Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 6:5-6, 8, 46-47

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 6:5-6, 8, 46-47
"And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration;
And by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled. 
Now this prophecy Adam spake, as he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and a genealogy was kept of the children of God. And this was the book of the generations of Adam, saying: In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.
For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language.
And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence."

A book of remembrance was created in the beginning in the Adamic language. The pure language of God that was confounded at the Tower of Babel. It was preserved with Jared and his brother and those that came with them to their new land of inheritance. It was this land. They had the Adamic language, and their records would have been written in them. This is what Moroni said about the record left by Ether that would have been in this same language.

"And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them."
(Ether 12:24)

What must it be like to hear the words of God as Enoch spoke them, or read what Ether recorded?

Day 3735

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 4:4-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 4:4-6
"Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord."

I cannot wait for the Lord's own due time when this record is given to us. I say it to my family all the time. I want to live to see that day. I want to read the sealed portion. The Nephites had them since the time Jesus Christ appeared to them after His resurrection, until all had dwindled in unbelief and Moroni was commanded to sealed them up. I really hope we don't have to wait for the millennium as a people to repent, exercise faith in the Lord and become sanctified and clean.

In Doctrine and Covenants we are told a little more on the conditions of being able to receive the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon.

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 84:54–57)

President Benson was good about telling the church that we are under condemnation for treating the Book of Mormon lightly and not reading and living it. His words encouraged me to read, ponder and study the Book of Mormon. For now I live by faith, and that one day we will receive more.

"And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.
And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.
Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people."
(3 Nephi 26:8-11)

Day 3567

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 26:9

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 26:9
"And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them."

This year we are finishing our second time reading the Book of Mormon using "Come, Follow Me". I wonder as a church, if we are any closer to receiving more?

President Spencer W. Kimball: 'When do you think we will get the balance of the Book of Mormon records?' And I have said, 'How many in the congregation would like to read the sealed portion of the plates?' And almost always there is a 100-percent response. And then I ask the same congregation, 'How many of you have read the part that has been opened to us?' And there are many who have not read the Book of Mormon, the unsealed portion. We are quite often looking for the spectacular, the unobtainable. I have found many people who want to live the higher laws when they do not live the lower laws." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 531-32)

Day 3549

Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 1:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 1:2
"And it came to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum, and Helaman. And he caused that they should be taught in all the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord."

The "language of his fathers" was found in the brass plates. King Benjamin was teaching his sons to read the scriptures. From the scriptures they became men of understanding, and they knew of the prophecies to come. I pondered on how important "Come, Follow Me", reading the scriptures as a family is to us today. I have experienced how great a tool the Book of Mormon is in teaching my children to read. The language of the scriptures does not come easy to the natural man, but it does to the man of God. It takes desire and effort to transition between the two.

Day 3416

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

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 33:2, 22

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 33:2, 22

"O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us."

The other day I was reading in 1 Nephi 11 where Nephi ponders in his heart the vision of his father. Then he was caught away in the Spirit and was shown the vision and given the interpretation of it. As I was reading all of a sudden I could hear his joy and exclamation over seeing the lamb of God. The wonder of all he was seeing. Then sadly the sorrow at the wickedness of the world. It was a marvelous experience. Ever since then I can hear and feel the joy in the scriptures as I read them. When I read these two verses I heard it again. It truly is a new way for me to read them.

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

(2 Nephi 2:25)

"But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God."

(Alma 26:11)

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;"

(Doctrine and Covenants 11:13)

Day 2871

Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 18:13

Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 18:13

"He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him."

Very wise counsel, to know all the facts before you form an opinion and express it. As I read comments on news articles it amazes me how many people obviously didn't read the article before they spoke.

Day 2805

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 26:1

 Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 26:1

"Behold, I say unto you that you shall let your time be devoted to the studying of the scriptures, and to preaching, and to confirming the church at Colesville, and to performing your labors on the land, such as is required, until after you shall go to the west to hold the next conference; and then it shall be made known what you shall do."

I pondered on how reading and studying the scriptures is never wasted time. It makes us better prepared to work in the Lord's vineyard as we are needed.

Day 2029

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 46:10

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 46:10
"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"

This verse reminded me of a college course I took. It was a computer class and the instructor would give a weekly test, and the day before he would actually say, "This is what will be on the test." We could take notes. I was the only one in the class that sat at my computer typing as fast as I could all the test questions as he read them aloud. From those notes I would make a test paper for myself. The paper was folded in half and on one side were the questions and on the other side the answers. I would quiz myself flipping the paper back and forth going over each question and answer. I was acing all my tests. Soon the other students noticed what was happening and asked me what I was studying before the test. I told them all the test questions. How did you get them they asked? Ummm, from the teacher, when he said "This is what will be on the test."  It wasn't any mystery you just had to be paying attention. Soon they wanted copies of my notes. I thought good luck with that. I worked on them all day after class. You want to cram minutes before the test. I didn't stay in that class long because I found out I could actually test out of it and I did.

Why this experience came to mind was it's the same with Heavenly Father's plan. He has told us it from the very beginning. You will be tried and tested. These are my commandments you need to keep them. Faith, repentance and baptism are needed to return back to me. He has even told prophets through all generations what events will take place leading up to the end of time. There is no mystery, I just have to read the book. If I listen and prepare I will ace this test.

Day 1301