In chapter five Laman shoes his true colors yet again, demanding that as the elder in the family all should follow him, not Nephi whom Heavenly Father has chosen. As a result Nephi takes his family and all that will follow and travels into the wilderness. At this point the Nephites are created , as are the Lamamites. We are also told in chapter five that the skin of the lamanites was darkened because of their unbelief, thus widening the gap between them and the Nephites. (5:21)
Now the Nephites prospered according to their faith. what a great example here of having the faith to begin with....they travelled into the wilderness with no certain destination, found a spot to settle and through faith prospered. They didn't happen upon a garden and then thank Heavenly Father, but thanked Heavenly Father first, then the garden came. What great faith.
Chapters six , seven and eight are full of great prophesies which we can compare with Isaiah
Chapters 50-52. Chapter 7 (5-11) reminds us all that we are to expect confrontation from nonbelievers and instructs us how to handle this, realizing that Heavenly Father is always with us ans we should not fear.
UNCLE JOHN
“By studying pages of the Book of Mormon, you will learn the messages that have been divinely placed there for you and your families, and for those you supervise. You will know how to correct the influences of false traditions. There are problems and challenges but they were all seen beforehand by the Lord. He has given you the way to correct these deficiencies, but they are of little value if they remain locked in a closed book. It is not sufficient that we appreciate it nor that we testify that the Book of Mormon is of God. We must know its truths and make them a part of our lives.” ~Elder Richard G. Scott~
Sunday, July 10, 2011
1 Nephi 1- 2 Nephi 1
I have a confession! I am not the best with words, both in writing at speaking. I have always admired (and dare I say a tid bit envied those who could speak and write so eloquently and convey their thoughts perfectly). This blog alone for me is a bit challenging in itself. Don't get me wrong I know ya'll know that I can talk, but I am talking about when it comes to things deep in my heart and being able to put that onto paper or out to an audience. So with that I wanted to start my post (with a little cheating, by stealing a couple scriptures from Uncle John's first couple chapters), with my experience reading today!
In 2 Ne 3:17 it says "....Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he may speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking".
This scripture is speaking of Moses! So this taught me that even the greatest of prophets had weaknesses like me and you! Then I read the next scripture 2 Ne 3:21 "...and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith". What I realized from these scriptures is that the Lord more than anything needs people who have Faith in Jesus Christ, than He does anything else! If our faith is strong and our hearts are pure then the Lord can make anything powerful including our weaknesses and the simplest of things.
Having good desires, followed by faith (action word) in the Lord leads to all eternal happiness and joy during this life! The more I read the scriptures, the more this rings true to me. Here are some scriptures I found that prove my point. Red= Faith Blue= Blessings as a result of faith
~1 Ne 1:20 "...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
~1 Ne 2:4 " And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness."
(Although the word faith is not physically in this scripture, Lehi had so much faith in the Lord that he sacrificed all he had, and as a result in the end obtained a promised land!)
~And we see that lack of faith we loose out on knowledge and blessings:
1 Ne 2:12 "And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them."
~1Ne 2:16 &19 "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.
"19 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."
When we seek things in faith the Lord delivers!
~1 Ne:3:31 "And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?"
Faith leads to obedience and when faith and obedience are not self-initiated we more easily forget spiritual moments just like Laman and Lemuel do so many times. Murmuring is a great way to drown out faith. I realize the more I read the scriptures the more I and others are like Laman and Lemuel, but we can separate ourselves from them with the desire to be more like Christ and having the faith to do those things we know will lead us back to our Father in Heaven.
~1Ne 4:6 "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."
Only great faith allows us to blindly step into the dark, relying on the Spirit for our light!
~1Ne 7:12 "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him."
~1Ne 1:17 "But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound."
Faith can even lead to physical strength as demonstrated in this scripture!
~1 Ne 10:17 "And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might , as well in times of hold as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men."
~1Ne 15:8 "And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?"
Sometimes answers to our prayers requires the simplest of faith....just asking!!! How many times to we forget or even let our pride get in the way of inquiring of the Lord?
1Ne 15:11 "Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."
There are many other scriptures that demonstrate how faith in Jesus Christ leads to, power (spiritually,emotionally, physically and mentally), strength (spiritual and temporal), peace, knowledge, joy, love, and to all things pertaining to our happiness now and in the life to come!
I am grateful for this chance to be reading the scriptures with so many of my family members! I know that by filling so much of our time with reading the scriptures that it will lead us to have greater faith and thus find greater happiness in our lives now! Thanks again for participating! I look forward to your insight on the the scriptures as we read!
BECCA
In 2 Ne 3:17 it says "....Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he may speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking".
This scripture is speaking of Moses! So this taught me that even the greatest of prophets had weaknesses like me and you! Then I read the next scripture 2 Ne 3:21 "...and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith". What I realized from these scriptures is that the Lord more than anything needs people who have Faith in Jesus Christ, than He does anything else! If our faith is strong and our hearts are pure then the Lord can make anything powerful including our weaknesses and the simplest of things.
Having good desires, followed by faith (action word) in the Lord leads to all eternal happiness and joy during this life! The more I read the scriptures, the more this rings true to me. Here are some scriptures I found that prove my point. Red= Faith Blue= Blessings as a result of faith
~1 Ne 1:20 "...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
~1 Ne 2:4 " And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness."
(Although the word faith is not physically in this scripture, Lehi had so much faith in the Lord that he sacrificed all he had, and as a result in the end obtained a promised land!)
~And we see that lack of faith we loose out on knowledge and blessings:
1 Ne 2:12 "And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them."
~1Ne 2:16 &19 "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.
"19 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."
When we seek things in faith the Lord delivers!
~1 Ne:3:31 "And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?"
Faith leads to obedience and when faith and obedience are not self-initiated we more easily forget spiritual moments just like Laman and Lemuel do so many times. Murmuring is a great way to drown out faith. I realize the more I read the scriptures the more I and others are like Laman and Lemuel, but we can separate ourselves from them with the desire to be more like Christ and having the faith to do those things we know will lead us back to our Father in Heaven.
~1Ne 4:6 "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."
Only great faith allows us to blindly step into the dark, relying on the Spirit for our light!
~1Ne 7:12 "Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him."
~1Ne 1:17 "But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound."
Faith can even lead to physical strength as demonstrated in this scripture!
~1 Ne 10:17 "And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might , as well in times of hold as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men."
~1Ne 15:8 "And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?"
Sometimes answers to our prayers requires the simplest of faith....just asking!!! How many times to we forget or even let our pride get in the way of inquiring of the Lord?
1Ne 15:11 "Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."
There are many other scriptures that demonstrate how faith in Jesus Christ leads to, power (spiritually,emotionally, physically and mentally), strength (spiritual and temporal), peace, knowledge, joy, love, and to all things pertaining to our happiness now and in the life to come!
I am grateful for this chance to be reading the scriptures with so many of my family members! I know that by filling so much of our time with reading the scriptures that it will lead us to have greater faith and thus find greater happiness in our lives now! Thanks again for participating! I look forward to your insight on the the scriptures as we read!
BECCA
Friday, July 8, 2011
Writing Suggestions
After contemplating this week I have decided that writing up a whole week's worth of reading's thoughts and feelings is an overwhelming task. I think that I am going to give a number of options to you when it is your week to contribute so that you will not feel as overwhelmed as I do. Here are some things you can choose from to do: 1. If you feel you have it in you, may still write up all your thoughts and feelings on the weeks worth of reading!
2. Do a daily write-up! Write your thoughts and feelings from each day of reading for that week.
3. Choose the chapters you received the most inspiration from and write about those chapters from that weeks reading.
I would love to hear your feedback. If you are having trouble knowing how to contribute to this blog, email or facebook me and I will be happy to help you out. Also if you have a google account please let me know and if not let me know also and I will help you get set up with one so I can add you as a co-author of this blog!
Please let me know how all is going. Feel free to comment if you want to share about something particular without writing a post! Thanks to all participating in this challenge with me! It can be hard to get the reading in sometimes, but don't give up!
My post soon to come! Hopefully it will make sense!
Happy Reading All!
Love,
Becca
Ps. For those with an ipod or mp3 player....did you know you can download the Book of Mormon for FREE onto either one and listen to them? Jason did this the other day and it has helped him be able to get his reading in for the day! Just thought I would share that with you!
2. Do a daily write-up! Write your thoughts and feelings from each day of reading for that week.
3. Choose the chapters you received the most inspiration from and write about those chapters from that weeks reading.
I would love to hear your feedback. If you are having trouble knowing how to contribute to this blog, email or facebook me and I will be happy to help you out. Also if you have a google account please let me know and if not let me know also and I will help you get set up with one so I can add you as a co-author of this blog!
Please let me know how all is going. Feel free to comment if you want to share about something particular without writing a post! Thanks to all participating in this challenge with me! It can be hard to get the reading in sometimes, but don't give up!
My post soon to come! Hopefully it will make sense!
Happy Reading All!
Love,
Becca
Ps. For those with an ipod or mp3 player....did you know you can download the Book of Mormon for FREE onto either one and listen to them? Jason did this the other day and it has helped him be able to get his reading in for the day! Just thought I would share that with you!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tips for success!
Hello Family! How is the scripture study coming along? I know how difficult it can be sometimes to get the reading in, but I do know it is possible! I just wanted to share some things that help me continue in this challenge.
~Set aside a time to read everyday or set up a schedule that works for you for the week that will help you to get your reading in without fail.
~ Try to read them in a place where you are sure not to fall asleep!
~Have a purpose besides being accountable to the family blog in reading the scriptures.
~ Pray before, after and during scripture study allowing for likening the scriptures unto yourself and for the Spirit to be with you always!
~ Have a journal or notebook nearby to record feelings and thoughts you have during your study! There is nothing better than being able to go back to your journals later in life and to strengthen your testimony with your own testimony!!! Believe me I am always blown away at my own thoughts and testimony when I go back and read what I wrote while feeling the Spirit!
~ Remember that the blog is available at anytime! You may record your thoughts and feelings with the family if you click on the icon that says "Kind thoughts and feelings" to share something you may be dying to share!
What are some things that help you to be successful in your scripture reading? Please feel free to share!
I pray that you are all off to a good start and pray that you will not give up if you fall behind! Remember there are catch up days!
Love,
Becca
~Set aside a time to read everyday or set up a schedule that works for you for the week that will help you to get your reading in without fail.
~ Try to read them in a place where you are sure not to fall asleep!
~Have a purpose besides being accountable to the family blog in reading the scriptures.
~ Pray before, after and during scripture study allowing for likening the scriptures unto yourself and for the Spirit to be with you always!
~ Have a journal or notebook nearby to record feelings and thoughts you have during your study! There is nothing better than being able to go back to your journals later in life and to strengthen your testimony with your own testimony!!! Believe me I am always blown away at my own thoughts and testimony when I go back and read what I wrote while feeling the Spirit!
~ Remember that the blog is available at anytime! You may record your thoughts and feelings with the family if you click on the icon that says "Kind thoughts and feelings" to share something you may be dying to share!
What are some things that help you to be successful in your scripture reading? Please feel free to share!
I pray that you are all off to a good start and pray that you will not give up if you fall behind! Remember there are catch up days!
Love,
Becca
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Welcome
Welcome to the S.T.O.M.P challenge! Thank you for accepting this challenge and joining me in this journey! I know our family and us as individuals will be blessed because of it. How this will work is I will try and send out an email to you prior to the week I would like to you to be a guest blogger so that you may have time to prepare and gather your thoughts for that weeks worth of scripture. I am excited to see how this enriches and strengthens our family! I wish us lots of love, personal revelation, spiritual strength, answers to prayers, protection and added blessings to you and your own families as we take on this challenge together!
Ps. I will do the first weeks reading blog post!
Rebecca
Ps. I will do the first weeks reading blog post!
Rebecca
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