Rejoice, O my Heart

Here are some thoughts as I read 2 Nephi 4:
*Nephi says that his soul delights in the scriptures and ponders them. They are for our profit and learning.

*Verse 20- Heavenly Father was Nephi’s support in his afflictions and He will be our support too. Heavenly Father blessed Nephi, guided him, and removed his enemies from him. God blessed Nephi for his diligence, even if Nephi wasn’t perfect. Heavenly Father will bless us as well. He will be there to guide and comfort us ONLY as we are striving to live worthy of those blessings. He will do so ONLY as we are keeping His commandments and do our best to draw near unto Him.

*Verses 26-27- If I have felt the Spirit, why should I succumb to sin? I don’t have to “give way to temptations.” As Nephi said, “Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul” (2 Nephi 4:28).

*Heavenly Father wants us to use the power of the infinite atonement in our lives. If we are staying strong in keeping the commandments and improving our relationship with Heavenly Father, He will make way for the Spirit in our hearts. He will allow the Spirit to work within us and to remove our desire to sin. We will still be tempted, but we won’t succumb as easily if we’re truly striving to have Heavenly Father with us always.

*In prayer, Nephi clearly expresses his faith and trust in God. He asks for Heavenly Father’s help in overcoming temptation and for guidance to resolve the problems he is currently facing.

*WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:
I can make Heavenly Father a priority in my life. I need to put my trust in Heavenly Father and not in man. I know that He will guide and direct me if I am striving to keep the commandments and to make Him a part of my life. The only person whose actions I can determine are my own. Pray to Heavenly Father and get to know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ better. By better understanding His life and atonement better, I can draw closer to Him and be able to become more like Him.

Gratitude through Action

Here are some thoughts as I read 2 Nephi 1:
*It’s always amazing to me how much the Lord has blatantly blessed the family of Lehi… MANY miracles have occurred to get them to the promised land, including the visitation of angels, the liahona’s appearance and guidance through the forest and across the sea, the instruction and building of the ship for those who had never built a ship before, and the fact that they actually made it SAFELY to the promised land! They have been blessed with so much, but how quick some of them (namely, Laman and Lemuel) are to forget all of the blessings that they’ve been given. How quickly they are to turn against their own family members and against the God who clearly loves them and desires their happiness.
*Am I like Laman and Lemuel? Do I quickly forget all that the Lord has done for me? Do I also turn against family members who have been there for me along the journey and have blessed my life?

*I know that I live a blessed life. I have been given much and have never truly wanted for anything. I need to remember what I’ve been given and express gratitude to Heavenly Father for my multitude of blessings. He has given me much. He has blessed me with His spirit. Through my actions and adhering to God’s commands, I can prove my gratitude.

Taking A Stand

Here are some thoughts as I read in 1 Nephi 21:
*It’s amazing to me what the Lord has done for me and continues to do for me. I am so grateful that I KNOW that He has not forsaken me and will not forget me. He wants me to be with Him. I thank Heavenly Father for that knowledge that I have. I know that it won’t be easy. As verse 23 says, “For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me,” indicating that people will try to make me feel ashamed. The world wants me to feel ashamed for believing in and following Christ. But, I know that I’m doing what is right, even if it is hard. I know that if I’m humble and obedient to God’s commands, that I’ll be blessed of Him. The world doesn’t matter. No one else’s opinion matters. Only that I know that I’m striving to be righteous and return to live with Heavenly Father in His kingdom.

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:
*Be kinder to those around me. Truly pray for patience to see others as Jesus sees them. Additionally, I can be more grateful for the knowledge I have. I can be proud that I am a member of Christ’s church. I can stick up for my beliefs and feelings.

Be the Change You Wish to See in the World

Here are some thoughts as I read in 1 Nephi 20:
*Verse 10- “For behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” We are chosen in our hard times. This scripture shows that it’s during our trials that our true colors stand out. It is through our trials that we are tested and strengthened or we are tested and do not withstand the tests given unto us. I want to be the former. I want to be tested and proved true in the midst of my trials. I do not want to be like those of Nephi’s family who complained against him. Oh, how hard it must have been to be in their position and not know how it all was going to work out. I know that Heavenly Father provides a way for us to make it through our trials. He is there the entire time buoying us up and allowing US to choose the high road or the low road. He wants us to improve because of our trials, not digress in spite of them. I must remember that as I go through hard times.

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:
*Look for the roses amongst the thorns. See the positive. Come out on top of my trials rather than underneath them. Grow through the experiences I’m having rather than allowing myself to get downtrodden.

New Journal Format & Thoughts on 1 Nephi 19

I'm trying a new scripture journal format, which includes writing my thoughts as I read and includes a section at the end of WAYS I CAN IMPROVE based on what I read that day. In that way, I hope that I can be able to better myself by truly pondering and implementing ways I can improve based on my insights while reading the scriptures.

Here are some thoughts as I read in 1 Nephi 19:
*Verse 9 says, “And because of their iniquity, the world shall judge Him to be a thing of naught…” Even though this scripture was written about the time period when Christ actually lived on the earth, this scripture, sadly, captures how the world is today. Because of iniquity, people judge Christ and say that He really didn’t live, or that His sacrifice wasn’t as great as the scriptures say it was. Some people don’t even believe in Christ and instead mock and scorn those that do believe. There are those who say that they believe, when in reality their actions speak differently.
*I want to live my life so that the Savior’s suffering was worth it. I don’t want to waste what He did through actions and an unrepentant attitude. I want to live my life so that those who know me want to know Jesus Christ. I know that we can live as examples to the world, even in this world of sin and iniquity. I can be better.
*There is yet time to repent and to change. There is time to come unto our Savior and better ourselves for eternal life.
*Verse 23- Like Nephi, we also need to liken all scriptures unto us. If we don’t, we’re not using the scriptures correctly. These scriptures were given unto us for our profit and learning. They were given unto us to better us and to help us to improve ourselves in this life. We can only improve ourselves IF we are trying to liken them unto ourselves.

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE: Be more diligent at scripture study. I can TRULY apply the scriptures to my life in order to repent and better myself.
*I can remember my Savior and His suffering for me. I can use the power of the atonement in my life, not only to repent, but also as a source of comfort and strength.
*I can live my life according to the covenants I have made with Heavenly Father and I will make with him in the temple.