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.