Another Testament of Jesus Christ

The title page of The Book of Mormon includes the subtitle, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

As a librarian, I learned the subtitle of a book often gives the best clue for what the book is about.
How true of this one!

Daily Blessings

A habit that delivers daily blessings is studying from the pages of The Book of Mormon.
Which doesn't explain why I took a"week off" after finishing it this time.

Well . . . it's begin again day, starting by singing the Primary song of "the books" in The Book:

https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/the-books-in-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng

My Testimony of the Book of Mormon - 2016

My testimony of The Book of Mormon is steady but not stationary.
It grows in unexpected and even thrilling ways.
I know this book to be true through regular study, prayer, and daily application of its principles.
My mind creates new scenes of the history in which Book of Mormon characters participated.
I imagine Christ visiting his "other sheep" and blessing their children "one by one." 
My testimony is personal.
I know it is true by the power of the Holy Ghost and separate from the influence of another person.
Anyone can receive a testimony.
It is the result of reading the book "with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ."*
This is my steadfast testimony.
In the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

*Moroni 10:4

Know the Truth

Moroni 10:5 "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

To know the truth. What else is there to desire? What could be better?

When Love is Lost

Moroni 9:5 ". . they have lost their love, one towards another; . ."

The loss of love for one another opens the door to destruction.

God is Unchangeable

Moroni 8:18 "For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity."

In a world of constant change, God does not.

Peaceable Followers of Christ

Moroni 7:3 ". . I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven."

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I own the fact that I'm not always peaceable.
I want to be peaceable.
But I don't want to be passive.
This seems a fine line to me.
Are peaceable and passive synonyms?
Jesus Christ is peaceable.
Yet even in his extremity, he was entirely active, present, bold, steadfast, true, intentional.
Never passive.
Always perfectly in control of himself.
Never ever in control of others.
Even when he knew that he could be in control.
Of everything.
Amazing grace!!
I have hope and a desire to be Christlike. Maybe not "sufficient" hope.
Yet.
And I am working on that.

*This chapter tells us how to go about being Christlike -- thinking, saying, and doing what He would think, say and do.

A Broken Heart

Moroni 6:2 "Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of their sins."

Exactly what does it mean to "come forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit?"
Does anyone fully understand?
Maybe it's about giving up having our way and giving our whole will to God from the first day we figure that out until . . . forever.

The Sacrament

Moroni 5:2 ". . to bless and sanctify this wine (water) to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; . ."

As we partake of the Sacrament, we try to imagine the price Jesus paid for our privilege of repentance and forgiveness.

We Are Called Christians

Moroni 4:3 ". . that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, . ."

Jesus Christ asks us to come unto him and claim his name as our own.
We are called Christians.
As we continue to demonstrate faith, obedience and repentance, Jesus forgives us and claims us as his own . . still.

In a Nut Shell

Moroni 3:3 ". . preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end. Amen."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ isn't complicated.

He Knows Us

Moroni 2:2 "And he (Christ) called them by name . ."

Jesus knows each of us by name.

Why Write?

Moroni 1:4 ". . I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren "

I treasure the written words of my ancestors and hope my descendants will find worth in mine.

Drunken with Anger

Ether 15:22 "And when the night came they were drunken with anger, even as a man who is drunken with wine; and they slept again upon their swords."

Anger is human. To be "drunken with anger" is to lose control of one's response to anger.
In this case, anger resulted in the destruction of the entire Jaredite nation.

The Fulness of His Wrath

Ether 14:25 "And thus we see that the Lord did visit them in the fulness of his wrath, and their wickedness and abominations had prepared a way for their everlasting destruction."

Are we there yet?

Choice Above All Other Lands

Ether 13:2 ". . after the waters had receded from off the face of this land it (the American continent) became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof;"

America is destined to be a promised land as long as . . .

Faith Makes Weak Things Strong

Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

The formula for strength to develop out of weakness is coming to Jesus Christ > discovering our weaknesses > recognizing in humility that we can not be strong without Heavenly Father > moving forward in faith to act > then comes strength.

Destruction of that Great People

Ether 11:1 "And there came also in the days of Com many prophets, and prophesied of the destruction of that great people except they should repent, and turn unto the Lord, and forsake their murders and wickedness."

Here is an example of how "prophesies of destruction" are delivered in our day:

*"The following proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of         Latter-day Saints

WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

Old Plans

Ether 10:33 "And in the days of Com there began to be robbers in the land; and they adopted the old plans, and administered oaths after the manner of the ancients, and sought again to destroy the kingdom."

Can you say "politics as usual?"

A Wicked and Secret Society

Ether 9:6 "For so great had been the spreading of this wicked and secret society that it had corrupted the hearts of all the people. ."

Much wickedness can happen in a very short time span.

Glory of the World

Ether 8:7 "And now Jared became exceedingly sorrowful because of the loss of the kingdom, for he had set his heart upon the kingdom and upon the glory of the world."

Our hearts harbor our desires and ultimately, our actions.

Remembering Our Ancestors

Ether 7:27 ". . and he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the promised land; wherefore he did execute judgment in righteousness all his days."

Gratitude for our ancestors includes knowing who they are and what they did for us, then honoring them with our behavior.

Walk Humbly

Ether 6:17 "And they were taught to walk humbly before the Lord; and they were also taught from on high."

Learning Godly principles and "walking humbly" often precede the honor and respect of others.

How Can We Know?

Ether 5:3 "And unto three shall they be shown by the power of God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true."

Truth is established with witnesses.

Signs Follow Believers

Ether 4:18 ". . repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name."

What are some signs that follow believers?
How about the signs of forgiveness, service, compassion, and kindness.

Getting What We Want

Ether 3:2 ". . O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires."

God knows what we want.
If what we want is within his will, he will help us.
That said;

• We need to ask with faith to act.
• God will not do our work.
• God will not take away the agency of others in order to grant our desires.

*From President Deiter F. Uchtdorf, "Fourth Floor, Last Door," Gen Conf. Women's Conference, Oct. 2016:

"Faith is powerful, and often it does result in miracles. But no matter how much faith we have, there are two things faith cannot do. For one, it cannot violate another person’s agency.

One woman prayed for years that her wayward daughter would return to the fold of Christ and felt discouraged that her prayers had seemingly gone unanswered. This was especially painful when she heard stories of other prodigal children who had repented of their ways.

The problem was not a lack of prayers or a shortage of faith. She needed only to understand that, as painful as it might be for our Father in Heaven, He will not force anyone to choose the path of righteousness. God did not force His own children to follow Him in the premortal world. How much less will He force us now as we journey through this mortal life?

God will invite, persuade. God will reach out tirelessly with love and inspiration and encouragement. But God will never compel—that would undermine His great plan for our eternal growth.

The second thing faith cannot do is force our will upon God. We cannot force God to comply with our desires—no matter how right we think we are or how sincerely we pray. Consider the experience of Paul, who pleaded with the Lord multiple times for relief from a personal trial—what he called “a thorn in the flesh.” But that was not God’s will. Eventually, Paul realized that his trial was a blessing, and he thanked God for not answering his prayers the way he had hoped."

If They Will Serve God

Ether 2:7 "And the Lord would not suffer that they (Jared and his brother, and their families, and also the friends of Jared and his brother and their families) should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise (the American continent), which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
8. And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.
9. And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.
10. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.
11. And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God--that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.
12. Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written."

How many ways are there to say it, and how many times do we have to be told?

*below is an excerpt from THE FAMILY: A Proclamation to the World 
by The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and presented by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society meeting September 23, 1995 in Salt Lake City, Utah

"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.
Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

A Choice Land

Ether 1:42 ". . I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth."

America was a choice land centuries before it was ours.

Believe

Mormon 9:27 "O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him."

How much smoother life can be as we let go of doubt and believe in possibilities.

Priorities

Mormon 8:39 "Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?"

Good question.

Singing Ceaseless Praises

Mormon 7:7 "And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end."

I desire with all my heart to be a voice in those choirs!

Avoiding Destruction

Mormon 6:22 "O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy."

Good choices may not protect us from misfortune, but from destroying ourselves and others.

Who is in Control?

Mormon 5:24 ". . repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you--lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver."

God is in control of the universe. We are in control of our choices.

Repentance is the Antidote

Mormon 4:10 ". . and yet the Nephites repented not of the evil they had done, but persisted in their wickedness continually."

Wickedness can be a spring board for more of it.
Repentance is the only antidote.

The Lord had Spared Them

Mormon 3:3 ". . they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance."

Blessings are most apparent after they are gone.

Destruction Hung Over My People

Mormon 2:8 ". . nothwithstanding the great destruction which hung over my people, they did not repent of their evil doings; . ."

There is a connection between repentance and safety.

Know the Goodness of Jesus

Mormon 1:15 ". . I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus."

We can know of the goodness of Jesus every day when we pray, remember him, and pay attention.

286 Years in Four Pages!

4 Nephi 1 is a four-page account of the 286 years following Jesus Christ's resurrection and his prophetic visit to some of his "other sheep" on the American continent.
It documents the time from A.D. 34, when;
(verses 2-18)". . the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land . . and there were no contentions and disputations among them . . there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift . . even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away . . and there was no contention in all the land." 
and then;
(verses 24-49) "And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride . . And they began to be divided into classes . . the people did harden their hearts . . And it came to pass that when three hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like unto another . . and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus . . And it came to pass that when three hundred and twenty years had passed away, Ammaron, being constrained by the Holy Ghost, did hide up the records which were sacred -- yea, even all the sacred records which had been handed down from generation to generation . . that they might come again unto the remnant of the house of Jacob, according to the prophecies and the promises of the Lord."

I wonder.
What would a comparative 286-year-four-page version for The United States of America be?
(A.D. 1730-2016)

Seek the Words of Jesus

3 Nephi 30: ". . hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God . . "

Since we cannot hear the words of Jesus Christ in 'real time,' we must seek them in the scriptures.

The Consequences of Denial

3 Nephi 29:6 "Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!"

"Wo" is a two-letter word with connotations I, for one, have the desire to avoid.

What Would We Ask?

3 Nephi 28:1 ". . Jesus . . spake unto his disciples, one by one, saying unto them: What is it that ye desire of me after that I am gone to the Father?"

Jesus knows the desires of our hearts. Do we know and share them in our prayers?

To Be A Christian

3 Nephi 27:5 "Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day;"

To take the name of Christ upon oneself is both an honor and a responsibility.

The Gift to Future Generations

3 Nephi 26:2 "And he saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations."

The gift of scriptures to study, live by, and pass to future generations is everything.

The Proud Shall Be Stubble

3 Nephi 25:1 "For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch."

There is good, and there is evil.
Good will finally triumph over evil.
And that will follow an incomprehensible burning.

A Book of Remembrance

3 Nephi 24:16 ". . and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."

That which is not written down is mostly forgotten.

Write Important Things

3 Nephi 23:11 "And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?"

How can important things be remembered and transferred to our descendants if not written?

Great Shall Be the Peace

3 Nephi 22:13 "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."

Parents and children can gain peace by teaching and following the Lord's teachings.

Who to Trust?

3 Nephi 21:10 ". . my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil."

If we need reasons to trust God, there's the fact that his wisdom trumps cleverness every time.

Appreciate What We Have

3 Nephi 20:28 ". . when they shall have received the fulness of my gospel, then if they shall harden their hearts against me I will return their iniquities upon their own heads, saith the Father."

Taking blessings for granted is a precursor to losing them.

Stay Tuned to the Apostles!

3 Nephi 19:6 "And the twelve did teach the multitude; and behold, they did cause that the multitude . . should pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus."

In our day, the Twelve Apostles teach us during broadcasts of LDS General Conference, held annually on the first weekends of April and October. Stay tuned!

Never Give Up

3 Nephi 18:32 ". . ye shall not cast him (the unrepentant soul) out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them."

Jesus can heal those who minister and those to whom ministry is given.

Faith to Be Healed

3 Nephi 17:8 ". . I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you."

There are wounds of the body and of the spirit. Healing is possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

Choose the House of Israel

3 Nephi 16:13 "But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel."

We are favored people of God when we repent and turn to him.

Just Do It

3 Nephi 15:10 "Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me."

Why should we object to obeying commandments that work for our good?

Judging Others

3 Nephi 14:1 "I say unto you, Judge not, that ye be not judged."

Everyone makes mistakes. Be careful when you feel that others don't "get it" while you do.

Forgiveness

3 Nephi 13:15 "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Forgiveness is mandatory to happiness.

Reconciliation

3 Nephi 12:23-24 "Therefore, if ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee -- 
Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you."

We can't expect reconciliation with God when we refuse to reconcile with others.

Light of the World

3 Nephi 11:10-11 "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning."

The beginning of glory is knowing the will of Father in Heaven and submitting to it exactly.

Christ Wants to Help Us

3 Nephi 10:5 ". . how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not."

If only . .

Jesus Came to the Americas

3 Nephi 9:15 "Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name."

These are the words of Jesus Christ as he visited the American continent after his death.
And there are more.

Worthiness Begets Miracles

3 Nephi 8:1 ". . and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity --"

Those who call down miracles in the name of Jesus Christ must be his worthy and faithful disciples.

They Did Yield Themselves

3 Nephi 7:5 ". . and all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan."

Followers of Jesus Christ move forward in his name past all distractions from the adversary.

Set at Defiance the Law

3 Nephi 6:30 "And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings."

It feels like this describes the United States during the past eight years of King Obama.
If Ben Carson had been the first black president, we would have more liberty instead of less!

Everyone Believed

3 Nephi 5:1 "And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled."

100 % believed in the words of the prophets. Wow.

Hearts Swollen With Joy

3 Nephi 4:33 "And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction."

The path of deliverance winds through humility and repentance.

Empty Promises of Socialism

3 Nephi 3:7 ". . yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren that ye may be like unto us--not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance."

Say what?
No, thank you.

The Sword of Destruction

3 Nephi 2:19 ". . and thus were the people in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of destruction did hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and this because of their iniquity."

The "sword of destruction" could be defined in many ways.

Happiness, Safety and Peace

3 Nephi 1:20 "And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets."

As we listen to prophets and align our lives to their counsel, we can be sure of eternal happiness, safety and peace.

The Balance of Power

Helaman 16:10 ". . the more part of the people remaining in their pride and wickedness, and the lesser part walking more circumspectly before God."

In our day, generations of a different sort have supplanted the "greatest generation," including those whose lives contributed to the faith, fortitude and success of America's WWII era.

A Sure Formula

Helaman 15:7-8 "as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth . . and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them--
Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith, and in the thing wherewith they have been made free."

prophets > truth > scriptures > faith > repentance > steadfastness > freedom

We Can Choose Life

Helaman 14:31 "He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you."

We get what we choose.

O That We Had Repented

Helaman 13:36 "O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them."

The time for repentance is now.

Famine Vs Abundance

Helaman 11:4 "O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will repent and turn unto thee."

Why do war and famine turn hearts to God while peace and abundance harden them?

* “The greater the distance between the giver and the receiver, the more the receiver develops a sense of entitlement.” Dale G Renlund, LDS Gen Conf, April 2016, quoting Wilford W. Andersen.

At Some Point

Helaman 10:11 ". . ye shall go and declare unto this people, that thus saith the Lord God, who is the Almighty; Except ye repent ye shall be smitten, even unto destruction."

At some point, even the Lord God Almighty loses patience.

Honesty

Helaman 9:36 ". . And then shall ye know that I am an honest man . ."

Over time, honesty shows in the character of a person . .  or not.

Speaking Plainly

Helaman 8:4 "And those judges were angry with him because he spake plainly unto them concerning their secret works of darkness; . ."

Speaking plainly is the path to understanding plainly.
Besides, Americans are still supposed to have freedom of speech.

The Powers That Be

Helaman 7:4-6 ". . seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats--having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men;
Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills.--
Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years . ."

This scripture exactly describes Obama giving $400,000,000 undercover to Iran, the world's most active sponsor of terrorism, in ransom for four American prisoners.

Who Receives God's Spirit?

Helaman 6:35-36 ". . the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.
And . . the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words."

The Lord shares his Spirit with hearts soft rather than pedigrees impressive.

When Laws Become Corrupted

Helaman 5:2 "For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted." [*30 B.C. America]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. [*2016 America]

The Lord's Matchless Power

Helaman 4:25 ". . Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness; . . and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish."

The blessings of Heaven are contingent upon obedience to God's commandments.

To Go No More Out

Helaman 3:29-30 ". . whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, . . and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked;
And land . . their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."

I want to be there with my family.

Flattery

Helaman 2:5 "Therefore he did flatter them . . that if they would place him in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people;"

Beware the tool of flattery.

Anger

Helaman 1:17 "Therefore he did stir them up to anger . ."

How many wars could be averted if participants could avoid anger instead of escalating it?

Moroni Died Also

Alma 63:3 "And it came to pass that Moroni died also."

When a champion of liberty dies, his legacy lives on in the hearts of his followers.

Prayers of the Righteous

Alma 62:40 ". . because of the prayers of the righteous, they were spared."

Prayers are powerful when accompanied with faith.

Joy in Afflictions of Others?

Alma 61:3 ". . there are those who do joy in your afflictions . ."

Destructive people often enjoy observing, even causing, the afflictions of others . . it's sad.

Be Up and Doing

Alma 60:24 ". . except ye do repent . . and begin to be up and doing . . (and) contend no more with the Lamanites (enemies) until we have first cleansed our inward vessel, yea, even the great head of our government."

Citizens must be "up and doing" if freedoms lost to iniquitous governments are to be regained.

He Began to Doubt

Alma 59:11 ". . when Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren."

Righteous leaders realize that when citizens persist in ignoring the laws of God and country, their future is bleak.

Stand Fast to Liberty's Cause

Alma 58:40 "But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come."

Liberty is contingent upon faith in and obedience to God's laws.

Are We There Yet?

Alma 57:9 ". . we did sleep upon our swords . ."

When an enemy is at the door and raging to destroy, round-the-clock vigilance is crucial.

The Strength of God

Alma 56:56 ". . to my great joy, there had not one soul fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God . ."

Faith can move mountains . . also men and women.

Rights and Privileges

Alma 55:28 " And it came to pass that the Nephites began again to be victorious, and to reclaim their rights and their privileges."

The United States of America was founded on the Christian principles of love, freedom, and justice for all, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and The US Constitution.
Rights and privileges of citizens are contingent on respect for laws reflected in these two documents.

Freedom

Alma 54:10 ". . we will retain our cities and our lands; yea, and we will maintain our religion and the cause of our God."

Freedom, safety, and peace trump political correctness.

True At All Times

Alma 53:20 ". . they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all -- they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted."

There are such men and women in the today's world. I am proud to know a few of them.

Make a Plan!

Alma 52:21 " And it came to pass that Moroni, having no hopes of meeting them upon fair grounds, therefore, he resolved upon a plan that he might decoy the Lamanites out of their strongholds."

Americans are frustrated with talk about ISIS ideology, but no apparent plan to eradicate it!

Support the Cause of Liberty

Alma 51:17 "And it came to pass that Moroni commanded that his army should go against the king-men, to pull down their pride and their nobility and level them with the earth, or they should take up arms and support the cause of liberty."

The cause of liberty must be waged in every generation.

We Own Our Choices

Alma 50:22 "And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites."

We own our choices and their consequences.

Does This Leader Care?

Alma 49:10 ". . he (king Amalickiah) did not care for the blood of his people."

An effective leader "cares for the blood of all his people," not just those he favors.

Leadership

Alma 48:12 "Yea, (Moroni was) a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; and a man who did labor accordingly for the welfare and safety of his people."

The heart of an effective leader is riveted on the welfare and safety of others, not himself.

Drinking in the Traditions

Alma 47:36 "Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites--drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God."

We choose the traditions we accept and follow.

How Quickly We Forget

Alma 46:8 "Thus we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one."

The answer to this world of woes is found in Jesus Christ's words: "Love one another."

Is America "Fully Ripe"?

Alma 45:16 "Cursed be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; . ."

This week has been one of pain in America. Is our country "fully ripe" for destruction?

If You're Happy

Alma 44:5 ". . by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness;"

Joy in life can be traced to God and his word.

Preserving Liberty

Alma 43:9-10 "And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires.
For they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, that whosoever should worship God in spirit and in truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy."

The war between good and evil, between liberty and chains, continues to rage.

The Plan of Mercy

Alma 42:15 ". . the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also."

Without the Atonement of Christ, the demands of justice and mercy could not be met.

The Desires of Their Hearts

Alma 41:3 "And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good."

Change of desires = change of outcomes.

Time

Alma 40:8 ". . all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men."

Mike and I attended two funerals this week. Actually, Mike attended three.
Funerals are instructive. Their purpose is to comfort the survivors, not those who have passed.
For me, time is a measurement that helps keep one thing after another.
I don't understand God's concept of "no beginning and no end."
But I do have a start on understanding God's love for his children.
I said it's a start.
And I received that start through the gift of time.
Some are given a few seconds of life on earth and some a hundred years plus.
I want more time.
But I don't control that.
Maybe what I really want is to make today a day of love and happiness that I can offer to God.
If I get a tomorrow, I want the same.
And one day, that will be time . . enough.

Vanity

Alma 39:11 "Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing;"

If anyone has a right to think highly of himself, it would be Jesus.
Because he is perfect, and he knows it.
I think that he does think highly of himself.
But his motivation for thinking highly of himself is not about himself.
It's about his Father -- and about following through on his offer to purchase every sin of every one with his blood, giving us the opportunity to remove the stain of our sins through our repentance.

*Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Broken Record?

Alma 38:5 "And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."

If a person is writing messages on metal plates, there's a good reason for repeating the same message.
And that reason isn't Alzheimer's.

"If" is a Big Word

Alma 37:13 "O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land--but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence."

The word "if" might be the biggest word of all.

He Will Still Deliver Me

Alma 36:27 "And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me."

We had a family reunion this past weekend and also celebrated my 70th birthday.
Reflecting on Alma's statement, I can make a similar one by substituting "God has delivered me from prison, from bonds, and from death" with "God has delivered me from depression, from financial ruin and from paralyzing fear." For starters.

Thank you, God. For my life. And for being there always to deliver me.

They Found Out Privately

Alma 35:16 "Now their rulers and their priests and their teachers did not let the people know concerning their desires; therefore they found out privily the minds of all the people."

When authority figures use secret measures to explore the minds of people they are supposed to be serving . . um . . . no good thing can come from that.

* "Privily" means secretly.

Try the Experiment

Alma 34:4 ". . even that ye would have so much faith as even to plant the word in your hearts, that ye may try the experiment of its goodness."

Just try it.

In Thee Is My Joy

Alma 33:11 ". . I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son."

When we are downhearted, the Son of God stands ready, willing and best of all, able . . to rescue us.

In the First Place

Alma 32:22 ". . I would that ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word."

In the first place. Believe. Number One.

Bring Them Again to Christ

Alma 31:34 "O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ."

Faith in Christ makes all the difference.

Men are Created Equal

Alma 30:11 "For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man's belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on equal grounds."

"All men are created equal" fluctuates as societies define laws and crimes.
Meanwhile, the laws of God and his universe are unaffected.
And they will prevail.

If I Were an Angel

Alma 29:1 " O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart . . "

If I were an angel, I know what I would wish for.

Why Wait?

Alma 28:6 "And now surely this was a sorrowful day; yea, a time of solemnity, and a time of much fasting and prayer."

Why wait for "a time of solemnity" to prompt "a time of much fasting and prayer?"

A Zealous and Beloved People

Alma 27:30 "And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord."

Synonyms for zealous are; passionate, fervent, devoted, committed, enthusiastic and eager.
Yeah . . sign me up for that.

The Power Is In Us

Alma 26:13 ". . how many thousands of our brethren has he (Christ) loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?"

As disciples of Jesus Christ, the power of his word is in us. Open your mouth and rejoice!

Strengthening Our Faith

Alma 25:16 "Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; . ."

Adherence to The Ten Commandments as revealed to Moses prepares us to live Christ's law of love.

Erase Guilt

Alma 24:10 "And I also thank my God . . that he hath granted unto us that we might repent . . also that he hath forgiven us . . and taken away the guilt from our heats, through the merits of his Son."

Repentance leads to encouragement leads to forgiveness leads to peace.
Sin leads to guilt leads to discouragement leads to more sin leads to more guilt leads to . .

Miracles

Alma 23:6 ". . and the power of God working miracles in them . . "

Miracles are messages woven into our days that may go unnoticed.

Humility First

Alma 22:16 ". . if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, . . and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest."

Humility is a key to belief and hope.

Pay Attention

Alma 21:16 "And they went forth whithersoever they were led by the Spirit of the Lord . ."

Living worthily and paying attention precede being led by the Spirit of the Lord.

Relationships

Alma 20:26 ". .  I will govern him no more--" (Lamoni's father referring to Lamoni)

A hallmark of strong relationships is respecting the choices of others.

Get Carried Away

Alma 19:6 ". . the light of the Glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness--yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God--"

Get "carried away" with light and joy.

Ya Gotta Wanna

Alma 18:35 "And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God."

God will never force us. We have to want it for ourselves.

Do Your Homework

Alma 17:3 ". . they (the sons of Mosiah) had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God."

The path to teaching with the "power and authority of God" winds through "much prayer, and fasting."

Receive the Word with Joy

Alma 16:17 "That they might not be hardened against the word . . and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God."

How fine is the line between hardening oneself against the word and receiving it with joy?

To Be Healed

Alma 15:10 "And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ."

Faith in Christ can heal even when circumstances remain constant.

Need Power?

Alma 14:28 "And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ."

Faith in Christ prompts power.

Having the Love of God

Alma 13:29 "Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest."

The love of God, peace, and safety go together.

Keep a Soft Heart

Alma 12:11 "And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell."

God (good) and the devil (evil) are opposites on the spectrum of eternity. Our choices put us in continual motion toward and away from one or the other.

All Shall Rise

Alma 11:41 ". . the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God and be judged according to their works."

Prepare for the day that is sure to come.

Make Wise Choices

Alma 10:19 ". . well did he say that if the time should come that the voice of this people should choose iniquity, that is, if the time should come that this people should fall into transgression, they would be ripe for destruction."

Wise choices determine ultimate safety and peace.

Disrespect for Blessings

Alma 9:19 "For he will not suffer you that ye shall live in your iniquities, to destroy his people. I say unto you, Nay; he would rather suffer that the Lamanites might destroy all his people who are called the people of Nephi, if it were possible that they could fall into sins and transgressions, after having had so much light and so much knowledge given unto them of the Lord their God;"

Disrespect for blessings may result in losing them or even complete destruction.

From Whence Comes Power?

Alma 8:32 ". . they went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people, according to the spirit and power which the Lord had given them."

Through baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are able to access the power of God.

Faith, Hope and Charity

Alma 7:24 "And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works."

The way is as simple as just doing it.

Repentance and Baptism

Alma 6:2 ". . whosoever did not belong to the church who repented of their sins were baptized unto repentance, and were received into the church."

We can have the privilege of repentance, baptism and belonging if we want it.

Spiritual Birth

Alma 5:14 "And now behold, I ask of you . . have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"

Being spiritually born in Christ's image reflects in our faces and in everything we think, say and do.

Authentic Faith

Alma 4:15 ". . Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful; . ."

Authentic faith in God is shown by our actions toward others.

To Lead or to Follow?

Alma 3:10 "Therefore, whosoever suffered himself to be led away by the Lamanites was called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him."

Decisions to follow will change us on the inside and sometimes on the outside, too.
Still, our agency gives us the opportunity to lead rather than to be led.

The Power of Prayer

Alma 2:28 "Nevertheless, the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them."

Faith in God and prayer are our first lines of defense in time of need.

Priestcraft

Alma 1:12 ". . and were priestcraft to be enforced among this people it would prove their entire destruction."

*Church leaders must labor to build Zion into the hearts of the people, and not for their personal aggrandizement or reward. CHARLES D. TATE, JR.

Where is Peace?

Mosiah 29:10 "And now let us be wise and look forward to these things, and do that which will make for the peace of this people."

Peace starts with wise choices.

Knowledge of God

Mosiah 28:2 " That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God,"

Knowledge of God is the beginning.

Respect Others

Mosiah 27:4 ". . they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support."

Learning to respect others and promote their independence is part of the gospel plan. Dependency is a form of slavery.

Listen to the Good Shepherd

Mosiah 26:21 "And he that will hear my voice shall be my sheep;. ."

The Good Shepherd takes care of his sheep.

The Lord Delivers

Mosiah 25:16 ". . they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them."

Every blessing can be traced to our Creator.

When Things Get Bad

Mosiah 24:10 ". . so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God."

Why wait to pray until desperation sets in?

Love and Peace

Mosiah 23:15 "Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them."

The need for love and peace is universal, and establishing them is universally difficult.

The King Listened

Mosiah 22:9 "And it came to pass that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon."

The best leaders are also the best listeners.

Deliverance

Mosiah 21:14 "And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions."

Repentance is hard. Especially when the trail must cut through the tangled briars of pride.

Fear and Shame

Mosiah 20:3 "And now the priests of king Noah, being ashamed to return to the city of Nephi, yea, and also fearing that the people would slay them, therefore they durst not return to their wives and their children."

Fear and shame are tools the devil uses to help us commit more sin.
Faith in Christ, prayer and repentance deliver us from digging a pit of despair.

How Does Peace Start?

Mosiah 19:27 ", , Limhi began to establish the kingdom and to establish peace among his people."

Principles of righteousness form the foundation of peace.

Achieving Unity

Mosiah 18:21 "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another . . having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one toward another."

Achieving unity of hearts isn't a sprint or marathon. It stretches beyond the concept of a finish line.

Words of Comfort and Testimony

Mosiah 17:10 "Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you."

Courage and testimony are displayed in action.

Mosiah 16:9 "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

Were more comforting words ever thought, spoken, or written?

We Are God's Children

Mosiah 15:11-12 ". . whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord -- I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.
For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?"

It's humbling to sing "I am a child of God" with millions across the world and beyond.

Jesus Claimed Our Sins

Mosiah 14:12 ". . he (Jesus Christ) hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

In the end, we don't get to pay for the mistakes of other people, even if we want to.
Only Jesus can do that.
And he did.
Accept it. Repent. And Move forward.

Honor Your Parents

Mosiah 13:20 "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Parents make mistakes. If you become one, you will make mistakes, too.
Get over it. Move forward, and just do your best.

Who Comes First?

Mosiah 12:35 "Thou shalt have no other God before me."

What does this mean . . . exactly?
Does God come first, even before our families?
Hmmm.
Well . . . who benefits most when we honor God first?
It's not God. He doesn't need our honor.
Oh. Our families benefit most.
I get it.

What Will Your Legacy Be?

Mosiah 11:1-4 ". . Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons . . and he (Noah) did not walk in the ways of his father. For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. . . thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom."

The power of one for good or evil is inestimable.

Excuses

Mosiah 10:12-16 "They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people . . --Believing that they . . were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren," and (they) were wroth . . because they said that (their brother) had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands, . . and . . because he departed in to the wilderness . . and (on and on) . ."

We own our choices. Learning to take responsibility without making excuses is crucial.

Strength

Mosiah 10:11 "Now, the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength."

Depending upon one's own strength is never a good idea.

Deliverance

Mosiah 9:17 ". . in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle . . for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers."

As of today, the candidates for US President are Donald Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D).
Let us pray.

What is a Seer?

Mosiah 8:16 ". . a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; . ."

Seers and prophets are directing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.
* https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP14GC&lang=eng

Put Your Trust in God

Mosiah 7:19: ". . lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God . . "

Whenever I let go and do this, things somehow work out.

Entered Into the Covenant

Mosiah 6:2 ". . there was not one soul, except it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ."

Imagine an entire culture committed to Jesus Christ.

A Mighty Change in Us

Mosiah 5:2 ". . Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually."

The "mighty change" starts when a tiny spark ignites our hearts.

Believe in God

Mosiah 4:9 "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

Every burden can be lighter through belief in God.

The Only Way

Mosiah 3:18 ". . salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."

Jesus Christ is the One, the Only way.

Eternally Indebted

Mosiah 2:34 " . . ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are; . ."

Heavenly Father is the one creditor who returns blessings of joy when we make a payment!

Teach Them to Your Children

Mosiah 1:4 "For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates (scriptures); . . and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time."

Scriptures are crucial to every generation.

My Prayer to God

Words of Mormon 1:8 "And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people."

Disciples of Christ want to share the joy they have found with others.

What is Prosperity?

Omni 1:6 ". . Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land."

The world's "success" is not synonymous with the prosperity of God.

Communion with the Holy Spirit

Jarom 1:4 "And there are many among us who have many revelations, for they are not all stiffnecked. And as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith."

Faith makes personal revelation and communion with the Holy Spirit possible and even common.

Lord, How is it Done?

Enos 1:7-8 "And I said: Lord, how is it done? And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen."

Faith in Jesus Christ motivates us to move forward.

Scriptures Testify of Christ

Jacob 7:10-11 "Believest thou the scriptures? . . for they truly testify of Christ . . none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ."

Christ is in there -- From "In the beginning"*  to "strengthen the family."*

*(Genesis 1:1)
*(The Family Proclamation)

Choose Life Today

Jacob 6:6 "Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?"

Life starts with a soft heart.

Good Can Overcome Evil

Jacob 5:59 "And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good may overcome the evil."

Trees and people produce good fruit when their roots and branches change for good rather than evil.

Take Counsel From the Lord

Jacob 4:10 "Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works."

The best counsel is the result of our actions: prayer, scripture study, and listening to prophets.

A Voice of Warning

Jacob 3:12 "And now I, Jacob, spake many more things unto the people of Nephi, warning them  against . . every kind of sin, telling them the awful consequences of them."

The ways to sin may change over time, but the consequences remain the same.

Every One Can Make a Difference

Jacob 2:2 "Now, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness . . I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of God."

Every person is responsible to make his or her uniquely positive difference.

He Labored for Their Welfare

Jacob 1:10 "The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them . . and having labored in all his days for their welfare--"

. . as loving parents do for their children.

In Favor of Plainness

Second Nephi 33:6 "I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell."

Plain verses complicated: easy to choose, hard to accomplish.

Which Spirit Directs Aright?

Second Nephi 32:8 ". . For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray."

Which spirit will I listen to today?

A Perfect Brightness of Hope

Second Nephi 31:20 "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

Good luck finding anything that compares to this assurance.

The Restoration of His People

Second Nephi 30:8 ". . the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth."

All countries, families, languages, and ethnicities will be able to participate in God's work.

More Nations Than One

Second Nephi 29:7 "Know ye not that there are more nations than one? . . and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?"

God's word is meant for everyone. Every. One.

The Precepts of Men

Second Nephi 28:31 "Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost."

"The power of the Holy Ghost" can assist us as we measure "the precepts of men" to the word of God.

Fear Towards God

Second Nephi 27:25 ". . their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men --"

Do those who "fear God" in a bad way reject a desire to know him?

* See explanation by Todd D. Christofferson
“There are many places in the scriptures that counsel mankind to fear God. In our day we generally interpret the word fear as ‘respect’ or ‘reverence’ or ‘love’; that is, the fear of God means the love of God or respect for Him and His law. That may often be a correct reading, but I wonder if sometimes fear doesn’t really mean fear, as when the prophets speak of fearing to offend God by breaking His commandments. “… We should so love and reverence Him that we fear doing anything wrong in His sight, whatever may be the opinions of or pressure from others” (“A Sense of the Sacred” [Church Educational System fireside for young adults, Nov. 7, 2004], 6–7).

Prayer

Second Nephi 26:15 ". . the prayers of the faithful shall be heard . ."

When in doubt . . don't.

There is Only One Savior

Second Nephi 25:20 ". . there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved."

Jesus Christ is the Way. The Truth. The Light. There is no other.

Who Shall Turn it Back?

Second Nephi 24:27 "For the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?"

The purposes of the Lord will happen.

They Shall Have No Pity

Second Nephi 23:18 "Their bows shall also dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children."

This description fits the terror of ISIS in our day.

Game Changer

A General Conference talk that sets my "feet to the fire" is by Dale G Renlund (04/02/16):

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/media/session_1_talk_12/4828276382001?lang=eng

General Conference Today and Tomorrow!

Saturday 10-12:00, 2-4:00 pm
Priesthood, 6-8:00 pm
Sunday 10-12:00, 2-4:00 pm

Come listen to a Prophet's voice - here and now - at a TV or Internet connection near you!

The Wells of Salvation

Second Nephi 22:3 "Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."

Finding Jesus = finding Joy!

The Lord Will Recover His People

2nd Nephi 21:11 "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left . ."

The Millennium will culminate in the full recovery of Israel.

The Holy One of Israel

2nd Nephi 20:20 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth."

In the Millennium, Israel will no longer be a scattered people but will be gathered and will "stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel," Jesus Christ.

Those that Walked in Darkness

2nd Nephi 19:2 "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

Jesus Christ is the Light.
He can free those that "walked in darkness" and "dwell in the land of the shadow of death."

God is With Us

2nd Nephi 18:10 "Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us."

The best counsel comes from God, not from others or even ourselves.  Learn to listen.

Happy Easter -- He Lives!

John 11: 25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-02-1000-hallelujah-an-easter-message-about-jesus-christ?lang=eng

Revelation 19:1 "Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God."

The Sign

2nd Nephi 17:14 "Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign -- Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Immanuel means "God with us." This sign is evident every day to those who pay attention.

Lord, How Long?

2nd Nephi 16:11 "Then said I: Lord, how long?"

There is a time for questions, and answers, and patience.

Pride

2nd Nephi 15:21 "Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!"

Pride is a subtle master.

The Glory of Zion

2nd Nephi 14:5 ". . upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence."

Israel will stand safe and secure during the Millennium.

They Cannot Hide It

2nd Nephi 13:8-10 ". . their tongues and their doings have been against the Lord . . 
The show of their countenance doth witness against them . . and they cannot hide it. Wo unto their souls, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves! 
Say unto the righteous that it is well with them; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."

What we think, say and do are consequential for us and everyone around us.

No More Wars

2nd Nephi 12:4 ". . nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

It's exhilarating to anticipate the days of peace in every nation.

God Proves All His Words

2nd Nephi 11:3 ". . God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words."

Stay tuned.
LDS General Conference is coming to a TV or Internet device near you -- April 2-3, 2016.

Choose Joy!

2nd Nephi 10:23 "Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves -- to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life."

More options for happiness open to us as we choose Christ and his gospel. Happy Day!

A Way for Our Escape

2nd Nephi 9:10 "O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit."

Every body dies.
Through the goodness of our God, every body will be resurrected.
And every spirit has the choice to escape death and hell.

Put on Strength

2nd Nephi 8:9 "Awake, awake! Put on strength, O arm of the Lord . ."

To access the "arm of the Lord," we exercise faith and obedience to his commandments.

The Choice is Ours

2nd Nephi 7:1 "Yea, to whom have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves . . "

Jesus bought us with his love and his blood.
We can choose to accept or reject his gift.
We can repent when we make mistakes.
Ultimately, the consequences of our choices are set.

Desirous for Your Welfare

2nd Nephi 6:3 "Nevertheless, I speak unto you again; for I am desirous for the welfare of your souls. Yea, mine anxiety is great for you; and ye yourselves know that it ever has been. For I have exhorted you with all diligence; and I have taught you the words of my father; and I have spoken unto you concerning all things which are written, from the creation of the world."

When do parents counsel their children, or remain silent? That is the question.
It might also be asked when do children counsel their parents, or remain silent?
The wrong answer is for either to get off the teeter-totter at the bottom when the other is at the top. Because lasting relationships depend on give and take and balance.

The Common Defense

2nd Nephi 5:14 "And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords, lest by any means the people who were now called Lamanites should come upon us and destroy us; . ."

Self defense is a primary necessity of effective governing.
The Preamble of the Constitution of the United States:
"We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Source of Blessings

2nd Nephi 4:4 "For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence."

Ignore God, and he will go away.

They Shall Hearken

2nd Nephi 3:23 "Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book."

Blessings are predicated on hearing the word of God and then add-hearing to it.

By His Merits, Mercy, and Grace

2nd Nephi 2:8 "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."

Only Jesus Christ could lay down his own life and usher in the resurrection. For us. And He did.

A Land of Promise

2nd Nephi 1:5 "But, said (Lehi) . . we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; . . and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord."

The Americas are destined to be a "land of liberty unto them; wherefore they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; . . " (vs. 6-7)

Bringing the Gospel to Israel

1 Nephi 22:11 "Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel."

The house of Israel is being gathered and will have the gospel.

*Article of Faith 10

Where Lies Strength?

1 Nephi 21:5 ". . my God shall be my strength."

The strength of God can be like David facing Goliath and winning;
or it can be like me learning to move forward after suddenly losing my husband, Dan;
or it can be anything / everything in between.

Where is Peace?

1 Nephi 20:22 ". . there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked."

Look around. There is a correlation between peace and trust in God.

The Gathering of Israel

1 Nephi 19:16 ". . and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord . . from the four quarters of the earth."  

The prophecies for the "gathering of Israel" are being fulfilled.

*Article of Faith 10

I Did Not Murmur

1 Nephi 18:16 ". . I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions."

Before complaining . . . breathe.
Consider the air, the sun, your life. Be grateful.

God Does Nourish Them

1 Nephi 17:3 "And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; . ."

God stands ever yearning to bless us.
He can and will as we keep his commandments.

Sometimes the Truth Hurts

1 Nephi 16:2 ". . the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center."

Nothing hurts like the truth when we face the consequences of poor choices.
Been there. Done that.

Avoid Those Fiery Darts

1 Nephi 15:24 ". . whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."

Listening to and "holding fast" to the word of God is the straightest course to happiness and the best insurance against "fiery darts."

They That Harden Their Hearts

1 Nephi 14:6 "Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God."

That goes for everyone else besides the Gentiles, too.

Whoso Shall Publish Peace

1 Nephi 13:37 ". . and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be."

Peace seems a distant goal, but publishing it daily through small words and actions can spread joy.

Because of Pride

1 Nephi 12:19 ". . and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed."

A little self examination: Pride is at the heart of my excuses when "overpowered."

What Desirest Thou?

1 Nephi 11:2 "And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest Thou?"

The Lord knows all the questions and answers, and he knows we learn best by asking our own.

One Eternal Round

1 Nephi 10:19 "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."

With God, there's no beginning, middle, or end. I don't have to understand it, just believe it.

Commandments: General and Specific

1 Nephi 9:3 ". . I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people."

The Lord gives general commandments to everyone, like the Ten Commandments, and specific commandments to each of his children. It is our job to listen and learn both, then to go and do.

The Tree of Life

1 Nephi 8:10 "And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy."

The tree of life represents the love of God,  where lies the nest of happiness. (1Nephi 11:25)

Have We Forgotten?

1 Nephi 7:11 ", , how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us . ."

Every day is a day to be grateful to the Lord for blessings too numerous to count.

What to Write?

1 Nephi 6:5 ". . the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world."

Write. Then hope and pray that those who are "of the world" and "not of the world" will read and pray about what is written.

Discover the Genealogy

1 Nephi 5:16 "And thus, my father Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers.."

I recently attended the annual RootsTech Conference in Salt Lake City (Feb 2-6, 2016), along with 27,000 other participants from 37 countries and all fifty states in the US. People all over the world continue to yearn for and "discover the genealogy of (their) fathers."

He Is Mightier Than All

1 Nephi 4:1 ". . 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?"

"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I Will Go and Do

1 Nephi 3:7 ". . I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Just go and do, knowing God will prepare a way.

Because of Thy Faith

1 Nephi 2:19 "Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart."

The formula is always the same, not necessarily in this order: humility, faith, ask, diligence

Tender Mercies of the Lord

1 Nephi 1:20 ". . I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

Faith is the key to all things good, and faith isn't faith without action.

About the Book of Mormon

"The Book of Mormon comprises fifteen main parts or divisions, known, with one exception, as books, each designated by the name of its principal author . . Namely: 1 Nephi, 11 Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon, Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 111 Nephi, 1V Nephi, Mormon, Ether, and Moroni."

And tomorrow we start studying it.

The Testimony of Joseph Smith

"The Prophet Joseph Smith's own words about the coming forth of The Book of Mormon are: 
'On the evening of the . . twenty-first of September, 1823 . . I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God . . '"

As a result of Joseph Smith's account of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. millions have "betaken themselves to prayer and supplication to Almighty God," asking if the account is true.

We Have Seen the Plates

From the Testimony of Eight Witnesses: " . . Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken . . we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken."

Having witnesses of the actual "golden plates" is great, but getting one's own testimony of the authenticity of The Book of Mormon through earnest study and prayer has far greater validity.

Be It Known

Testimony of Three Witnesses: "Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record . . and we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God . . wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true."
Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris

When we study and pray with faith and real intent, the Holy Ghost will witness to our hearts, and we can know just as surely that the Book of Mormon is true, as did the three witnesses.

Written by Ancient Prophets

From the Introduction: "The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation . . (and is) an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. . . known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. . ."

The Book of Mormon is a history of early inhabitants of America (referred to as a"promised land.")

Three Purposes of The Book of Mormon

From the Preface: "--Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever--And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations--"

Translated by Joseph Smith, Jr.

My Testimony of The Book of Mormon

Once again, my study of The Book of Mormon has brought me to page 531 — the last page — where the prophet, Moroni, invites us to “. . come unto Christ . .”

Moroni’s words remind me that Jesus Christ is, was, and ever will be my best friend and my God. He lives. He knows me and loves me . . . anyway. 

He knows and loves you, too. 

I look forward to beginning the study of The Book of Mormon again today, at the title page. I witness to you, along with millions of others who have read and studied the book that it is, indeed, another testament of Jesus Christ, in concert with the Holy Bible.

Jesus was born for us. He died for us, and he lives again . . . for us.

We can claim the grace of Jesus Christ by turning our hearts to him, by keeping his commandments, by forsaking our sins, by loving him — and each other.

This I know.

If you are uncertain that Jesus Christ can make the difference in your life, I urge you to seek him for yourself through sincere study and prayer. 

As you do, the truth will be made known to you by the power of the Holy Ghost, just as Moroni promised.

Renee Hawkley Pecora

February 9, 2016