Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 2:18, 27

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 2:18, 27
"And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."

I pondered on the agency of man. How God has given us this great privilege, the ability to choose and act for ourselves. This mortal life would not be a true test if we were forced in any way. Our hearts must be free to choose to follow Him. The battle over the agency of man continues here on earth. Lucifer, the devil, was cast out of heaven due to his desire to take away the agency of man. He and his followers, comprising one-third of the host of heaven, desires nothing more than the misery of man. One of the ways he does this is to lie to bring them into bondage by a variety of sins. He allows man to dig a pit for their neighbor and then rejoices when they fall into it themselves. It is a great deception that Satan will bless his followers, he may for a season, and when he is done with them he spits them out.

I can understand by witnessing the tactics of man right now why the prophet said, "In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." (Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives", April 2018 General Conference)

How do you answer the question, do I side with those that are for man's agency to choose, which includes legalizing sin? or do I side with those that want to take away man's agency under the guise of politicized religious zeal? It's entirely possible someone that thinks they are being religious may be more wicked then those openly sinning, when you consider God's esteem for the agency of man. Even if sin is legalized it doesn't mean you have to participate. Under the crux of politicized religious zeal I fear we are about to loose our religious freedoms.

Day 3373

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 1:5-7

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 1:5-7
"But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.
Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.
Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever."

I do believe that anyone that was brought to the America's was led here by the hand of God. Only He knows the purpose. My ancestors came many decades ago and fought to found this nation. My husband's family came more recently and he is first generation American. War, civil unrest, religious persecution, even those with evil intent have been led here. Those that are here may serve the living God or bring captivity and cursing. The test is for us on how we respond and treat others. Regardless, the blessing is still here if you remain righteous.

Day 3372

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 22:2, 31

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 22:2, 31
"And I, Nephi, said unto them: Behold they were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh.
Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen."

The words "And thus it is" really stood out to me. The gospel really is simple, listen to the Lord's prophets, listen to the Spirit, be obedient to God's commandments. Then endure to the end, the best part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where you come to know Him, because you love him and need him, that is the only way to endure. Have faith believing all these words will come true and you will be saved at the last days. "And thus it is."

Day 3371

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 21:11

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 21:11
"And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted."

I think this is talking about the mountains being the house of the Lord, and the highways are the covenant path. What Isaiah is speaking of is happening right now.

"And then, O house of Israel, behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted."
(1 Nephi 21: 12-13)

"Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted."
(Isaiah 49:12-13)

Day 3370

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 20:18, 22

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 20:18, 22
"O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.
And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked."

This made me think of the words of Alma, "wickedness never was happiness."

"Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness."
(Alma 41:10)

I pondered on how the commandments really are a protection to us. So many commandments when broken will bring such unhappiness into our lives. It's Satan that whispers lies that by not living by them you will be happy. Happiness can only come for a short season, but soon fades. Though you may believe it is making you happy, it cannot bring peace.

"And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people.
But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin."
(Mormon 2:12-13)

Day 3369

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 19:7

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 19:7
"For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at naught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men trample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and hearken not to the voice of his counsels."

I pondered on how you can feel you esteem the Lord, but then set aside various things related to His gospel and Church. In reality it means you still are not esteeming the Lord with great worth. The prophet and apostles give us "the voice of his counsels" all the time, but do we esteem them? I thought about having "Come, Follow Me" daily in our homes, family and personal scripture study, attending the house of the Lord to perform redeeming ordinances for our kindred dead. I thought about tithes and offerings, ministering to others, there are many ways we show we esteem the Lord or not. I think there are other things, like signs of the times, that we can also not esteem of great worth. We can be missing things of great importance right in front of us.

Day 3368

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 18:1, 4

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 18:1, 4
"And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.
And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord."

Nephi's brothers helped build the ship and when completed they saw that it was good. Then they humbled themselves before the Lord. I pondered on how important it is to recognize God's hand in helping us to accomplish things we need to do. No matter how big or small those things maybe. If only they had remained humble and teachable. By the end of the chapter the whole family is almost swallowed up in the depths of the sea. I can see that God has given them opportunity after opportunity to turn to Him.

Day 3367

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 17:8-10

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 17:8-10
"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.
And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?
And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools."

I contrasted this with another person in scripture, told to build barges to travel across the ocean. This was the brother of Jared.

"And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?
And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire."
(Ether 2:22-23)

Why was one told where to find ore to make tools, and the other told to present to the Lord how they would solve the problem of light in their vessels? Was it the manner in which the question was presented to the Lord? Nephi knew the Lord would instruct him and asked. The brother of Jared appears to ask somewhat in fear, maybe doubt. If the brother of Jared was to ask like Nephi he would have said something like "Lord, what would you have me do to light the vessel? As I pondered on both I realize that the Lord's way are not our ways. Both could have still had the same outcome. The brother of Jared's answer lead him to an amazing experience of the Lord revealing himself to him. I think both were inspired to ask the question the way they should.

Day 3366

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 16:22-23

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 16:22-23
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?"

I pondered on how sometimes all the words in the world will not change a person's mind. It often takes actions of faith to change the dynamics of what is taking place. Move forward with faith and the Lord will lead thee. After much speaking to his brethren Nephi had to stop talking and make a bow.

"As you move forward, new doors will open and opportunities will present themselves. Don’t sit idly by because you can’t see the next 70 years mapped out perfectly before you. The most important aspect of our agency is that you and I act for ourselves and not be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). We choose, and then we act on our choices. We move forward in faith, and the Lord will bless us."
(Elder Brent H. Nielson, "Move Forward with Faith", Jun 2013 Ensign)

“It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. … If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers” (Jordan Utah South regional conference, priesthood session, 1 Mar. 1997).
(“Latter-Day Counsel: Excerpts from Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, Oct. 2000, 73.)

Day 3365

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 15:8-9

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 15:8-9
"And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."

While Nephi is receiving instruction from the Lord on the vision his father had, his brothers are disputing with each other over the meaning of the vision. He finds them in this condition and is overwhelmed with grief, after-all he had seen the destruction of his people by his brother's descendants. Nephi goes to be by himself until he receives enough strength to speak with his brothers. The first thing he asks them is if they had inquired of the Lord? They hadn't, because they didn't have faith that they would receive answers. What I noticed is that Nephi is willing to explain the answers to his brothers' questions, but he does not tell them all that he saw. In fact I'm not even sure he told his brothers about his vision only that he had asked and had the answers for them. He wrote about his vision for future generations to learn from.

A memory came back to me about my near-death experience. Something that is not found in the story that is recorded. Before I became gravely ill I had been pondering and praying on a particular matter. It was my gospel question that I could not understand. I still don't feel to share that question. But, after my near-death experience I totally understood the answer. I had never asked for a near-death experience, I had never asked to see a vision. I had only pondered and asked for understanding. It wasn't with doubt, it was done in faith believing that understanding would come. Yet, it was this act of pondering on a specific gospel question that lead to a uniquely personal answer.

Day 3364

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 14:7

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 14:7
"For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken."

That time is now. I guess the question is do you feel peace or bondage? Is the focus on worldly or eternal things? I am reminded of a thought I had during the Oct 2023 General Conference. There were quite a few talks on the need for more missionaries. The thought I had is if instead they said "We need 144,000 to preach the gospel for the last time to the world!", that many would jump at the chance to fulfill the need. They would want to be part of something big. Yet, little did they know that something great and marvelous was happening right then.

(Missionaries in New Caledonia relocated 

 following civil unrest - Church News)

Day 3363

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 13:38-40

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 13:38-40
"And it came to pass that I beheld the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the book of the Lamb of God, which had proceeded forth from the mouth of the Jew, that it came forth from the Gentiles unto the remnant of the seed of my brethren.
And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.
And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved."

Prophesy fulfilled. First the gentiles brought the records of Jews in the form of the Bible to us. Granted many plain and precious things had been removed. God still prepared a way. The record Nephi began, which is the stick of Joseph and came to be known as the Book of Mormon, restored many plain and precious things that had been lost. The Bible and Book of Mormon go hand in hand in establishing the doctrine of Christ. I have come to know my Savior more by reading both. Other records have come, the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. The restoration is ongoing and I look forward like President Holland to more sacred records being revealed.

"And I look forward with great anticipation to other records and other parts. Hundred - may 100 times as much that is contained in - that is contained in the book we have. If that much is available out there, the least we can do, the least we can do is read the book that we've got, because there's a lot of other good stuff coming."
(Jeffrey R. Holland, "I cannot Say the Smallest Part Which I Feel" Facebook, 28 Apr 2024)

Day 3362

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 12:18

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 12:18
"And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men. And a great and a terrible gulf divideth them; yea, even the word of the justice of the Eternal God, and the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever."

I pondered on the meaning of "vain imaginations". These are the footnotes it leads too, and more.

"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward."
(Jeremiah 7:24)

"But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:"
(Jeremiah 9:14)

"And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come."
(Helaman 16:22)

"And God saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually."
(Moses 8:22)

"Falsehood or deceit; pride. Vain and vanity can also mean empty or without value."
(Guide to the Scriptures, Vain, Vanity)

"And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?"
(Alma 5:53)

"That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man."
(Doctrine and Covenants 121:37)

I don't think man always knows when they are involved in vain imaginations. The world will have you practice the power of positive thinking, and the law of attraction. Thinking you have the power to bring things to you. Instead what it's teaching is to obtain your will and not God's will. This is what brings a great and a terrible gulf that divideth. It is very different than having faith, believing and trusting God.

Day 3361

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 11:1, 17

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 11:1, 17
"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.
And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."

I noticed some key things about Nephi and his ability to see the vision his father had. First, was his desire, and his belief that God could make it known to him. Then he pondered in his heart what he had heard. This pondering in his heart was key to being receptive to the Spirit and to be taught. Nephi was humble and teachable. He did not know the meaning of all things, and that was OK. As he sat pondering he was ready to be taught by the Spirit.

This made me think of another prophet, Joseph F. Smith and how he received a remarkable vision of the redemption of the dead after pondering the scriptures.
"On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures;"
(Doctrine and Covenants 138:1)

What does it mean to ponder?
"To meditate and think deeply, often upon the scriptures or other things of God. When combined with prayer, pondering the things of God may bring revelation and understanding."
(Guide to the scriptures, Ponder)

Day 3360

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 10:17, 19

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 10:17, 19
"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 see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.
For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round."

I pondered on "see, hear and know". It sounds like Nephi was expecting to see a vision, a specific vision that his father had. I don't expect to see visions, should I? I reflected on how overpowering it must have been to hear Lehi's vision of the tree of life in person. The spirit must have been incredibly strong. I came to the conclusion that the spirit must have bore witness to Nephi that he needed to ask to see what his father saw. It wasn't because of doubt, it was because he did believe it. It think its a lot like a later Nephi that is given the sealing power, because he would not ask for anything contrary to God's will.

"And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will."
(Helaman 10: 5)

There is a difference asking to "see" so you can believe, and "seeing" because you believe. Being able to see, hear and know can be just as real by a spiritual manifestation of the Holy Ghost as a physical one. The key is to not ask amiss, ask as the spirit confirms that you should, and not consumed upon your lusts. There was a specific reason Nephi was to ask to see this vision. For he would see more and record it for me to read and believe.

Day 3359

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 9:6

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 9:6
"But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen."

This reminds me of something Elder D. Todd Christofferson's recently said:
"One thing I would say is don’t ever be discouraged. You don’t see things unfolding that are unfolding. You don’t see what the Lord is putting in place. And the people, the key people and the key moments that are happening, you are not cognizant of all of that going on in the moment. And I don’t blame myself or anybody else for that. I mean, we are human, we are mortal, and we have a limited perspective. But we ought to have the faith; I would say to myself, “Have the faith that the Lord is doing His work and can do His work, and that your part of it can be helpful, can be meaningful, and more will come of what you are doing than you perhaps imagine, or certainly more than you can see right now.”

(D. Todd Christofferson, "Episode 191: Elder Christofferson reflects on his own mission to Argentina and on returning to South America to dedicate the Salta Argentina Temple", Church News Podcast, 4 Jun 2024, 39:50 min)

Day 3358

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 8:33-34

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 8:33-34
"And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.
These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away."

Many that mocked and scorned in the great and spacious building were once members of the church. They will do all in their power to have others join them in their wickedness. I have often thought of how many are unaware that they are living inside the great and spacious by their actions and words. I reflected on how wise the counsel is to "heed them not". We can love them, pray for them, but not contend with them.

"Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast."
(Doctrine and Covenants 31:9)

Now that we know what not to do, the important thing is knowing what to do while not heeding them. Elder Bednar spoke of this in a recent general conference talk.

"As I visit with members of the Church around the world, I often ask them this question: what helps you to “heed not” worldly influences, mocking, and scorn? Their answers are most instructive.
Valiant members often highlight the importance of inviting the power of the Holy Ghost into their lives through meaningful scripture study, fervent prayer, and proper preparation to participate in the ordinance of the sacrament. Also mentioned frequently are the spiritual support of faithful family members and trusted friends, the vital lessons learned through ministering and serving in the Lord’s restored Church, and the capacity to discern the absolute emptiness of anything in or coming from the great and spacious building.
I have noted in these member responses a particular pattern that is especially significant. First and foremost, these disciples have firm testimonies of Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness and the role of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Savior. And second, their spiritual knowledge and conviction are individual, personal, and specific; they are not general and abstract. I listen to these devoted souls speak of covenants providing strength to overcome opposition and their connection with the living Lord supporting them through times both good and bad. To these individuals, Jesus Christ indeed is a personal Savior."
(David A. Bednar, "But We Heeded Them Not", Apr 2022 General Conference)

"But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation."
(Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives", Apr 2018 General Conference)

Day 3357

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 7:8

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 7:8
"And now I, Nephi, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, therefore I spake unto them, saying, yea, even unto Laman and unto Lemuel: Behold ye are mine elder brethren, and how is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you, yea, and set an example for you?"

I had to ponder on Nephi's word on how people could be hard in their hearts and blind in the minds. It's actually something our family has been talking about during family scriptures. We've noticed a difference in how people see events around us. To the point they can even quote scriptures to support their positions. We just leave them be, because we do not wish to have contention that will make the spirit flee. It leaves us to wonder how they cannot see all the facts in front of them and take them into consideration? We wanted to make sure we were really looking at things correctly. I told my son that I would have to pray to understand this, because we did not want to be incorrect in how we were seeing events.

That night I prayed and asked for understanding in the matter. I have to admit it was a short prayer. I had assumed it would take time to get an answer to understand this. I then fell asleep. To my surprise when I woke in the morning my first thought was "This is the answer." I was then reminded of what I ask for most in my prayers day and night. It is my greatest desire. That I have eyes that see, and ears that hear and know and understand. That I will know truth from error and be not deceived. I realized this daily prayer of real intent has been answered over and over again each day. This was what was protecting me and helping me see what others couldn't because they did not ask. If you are looking to man for wisdom and not God then you will be blind to what can be right in front of you.

"Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
(1 Corinthians 3:18-29)

Day 3356

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 6:6

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 6:6
"Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men."

Nephi is speaking of the purpose of the plates he is writing on. They are to be of great worth to us, and contain the pleasing things of God. He wanted the record-keepers that come after him to do the same. As I pondered on this I though of plates like my mind. How what I write upon it should be things of worth. That I shouldn't occupy myself with that which has no true value or meaning in the scheme of things.

Day 3355

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 5:2, 8

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 5:2, 8
"For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.
And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak."

I pondered on Sariah and how much of a test it was for her to see her sons be sent back to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates from Laban. She complained against Lehi and didn't have the faith that her sons would return. She needed this experience to strengthen her testimony as much as her sons needed theirs. Sometimes the Lords asks us to do hard things and we may not be aware of how many other people it will effect.

Day 3354

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 4:1-2

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 4:1-2
"And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?
Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea."

I pondered on how powerful the scriptures stories are in my life. Now I can draw upon their examples of faith for the challenges I face in our life. Nephi spoke of Moses's faith, and now I speak of Nephi's faith. These life changing spiritual events are meant to be recorded, even if only our posterity reads them.

Day 3353

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 3:3-6

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 3:3-6 "For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass. Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord. Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured." This made me think of family history and how we have been encouraged to search the records for our kindred dead, and perform vicarious work for them in the House of the Lord. Every general conference there is at least one talk about this. Family history has been a passion of mine since childhood. I found the family cemeteries on either side of our home a place of refuge and loved sitting and pondering there. I took my first genealogy class when I was 15 years old. Today its my career. These verses made me think of those that murmur and find it a hard thing asked of them to do. They are so quick to give up like Laman and Lemuel did. This was the first time I made the connection to us today. My testimony of this gospel and life after death has only grown because of being involved in this great work of redeeming the dead.

Day 3352

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 2:9-10

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 2:9-10
" And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!
And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!"

I noticed those two exclamation points two verses in a row, one each for Laman and Lemuel. I don't often see that used in the scriptures. I tried to search on the "!" but one character searches are not fruitful. I could only find one other incident of an exclamation point used in scripture.

"And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.
And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!"
(Doctrine and Covenants 76:26-27)

Granted there maybe more but these are fascinating examples. Both are used over those that are fallen, or in danger of doing so. I know wo's are warnings, and the more wo's the sooner destruction will come upon the wicked. I wonder if the exclamation point for Laman and Lemuel are a sharp LISTEN! and do it NOW.

It reminded me of Elder Neil L. Andersen's “The Prophet of God" talk given in the April 2018 General Conference. It was about President Nelson use of the exclamation point. This is the full text from the article quoted.

"Obedience to a request from the president of the Church to pray for a people or to study a language is only one facet of Russell M. Nelson’s obedience to the maxim “Follow the prophet.” He is baffled when he hears people ask questions like, “Is it really the will of the Lord that we do everything that President Kimball says?”
“The Lord said, ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same,’ he reminds us. “My experience is that once you stop putting question marks behind the prophet’s statements and put exclamation points instead, and do it, the blessings just pour.
“I never ask myself, ‘When does the prophet speak as a prophet and when does he not?’ My interest has been, ‘How can I be more like him?’”
(Lane Johnson, “Russell M Nelson: A Study in Obedience,” Ensign, Aug. 1982)

Things would have been so much different for Laman and Lemuel and their posterity if they had listened to their prophet father with exclamation marks, instead of replacing them with question marks.

Day 3351

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 1:14

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 1:14
"And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!"

As I was reading this part in the chapter header "The Lord warns Lehi to depart out of the land of Jerusalem, because he prophesieth unto the people concerning their iniquity and they seek to destroy his life." I pondered on how many times God has led His people to a new location because others were seeking their life. Even the pioneers had to move to the Great Salt Lake valley because of persecution. Nephi speaks of his father Lehi's vision of the destruction of Jerusalem and many being carried away captive into Babylon. After Lehi goes back to testify to them and they seek his life, the Lord then tells him to take his family and leave. I pondered on how they truly would have perished if they had not listened to God. That I can trust in the Lord guiding me if there is ever a time we are called to leave due to coming civil unrest or persecution. The key is you have to listen when you are warned.

It has been many years now that my husband and I moved from the East coast to Utah. I remember the vivid dreams I would have of someone murdering me. I could feel my blood turn to ice as I was being killed. I had physical pain from it as I woke up. Then the impressions came that we needed to move to Utah. Once in Utah I thankfully never had another one of those dreams. I am grateful that we are here. I feel physical and spiritual safety where we are. In Stake Conference today the leadership spoke of how they expect in the next little while (months?) 2,000-3,000 people to move into our stake boundaries. How people are coming here and some do not really understand why. It is for them to hear the gospel. The mission we are in is the highest baptizing mission in the church and that's Utah!. It is amazing how the Lord is moving people around. As massive development is all around us, price of homes going up, and roads are in gridlock I do not resent those that are coming. We can make room, for the Lord has a purpose for bringing them here.

Day 3350

Today's Favorite Verse: Book of Mormon: Title Page & Witnesses

Today's Favorite Verse: Book of Mormon: Title Page & Witnesses
"Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

I am excited to once again read the Book of Mormon. I read from it every day. It's so interesting that for my favorite verse that I share I am starting the Book of Mormon. In my personal reading I am nearing the end of the Book of Mormon, and with my family we are nearing the middle of the Book of Mormon. Needless to say it doesn't bother me in the least to be reading it three times in one day for I love this book. It has brought me nearer to God. I have found that if I don't read from the Book of Mormon before I begin other scripture study that my mind does not open up to understand what I am reading. I invite you if you are not already reading the Book of Mormon or just curious to learn more about it that you share this journey with me. You can download a copy of the Book of Mormon here.

Day 3349