At this rate it will take me all year to blog about the Book of Mormon. But hey, I'm not going anywhere anyway!
Let me just reiterate: I'm not a scholar of any kind (although I do hold a master's degree in technology management) so I don't profess any deep meanings or proclaim any special revelations when I write in this forum. That said, I do try to express the things I think of when I read these chapters because I think others may want to consider them too. I beg your patience and ask that you indulge me in this somewhat. :)
Have you ever designed and built a ship? Ok, let's forget about the ship; have you ever constructed a piece of furniture, sewed a dress, cooked a casserole, or put together a model airplane without any guidance or direction? If so, did anyone who saw the effort and the end result call it exceedingly fine?
Well, neither did Nephi. He was commanded to build a ship; he probably knew a little about boats and had probably been on one before, since he grew up near Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee. But building a ocean-going ship? I bet he had never even thought about building something this complicated in his life. Imagine being responsible for the creation and production of a vessel that will be depended on by your extended family for safety. Nephi, of himself, could not do it. I'm sure if you were to ask him, he would probably tell you so, too.
But he didn't do it alone. He knew he didn't have to do it alone. In the first place, he was guided in the design by He who knows all. Imagine having the Lord as you design partner... Is there anything you couldn't do if the Lord guided you? Nephi knew this, and rather than put off the task or avoid doing it, he said to the Lord, in typical Nephi fashion, "whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship..." (1 Ne 17:9). In the second place, he had the laborers that he needed to do the big job.... even though the Lord had to compel some of them to help.
My point? With the Lord by our side, there is nothing that we can't do. Anything we face will be easier if we are partners with the Lord. A good thing to remember.
Chapter 18 talks briefly about their journey across the great waters which concluded with them making land on this continent. A couple of interesting points:
When it was time to board the ship, it was Lehi that the Lord made his will known through. Lehi was the group's leader. The Lord, in His orderly fashion, directed the group through His mouthpiece. This brings to my mind the orderliness of His kingdom on earth and how it is organized in a functional and orderly manner. We need to trust our church leaders as they speak for the Lord in their ordained positions.
This chapter mentions briefly the birth of Jacob and Joseph, Lehi's youngest sons. Just how old was Lehi at this point? More importantly, how old was Sariah, Lehi's wife? It had been 8 years since leaving Jerusalem when they reached the land Bountiful. Building the ship must have taken a year or two build, so it was probably about 10 years after leaving their home that they embarked for the promised land. During that time Jacob and Joseph were born. How old would that make Sariah? In this day and age we here of women having children in their 40's and once in a while even in their 50's. At the beginning we know that Nephi was probably a teenager; in chapter 2 he says that we was young but large in stature... in my mind this would put him at 14 or older. He was old enough that Laban's servant thought he was a man when they retrieved the brass plates. He was old enough that one of Ishmael's daughters married him, so I would probably say he was 16 or older. If he was 16, his brothers may have been anywhere from 18 to 23 years old. This is all speculation, of course, but if Sariah was 16 when she married and 17 when she had Laman, and if Laman was 23 when leaving Jerusalem, she would be 40 or more at that time. If this is the case, she was 40 - 50 years old when she had their last two sons. Imagine that! Not just having babies at that age, but doing it while in the midst of an 8 - 10 year journey away from their ancestral home! What a sacrifice!
The ship that Nephi and the others built was not made "after the manner of men" but after the pattern the Lord showed Nephi. The ship was driven by the winds; this makes me think of the Jaredites, who's vessels were also propelled by the wind. How did Nephi's ship differ from the traditional design of the day? It must not have looked different that those they knew, but it did make sense to everyone in the party (otherwise they may not have gotten on board). It was probably made to take advantage of the winds. I would like to know what the ship looked like.
One other thing I wanted to make a comment about in the voyage: Singing and dancing. After being in the ship for "many days" I guess Laman, Lemuel and some of Ishmael's sons were feeling pretty comfortable. They began to sing, dance, and make themselves merry. They began to speak with rudeness. My question: Is singing and dancing that bad? Is making your self merry a sin? I have to say no to those questions.... I think that the problem was with their attitude, the attitude of rudeness. Makes me think of "dissing' others for sport, fun and attention. It makes me think of pride and cockiness. The attitude "look at me, look what I have done" will get us into trouble. The next step to this attitude is "I'm better than you" and in putting down others in order to feel important and self satisfied. We all have done things that are commendable. Some of us have done really amazing things and achieved great accomplishments. But if our attitude is toward self-aggrandizing or is self-satisfaction-izing, we tend to renege on our partnership with the Lord. Hopefully none us fall into this alluring trap, as Laman and Lemuel did. They took exception to Nephi's attempts to rein them in, and the whole party was put into great danger from the ocean and the elements. To avoid similar spiritual danger, we need to constantly thank the Lord for the good that is done through us and with the hands that He gave us. As King Benjamin said: "Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you." (Mos. 2:25). By acknowledging Him, we are making good on His investment in His children.
Don
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Journey: 1 if by land (1 Ne 15-17)
I'm sure you've noticed how civilizations go through a cycle of good, blessings, arrogance and unrighteousness, tribulations, repentance and back to the beginning... It seems that groups of people always wind up doing this. Lehi's family and their party fall into this cycle for sure. Laman and Lemuel and those that agreed with them certainly did this.
Lehi is commanded to travel south-east and eventually east, staying in the fertile parts of the wilderness. They go through difficulties. At one point, they are lacking food, since all their bows have stopped functioning. When Nephi's bow breaks, he catches grief from his brothers, and even Lehi grumbles. Nephi makes a new bow and consults the Lord via Lehi, (after some sore repentance) and then procures food for the group. The group rejoices in the blessings of the Lord. Later, when Ishmael dies, Laman, Lemuel, and some of Ishmael's family get really nasty. The Lord actually came and talked to them and "...did chasten them exceedingly" (1 Ne 16:39). They repent and go on their way. After 8 years of traveling (probably the cycle was continual through that period) they reach Bountiful - the land by the sea. We see the bad part of the cycle again... When Nephi begins building a ship, Laman gets angry and laments: "Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy." (1 Ne 17:21)
Laman's words are truer that he realized.... If they had only strived to serve the Lord, desired to know Him and have Him in their lives, if they had only recognized and embraced His goodness, then they would have been happy, indeed! Instead, they spent their journeys looking back, wishing they were elsewhere, blaming Lehi and Nephi for their afflictions.
I have thought about this cycle and whether I've been stuck in one myself. It's not hard to be; we are blessed, we get comfortable, we get sassy or critical or just plain cocky... At this point if tragedy comes or not, we are not feeling the spirit unless we specifically seek after it. What are the antidotes to the cycle? Actively seeking the Spirit in our lives. Not being lazy about worship. Being bold in service. Sharing ourselves and our possessions as much as is possible.
There are a couple of good dressing-downs in these chapters. By far, my favorite is when Nephi tells Laman and his cohorts "Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God..."; "...The Lord commanded my father that he should depart... and the Jews also sought to take away his life ; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them." (1 Ne 17:45, 1 Ne 17:44).
It always amazes me that Laman and Lemuel see an angel but later turn to their anger and rebellion. The Lord chastises them but they later return to their rebellion. The Lord shocks them, but they later return to their baser selves. If we can understand why a person (such as ourselves, to one degree or another) does this and how to break the cycle, we stand a better chance at the true happiness which Laman missed out on but must have been evident in Nephi's life on the very same journey.
Don
Lehi is commanded to travel south-east and eventually east, staying in the fertile parts of the wilderness. They go through difficulties. At one point, they are lacking food, since all their bows have stopped functioning. When Nephi's bow breaks, he catches grief from his brothers, and even Lehi grumbles. Nephi makes a new bow and consults the Lord via Lehi, (after some sore repentance) and then procures food for the group. The group rejoices in the blessings of the Lord. Later, when Ishmael dies, Laman, Lemuel, and some of Ishmael's family get really nasty. The Lord actually came and talked to them and "...did chasten them exceedingly" (1 Ne 16:39). They repent and go on their way. After 8 years of traveling (probably the cycle was continual through that period) they reach Bountiful - the land by the sea. We see the bad part of the cycle again... When Nephi begins building a ship, Laman gets angry and laments: "Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy." (1 Ne 17:21)
Laman's words are truer that he realized.... If they had only strived to serve the Lord, desired to know Him and have Him in their lives, if they had only recognized and embraced His goodness, then they would have been happy, indeed! Instead, they spent their journeys looking back, wishing they were elsewhere, blaming Lehi and Nephi for their afflictions.
I have thought about this cycle and whether I've been stuck in one myself. It's not hard to be; we are blessed, we get comfortable, we get sassy or critical or just plain cocky... At this point if tragedy comes or not, we are not feeling the spirit unless we specifically seek after it. What are the antidotes to the cycle? Actively seeking the Spirit in our lives. Not being lazy about worship. Being bold in service. Sharing ourselves and our possessions as much as is possible.
There are a couple of good dressing-downs in these chapters. By far, my favorite is when Nephi tells Laman and his cohorts "Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God..."; "...The Lord commanded my father that he should depart... and the Jews also sought to take away his life ; yea, and ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them." (1 Ne 17:45, 1 Ne 17:44).
It always amazes me that Laman and Lemuel see an angel but later turn to their anger and rebellion. The Lord chastises them but they later return to their rebellion. The Lord shocks them, but they later return to their baser selves. If we can understand why a person (such as ourselves, to one degree or another) does this and how to break the cycle, we stand a better chance at the true happiness which Laman missed out on but must have been evident in Nephi's life on the very same journey.
Don
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Nephi's Dream - 1 Ne. 11-14
For some reason, comments don't show up sometimes. Please comment, though. I do see them and respond at times. I hope the commenters are seeing my responses.
This is one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon. After hearing his father, Lehi, tell about the dream he had and what the Lord showed to him, Nephi asks for and receives revelation via a dream or vision.
There are many things I could say about these chapters, but I want to share the things that struck me this time.
First of all, it comes back to desire. Laman and Lemuel heard Lehi's narration of his dream just as Nephi did. They discussed it, argued about it and ultimately did not understand it. Nephi, though, desired to know more. He approached the Lord, expressed his righteous desire, and his desire was granted. Not only did he see the same dream that Lehi saw, he was given an interpretation as well. He had to desire this light and knowledge; he had to ask for it. Notice that the Lord asked Nephi twice what he desired. My reasoning for this: The Lord expects us to seek him. He won't force truth onto us, because it won't be meaningful that way, and besides it is contrary to God's laws. We have to actively seek the Lord's guidance and actively accept it as well. Nephi did seek actively and was granted great and marvelous knowledge. Perhaps another reason Nephi had to actively seek to understand the dream: The Lord requires us to testify after we've been given truth. Nephi asked for and was granted a great privilege and as a result, he had to proclaim the truth he was given. It wasn't easy, but that was the requirement. Nephi was warned up front, in 1 Ne 11:6,7:
6 ... blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
I have wondered about this idea of bearing record. Nephi's narration is a great chance to understand the concept further. First some facts:
There are 131 verses in the 4 chapters that address Nephi's dream.
The word "behold" or "beholdest" appears in these chapters 46 times. 20 of those times the context was roughly "Understand, now". We might have said "pay attention to this..." or "Listen, " or "do you understand?". 26 of those times were in the "Look at this" category. The Lord was telling Nephi "keep a sharp eye, something's going to happen here". Clearly, the Lord wanted Nephi to get the message.
The directive or commandment "look" appeared 14 times in these chapters and the past tense verb "looked appeared 17 times. The interesting thing is that Nephi "looked" more than he was directed to "look". The word "beheld" appears 63 times. Again this is a past tense action verb. The word "beheld" was sometimes used with other similar words: "Looked and beheld" (11 times), "saw and beheld" (1 time).
I think this illustrates that Nephi was eager to see the things the Lord was showing him. There is a difference between seeing (looking) and understanding what you see. Nephi "beheld" things, which I think means he looked and understood what he saw.
Speaking of the word "saw", it was used 46 times. The phrase "I saw" and similar variants appeared 37 times, and "my father saw" 7 times. Some of the times the word was used, it was in conjunction with the phrase "bear record", as in "I testify" or "I avow". This phrase was used 9 times in these chapters. Nephi told us that he saw what the Lord showed him, that he understood those things, and that he was testifying of specific things that he saw. I think his testimony was particularly significant when he used the phrase "I saw and bear record" (see 1 Ne 11:32 - Christ was taken by the people and judged of the world; 1 Ne 11:36 - The great and spacious building was the pride of the world, and it fell; and 1 Ne 12:7 - The 12 disciples of Christ who were Nephi's descendants). Nephi was shown great things concerning the coming of the Messiah, the happenings of his posterity, and the restoration of the Gospel to the earth. He testified of these things to us, readers of the Book of Mormon.
I take this from these chapters: If you desire righteousness, the Lord will grant your righteous desire. If you are granted truth, the Lord wants you to share it with others as a testimony of His goodness and mercy.
Don
This is one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon. After hearing his father, Lehi, tell about the dream he had and what the Lord showed to him, Nephi asks for and receives revelation via a dream or vision.
There are many things I could say about these chapters, but I want to share the things that struck me this time.
First of all, it comes back to desire. Laman and Lemuel heard Lehi's narration of his dream just as Nephi did. They discussed it, argued about it and ultimately did not understand it. Nephi, though, desired to know more. He approached the Lord, expressed his righteous desire, and his desire was granted. Not only did he see the same dream that Lehi saw, he was given an interpretation as well. He had to desire this light and knowledge; he had to ask for it. Notice that the Lord asked Nephi twice what he desired. My reasoning for this: The Lord expects us to seek him. He won't force truth onto us, because it won't be meaningful that way, and besides it is contrary to God's laws. We have to actively seek the Lord's guidance and actively accept it as well. Nephi did seek actively and was granted great and marvelous knowledge. Perhaps another reason Nephi had to actively seek to understand the dream: The Lord requires us to testify after we've been given truth. Nephi asked for and was granted a great privilege and as a result, he had to proclaim the truth he was given. It wasn't easy, but that was the requirement. Nephi was warned up front, in 1 Ne 11:6,7:
6 ... blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.
7 And behold this thing shall be given unto thee for a sign, that after thou hast beheld the tree which bore the fruit which thy father tasted, thou shalt also behold a man descending out of heaven, and him shall ye witness; and after ye have witnessed him ye shall bear record that it is the Son of God.
I have wondered about this idea of bearing record. Nephi's narration is a great chance to understand the concept further. First some facts:
There are 131 verses in the 4 chapters that address Nephi's dream.
The word "behold" or "beholdest" appears in these chapters 46 times. 20 of those times the context was roughly "Understand, now". We might have said "pay attention to this..." or "Listen, " or "do you understand?". 26 of those times were in the "Look at this" category. The Lord was telling Nephi "keep a sharp eye, something's going to happen here". Clearly, the Lord wanted Nephi to get the message.
The directive or commandment "look" appeared 14 times in these chapters and the past tense verb "looked appeared 17 times. The interesting thing is that Nephi "looked" more than he was directed to "look". The word "beheld" appears 63 times. Again this is a past tense action verb. The word "beheld" was sometimes used with other similar words: "Looked and beheld" (11 times), "saw and beheld" (1 time).
I think this illustrates that Nephi was eager to see the things the Lord was showing him. There is a difference between seeing (looking) and understanding what you see. Nephi "beheld" things, which I think means he looked and understood what he saw.
Speaking of the word "saw", it was used 46 times. The phrase "I saw" and similar variants appeared 37 times, and "my father saw" 7 times. Some of the times the word was used, it was in conjunction with the phrase "bear record", as in "I testify" or "I avow". This phrase was used 9 times in these chapters. Nephi told us that he saw what the Lord showed him, that he understood those things, and that he was testifying of specific things that he saw. I think his testimony was particularly significant when he used the phrase "I saw and bear record" (see 1 Ne 11:32 - Christ was taken by the people and judged of the world; 1 Ne 11:36 - The great and spacious building was the pride of the world, and it fell; and 1 Ne 12:7 - The 12 disciples of Christ who were Nephi's descendants). Nephi was shown great things concerning the coming of the Messiah, the happenings of his posterity, and the restoration of the Gospel to the earth. He testified of these things to us, readers of the Book of Mormon.
I take this from these chapters: If you desire righteousness, the Lord will grant your righteous desire. If you are granted truth, the Lord wants you to share it with others as a testimony of His goodness and mercy.
Don
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
More 1st Nephi...
It's been 9 days since my last post! My apologies for the delay...
I continue to read and think about the book of 1st Nephi. Here are a couple of things I wanted to bring up.
Chapter 8 talks about the vision or dream that Lehi saw in which he learns about the coming of Jesus Christ. Immediately he tells his family about the dream and what he learned. He is so concerned about his family that they are in his vision, and he expresses his concern over them "... with the feeling of a tender parent..." (1Ne 8:37). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for families; it encourages families to be righteous together, to help each other up and encourage each other. The heavenly nature of families is in evidence in our reference to God as our Heavenly Father. Earthly families follow this heavenly pattern. If you can think of a loving father figure in your life (be it your father, uncle, whatever) you can relate that character to our Heavenly Father. If you can relate a loving parent to our Heavenly Parents, then you have an example to follow as a tender loving parent or role model yourself.
An interesting thing I noticed about Lehi's dream... He was led through a dark and dreary place; he said he had traveled for many hours; he must have been alarmed by the endlessness of the place, for he began to pray for the Lord's mercy to be upon him (I presume to deliver him from his circumstances). When he had prayed, he came to a large and spacious field. The darkness and dreariness was no more, at this point. This reminds me of our lives. We leave a place of glory and our glorious heavenly Parents to come to this earth. Here we dwell, making do the best we can. As we go through experiences that can sometimes be dark and dreary, we can be like Lehi and call upon the Lord, Doing this simple thing will bring light into our lives. Turning our hope and trust to God himself, we leave behind the darkness and dreariness of our trying experiences.
A quick observation from Chapter 9 of 1st Nephi. We get a little glimpse of Nephi's character when he talks about how he was directed by the Lord to make two sets of plates to record things on. Nephi seems to be a "matter-of-fact" kind of guy, as evidenced in the last words of Chapter 9: "And thus it is. Amen". We see this again at the end of Chapter 10: "And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not." Reading ahead to the end of 2nd Nephi (2 Ne 33:15) "for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey." Do you get the impression that Nephi was a no-nonsense guy? This is a very admirable trait, to be sure. Maybe this irked his brothers a little...
Don
I continue to read and think about the book of 1st Nephi. Here are a couple of things I wanted to bring up.
Chapter 8 talks about the vision or dream that Lehi saw in which he learns about the coming of Jesus Christ. Immediately he tells his family about the dream and what he learned. He is so concerned about his family that they are in his vision, and he expresses his concern over them "... with the feeling of a tender parent..." (1Ne 8:37). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for families; it encourages families to be righteous together, to help each other up and encourage each other. The heavenly nature of families is in evidence in our reference to God as our Heavenly Father. Earthly families follow this heavenly pattern. If you can think of a loving father figure in your life (be it your father, uncle, whatever) you can relate that character to our Heavenly Father. If you can relate a loving parent to our Heavenly Parents, then you have an example to follow as a tender loving parent or role model yourself.
An interesting thing I noticed about Lehi's dream... He was led through a dark and dreary place; he said he had traveled for many hours; he must have been alarmed by the endlessness of the place, for he began to pray for the Lord's mercy to be upon him (I presume to deliver him from his circumstances). When he had prayed, he came to a large and spacious field. The darkness and dreariness was no more, at this point. This reminds me of our lives. We leave a place of glory and our glorious heavenly Parents to come to this earth. Here we dwell, making do the best we can. As we go through experiences that can sometimes be dark and dreary, we can be like Lehi and call upon the Lord, Doing this simple thing will bring light into our lives. Turning our hope and trust to God himself, we leave behind the darkness and dreariness of our trying experiences.
A quick observation from Chapter 9 of 1st Nephi. We get a little glimpse of Nephi's character when he talks about how he was directed by the Lord to make two sets of plates to record things on. Nephi seems to be a "matter-of-fact" kind of guy, as evidenced in the last words of Chapter 9: "And thus it is. Amen". We see this again at the end of Chapter 10: "And the Holy Ghost giveth authority that I should speak these things, and deny them not." Reading ahead to the end of 2nd Nephi (2 Ne 33:15) "for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey." Do you get the impression that Nephi was a no-nonsense guy? This is a very admirable trait, to be sure. Maybe this irked his brothers a little...
Don
Monday, January 10, 2011
1st Nephi 5-7
Maybe I should have mentioned this already, but now I'm mentioning it: The comments in this blog, which pertain to the Book of Mormon, are the result of my reading and re-reading the Book of Mormon. If you have read it, I invite you to read along with me as we go through the chapters. You can basically count on 1 to 2 chapters a day, although I may take some parts a little slower and others a little more at a time. If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, please read with me. When you read the chapters I talk about, you will feel the peace that comes from heavenly things. Please read with me! I invite and will appreciate your comments as we go through the book together.
In chapter 5 of the book of 1st Nephi, the travelers learn why the Lord wanted them to obtain the plates from Laban. They contained the writings of the prophets from Moses' description of the creation, down to their day, including prophecies that were given to the prophets throughout that time. The plates of brass also contained the genealogy of Lehi's family; the record indicated that they were descendants of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.
Think of what having these records meant to the generations of people that came after Lehi and his family. They had a written record of their language; even after 475 years of history the language was still being used. Compare this with the Mulekites, who came out of Jerusalem, like Lehi and family, and were led to the promised land. When Nephi's descendants discovered the Mulekites, their languages were totally different because the Mulekites didn't have a written record to keep them 'honest', linguistically speaking. There is no mention of the Mulekites having kept any records, so the story of that people is lost to history.
I've thought about this often... My family knows me right now. My grandchildren know me. They will probably tell their children some stories about Grampa and Gramma. My great grandchildren will not really know of me other than the stories that their parents tell, and then any generations after that will probably know very little of me, their ancestor... unless there are records that are kept and passed on to them. Lehi and Nephi were known by their descendants for their good works because of the records that were handed down: i.e. the brass plates of Laban and the engravings that Lehi, Nephi, and others made. Give your posterity something to remember you by... Make your own record and pass it on to your family. Take a page from Nephi's book (chapter 6) and write to your children and their posterity. Teach them to live good lives, to know and love the Lord, and to keep His commandments.
Speaking of family, it appears that Lehi's family left Jerusalem without any marital prospects for Laman, Lemuel, Sam or Nephi. At the Lord's command, Lehi sent his sons back to convince another family to go with them (one that had the right number of females, by the way). They convinced another good man, Ishmael, to bring his family, leave Jerusalem and travel with them. I would have liked to hear that discussion! I have to believe that the Spirit did the convincing and not Laman, Lemuel, Sam or Nephi.
It is the Lord's mission to bring His children back to His kingdom. It is His will and pleasure to have us, his children, experience love and joy in our lifetimes. This commandment given to Lehi was designed bring Lehi's family joy and rejoicing over their families and their posterity. Small wonder that the Spirit influenced Ishmael and convinced him in the need to go with Lehi's family. The Lord helps His children to be joyful when they follow his voice.
It is interesting to me that Lehi and Ishmael and their families continued the observance of their religion. They did this in spite of their daily travels and their continual efforts of daily living. We need to live our religion and beliefs daily. No vacations! If we 'take a break' from serving the Lord, how can we expect the Lord to not 'take a break' from watching over us? We should live our lives for Eternity....
Don
In chapter 5 of the book of 1st Nephi, the travelers learn why the Lord wanted them to obtain the plates from Laban. They contained the writings of the prophets from Moses' description of the creation, down to their day, including prophecies that were given to the prophets throughout that time. The plates of brass also contained the genealogy of Lehi's family; the record indicated that they were descendants of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.
Think of what having these records meant to the generations of people that came after Lehi and his family. They had a written record of their language; even after 475 years of history the language was still being used. Compare this with the Mulekites, who came out of Jerusalem, like Lehi and family, and were led to the promised land. When Nephi's descendants discovered the Mulekites, their languages were totally different because the Mulekites didn't have a written record to keep them 'honest', linguistically speaking. There is no mention of the Mulekites having kept any records, so the story of that people is lost to history.
I've thought about this often... My family knows me right now. My grandchildren know me. They will probably tell their children some stories about Grampa and Gramma. My great grandchildren will not really know of me other than the stories that their parents tell, and then any generations after that will probably know very little of me, their ancestor... unless there are records that are kept and passed on to them. Lehi and Nephi were known by their descendants for their good works because of the records that were handed down: i.e. the brass plates of Laban and the engravings that Lehi, Nephi, and others made. Give your posterity something to remember you by... Make your own record and pass it on to your family. Take a page from Nephi's book (chapter 6) and write to your children and their posterity. Teach them to live good lives, to know and love the Lord, and to keep His commandments.
Speaking of family, it appears that Lehi's family left Jerusalem without any marital prospects for Laman, Lemuel, Sam or Nephi. At the Lord's command, Lehi sent his sons back to convince another family to go with them (one that had the right number of females, by the way). They convinced another good man, Ishmael, to bring his family, leave Jerusalem and travel with them. I would have liked to hear that discussion! I have to believe that the Spirit did the convincing and not Laman, Lemuel, Sam or Nephi.
It is the Lord's mission to bring His children back to His kingdom. It is His will and pleasure to have us, his children, experience love and joy in our lifetimes. This commandment given to Lehi was designed bring Lehi's family joy and rejoicing over their families and their posterity. Small wonder that the Spirit influenced Ishmael and convinced him in the need to go with Lehi's family. The Lord helps His children to be joyful when they follow his voice.
It is interesting to me that Lehi and Ishmael and their families continued the observance of their religion. They did this in spite of their daily travels and their continual efforts of daily living. We need to live our religion and beliefs daily. No vacations! If we 'take a break' from serving the Lord, how can we expect the Lord to not 'take a break' from watching over us? We should live our lives for Eternity....
Don
Saturday, January 8, 2011
1st Nephi 2-5 (continued)
I guess I'm too wordy; I though I would be able to cover these four chapters in 1 post but here we are.... In my defense, there are too many noteworthy things in these chapters.
A few thoughts about the assignment the Lord gave Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi through their father. They were told they had to go back and acquire the brass plates that their kinsman, Laban, had in his possession. The Lord told Lehi that it was important for them to bring these plates with them. They eventually prevailed and returned to their father's camp with success.
Last post I spoke of the attitude differential between Nephi and Sam and their elder brothers Laman and Lemuel. This story further illustrates this point. For starters, Laman and Lemuel complained about the assignment. You can imagine what they said: "We just got here and now you want us to return?"; "It's too far to go back"; "How are we supposed to get Laban to give them up"; and so on. Nephi, however (and probably Sam as well) said "I will go and do the thing which the Lord commandeth...". Again, the difference is the desire to serve the Lord as opposed to the desire for self.
When they failed to obtain the plates of brass a second time, losing much of their father's fortune in the process, Laman and Lemuel took to beating Nephi and Sam in anger but were confronted by an angel of the Lord. Even after this experience, they murmured against the Lord, as seems to be their nature. Nephi went back and tried again, this time succeeding. The point? I'm sure there are many, but this one sticks with me: A true servant of God, a believer if you prefer, will believe in spite of hardship, difficulties or setbacks. Skeptics, unbelievers, will not believe even though they witness miraculous occurrences. Which category do we fall into? Do we witness miracles and have our faith strengthened? Or do we see miraculous things and shrug them off as insignificant. Do we truly believe or do we give lip service to our God?
Last two thoughts: We really don't have any knowledge of the time involved in this episode. Here's my thoughts: They traveled out of Jerusalem for 3 days. To travel to Jerusalem would presumably take 3 days again. I would assume 1 day for them to enter the city, get in to see Laban and explain their purpose, get rejected and return to wherever they had set up camp. 1 day to mull over what to do next and maybe another to gather the riches of their father left behind. 1 day to again trek to Laban's residence and meet with him and then to flee out of Jerusalem. Probably a day or 2 while they vented their anger, were confronted by the angel, and then murmur at Nephi and Sam some more. Then Nephi entered Jerusalem and obtained the plates and by the next day returned to his brothers. They probably left immediately after that and had a 3 day trip to return to their father's tent. Total that up: 11 days they were gone from their mother and father; 11 days of worry for their mother, who feared they had met with disaster. Small wonder that she complained to Lehi for sending them off. Small wonder that she rejoiced when they returned to them. She had her faith tested but was assured by Lehi, a servant of the Lord, and then saw the Lord's promises fulfilled. Obedience and faith go hand in hand.
Last thought: A very short scripture: "And my father dwelt in a tent." Why do you suppose Nephi felt it was important to inscribe this in his record of spiritually significant things?
Don
A few thoughts about the assignment the Lord gave Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi through their father. They were told they had to go back and acquire the brass plates that their kinsman, Laban, had in his possession. The Lord told Lehi that it was important for them to bring these plates with them. They eventually prevailed and returned to their father's camp with success.
Last post I spoke of the attitude differential between Nephi and Sam and their elder brothers Laman and Lemuel. This story further illustrates this point. For starters, Laman and Lemuel complained about the assignment. You can imagine what they said: "We just got here and now you want us to return?"; "It's too far to go back"; "How are we supposed to get Laban to give them up"; and so on. Nephi, however (and probably Sam as well) said "I will go and do the thing which the Lord commandeth...". Again, the difference is the desire to serve the Lord as opposed to the desire for self.
When they failed to obtain the plates of brass a second time, losing much of their father's fortune in the process, Laman and Lemuel took to beating Nephi and Sam in anger but were confronted by an angel of the Lord. Even after this experience, they murmured against the Lord, as seems to be their nature. Nephi went back and tried again, this time succeeding. The point? I'm sure there are many, but this one sticks with me: A true servant of God, a believer if you prefer, will believe in spite of hardship, difficulties or setbacks. Skeptics, unbelievers, will not believe even though they witness miraculous occurrences. Which category do we fall into? Do we witness miracles and have our faith strengthened? Or do we see miraculous things and shrug them off as insignificant. Do we truly believe or do we give lip service to our God?
Last two thoughts: We really don't have any knowledge of the time involved in this episode. Here's my thoughts: They traveled out of Jerusalem for 3 days. To travel to Jerusalem would presumably take 3 days again. I would assume 1 day for them to enter the city, get in to see Laban and explain their purpose, get rejected and return to wherever they had set up camp. 1 day to mull over what to do next and maybe another to gather the riches of their father left behind. 1 day to again trek to Laban's residence and meet with him and then to flee out of Jerusalem. Probably a day or 2 while they vented their anger, were confronted by the angel, and then murmur at Nephi and Sam some more. Then Nephi entered Jerusalem and obtained the plates and by the next day returned to his brothers. They probably left immediately after that and had a 3 day trip to return to their father's tent. Total that up: 11 days they were gone from their mother and father; 11 days of worry for their mother, who feared they had met with disaster. Small wonder that she complained to Lehi for sending them off. Small wonder that she rejoiced when they returned to them. She had her faith tested but was assured by Lehi, a servant of the Lord, and then saw the Lord's promises fulfilled. Obedience and faith go hand in hand.
Last thought: A very short scripture: "And my father dwelt in a tent." Why do you suppose Nephi felt it was important to inscribe this in his record of spiritually significant things?
Don
Thursday, January 6, 2011
1Nephi 2-5
There is so much in these chapters that I hate to skip any of it. But in the interest of keeping up my reading, and in the necessity of not over-blogging, I am choosing a couple of salient points from each of the chapters, the points that jump out to me.
Obedience = blessings: Lehi was obedient to the Lord's command to prophesy to the wicked of Jerusalem, even though he was mocked and derided. He was blessed to be told to flee or be harmed. Being obedient, he took his family and departed. Blessings? A nice family outing? An extended vacation? How about this? He and his family were led to the chosen land, where his family prospered.
So what is the difference between Laman & Lemuel, and their youngest brother Nephi? Laman and Lemuel resented having to leave their prosperous life in Jerusalem. They were repeatedly chastised (by their father, their younger brother, and by an angel). Many of their posterity were wicked and died ignorant of the Lord's goodness. Nephi was comforted by the Lord. He was shown a vision of the future of mankind and the coming of the Savior. His words were recorded and are read by millions, who are inspired and spiritually moved by his writings. How did they differ?
Desire. Nephi words: "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, .... .... also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord....". Laman and Lemuel's attitude: "for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man... ...And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart." Laman and Lemuel desired the comfortable enjoyable life they left behind, no matter what the consequences. Nephi desired to know the things of God.
One thing that strikes me: If Laman and Lemuel recorded things from their perspective, what would they have written? Probably a totally different version than what Nephi wrote, for sure. Which one would have been more correct? I think it is telling that Nephi's writings were preserved for us to read, not Laman's and Lemuel's (if they had one). The Lord preserved the things that He did "for a wise purpose".
Don
Obedience = blessings: Lehi was obedient to the Lord's command to prophesy to the wicked of Jerusalem, even though he was mocked and derided. He was blessed to be told to flee or be harmed. Being obedient, he took his family and departed. Blessings? A nice family outing? An extended vacation? How about this? He and his family were led to the chosen land, where his family prospered.
So what is the difference between Laman & Lemuel, and their youngest brother Nephi? Laman and Lemuel resented having to leave their prosperous life in Jerusalem. They were repeatedly chastised (by their father, their younger brother, and by an angel). Many of their posterity were wicked and died ignorant of the Lord's goodness. Nephi was comforted by the Lord. He was shown a vision of the future of mankind and the coming of the Savior. His words were recorded and are read by millions, who are inspired and spiritually moved by his writings. How did they differ?
Desire. Nephi words: "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, .... .... also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord....". Laman and Lemuel's attitude: "for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man... ...And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart." Laman and Lemuel desired the comfortable enjoyable life they left behind, no matter what the consequences. Nephi desired to know the things of God.
One thing that strikes me: If Laman and Lemuel recorded things from their perspective, what would they have written? Probably a totally different version than what Nephi wrote, for sure. Which one would have been more correct? I think it is telling that Nephi's writings were preserved for us to read, not Laman's and Lemuel's (if they had one). The Lord preserved the things that He did "for a wise purpose".
Don
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
1st Nephi 1
As is my usual routine, I read a couple chapters from the Book of Mormon on the bus today. Usually I read in the morning, but this raises a dilemma: Do I read in the morning, a good way to start my day and give me a scriptural boost for the day BUT not be able to remember my thoughts when I come home and post a blog entry -- or -- Do I read on the way home, miss having the booster in the morning BUT be able to remember what my impressions are when it comes time to blog? I have a feeling I'll be working this out for awhile.
My thoughts from 1st Nephi Chapter 1:
Goodly parents: Nephi recognizes not only the favorable upbringing he has had, probably including coming from a well-to-do family. Does good upbringing equal a good / righteous person? In some cases it happens that way, but I don't think it is a predominant factor. Look at Abraham for instance: His father was some kind of wacko who held to the religious beliefs of the Chaldeans (I think). He was going to allow them to sacrifice Abram, for crying out loud. On the other end of the example spectrum, what about Laman and Lemuel?
Nephi was taught "in learning of my father"; he had "a great knowledge" of goodness and mysteries of God; He made his record "according to his knowledge". God has always favored knowledge and learning. Truth and knowledge go hand in hand. To restate: Never stop learning, and never cease connecting knowledge with truth.
Even this early on in the Book of Mormon we see the pattern of revelation and testimony. Lehi is given a revelation and then commanded to testify to the people of the great city of Jerusalem. Watch throughout the Book of Mormon, you'll see this pattern. If God sees fit to reveal something to you, it is accompanied by the obligation to share it with, and for the benefit of, others (unless He specifically tells you not to). In Lehi's case, as with many other prophets, he was mocked and hated by those who didn't want to hear that their actions were sinful. Sound familiar in today's context? Just try speaking out about being obedient to God's commands (Gay Marriage?)....
Don
My thoughts from 1st Nephi Chapter 1:
Goodly parents: Nephi recognizes not only the favorable upbringing he has had, probably including coming from a well-to-do family. Does good upbringing equal a good / righteous person? In some cases it happens that way, but I don't think it is a predominant factor. Look at Abraham for instance: His father was some kind of wacko who held to the religious beliefs of the Chaldeans (I think). He was going to allow them to sacrifice Abram, for crying out loud. On the other end of the example spectrum, what about Laman and Lemuel?
Nephi was taught "in learning of my father"; he had "a great knowledge" of goodness and mysteries of God; He made his record "according to his knowledge". God has always favored knowledge and learning. Truth and knowledge go hand in hand. To restate: Never stop learning, and never cease connecting knowledge with truth.
Even this early on in the Book of Mormon we see the pattern of revelation and testimony. Lehi is given a revelation and then commanded to testify to the people of the great city of Jerusalem. Watch throughout the Book of Mormon, you'll see this pattern. If God sees fit to reveal something to you, it is accompanied by the obligation to share it with, and for the benefit of, others (unless He specifically tells you not to). In Lehi's case, as with many other prophets, he was mocked and hated by those who didn't want to hear that their actions were sinful. Sound familiar in today's context? Just try speaking out about being obedient to God's commands (Gay Marriage?)....
Don
Monday, January 3, 2011
Book of Mormon Preamble
By preamble, I mean the things in the beginning of the book: The Testimonies of the three and eight witnesses; the Title page, the Brief explanation and the portion of Joseph Smith History that is included in the copy I am reading.
My thoughts:
The thing that stands out most is this invitation: Prove the Book of Mormon for yourself. Read, ponder, and then pray.
Don
My thoughts:
- 11 men signed their names to affidavits that stated they had seen and handled the artifacts that the Book of Mormon springs from. They stated (and do state) to the world that the plates were real. They mortgaged their good names to assure the world that the things we read in the Book of Mormon came from these artifacts.
- Joseph Smith put his blood, sweat, tears and his life into producing the translation of the record that was on the golden plates.
- There was hostility and opposition to publishing the Book of Mormon - more than anyone could logically explain or defend. It was published and made available to the world in spite of the difficulties that abounded.
- People are challenged to read and pray about the published Book of Mormon. They are promised that God will respond to their honest prayers about what they read.
The thing that stands out most is this invitation: Prove the Book of Mormon for yourself. Read, ponder, and then pray.
Don
My Book of Mormon comments
Here we go..... I've been thinking about doing this for awhile, at least since I started reading the Book of Mormon my last time through in 2010. The thought of posting my comments and observations where anyone can see them and reply to them - that feels pretty daunting to me. But I want to try this. It will be a journey, at least for me. But, Hey! I was going to read the Book of Mormon again anyway.
So Here we go.... Please join me. Keep in mind that I'm not a scholar of religion or of history. My credentials are purely self granted, but... I do love the Book of Mormon and have read it many times. Please comment as you feel impressed to do so - put in your 2 cents; clarify... correct... interpret... but please read and think about the Book of Mormon. If you do just that, and then pray about it, then this blog will be totally worth it to me.
My plan is to read two or three chapters a day, at least 5 days a week. I may not comment on every chapter. I am going to try not to incorporate other commentaries in my notes, but since truth is truth, there may be some blazing similarities. Just keep in mind that I'm not plagiarizing, OK?
So Here we go.... Please join me. Keep in mind that I'm not a scholar of religion or of history. My credentials are purely self granted, but... I do love the Book of Mormon and have read it many times. Please comment as you feel impressed to do so - put in your 2 cents; clarify... correct... interpret... but please read and think about the Book of Mormon. If you do just that, and then pray about it, then this blog will be totally worth it to me.
My plan is to read two or three chapters a day, at least 5 days a week. I may not comment on every chapter. I am going to try not to incorporate other commentaries in my notes, but since truth is truth, there may be some blazing similarities. Just keep in mind that I'm not plagiarizing, OK?
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