our thoughts and our actions....lay up treasures in heaven...go to the rescue of those who have left the path and have lost their way." I need to walk a more perfect path as I follow His example. In the conference address "Sharing Your Light" by Sister Neill F. Marriot...
Alma 43:17-21 What would I wear if I was going to battle? What do I wear everyday to protect myself from the sins of the world. Do I dress modest? I need to fight through life with "strength and courage" Alma 43:43 knowing that whatever happens it will all work out in the end and it is part of God's plan. Live with faith so others can't destroy it. Alma 44:3 I need to continually be working on making my faith stronger and more powerful so that I can defend myself against the powers of the destroyer. Live a righteous life having faith in our Father in Heaven and in the Savior of the world and everything will turn out. Regardless of how hard life is it could always be harder. Life wasn't to be enjoyed and easy it is a test and trials that we will go through to make us stronger in order to do the work we are sent to do. Blessing: I am able to read about the faith of others in the scriptures and how they concurred their trials in order to gain straightened fo...
"Come Listen to a Prophets Voice" General Conference Take away's: Fasting and assisting the needy will bring blessings into our lives. Find ways to serve the girls in the Relief Society, strive to have a relationship with them. "'Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.' Elder Jeffery R. Holland" Blessing: I'm thankful for the opportunity we have twice a year to listen to a modern day Prophet and amazing leaders of our church.
In going to all of these non-profit organizations today for class it really made me realize the amazing power of Father in Heaven has and the ability we have as His children to make a difference in this world. To bring families together and to bring His children together in unity. I hope I can go out and make a difference in the world even if it is only in my own family. Blessing: I am thankful for the many organizations that help God's children.
Alma states in chapter 41 that the person we are here on earth is the same person we are going to be in heaven. Having a desire for righteousness is the first step to repentance and changing ourselves to become like God. "Wickedness never was happiness." Alma 41:10 regardless of how much happiness is portrayed in the world today they are never going to be as happy as those of us who are obeying God and trying our best to become better individuals by following our Saviors example. I remember at times getting frustrated with things that we deal with in this world like weeds and saying well if Adam wouldn't have partaken of the fruit we wouldn't have weeds. What I didn't take into consideration until I got older was if he wouldn't have partaken of the fruit none of us would be here. It is a blessing to be here to gain experience and to learn from the things we go through and from others we have the privilege of meeting. "The great plan of salvation would ha...