Elder Cree-L Kofford "What is there that is so special about Abinadi? Perhaps it was his total obedience as he went, presumably alone, among those whom he must have known would take his life, to deliver the word of the Lord and to cry repentance to the people. Perhaps it is the very fact that we know so little about him, or perhaps it was simply the way with which he faced the adversities which came into his life in such a straightforward, 'square-to-the world' way. Whatever the reason, Abinadi was and is special. His life, lived so long ago, still has the power to excite the mind and cause the pulse to pound." (Heroes from the Book of Mormon, pp. 69-70)* -The Lord has been warning us from the beginning of time to obey him and keep his commandments, then he promises us that He will bless us for doing so. We are told we will have trials in this life and that they are supposed to bring us closer to God but when do the blessings come? Between the hardship? Are they o...
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Mosiah is a very righteous leader, one thing that impresses me that he says is that he is going to go down and with with his people even though he is old, and he says "we did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle." (Mosiah 10:10) - We should all go to battle against satan in our own life using the strength that the Lord has promised us. Why leave our tools and weapons at home when we were given them and told, how, when, and where to use them? It is interesting that King Laman is so righteous and yet he has such a wicked son King Noah who does everything against the Lord and His commandments. You would think after thousands of years that our Father in Heavens people would understand and learn that following Satan's plan doesn't do anyone any good they just live a more miserable life because of it. It talks of people who did "labor exceedingly to support iniquity." ( Mosiah11:6) -People have been doing this since the beginning of time, it is one o...
"'A seer, ' wrote Elder John A. Widtsoe, 'is one who sees with spiritual eyes. He perceives the meaning of that which seems obscure to others; therefore he is an interpreter and clarifier of eternal truth. He foresees the future from the past and the present. This he does by the power of the Lord operating through him directly, or indirectly with the aid of divine instruments such as the Urim and Thummim. In short, he is one who sees, who walks in the Lord's light with open eyes.' (Evidences and Reconciliations, p. 258.)" (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 2, p. 192) "Thus God provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles;" (Mosiah 8:18) -God will allow us to use His power when circumstances are right and through our faith in Him. We also need to be living a worthy live in order to be used as his instrument and tool in these days. Blessing: I am so thankful for friends and family...
"Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God," (Mosiah 7:19) How can we better trust God and not fear what is in the present and what is coming in our future? If we can a relationship with Him that is personal and know that He will be there for us it will allow us to trust Him with every decision of our lives. "But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind,..." (Mosiah 7:33) I think I need to learn to trust God more and that He has a plan for me and everything goes according to his plan because He is God and has all knowledge and power. Blessing: God puts amazing people in our lives to help us and to make us the people He wants us to become.
Mosiah 5:12 retain the name written always in your hearts This chapter is filled with temple imagery. We have already discussed how Benjamin established a covenant with the people and gave them a new name, the name of Christ (v. 8). Now, he instructs them never to forget the name but to retain it always in their hearts. He instructs them further to know...the name by which he shall call you. Lastly, the benevolent king promises his people that if they do these things, the Lord God Omnipotent, [will] seal you his (v. 15). Accordingly, it should be no surprise to us that the location for this sermon was the temple of Zarahemla (Mosiah 1:18). We need to be great leaders and perfect followers in The Church of Jesus Christ in order to be in tune with the spirit and accomplish all that is needed. If we aren't then we will miss a piece of the puzzle and we won't be ablet to accomplish the end goal. Becuase God loves us He has provided a means for all things but we must be willing ...
"...we have no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2) -That is something I wish I could have, the majority of my life I try to live it in such a way that I can do good continually but I also make mistakes, thank goodness for the Atonement. MY TESTIMONY! God asks us to follow His son Jesus Christ. What does that mean to you? How can you better follow Him and obey His commandments? There are ways in which we have been guided and counseled to do and I know that by doing them that we will be blessed. By following the guidance of our leaders both locally and our General Authorities we will not go astray. Becuase the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so pure and easy to understand. I love the concept of prayer and that we can pray anywhere and anytime and God our Heavenly Father hears us and will answer our prayers. I know He hears us. Not because I have received the answers I want to every pray I've prayed but often times because I haven't and ...
Mosiah 4:24 I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give "President Harold B. Lee relied on the above scriptures on the desire to give when he defined another example of rewards for righteous desires : '(Women) who have been denied the blessings of wifehood or motherhood in this life--who say in their heart, if I could have done, I would have done, or I would give if I had, but I cannot, for I have not--the Lord will bless you as though you had done, and the world to come will compensate for those who desire in their hearts the righteous blessings that they were not able to have because of no fault of their own.' (Ye Are the Light of the World (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974), p. 292.)" (Pure in Heart, p. 61)* -I love this quote, it is so applicable to me and I'm sure to so many others out there who are or have gone through hard times when we think we could have done better or if we only would have done better. Mosiah 4:26; How do we co...
Mosiah 4:24 I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give "President Harold B. Lee relied on the above scriptures on the desire to give when he defined another example of rewards for righteous desires : '(Women) who have been denied the blessings of wifehood or motherhood in this life--who say in their heart, if I could have done, I would have done, or I would give if I had, but I cannot, for I have not--the Lord will bless you as though you had done, and the world to come will compensate for those who desire in their hearts the righteous blessings that they were not able to have because of no fault of their own.' (Ye Are the Light of the World (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974), p. 292.)" (Pure in Heart, p. 61)* -I love this quote, it is so applicable to me and I'm sure to so many others out there who are or have gone through hard times when we think we could have done better or if we only would have done better. Mosiah 4:26; How do we co...
Heber J. Grant said "I have heard men and women say that they were going to let their sons and daughters grow to maturity before they sought to teach them the principles of the gospel, that they were not going to cram the gospel down them in their childhood, before they were able to comprehend it. When I hear men and women say this, I think they are lacking faith in the principles of the gospel and do not comprehend it as they should. The Lord has said it is our duty to teach our children in their youth, and I prefer to take His word for it rather than the words of those who are not obeying His commandments.. I may know that the gospel is true, and so may my wife; but I want to tell you that your children will not know that the gospel is true, unless they study it and gain a testimony for themselves. Parents are deceiving themselves in imagining that their children will be born with a knowledge of the gospel." (Richard O. Cowan, The Church in the Twentieth Century, p. 319)*...
Continuing to study Mosiah 4:9... "The Son of Man hath descended below them all, Art thou greater than he?" (D&C 122:8) We don't nor can we come close to understanding what the Atonement was even like. Christ experienced everything so that He could better comprehend everything we go through and feel all the emotions we feel. I am so thankful for that, I am thankful I have someone I can go to who truly understands and cares enough to listen to me and what I am going through and experiencing. "if ye believe all these things see that ye do them." We are asked to live our lives better, to improve who we are and how we think and the way we do things because we believe. Because of our Savior Jesus Christ we can be clean of all our transgressions and turn to Him and be strengthened. We must act, believe and go forth and do. Blessing: I have some great jobs that I love.
".. .the atonement which had been prepared from the foundation of the world. " (Mosiah 4:6) -Becuase of the love my Savior has for me He died that I might live and made it possible for me to be forgiven of my sins as well as forgiven in my sins. Only one who truly knows how to love unconditionally could bless us with such a gift. "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power in heaven and in earth; believe that man doeth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." (Mosiah 4:9) -This scripture is intriguing to me because I often get frustrated about life and about not understanding what God see's and why I have to go through things in this life. Joseph Smith said "Let us here observe, that three things are necessary in order that any rational and intelligent being may exercise faith in God unto life and salvation. First, the i...
Mosiah 3:19 Hartman Rector Jr. "(Speaking of Mosiah 3:19) This is strong testimony borne against man, but a perusal of the pages of history leaves little doubt as to its truthfulness. Man's inhumanity to man has always been and is now everywhere in evidence. "How can fallen human nature be changed from evil to good? Basically, this must be the most important question confronting mankind. All other questions seem to pale into insignificance when compared to this one, because man cannot be saved in his sins. And yet there are those who say, 'You can't change human nature.' This claim is very frequently and flippantly made. Of course, it is false. President David O. McKay taught something completely different from this in 1945 when he said: 'Human nature will have to be changed on an enormous scale in the future or the world will be drowned in its own blood.'" (Conference Report, Apr. 1970, p. 102)* - We are asked in this scripture too: 1. ...
Christ suffered for all, how is it that I am showing that I am thankful all He has don? How am I living my life to be better today than I was yesterday? The only way we can be saved is through Jesus Christ. "there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come..." (Mosiah 3:17) Cross-reference Mosiah 27:31 "every knee shall bow and every tongue confesses before him." Bible verse; (Romans 14:11) "...As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." We must...(Mosiah 3:18) humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." "The central chiasm found in 3:18-19 can be summarized and displayed as follows: a) humble themselves b) become as little children c) salvation through the atoning blood of Christ the Lord ...
"the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. ...they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual... if they hold out faithful to the end..." God recognizes our actions and when we are faithful to him and His commandments and will bless us for it. Mosiah 3:8 he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God Some have criticized the Book of Mormon because Book of Mormon prophets use the term "Christ" before the birth of the Savior. The word "Christ" is the Greek form of the Hebrew word for Messiah and means literally "the anointed one."* "even after all this they shall consider him a man," (Mosiah 3:9) - After all Christ did for them and even after the miracles that were performed in front of their eyes they still did not understand. They still considered him a man, not the Son of God. (Matt 22:42) Christ asks his Disciples "What think ye of Christ?" His own disciples didn't tru...
No matter what we do in this life it will NEVER be enough. We must have our Savior Jesus Christ make up for what we lack becuase we make mistakes every single day and fall short the Glory of God. We must come to know and better understand who our Savior is also. How can we expect Him to make up what we lack if we don't or aren't making it a priorety in our lives to do what we need to meet Christ at our limits? "what knoweth that ye are eternally endebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that ye have and are;" (Mosiah 2:34) I need to rely more on my Savior Jesus Christ. I think I often times try to do things on my own and then I get frusterated when it doesn't work out for me. If I would stop being so stubborn and accept the help the Savior offers me, as well as the love he offers me it would make my life easier and I would be happier. I am so thankful for the gospel and for the happiness it brings into my life. Blessing: I was able to read a lo...
To "search" is to try to understand, to look for personal meaning, to understand historical context, to reference other sources, to find resolution to conflicts, and to internalize principles. The Lord has never commanded the saints to "read" the scriptures; He always commands them to "search" them: search them diligently that ye may profit, and search these things diligently, for great are the words of Isaiah (3 Ne 23:1). The result of diligent searching is that one becomes as the sons of Mosiah who had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth (Alma 17:2).* - I really like this insight on searching the scriptures and using the to apply not just to mark of a duty on our daily to-do list. "go up to the temple" (Mosiah 1:18) "In June 1994, President Howard W. Hunter encouraged members to 'establish the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of their membership and the supernal setting for their most sacred covenants,' and to ...
"remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God." (Mosiah 1:3) We need to remember this and take our daily studies of the scriptures more seriously instead of just reading a verse to say we read our scriptures for the day. God has put for records on earth to testify of who He is and what He can and will do for us if we live according to what he has asked. "'A mystery is a truth that cannot be known except through divine revelation a sacred secret. In the days of Paul the important truth that Gentiles were to be admitted to the Kingdom of God without observing the Law of Moses was a 'mystery' (Eph. 1:9-11; Col. 1:25-27). In our day such great truths as those pertaining to the restoration of the Priesthood, the work for the dead, and the re-establishment of the Church are 'mysteries,' because they could not...
Every word that was written and every phrase that was ecked in and from the plated is there for us. We should be so thankful for the work that our Prophet Joseph Smith put into translating the Book of Mormon and trying to understand the meaning of these things. He had limited schooling and yet God blessed him to do amazing miracles in His name. "And in the strenth of the Lord..." (WOM 1:14) How do we access that strength that comes from the Lord? How do we need to beliving our lives? How can we change to recieve it? Are there things that need to be changed or reevaluated in our lives to gain this gift? "When Joseph Smith said 'the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth,' it seems evident that he was not talking about grammar, punctuation, or spelling. He was referring to the clarity and depth of doctrine, to the mission and message of the book, to the spirit of inspiration that it fosters, to the divine desire that it sparks in the soul...
These God chosen Prophets are inspired and as we listen to them, as read the scriptures, and change our lives accordingly we will have the blessings that have been promised to us. "for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil." That's a pretty straight forward statement and very true. Cross-reference: Alma 30:44 "all things denote there is a God." We are then invited to: 1. "come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Isreal," 2. "partake fo his salvation and the power of his redemption." 3. "offer your whole souls as an offering unto him," 4. "continue in fasting and prayer," 5. "and endure to the end; (Omni 1:26) Blessing: We have a Heavenly Father who is in charge and He won't let anything happen that isn't His will. God Bless the USA!
Jarom 1:4 have communion with the Holy Spirit David O. McKay "Let us make God the center of our lives. That was one of the first admonitions given when the gospel was first preached to man. To have communion with God, through his Holy Spirit, is one of the noblest aspirations of life. It is when the peace and love of God have entered the soul when serving him becomes the motivating factor in one's life and existence, that we can touch the lives of others, quickening and inspiring them, even though no word be spoken." (Conference Reports, Apr. 1967, p. 133)* -We are asked to "have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit", how hard is this? What are ways there can be improvement? Or what part of this are we doing well with? Blessing: We have had such nice weather lately.
- I really like this quote; Spencer W. Kimball said "Here is no casual prayer; here no trite, worn phrases; here no momentary appeal. All the day long, with seconds turning into minutes, and minutes into hours, and hours into an 'all day long.' But when the sun had set relief had still not come, for repentance is not a single act nor forgiveness an unearned gift. So precious to him was communication with, and approval of, his Redeemer that his determined soul pressed on without ceasing." (BYU Speeches of the Year, Oct. 11, 1961, p. 9) "Thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed." Enos 1:5 -What a comforting sentence to have come to Enos in this time to bring him peace and reassurance of God's love for him. It's amazing the feelings and happiness this can bring to us when we are forgiven and feel God's love. Enos 1:15 Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive ...
I love that Jacob states, " he had heard my cry and answered my prayer." talking about our Father in Heaven. Becuase He does always hear and answer our prayers but it is not when or how we always want to them to be answered. Because the people did trust their God (7:25) they did concur their enemies. -How can we be more trusting and have more faith in our Father in Heaven? Enos starts out his section with talking about a mighty prayer he has with God. I think sometimes I need to have a more intense and personal prayer with my Father in Heaven, especially when I feel lost or alone. I know He hears me. -What is it that keeps us from saying more meaningful prayers to our Father in Heaven, our Creator? I feel at times I talk to others and will tell them my worries, troubles and exciting things before I will tell God. He want's to hear it all probably more than the person we are telling does. Blessing- I am able to pray whenever I want and my Heavenly Father will hear...
-Why is it so hard for us to have unfailing faith? Why are we and others like in the scriptures always asking for sign or verification that God is real or that He loves us? Our Heavenly Father shows us evidence every single day of these things if we would open our eyes and pay attention to the things around us and be more thankful for the things we have. NOURISHED , participle passive Fed; supplied with nutriment; caused to grow. Moroni 6:4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith. We can't be "nourished by the good word of God" if we aren't pondering and learning fro...
Jacob 7:5 " I could not be shaken." Heber J. Grant said, "Many men say: 'If I could only see an angel, if I could only hear an angel proclaim something, that would cause me to be faithful all the days of my life!' It had no effect upon these men (Laman and Lemuel) that were not serving the Lord, and it would have no effect today." (Conference Report, Apr. 1924, p. 159) We need to have an open mind and heart and allow out lives to change and to grow closer to our Savior through the experiences and even hardships we go through. Sharom says "I sought much opportunity that I might speak unto you ;" (Jacob 7:6) -Satan does this as well he puts all his effort into trying to talk to us and to lead us astray that we might become miserable like he is. We need to learn and know of the tricks he uses so that we don't fall into that trap. - We must live our lives in a way that we are in tune with the spirit and that we can understand and decern ...
We are promised "how blessed are thy who have labored diligently in this vineyard;" and in 2 Nephi 25:23 it says " we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. " Gainsaying (GAINSA'YING)- participle present tense Contradicting; denying; opposing. We are to " repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God... " (Jacob 6:5) I think full purpose of heart means to give our whole heart to it, love it and dedicate our life, heart, and minds to God's work. What do we need to do to improve our lives to more fully "come with full purpose of heart" ? This is a amazing story: Marvin J. Ashton "I carry in my daily date book a few brief memo sheets....One sheet almost worn out now has nothing more on it than Jacob 6, verse 12: 'O be wise; what can I say more?' Be wise enough to accept appropriate discipline and guidelines. Be wise enough to say the right words at the r...