Week 12- Peace in Bondage

With the pending Thanksgiving break this week, I have been very busy/overwhelmed with tests and homework. I have also (like the lunatic that I am) been trying to give the kids more of my time when I can and praying that I have the energy and the mind to study after my first priorities are taken care of. I can see our family heading toward better things and I have been gifted with ideas to implement with my home routine. Being in school while still trying to take care of my family and home is lonely sometimes. There is little time for anything but responsibilities. I follow a routine and sometimes feel like I am trapped. I think many people feel this way.

In Mosiah 19 we read about some of the post-Abinadi chaos. Gideon chases the cowardly King Noah. The Lamanites attack. Families try to flee. Men leave their families. The king and his priests escape. Some women (daughters) protect their families and plead with the Lamanites for mercy. The Lamanites spare Limhi and his people if they will pay half of what they have as tribute. They are in bondage. They are trapped, nevertheless (see what I did there?) "Limhi began... to establish peace among his people." (v.27).  They found peace with one another. They found peace even with Lamanites standing guard so that thee would not flee into the wilderness. And still the people of Limhi "did have continual peace" (v. 29).

Chaos can wreak havoc. Chaos can do plenty of damage if we are not establishing our selves and seeking that peace that can come. Back in Mosiah 16:9 we read of Christ, "He is the light and life of the world; yea, a light that is endless and can never be darkened." I personally find peace in Christ. I find peace in the words of the scriptures and in communication with the Spirit. "I testify we have a living Savior, Jesus Christ, and with His power and light we will be enabled to push back the darkness of the world..." I love the imagery of this quote from Sister Marriott. As we are filled with the power of our Savior we can overcome the chaos around us and find peace as we push back against the darkness of the world.

(This week in my Book of Mormon class we read Mosiah chapters 15-28.)

Week 11- Yet they were diligent

This week we covered Mosiah 4-14. I wish that you could be a fly on the wall of my class so that you too could learn new things or have old things be confirmed anew. Each week I share only a little peek into all that could be gleaned from the chapters that I read. Deciding what to share each week is a difficult task, because I want you to be filled spiritually like I am.

I love many things about contents of the Book of Mosiah. I love the counsel from King Benjamin. I marvel at Abinadi and his faith, strength, and courage.

The Book of Mormon is repetitious. There is a God. God is LOVE. Repent and return. Christ will come. Some repeated ideas that caught my eye in these chapters were obedience and diligence. Mosiah 4:27 is quoted often about man not running faster than he has strength. Then it continues, "It is expedient that he should be diligent".  Mosiah 5:5 Obedience "in all things that [God] shall command us." Mosiah 6:6 King Mosiah followed after King Benjamin and "did walk in the ways of the Lord,...and did keep his commandments in all things whatsoever he commanded him." Mosiah 7:33 Serve the Lord "with all diligence of mind". Mosiah 8:8 They were lost, and "yet they were diligent".

Abinadi was surely diligent and obedient. We get a glimpse of Abinadi in chapter 7. Then in chapter 11 Abinadi preaches to the people and they hate him for it. Two years later he is commanded to return to King Noah and his people. This must have been faith-testing. I feel like he knew what he was headed into. I think that he knew he was going to die. He had to wear a disguise just to get into the city. I feel like there is similitude to the Savior and to Joseph Smith in this story. He subjected himself to these unworthy men, even when he knew that he was not going to be treated fairly. He diligently obeyed and asked that those that he taught to examine themselves concerning their own obedience and then make changes. In the end he stood firm in his testimony. He diligently stood tall and demanded that God's message be heard and once he had fulfilled what God had asked of him he tells them, "It matters not whither I go, if it so be that I am saved."

He is sure in his testimony. He was obedient and he, like Nephi, went and did as God commanded him. He did not run faster than his strength, but I am sure that it took time for him to strengthen himself to be ready for such a mission. Diligence and obedience builds strength for future endeavors. I hope that as I continue in my own testimony that I will be strengthened in my efforts and be able to run faster and further in the future.

Week 10- That they might give thanks...

Each week we are taught so many fascinating truths in class. Some concern doctrines. Some character. Some are scholastic in nature. I really ought to be sharing many of them in extra emails and posts, but I don't often have extra time. We are asked to take something from our personal reading and be the teacher. We are asked to share our own insights and not just regurgitate what was taught by the instructor.

This week I read from the Book of Enos through Mosiah chapter 3. I love the plainness of truth in chapter 3 of Mosiah. I love the honesty of Omni and wish that I knew more of his story. I love how the words of Enos make me want to find my own hunger that I might follow his example and find forgiveness for my mistakes and faith for a better future for those around me. Give the Book of Mormon a chance. If you give it an earnest reading, you will be filled with knowledge and the Spirit will find place within you. Probably my favorite thing about reading the Book of Mormon is that the more you read with purpose the more the Holy Ghost will abide in you. I can't tell you the number of times I have needed confirmation or comfort and after a few verses (sometimes only one) I am filled. Comfort and peace are needed in the turmoil of life and there is a sure way to find them. Pray with desire to believe and read with intent.

There are a few thoughts that I want to share from Mosiah 2. In verse 3, and into verse 4, it tells of the people bringing their "firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses;" "And also that they might give thanks to the Lord their God".

When I read this, I stopped and wondered, "what do I sacrifice to give thanks to God?" 

In this life, it seems that few actively ponder how or what they can sacrifice to show thanks. I know that I haven't thought much about it. I give my time to my children. I try to look for ways to help those around me, but I am flawed and human and I make mistakes without number. But when I help others around me or go out of my way to serve is it really a sacrifice? Doesn't God bless us when we serve his children? Perhaps this is why King Benjamin brings up this idea in verse 20-21 in chapter 2. Even after giving thanks, praise, service, etc we are still "unprofitable servants". I don't think that he means to put down or teach that we are worthless, but that we will always be indebted to God and Christ for all that they have given us. They do not want us to fee bad about this, but understanding this concept helps us see their great love for us. They know (and so do we, I think) that we will never make the cut, but they will reward our efforts. 

There is so much more to this chapter, but I will end with the last verse. If we will "hold out faithful to the end" then we can be with God and our family (extended eternal and earthly) again and we will have the chance to "dwell with God in a state of neverending happiness." That is a lovely and incredible promise. I am so grateful for King Benjamin sharing the plain and precious truths in his address. If you can, I encourage you to read it again. 

Week 9- We knew of Christ

Last week we read the Book of Jacob.  I love many of things that we are taught in class. There was some verses on marriage. I now have a greater understanding of the allegory in chapter 5 of the Master and his vineyard.

We Knew of Christ. Do you still know? 

For myself, I've thought much on the beginning of chapter 4. As I read the verses about engraving things on the plates, I kept thinking about how this could apply to my own life. 

 "1 Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we know that the things which we write upon plates must remain;

 2 But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers—

 3 Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents."

My eyes kept falling on the words plates and I tried to think how you might be able to replace the word "plates" with "our lives" or something similar. 

Go back and read it again with the replacement. It's not perfect, but it works for me. It can be difficult to engraven God's words upon our lives. "We know that the things which we write upon our lives must remain."  

The scripture about where your treasure is there is your heart also comes to mind. Am giving effort to my feelings and allowing my beliefs to write themselves into my life?  

"And we labor diligently to engraven these words upon our lives, hoping that our beloved brethren and children will receive them with thankful hearts." 

Do I labor diligently to "engraven" the Word of God upon my life? Engraven implies work, maybe repetition. Perhaps patience. If someone looks at my life, is it clear that I love God and that I want to live for Him? Has his word become a part of me? 

And then comes verse 4. 

"4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us."

For some reason the premortal life came to mind as an added "liken" layer. All of us who come to this earth to experience mortality "knew of Christ". These could be the words of any of us. We KNEW of Christ and had hope in his glory since the plan was presented to us. 

These verses are incredible thinking of them in the historical context. They knew about Abraham and Isaac and the symbolism, and they knew the name that Christ would be called, etc. hundreds of years before He came to earth. 

 "5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son."

 "6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."

"7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."

 We knew of Christ and in this life we must come to know of him again. I hope that as I search the prophets, and as I receive more revelation that my faith will become unshaken. With God's power we do anything.