Humbling Ourselves to Draw Closer to Heavenly Father

Here are some thoughts as I read 3 Nephi 4-5:

*Verses 10, 18- We can learn much from these verses that discuss the spiritual and physical preparation of the Nephites. They humbled themselves. They prepared themselves in all aspects to fight against their enemy. It was only because they were prepared that the Lord blessed them. He provided them with strength as they listened to His counsel. He provided them with counsel because he KNEW that they would listen to it.


*We can all learn from this in our lives. Heavenly Father will bless us with the gift of guidance and of His Spirit. However, He will only do so if we are proving to Him that we will act on that knowledge. I know that sometimes in my life I’ve been praying for the answer, but haven’t been willing to except whatever answer was given to me. We need to prepare and accept the Lord’s will in our preparations, having faith, knowing that He will guide us to the path that we need to follow in our lives.


*Verses 29-33: The people expressed their utmost gratitude unto God for the blessings and freedom which He granted unto them. Shouldn’t we do so too?
*Verse 9- Mormon reminds us that this a true abridgement. There are records that contain all of the proceedings of the Nephites. Where are those now?
*Verse 16- Mormon makes an abridged record based on the records that have gone before. Even in modern day times, that would be a lofty task. But, for Mormon, this was an unbelievable feat! All of the engraving he had to do and the translations into a tongue that was not the language with which he communicated on a daily basis… that is amazing to me!
*Verse 18- I wonder why there are many things which “according to their language” they are not able to write.
*Verse 24- That is what we are doing today… we are bringing in the scattered remnants of the House of Israel. Through missionary work, we are helping to perform this great work.
*Verse 25- Heavenly Father covenanted with the House of Jacob that He would restore it unto the knowledge of the gospel. What a blessing in our lives! I feel this blessing and this promise coming true among us today.

Prepare for Our Battles

Here are some thoughts as I read 3 Nephi end of 2-3:
*Chapter 2, Verse 18- Because they weren’t unified, they began to fall.
*Chapter 3, Verse 2-4: The leader of the Gadianton robbers, Giddianhi, is grossly misled. He professes to believe in such false traditions and such lies, acting accordingly. Satan tries to get people to see good as evil and evil as good, in the case of the Gadianton robbers.
*Verse 6- Giddianhi gives no reason as to why HE deserves to have the land, but feels he has the right to it.
Verse 9- Giddianhi believes that the “secret” works of the Gadianton robbers are good. How much Satan can lead us to believe magnificent falsehoods! We need to constantly be on our guard in order to protect ourselves from Satan’s temptations.
*Verse 10- Finally Giddianhi gives the reason that HE and HIS FOLLOWERS deserve the Nephites land: Because of the Nephites (supposed) wickedness in retaining from the robbers the rights to the government. It’s amazing that he wrote these words, believing them in full faith.
*Verse 12- The chief governor, Lachoneus, had faith that Heavenly Father would protect them if they cried unto Him in faith and righteousness.
*Verse 15- Lachoneus reminds the people that unless they repent and humble themselves, they will not be saved.
*Verse 19- In times of righteousness, the people chose prophets to the lead the people, both into battle and at the head of their government. They chose these people because they had the spirit and access to revelations for the people.
*Verse 21- The leader of the armies, Gidgiddoni, counseled the people that if they listened to what the Lord said and prepared in the Lord’s way, they would be saved.
*Verse 25- The people prepared both spiritually and temporally for the war which was about to take place. The people didn’t know when the battle was going to happen, but they were prepared in case it did happen.

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:
*We, too, can prepare now for the battles that lie ahead. We never know what will happen in our lives. We never know when Satan will try us and tempt us. We need to prepare ourselves now and beware of the cunning darts of the adversary. We need to be aware of the manner in which Satan tempts us. We need to pray humbly and fervently, repenting and asking forgiveness. I know that Heavenly Father will bless us in our daily struggles and in our fight against the adversary if we prepare and show that Heavenly Father is our priority.

Faith Precedes the Miracle

Here are some thoughts as I read Helaman 7-8:
*Verse 24- Nephi chastens the Nephites because of their unbelief. He BOLDLY calls them to repentance by reminding them of the many witnesses they see in their lives. Just like us, all things in heaven and earth testify that there is a God. I’m grateful for my testimony of these things, knowing that God is there. I can see Him around me in the people I talk with, in the opportunities and words He has given me, through the beauty of a sunset. So many ways to see and praise God for what He has given us.
*(Chapter 8) Verse 2- The people are waiting for a sign… at this point, the Nephites don’t believe that Nephi is a true prophet, but they say that if what he prophesied about the chief judge is true, then he MUST be a prophet and they will believe on his words.
*Verse 5- They find out that what Nephi had said was true and begin to believe. It’s better to believe without a sign than to believe after seeing a sign.
*Verse 8- Interesting that people who had forgotten God were so adamant in thinking that God had smitten those 5 men who had fallen to the earth after seeing the truth of the words of Nephi.
*Verse 16- Now the people believe that Nephi was in on the murder of the chief judge to the point that they are blaming him for the murder. Satan sure has a tricky way of getting people to forget God and to believe in their own thoughts rather than using the spirit to guide them.
*Verse 24- He showed unto them a sign and they are angry with him… their hearts are so hardened against Heavenly Father! They have let satan take over!
*Verses 39-41: It’s amazing how the Nephites all saw the same miracles and prophecies come to pass, yet some of them still don’t understand and still cannot believe! Nephi is so strong and bold in his faith. He listens to the spirit and lets it guide him in his thoughts, actions, and words. Because of this, he is a wonderful prophet and an example unto many. He is also given the words he should say because of his faith.

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:
*I can be like Nephi… I can have faith and seek for the spirit in my life. I can seek to live by the spirit and allow it to guide me, refine me, and improve my character. I’m so grateful to Heavenly Father for my knowledge of the gospel and for the spirit in my life.
*I will work hard not to look for signs in my own life. I want to have and act on faith and remember that FAITH precedes the MIRACLE.

Here are some thoughts as I read Helaman 5:

*Verse 4- Nephi gives up the judgment seat in order to become a missionary unto the people (with his brother, Lehi) all the rest of his days. This shows that Nephi truly isn’t seeking for power, but to pull it down. He’s seeking to help the people overcome their pride and their temptations. Like his predecessor, he was a good man who loved his God and his people.
*Verse 5- Nephi and Lehi remembered the words of their father. This shows the importance and lasting effect of what we teach our children, but it also shows the diligence of these men to follow and obey their father. A righteous parent truly can affect his/her children. There are numerous examples of that in the scriptures.
*Verses 6-7: Nephi and Lehi were given their names to always remember their forefathers and the righteous examples they set. We also need to remember the sacrifices made and the examples of those who have gone before us. The Book of Mormon is a miraculous record that has come forth to bless us in our day. Many have sacrificed, both in ancient and modern times, to allow me this record. I am truly grateful for their sacrifices to bring me a book that has caused so much joy, peace, and hope in my life.
*Verse 8- We need to make sure that our motivation for righteous choices is the right reason. Sometimes we want certain callings or we want to boast about the service we have done. Instead, we should be doing these things because we love God and our fellow men. If we do things because of this motivation, we lay up a treasure for ourselves in Heaven without price. That treasure is eternal life.
Verses 9-11: Many prophets have preached that the only way to have eternal life is through Jesus Christ, who will redeem people FROM their sins, not IN their sins. This tells us that people need to make the choice to choose righteously and repent. He can only save us if we CHOOSE to repent and draw unto Him.
*Verse 12- We need to build on the rock, which is Jesus Christ. If our foundation is the gospel of Jesus Christ, our faith will be firmly planted and when the temptations come, we will be able to withstand them. This faith and this foundation is sure, but it takes time and daily energy to cultivate and improve upon.
*Verse 18- Nephi and Lehi had power and authority given unto them in their missionary service. Is this similar to callings that we have in our wards and homes? Because of this power and authority, they had power to speak and teach by the spirit. Through this power, they were able to convert many Nephites and Lamanites alike unto the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m sure this was a hard time to preach, because of so much negativity and hatred among both peoples. Teaching the people wasn’t easy, but they went forward in the strength of Christ to do the work they had been called/compelled to do.


I think that we all can have this power and authority of God in our labors in this life. God will bless us if we are striving to listen to His words and heed His commands.


*Verse 36- It’s amazing the things that happened to protect Lehi and Nephi once they were imprisoned. Heavenly Father used this imprisonment (or trial) as a means to teach others. Lehi and Nephi were an example of faith and prayer in this verse as they turned their heads towards Heaven to converse with the angels of God.
*Verse 41- Although the people in this chapter had a literal cloud of darkness over them, we have a figurative cloud of darkness over us as we sin and fail to repent. The people asked Aminadab what they should do in order to have the cloud of darkness removed. His answer to those people is the same answer to us as sinners, “You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ… and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.”
*Verses 42-43: Once the people repented, they were encircled about in a pillar of fire just like Lehi and Nephi. This signifies the fire of the spirit that encircles us about as we give up our sins to know God again.
*Verse 49-50: The converted people were told to go forth and then convert others through their testimony and strength.

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:

In many ways, this chapter is an example for our life and our teachings. We first need to dispel the cloud of darkness from our own lives and partake of the spirit of God before we can help others do the same. And once we’ve drawn unto God and partaken of His spirit, we need to teach and bless others. We should want to teach and bless others to gain the same knowledge, power, faith, hope, and strength that we have.
I want to be better about being a positive example unto others. I want to look for ways to serve others and to be a better missionary and example of Jesus Christ.

Here are some thoughts as I read Helaman 4:

*Verses 1-3: I’m always amazed by those people who dissented away from the Nephites! It’s amazing to me that one day they could love their country and their lands so much, and the next day they are offended and go to their enemies to seek war against their own kin. It just shows the power Satan has over us, if we let him. We need to be ever watchful so that we don’t become like these Nephite dissenters, abandoning everything we know and becoming a traitor to our country and people all because of a contention blown out of proportion by selfishness and greed.
*Verse 11: The Nephites suffered death and great losses at the Lamanites’ hands because of the Nephites great wickedness. This leads me to consider why. Why did they suffer and lose so much? It’s because they were no longer led by the spirit. They were also no longer united with their brethren in the same cause and the same truth.


*This verse teaches us a great lesson: That we need the spirit to lead us into righteous paths and to guide us when we are unsure the best way to proceed. It also teaches us that we need to be unified in our beliefs and desires. When we are one in faith and action, we become strong and immovable. Satan and his cunning associates cannot shake us, because we will band together, strengthening one another in order to overcome temptations of all kinds.
*Another interesting aspect of this verse is that those people who were wicked were “among those also who professed to belong to the church of God.” Are we among those who “profess” to belong to the church but don’t live it? May there NEVER come a day that I profess to belong to something which I don’t believe in and show my belief through my actions.


*Verse 12-13: These verses go even further to expound upon those who belonged to the church but did not live according to its principles. It states that their actions and their unbelief were related to the pride of their possessions. They allowed this to consume them and to cause them to do wicked and harsh things to their brethren.


*And because they boasted in their own strength, “they were left in their own strength.” Essentially, the people got exactly what they wanted. They wanted to say nothing of God and everything about their own power, so they got it.


*Verse 16: The people repent and are able to regain one half of their property and lands. Repentance allows the Lord to help them to prosper when they are humbly seeking Him.
*Verse 25: The Lord not only will NOT strive to be with wicked people, but He can NOT dwell in those who reject Him. He will not take away our agency. It’s up to us to choose to have Him a part of our lives or choose to go it on our own.

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:

*I need to be ever-mindful of the wiles of Satan. Satan is cunning and can quickly redirect us down false paths if we let him. I need to HUMBLY strive to have the Spirit always with me as a constant companion. I know that if I do so, I will be united with God and with my brethren. We can band together to strengthen one another in time’s of trial and hardship.

Prayer, Faith, & Consistency

Here are some thoughts as I read Alma (end of) 62-63:

• Verses 49-51: In spite of their prosperity, the people remembered Heavenly Father and continually called upon His name. Because of their humility, the Lord blessed them according to His word. He will do the same for us if we are living worthy of His blessings. He won’t always bless us in the way we want Him to, but He will bless us according to our covenants and our needs.
  
• Verse 12- Interesting that the records went forth throughout the land (except for the sacred parts)… the scriptures were used even then to teach and edify people.
  

WAYS I CAN IMPROVE:

• I need to pray unto God continually. Additionally, I need to be better about studying these scriptures with which we are so blessed to have! I am so blessed in my life, but I hinder my own progression by not waking up earlier to study and pray. I am exhausted from not sleeping very well, but I know that Heavenly Father will endow me with His spirit and power if I am seeking Him and His guidance. I want Him in my life. I’m striving to have the spirit, but I know that I can do better by waking up a little earlier to study, ponder, and pray.