Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 5:32-33

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 5:32-33

"And I engraved that which is pleasing unto God. And if my people are pleased with the things of God they will be pleased with mine engravings which are upon these plates.

And if my people desire to know the more particular part of the history of my people they must search mine other plates."

In this chapter we see the separation of the brothers. Nephi and those that will follow him leave, taking the brass plates, sword of Laban, ball or compass and travel many days journey away. They settle and prosper in the land. The Lord is with them. They practice the law of Moses and build a temple in the manner of Solomon. Nephi does not desire that his people have a king, but he is instead a ruler and teacher over them. He teaches them to be industrious and labor with their hands. Those that follow Laman are cursed with a darkened skin and become idle, seeking beasts of prey in the wilderness for their existence. There could not be a bigger contrast between two groups of people.

It's about 30 years after Lehi's family left Jerusalem. This is actually when the Lord tells Nephi to write this separate record which will contain the more spiritual things. The other record up unto this point contained a history of the people. As I was reading this verse the part "search mine other plates" jumped out at me. I wondered is it saying that is something we actually need to be doing?

I pondered on what it would be like to have the historical background to the Book of Mormon. Which in turn made me think about the historical background I hear about the Bible. I enjoy hearing the history behind the scriptures it makes their day come more alive to me. But, when I am reading and pondering the scriptures the historical background is not so important to me. In fact at times it can be a distraction to me. I find there is a deeper layer and meaning when I look past the historical background. The gospel message will reveal itself past the other noise. 

I have given up reading commentaries about the scriptures that other people have written. I have learned far more reading and pondering by the spirit all on my own. Seeing this side of it I am afraid if we ever did find the "the other plates", the ones with the historical background to the Book of Mormon, it would be a distraction to the true gospel message.

Then I realized what Nephi was actually saying. If you are pleased with the things of God, then the spiritual record, the Book of Mormon, will be pleasing too. When your pleased, your full, you have all you need. This is the needful part. Is it possible that the desire for the historical part means there is something lacking in the spiritual part of your life?  I don't know but it makes me wonder. But, after pondering what I have seen happen with the Bible I am not so desirous to see the historical background found in the other record. I'm afraid I would get lost in the noise. What I have in front of me is the good part and that is my desire to understand now. 

Day 206 Tami Fitzgerald Harris