We can assume that Nephi went to his father's tent to tell him about his wonderful experience. Personal revelation from God is not something you blog and tweet about on the Internet, but it is certainly appropriate to share with your family in a proper setting in your home. I'm sure the son was excited to tell his father that he was a witness to his father's testimony.
Friday, September 2, 2016
First Nephi 3:1
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.
We can assume that Nephi went to his father's tent to tell him about his wonderful experience. Personal revelation from God is not something you blog and tweet about on the Internet, but it is certainly appropriate to share with your family in a proper setting in your home. I'm sure the son was excited to tell his father that he was a witness to his father's testimony.
We can assume that Nephi went to his father's tent to tell him about his wonderful experience. Personal revelation from God is not something you blog and tweet about on the Internet, but it is certainly appropriate to share with your family in a proper setting in your home. I'm sure the son was excited to tell his father that he was a witness to his father's testimony.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
First Nephi 2:24
And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.
Scourges and trials are not punishments. They are designed to get our attention and to help us focus on what is really important. God is not interested in punishment, He is intent on saving us.
Scourges and trials are not punishments. They are designed to get our attention and to help us focus on what is really important. God is not interested in punishment, He is intent on saving us.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
First Nephi 2:20
And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
“Land of promise” is always a metaphor in the scriptures for exaltation. Prospering materially and temporally is good, but it is not the point of mortality. Spiritual prosperity is what we are after, and exaltation in the celestial kingdom – the true land of promise – is our eternal goal.
“Land of promise” is always a metaphor in the scriptures for exaltation. Prospering materially and temporally is good, but it is not the point of mortality. Spiritual prosperity is what we are after, and exaltation in the celestial kingdom – the true land of promise – is our eternal goal.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
First Nephi 2:18-19
But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them. And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.
Being the good brother and faithful witness that Nephi was by nature, he tried to bear his testimony and share his spiritual experiences with his other brothers, just as he had done with his brother Sam. Unlike Sam, however, who accepted Nephi’s testimony, Laman and Lemuel rejected him. Nephi’s experience prepared Joseph Smith for the experiences that would shortly come into his life as he began to share his message from the Lord. A few would accept his witness and others would reject him. We can expect the same in our own lives. As every missionary can attest, some will listen, but many will not. That does not mean, however, that we should stop trying.
It is interesting that the Lord came to Nephi not when Nephi was praying for himself, but when he was praying for his wayward brothers. Praying for others is an essential element of our prayer life and our spiritual development.
Being the good brother and faithful witness that Nephi was by nature, he tried to bear his testimony and share his spiritual experiences with his other brothers, just as he had done with his brother Sam. Unlike Sam, however, who accepted Nephi’s testimony, Laman and Lemuel rejected him. Nephi’s experience prepared Joseph Smith for the experiences that would shortly come into his life as he began to share his message from the Lord. A few would accept his witness and others would reject him. We can expect the same in our own lives. As every missionary can attest, some will listen, but many will not. That does not mean, however, that we should stop trying.
It is interesting that the Lord came to Nephi not when Nephi was praying for himself, but when he was praying for his wayward brothers. Praying for others is an essential element of our prayer life and our spiritual development.
Monday, August 29, 2016
First Nephi 2:17
And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.
Once we have had an experience with the Spirit, we naturally want to share it with others. That can be a scary proposition, for we could experience rejection and even ridicule. Nephi, however, was a good brother, and he overcame whatever natural trepidation he may have had in telling his brother about his experiences. How relieved Nephi must have been when Sam accepted his testimony! At last he had someone with whom he could share his deepest and most sacred feelings. We all need to associate with others who believe as we do. For this very purpose the Lord has organized us into families and provided the organization of the Church. We come together in our families and our congregations to bolster and strengthen each other. Faith is a marvelous gift, and a place to share that faith is also a gift of God.
Once we have had an experience with the Spirit, we naturally want to share it with others. That can be a scary proposition, for we could experience rejection and even ridicule. Nephi, however, was a good brother, and he overcame whatever natural trepidation he may have had in telling his brother about his experiences. How relieved Nephi must have been when Sam accepted his testimony! At last he had someone with whom he could share his deepest and most sacred feelings. We all need to associate with others who believe as we do. For this very purpose the Lord has organized us into families and provided the organization of the Church. We come together in our families and our congregations to bolster and strengthen each other. Faith is a marvelous gift, and a place to share that faith is also a gift of God.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
First Nephi 2:16
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.
A believing heart is a gift. As Alma taught, we begin with just a desire to believe. If we ask God in faith to help us believe, he is quick to answer such a prayer.
A believing heart is a gift. As Alma taught, we begin with just a desire to believe. If we ask God in faith to help us believe, he is quick to answer such a prayer.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
First Nephi 2:14
And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them.
When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we can act and speak with power. To be filled with the Holy Ghost sounds like the Spirit does something to us, as if he pours himself into us. In a sense, that is true. The Holy Ghost does work upon our hearts and souls and burns away the dross of the natural man like a refiner's fire. The initial action, however, is not his but ours. He does not split us open and jump inside. Rather, we open ourselves to the power and influence of the Holy Ghost, which is already present in the world and surrounds us every minute.
The light is everywhere present, but we, like wearing a black hood at noonday, do not allow ourselves to see it. We lift the hood ever so slightly, and for a brief moment some light comes in. The small amount of light may hurt our eyes because they are not adjusted to it yet, and we may drop the hood again because we are uncomfortable. The light outside, however, does not diminish.
Others who do not wear hoods tell us how marvelous the light is and how much better life is when we can see the light all the time. From time to time we lift the hood a little higher for a little longer. Our eyes begin to adjust, and we start to see the possibilities. When we get tired of living in the dark, we finally remove the hood and look around at the beautiful world the way it was meant to be seen, not shrouded in self-imposed darkness, but illuminated with brilliant light. The light of the sun never changed. What changed was our desire to invite the light in and remove the obstacle that kept the light out.
When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit does not suddenly show up on our doorstep. Like the sun, his influence has surrounded us all along, looking for the slightest crack in the hood we have pulled tightly over our hearts to keep him out. To the degree that we lift the hood of sin, pride, stubbornness, rebellion, and self-will, the light of the Spirit naturally pours in, anxious to fill the void. The only thing that keeps us from being filled with the Holy Ghost all the time is us. God never withholds His Spirit, but we withhold it when we do not let it in.
Just as sunlight is the ultimate source of all power on the earth, the influence of the Holy Ghost is the source of all true power in our lives. The Holy Ghost IS power. We cannot receive an increase in the presence of God's Spirit in our lives and not receive an increase in power. Like a chain reaction, when we let a little of the Spirit into our lives, we receive power to open ourselves further to let even more of the Spirit in, which brings more power to let even more Spirit in, until eventually we reach the logical and inevitable conclusion that we are filled. This is our intended outcome, the state that God wants all His children to achieve. His whole plan is set up to enable and encourage us to reach this state. It is not reserved for a chosen few. The fact that only a few choose to reach this goal does not mean that God would withhold this magnificent blessing from anyone who chooses to live a life that qualifies for it. The Holy Ghost is a gift from God that is just waiting for us to receive.
The power of the Holy Ghost first works on us and then works in us and through us to reach others. We are like lumps of charcoal. At first we are dark, cold, and lifeless. If we stay close enough to the light of the Spirit, a spark warms and then ignites a small corner of our lump. If we don't extinguish it, the heat will spread through us until we glow brightly. By ourselves our glowing heat cannot do much. But if we touch another lump of charcoal, we can ignite it and start the process in him. The purpose of the power of God is first to ignite us and then to enable us to ignite others. The more power we have, the better we become and the more we can help others. We are on this earth first to receive salvation for ourselves and then to help others receive it. Anything else we may do or accomplish in life is secondary to these two objectives.
One additional note: Confounded is not the same as converted. When we teach, we have to be careful not to simply confound our learners. We must lead them to conversion. Lehi was a great man and a good father, but he pushed his sons when they repeatedly rebelled and complained. Lehi was human, and he had human impatience. Isn't it nice to know that even great men are still human? It gives me hope.
When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we can act and speak with power. To be filled with the Holy Ghost sounds like the Spirit does something to us, as if he pours himself into us. In a sense, that is true. The Holy Ghost does work upon our hearts and souls and burns away the dross of the natural man like a refiner's fire. The initial action, however, is not his but ours. He does not split us open and jump inside. Rather, we open ourselves to the power and influence of the Holy Ghost, which is already present in the world and surrounds us every minute.
The light is everywhere present, but we, like wearing a black hood at noonday, do not allow ourselves to see it. We lift the hood ever so slightly, and for a brief moment some light comes in. The small amount of light may hurt our eyes because they are not adjusted to it yet, and we may drop the hood again because we are uncomfortable. The light outside, however, does not diminish.
Others who do not wear hoods tell us how marvelous the light is and how much better life is when we can see the light all the time. From time to time we lift the hood a little higher for a little longer. Our eyes begin to adjust, and we start to see the possibilities. When we get tired of living in the dark, we finally remove the hood and look around at the beautiful world the way it was meant to be seen, not shrouded in self-imposed darkness, but illuminated with brilliant light. The light of the sun never changed. What changed was our desire to invite the light in and remove the obstacle that kept the light out.
When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit does not suddenly show up on our doorstep. Like the sun, his influence has surrounded us all along, looking for the slightest crack in the hood we have pulled tightly over our hearts to keep him out. To the degree that we lift the hood of sin, pride, stubbornness, rebellion, and self-will, the light of the Spirit naturally pours in, anxious to fill the void. The only thing that keeps us from being filled with the Holy Ghost all the time is us. God never withholds His Spirit, but we withhold it when we do not let it in.
Just as sunlight is the ultimate source of all power on the earth, the influence of the Holy Ghost is the source of all true power in our lives. The Holy Ghost IS power. We cannot receive an increase in the presence of God's Spirit in our lives and not receive an increase in power. Like a chain reaction, when we let a little of the Spirit into our lives, we receive power to open ourselves further to let even more of the Spirit in, which brings more power to let even more Spirit in, until eventually we reach the logical and inevitable conclusion that we are filled. This is our intended outcome, the state that God wants all His children to achieve. His whole plan is set up to enable and encourage us to reach this state. It is not reserved for a chosen few. The fact that only a few choose to reach this goal does not mean that God would withhold this magnificent blessing from anyone who chooses to live a life that qualifies for it. The Holy Ghost is a gift from God that is just waiting for us to receive.
The power of the Holy Ghost first works on us and then works in us and through us to reach others. We are like lumps of charcoal. At first we are dark, cold, and lifeless. If we stay close enough to the light of the Spirit, a spark warms and then ignites a small corner of our lump. If we don't extinguish it, the heat will spread through us until we glow brightly. By ourselves our glowing heat cannot do much. But if we touch another lump of charcoal, we can ignite it and start the process in him. The purpose of the power of God is first to ignite us and then to enable us to ignite others. The more power we have, the better we become and the more we can help others. We are on this earth first to receive salvation for ourselves and then to help others receive it. Anything else we may do or accomplish in life is secondary to these two objectives.
One additional note: Confounded is not the same as converted. When we teach, we have to be careful not to simply confound our learners. We must lead them to conversion. Lehi was a great man and a good father, but he pushed his sons when they repeatedly rebelled and complained. Lehi was human, and he had human impatience. Isn't it nice to know that even great men are still human? It gives me hope.
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