Shake Off the Chains

2 Nephi 9:45 " . . .  turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto God who is the rock of your salvation."

We choose captivity or freedom.

Stand Up!

2 Nephi 8:17, 24 "Awake, awake, stand up . . . put on thy strength . ."

Strength starts when we wake up and have courage to stand up for truth!

Power to Deliver

2 Nephi 7:2 " . . is my hand shortened . . that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver?"

Whoever, whatever, wherever we are -- God has power to deliver us.

They Shall Not Be Ashamed

2 Nephi 6:7 " . . . thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."

As we "know the Lord," He will not be ashamed to "wait for us," either.

The Records of My People

2 Nephi 5:29 "And I, Nephi, had kept the records . . . of my people thus far."

Every family has stories that need to be kept and passed down.

Look Forward and Back

2 Nephi 4:20 "My God hath been my support: he hath led me . . . and he hath preserved me . . . "

Trust God, then look forward and back in faith as He keeps his promises.

From Captivity To Freedom

2 Nephi 3:5 " . . . the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days . . ."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints links mankind to the Messiah and to freedom.

Choose Liberty and Eternal Life

2 Nephi 2:27-28" . . . men are . . . free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men . . ."

Christ saves. Satan destroys. We choose which we want.

A Land of Liberty

2 Nephi 1:7 "And if  . . . they shall serve him according to (his) commandments . . . it shall be a land of liberty . . ."

Liberty is contingent upon behavior.

Consider the Book of Mormon

1 Nephi 22:30 ". . consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true;"

Read and consider the Book of Mormon. Ask God if it is true.

All Flesh Shall Know

1 Nephi 21:26 " . . and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer . ."

Tell everyone - Our Savior and Redeemer lives, and so will we - Happy Easter!

The Way to Peace

1 Nephi 20:18, " . . . hearken to my commandments--then had thy peace been as a river,"

A river can run deep or shallow, through rough or smooth terrain . . . still, it surges steadily forward.

Treasured Hand Me Downs

1 Nephi 19:21 ". . . it must needs be that we know concerning them for they are written . . . "

I thought I knew my mother. Then I started reading the journals she kept from 1977-2005.

The Promised Land

1 Nephi 18:23 " . . . after we had sailed for . . . many days we did arrive at the promised land;"

I share Nephi's dream of arriving "at the promised land" with our whole family.

Your Light in the Wilderness

1 Nephi 17:13 ". . . I will also be your light in the wilderness . . . and . . . prepare the way before you"

Jesus Christ is our light IN the tunnel, not just at the end of it.

Complaining -- What's the Point?

1 Nephi 16:22, 29 " . . . they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining . . ."

Blaming and complaining versus "faith and diligence" -- we make the choice every day.

A Man Should Inquire

1 Nephi 15:3 " . . . he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord;"

It's easy to dismiss wise counsel if we have already dismissed the Lord.

The Power of the Lamb of God

1 Nephi 14:14 " . . . descended . . . and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God . ."

"The covenant people" are still armed with this power today!

One God and One Shepherd

1 Nephi 13:41 " . . . there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth."

Jesus Christ is our one God and Shepherd as found in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

Mists of Darkness

1 Nephi: 12 " . . . mists of darkness . . . leadeth them away into broad roads . . . "

Facebook now offers several new gender choices in addition to "Male" and  "Female." Yup.

The Words of My Father

"1 Nephi 11:5 " . . . I believe all the words of my father."

I didn't always pay attention to the words of my father, but what a blessing to have a father whose words I COULD always believe!

Rely on the Redeemer

1 Nephi 10:6 " . . . all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer."

Every person can rely on Jesus Christ for help. He loves us. No matter what. Just ask.

The Lord Prepares a Way

1 Nephi 9:6 " . . . the Lord . . . prepareth a way to accomplish all his works . . . "

If it's the Lord's work, he'll make a way. Just stop worrying and be ready.

With All the Feeling of a Tender Parent

1 Nephi 8:37 "And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent . . . "

My two-year-old grandson is in the hospital with dehydration after an illness. His parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts are feeling tenderly after him. We know our love matters.

Keeping the Spirit of the Lord

1 Nephi 7:14 " . . . the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets .  . .

Today is General Conference -- a chance to align with prophets again and keep the Spirit of the Lord.

Write the Things of God

1 Nephi 6:3 " . . . I desire the room that I may write of the things of God."

From all those boxes of memories, select those writings that "may persuade men to come unto God."

Carry Them With Us

1 Nephi 5:22 " . . . it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them (sacred records) with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness . . ."

Dear Nephi, Thanks to you, we "carry them with us" on smart phones as we journey in our own 21st Century wilderness!

Let Us Go Up

1 Nephi 4:3 " . . . Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers . . . "

Anyone can complain. Be one who has faith to act!

It is a Hard Thing

1 Nephi 3:5
"And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing . . ." 

My dad said, "Don't do the easy thing. Do the right thing."

Because it works.