Jacob's Testimony of the Plan of Salvation

I have often wondered how it is that the Jews at the time of Christ seemingly had no understanding of His mission and of the Plan of Salvation. Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Alma, Abinadi, and others had the same scriptures as the Jewish scribes and Pharisees but understood who the Messiah would be and were watching for Him. Jacob tells is that "no other nation on earth would crucify their God". What was it that corrupted their faith? Priestcraft. Understanding this helps you understand why the Nephities took the rise of Priestcraft among their own people so seriously. Made it a capitol offense. It would destroy the people's ability to recognize and follow Christ.
Jacob bears a clear and beautiful testimony of the great Plan of Salvation and the central role of the Savior's Atonement. He witnesses in 2 Nephi 11:4 that "Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him." What a powerful thought. Everything God has revealed to man is to point us to Christ and teach us of His Atonement. Every revelation, commandment, covenant, insight, test, trial and gift is to remind us and turn us to Christ. In each of these circumstances we need to ask, "What am I to learn of Christ and His Atonement?" "How can this point me to Christ?" As we do this we will find that we are closer to our Savior and are enduring trails with greater strength, purpose, patience and faith.

Great are the words of Isaiah

When the resurrected Lord appeared to the Nephites he commanded them to search the words of Isaiah. "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah."

This has proven a difficult commandment for many today even though Nephi proclaims that we should understand them better than anyone except maybe the Jews he taught in person! "...for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them." (2 Nephi 25:8) If you are struggling your way through the Isaiah chapters of the Book of Mormon may I suggest you try to look for what Nephi said they would do for you?

“…now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him. And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer.”

The Savior added; “For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.”

As I have read the Isaiah chapters in 1 Nephi this time I have asked the following question: What does this teaching, prophecy or experience of Isaiah teach me about the Savior? So far I have seen the following: 

1. He knows our tendency to take credit for things. He emphasizes the eternal nature of truth and reminds us of the source for real truth...His word given through prophets.
2. He knows our hearts and intentions
3. He knows our tendency to take credit for things. He emphasizes the eternal nature of truth and reminds us of the source for real truth...His word given through prophets.
4. The Lord prepares us for His service when we are willing.
5. Christ knew us before we were born, He knows us better than we know us because the veil has taken our early memories away for a time.
6. He will prepare the way for us and care for our needs when we obey.
7. He loves His prophets and will fulfill all He commands them to reveal.
8. He is the creator and was with the Father in the beginning. All things obey His voice.
9. God will not give His glory to man. He will refine man through trial and affliction that they may learn and come to Him again.

 As Nephi finishes sharing Isaiah's words he teaches his brothers about what he has shared and repeats over and over that the righteous will be safe, have no need to fear, will be preserved and that a way will be prepared for them. He repeatedly mentions that because a prophet said it, it will happen. We need to have that same faith and trust in the words of the prophets, ancient and modern.

Our stake just had stake conference and the theme of appreciating and listening to our prophets and apostles was repeated several times. They are asking us to do some simple things: Fast and pay a generous fast offering (Elder Eyring Oct 2015), Delight in the Sabbath (Elder Nelson April 2015), stand up for the Lord's values by being examples of Christ (President Monson Oct 2015), Stay in the boat and within the safeguards of the commandments (Elder Ballard, President Monson, Elder Keetch, Sister Stephens, and many more). As we harken and obey we will be blessed in the ways Nephi promised. We will be safe with no need to fear. We will be preserved and a way will be provided for us.

Experience the cost of Wisdom

The most profound knowledge is gained through personal experience. Have you ever known a mom or dad or grandparent who seems to know everything? I would wager that if you got to know them very well you would discover that much of what they know they learned at a high price. Years of personal and probably painful experience has been their tutor. I sometimes think that I want to save my kids from my mistakes but know that working through their own mistakes will give them wisdom and if they have to face some of the same hard lessons I did then at least I will know how to support them through the bounce back.

Because I am in 1 Nephi many of my thoughts will be about Nephi and his brothers for a while. I think of Nephi and all that he experienced, the wonderful and the horrible. Here are a few things I have learned from him this time through 1 Nephi.

1. Make the time and put in the effort to know. When Lehi told his sons about his visions Laman and Lemuel just assumed he was a crazy old man. Nephi on the other hand considered his words, compared them to the scripture he knew to be true and then went to the Lord to know for himself. As a result Nephi ended up with remarkable wisdom. He was able to see what Lehi saw and perhaps even more as suggested by his interpretation of the vision of the Tree of Life.

2. Don't take things personally and forgive quickly and completely. When his brothers beat him with a rod, plotted and attempted to kill him (more than once!), bound him to the mast of a ship, and constantly doubted and mocked him he was always was quick to forgive and made sure he use every teaching moment possible to remind them that he was not anything special, they could have the experiences he had if they would turn to God and obey His commandments. He knew that their anger was a result of their own disobedience and guilt and not anything he was responsible for.

3. Follow your living prophet and trust in the prophecies of old. Nephi shares Isaiah's writings from the Brass Plates with us and with his brothers. In chapter 19 he says, "And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer. For behold, I have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me even that all my joints are weak, for those who are at Jerusalem; for had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have perished also. And he surely did show unto the prophets of old all things concerning them; and also he did show unto many concerning us; wherefore, it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are written upon the plates of brass. Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, did teach my brethren these things; and it came to pass that I did read many things to them, which were engraven upon the plates of brass, that they might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among people of old. And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written." In 1 Nephi 22 is gives his summation of what he hopes we will learn from the teachings of Isaiah he shares. "Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God. 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." And thus it is,,,if we obey the counsel of the living prophets and trust in their promises as if they cam from the Lord Himself, because they do, then we can enjoy the same blessings Nephi enjoyed: Strength to do hard things, comfort during trial, wisdom, understanding of the scriptures, gifts of the Spirit and so much more.

Homesick

This morning while speaking with my Father in Heaven in prayer I suddenly became so homesick for Him. I found myself in tears telling Him how much I miss Him and wish I could see His face and feel His embrace again. I felt like my little toddlers who play happily with their toys while I go about housework and then suddenly call out, "Mom! Mom!". I come to them. They smile and tell me some little story or just say "hi" then happily turn back to their toys content as can be. I guess I just needed a little check in with my Heavenly Father. I was so grateful for the peace I felt and reassurance that I will be with Him again if I keep the commandments. I found myself thanking Him for the commandments and for the safety and peace they give me. I found myself tearfully thanking Him for the prophets and pioneers who sacrificed so much to bring His words and blessings to my life.

For any who doubt, let me bear witness that your Father in Heaven knows you and loves you. He is watching over your life with great care and longs for your return to Him. He wants to hear from you and comfort you. No matter how far you feel from Him if you turn around where you are and look for Him He will come to you.

(Mormonad from lds.org)

The Curse of Worldliness

A few months ago I decided I wanted and needed to start attending a local gym. I got ready to go and felt like I was going to Junior High for the first time. I felt all self conscious and wondered what all the other stronger women would be like. I have never cared much about style so I didn't really care so much about what I was wearing but did wonder if I would be subjected to a bunch of sports bras and bare mid-drifts. Much to my relief when I arrived I met a group of wonderful women led by one of the most beautiful and strong women I have ever met. Amy sets an immediate tone of non-judgement and acceptance. I am not sure she is even aware that she is doing it but once you walk into one of her classes all your insecurities and fears seem to just disappear. Suddenly you can really do anything you set your mind to. There are no expectations of special fancy gym clothes or cheesy fake cliques. You are you and you start where you are and before you even realize it you are doing things you never thought possible. My first class I was introduced to "the prowler". 

I had seen something like it on TV with these big huge football players pushing it. I looked at that thing and was sure Amy was joking about us pushing that thing across the room. I stood in awe as the other ladies pushed it like it was a chair on an ice skating rink. They looked liked ordinary women not body builders and yet they were ridiculously strong. My turn came and I tried to push the sled with 90 pounds added to it. I literally walked out of my shoes trying to push against the weight. I tightened my laces and tried again. I eventually got it all the way down to one end and turned around to push it back. It took me four times as long as the others but I did it. Amy then came over and said, "Don't worry. That thing probably weighs more than you do. Let's get the weight off for the last two sets." She let me struggle and succeed then helped me be able to keep succeeding. After several weeks of her class we did "the prowler" again. This time I pushed it with ease with the 90 pounds and was SO excited and proud. Amy just smiled and said, "It's those little victories that keep you going. It's all about consistency."

Who knew that my weights for women class would teach me so many profound things about the Atonement and help me understand Isaiah!?!?

As I thought about the physical strength I was gaining and the way it was coming I had a verse of Isaiah come into my mind. It is found in 2 Nephi 13 where Isaiah's prophecy about the curse that will come upon the daughters of Zion is recorded. These verses have often bothered me. The Lord tells us through Isaiah that He "will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon; The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers; The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings; The rings, and nose jewels; The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins; The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils." The Lord then says, "And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty." The heading to the chapter says that the curse on the daughters of Zions comes because of their worldliness. As I pondered on this curse I came to realize that like most consequences given by the Lord the punishment is really going to be mostly self-inflicted. 

If our self-esteem and confidence before the world depends on feedback from the world about our worth and value we are going to be left feeling awfully uncomfortable when all of that goes away....and it will ALL go away. When the Lord returns He is not going to look at our Pintrest account and praise us for all the cute craft projects we shared. He is not going to compliment us on the shade of our lipstick or the perfect coordination of our shoes and our purse. He is not going to care how many clubs, committees or popular circles we frequented. He is not going to care how many trophies or medals we hold. He is not going to care about any of the outward appearances at all.  He is going to expect us to have been like the people during the time of Alma the younger. In Alma 1 we read that the people lived the Gospel as we have been taught to live it: "And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely."

We ought to be developing our talents in ways that will impart the blessings of peace and comfort to others. The best way to avoid the curse of worldliness is to gain confidence before the Lord not the world. As we develop spiritual, physical, mental and emotional strength we will feel more confident before our God and then will be able to heed the call of the prophet to STAND UP AND STAND OUT. We will be totally okay with being different because we will be basking in the love, blessing and approval of our Lord. We will have our own solid and sure testimonies and will not falter when the world calls out to us with its tantalizing lies and mocking. We will be like Sariah and after clinging to the rod of iron and struggling through trials (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, she had them all) we will partake of the fruit and then stand as beacons to others as the tidal waves of criticism, mocking, scoffing and finger pointing of the world rage around us. It will not be easy to escape the curse and throw off the world but as we consistently make course corrections and build up our spiritual, physical, mental and emotional strength we will be stronger than we ever thought possible and will abide the day of His coming and stand with Him on Mount Zion. 

New Year New Expectations

I have always dreaded the New Year Resolution season. I always feel so overwhelmed by the thought of committing to a goal or set of goals for a year! I have never been a good goal setter. The best I ever did was on my mission. My husband said the same thing. That got me thinking. Why was it so much easier to set and achieve goals as a missionary? Then it hit me because they were SMART goals! New Year's Resolutions are rarely SMART goals. This year I am not making any New Year's Resolutions instead I am going to set a few SMART goals and work on them for a few months then evaluate and set some more! Totally less overwhelming!



(credit for the image goes to http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/osulliva/phys1554/WeightMatters/plan.html)

One of the things that I look forward to most this year is learning to be constant. I think I have often confused constant with perfect and was prone to feel like a total failure when I missed that first day of reading my scriptures or saying my prayers or whatever the goal task was. It was nearly impossible for me to feel like I could get caught up to "perfect" my course. I am finally realizing that I was totally missing the point! I will never be perfect at all these things I want to be perfect at. The goal is to be constantly moving forward, using the Atonement to make things right and then letting go of the mistakes! This year I am going to embrace this new expectation for myself and celebrate every success and rejoice in every repair made along the way because those repairs show that I am relying on the Lord and using the gift He has given me. I no longer strive to the "perfect" but to be CONSTANT.

"Nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him"

The life of Alma the Younger offers so many insights and angles to study. Shortly after being made the chief judge and High Priest he realizes that the church is falling into disarray. A portion of the saints are ever faithful, giving, obedient and humble but another large portion of the church members are filled with pride and begin to lead converts on from one form of wickedness on to another. Alma sorrows greatly for the sins of his brethren and knows he must do something. I am sure he was completely overwhelmed and spent hours on his knees and poured through the scriptures for answers. In Alma chapter 4 verse 15 we read that despite his sadness and concern "the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him".

Alma makes an important decision. He will turn the political office over to another and focus wholly on his call as the High Priest of the church. I liken the next 13 chapters of Alma to our general conference and stake conferences with visiting authorities. Alma travels from church to church throughout the land to "set the churches in order". He teaches some of the most profound and clear sermons on the Atonement and how to access it's redeeming power. He bears powerful witness with Amulek of Christ's promised birth and ministry. He also sets a wonderful example of how to gain strength and access miracles through fasting and patient consistent obedience.

The next time you read Alma chapters 5 through 17 think of them as a conference issue of the Ensign. The teachings and testimonies are timeless and powerful.

I can witness with Alma that when hard times come, when we are filled with worry or sorrow, when we or someone we love suffer illness or tragedy, "the Spirit of the Lord will not fail [us]"! When things get hard read Alma's witness of the Savior's love and great Atonement (Alma 7: 7-12). Remember that there is no pain, no sorrow, no temptation, no sickness that He does not know personally and perfectly how to relieve. He bore our sorrows and griefs that He might know perfectly how to bring us peace and comfort. Turn to Him and Trust Him.