Day 28: Ether 1-8

I cannot believe we have made it this far...it's gone so fast! But that was the point, right? To read the whole Book of Mormon really quickly--we've almost reached our goal!

I've chatted with some of you about how the challenge has gone...and I've noticed that it doesn't seem to matter if you've kept up with the reading schedule, or fallen a bit behind, everyone who has worked toward this goal has felt the benefit of the challenge. Some have gained a better understanding of the story lines and recognition of the people. Others have found a greater understanding of the doctrine. And some have felt an increased ability to feel the Holy Ghost each day. We have all gained something that we needed.

Getting closer to the end has made me reflect a bit on what has lead to this point--all that the prophets were inspired to include for us have significance and support the purpose of the book--to testify of Jesus Christ. So many prophesies have been given and then fulfilled. And today we read about one that was fulfilled in this dispensation: the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon who saw the gold plates. Awesome!

Tomorrow is moving day for me, and so today was full of packing and preparing, which left little time for sitting down to do much of anything else. So I listened to the chapters from Ether with my headphones while I packed. As I thought about the Jaredites and their story, and compared it to Nephi, and remembered bits and pieces of other stories throughout the entire Book of Mormon, the words came to me--"Remember, remember..." and "How quick ye are to forget."
Throughout the reading this past month, I have found a handful of chapters that really hit upon topics which are dear to my heart. And I don't want to forget them! I want to always be able to remember what they are and why they are important, so that I can turn to them anytime I need to. But even just after a few days, without continual review, I find I am already forgetting. It is easy for me to read and wonder how on earth those silly Nephites could forget the wonderful things that they knew. How could anyone go from such a righteous and happy people, to so much the opposite? Have you ever wondered that? Well, I think I know why--they simply let themselves stop thinking about it. That is why we are commanded to read our scriptures every day, and go to church every week, and to DO all the things we are commanded to DO. So that we won't forget. So that we can remember.

Here is a pretty cool quote summarizing why Ether is so important for us:

"The book of Ether, then, consists of instructions on and examples of faith, details on the nature and danger of secret combinations, and an account of how a nation can be destroyed by turning away from the teachings of Jesus Christ. All of this is directed at the Gentiles who will receive the Book of Mormon. The book of Ether is thus a pattern of what will happen if our generation does not repent. At the same time, it describes how we can escape destruction and details the great blessings that come to those who turn to the Savior.

In a larger context, the book of Ether serves as a second witness with the Nephite record of God’s promises and warnings to our day. Both records declare, “Inasmuch as ye shall keep [the Lord’s] commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep [the Lord’s] commandments ye shall be cut off from [his] presence.” (2 Ne. 4:4; see also Ether 2:7–10; Ether 13:20–21.) Both illustrate for Latter-day Saints the need for faith, hope, and charity.

The terrifying fact is that the parable of destruction, acted out by two ancient peoples, the Jaredites and the Nephites, could be repeated in the last days. The warning is clear: learn from the past. As Moroni wrote, “Give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been.” (Morm. 9:31.)" (Richard Dilworth Rust, "I Know Your Doing: The Book of Mormon Speaks to Our Times")

Day 27: 4 Nephi, Mormon

Hi, I'm Jennifer, and Cortney asked me to guest post today on the chapters of 4 Nephi and Mormon. We're almost finished with this amazing experience! And I, for one, feel a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, don't you? Earlier this year, I participated in a fitness challenge, and that fizzled out for me before I finished. Oh, and I've been wanting to finish my kids' 1 year baby scrapbooks, but they're now 4 1/2 and 2, and it's looking like they'll be getting a photo CD someday instead. So, finish strong and be happy!

These chapters in the Book of Mormon are the most beautifully heart-wrenching ones in the scriptures for me. Nearly 400 years are covered in couple dozen pages, and they describe one extreme:

"...there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God." (4 Nephi 1:16)

to the other:

"...they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us..." (Mormon 6:11)

But what touches me the most and makes tears well up in my eyes whenever I read it is picturing Mormon, all alone, mourning the loss of all of his people and, at the same time, talking directly to me and to you. From these chapters we learn the purpose of the Book of Mormon...to testify of Christ and also the truthfulness of the Bible. It is for us.

"The Book of Mormon was written for us today. God is the author of the book. It is a record of a fallen people, compiled by inspired men for our blessing today. Those people never had the book--it was meant for us. Mormon, the ancient prophet after whom the book is named, abridged centuries of records. God, who knows the end from the beginning, told him what to include in his abridgement that we would need for our day. Mormon turned the records over to his son Moroni, the last recorder; and Moroni, writing over 1,500 years ago but speaking to us today, states: 'Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.' (Mormon 8:30)...As we read and teach, we are to liken the Book of Mormon scriptures unto us 'that it might be for our profit and learning.' (1 Nephi 19:23)"

Ezra Taft Benson

April 1975 General Conference

Day 26: 3 Nephi 19 - 30

How awesome to read about so many prophesies being fulfilled! How amazing to hear the words of the Savior to His people. How incredible to imagine what it must have been like to be there, to see Him, to hear Him, and to feel His love! I loved reading the entire book of third Nephi. I loved reading things that I had heard before--and things that I hadn't!

There were quite a few things that I felt were emphasized in these chapters by repetition. These are points of doctrine that were familiar to me, yet still very powerful:

Strait is the gate and narrow is the way
We must repent, be baptized, and endure to the end
Jesus Christ and the Father are one
We will be judged by our works
There is a fullness of Joy to be found in righteousness
All things are to be done in Christ's name: prayer, baptism, the name of the church, etc.
Christ set the example--we are to do as he did
All things are done in the Lord's time

I also found things that although I have read them before, were less familiar--and not repeated throughout these scriptures as much--yet every bit as important and true:

"My wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil" (3 Nephi 21:10)
The Holy Ghost can give you the words that you should pray (3 Nephi 19:24)
"I know my sheep, and they are numbered." (3 Nephi 18:31)
"And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts." (3 Nephi 20:1)
We are commanded to study Isaiah (3 Nephi 23:1)
The Lord never changes (3 Nephi 24:6)
The Savior actually reviewed the records and made sure everything was there that he wanted us to have--awesome! (3 Nephi 23)
Paying tithing opens the windows of heaven to us for bounteous blessings (3 Nephi 24:10)

I am so grateful to know that there are more people--remnant of the House of Israel--and more records kept, more scriptures to be read. I am so grateful to know of the great and many miracles that have happened and that will happen still! What a blessing to think about the three Nephite apostles roaming the earth and blessing the lives of people today. How awesome to know that the Lord looked over these scriptures to make sure nothing was missing that we needed to know. What an incredible image I have in my mind of the Savior praying with and for the people--thousands gathered together on bended knee, tear-streaked faces and eyes lifted toward heaven, children gathered at his feet. I have no doubt that the mothers and fathers surrounding them were overcome with gratitude to have their precious babies cared for individually by the Savior and ministered to by angels! I have such hope that when He comes again, my family and I will be numbered among those who, like these Nephites, escape the destruction and are there to see Him, to feel him, to pray with Him and be blessed by Him. What a powerful desire to hope for such a day!

Day 25: 3 Nephi 9-18

Cortney is sharing the wealth and I am quite humbled to have been asked to guest-write a post on this section of scripture. This is the culmination of hundreds of years of conflict and prophesy within the Book of Mormon. Missionaries throughout the world use this story to teach people about Christ's visit to the Americas and the true simplicity of the gospel. My brother returned from serving a mission in Osorno, Chile last Friday, so I asked him for a few thoughts on this section. He said:

From all the Book of Mormon these few chapters are some of my favorites. It gives us a perfect picture view of the character of Christ and his infinite love that He has for his children, it gives us a short glimpse of the purpose and the passion that the Lord has in bringing the plan of the Lord to past. As you read these sections put yourself in the very scenes that happened. Imagine what it would be like, and feel the gratitude that comes as you realize how big were the things that happened in these chapters.

It's difficult to capture even a portion what I feel given everything that occurs in these chapters. I can't cover adequately everything, so I picked one of my favorites. It's located in 3 Nephi 11:33-40 and occurs while Christ is teaching the people of Nephi around the temple in the land Bountiful. Paraphrasing, Christ teaches;

33 - And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved...

35 - ...and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

37 - And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

I love the simplicity of this message. The core and foundation of the gospel is just as we learn in the fourth Article of Faith.

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second,Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Now, with just that, some might say that once we do these 4 things we're done, but Christ continues on and teaches us the following in verses 39-11 of the same chapter:

39 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

40 - And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

Faith, repentance, baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost together form a foundation that we must establish and build our lives and testimonies upon. It's important to note in verse 40 that the consequences of having a weak or improperly laid foundation are not always immediately apparent. When life is good and all appears well, a poor foundation can be easily overlooked and disregarded. When the floods and storms arrive, though, the disrepair and procrastination of yesterday are soon brought to light. For those foundations carefully constructed and cared for through both good times and bad, the floods and storms still occur, but the damage is minimal.

There are many analogies that can be made between building a house and building a testimony, but one thing is certain, both take a lot of work and effort. Luckily, we have been given the blueprints (scriptures) and instructors (prophets) to help us along the way. I am surrounded by people who are constantly showing me the way and helping me as I strive to strengthen my own foundation.

Hopefully I may be as the wise man who built his house upon the rock in 3 Nephi 14:25.

25 - And the rain descended , and the floods came, and winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

James

Day 24: 3 Nephi 1 -8

Oh, what a cliffhanger!
It is hard for me to stop at the end of chapter 8 and not keep going! This is where it is really going to get good, right!?!?

A few things about these chapters--to me they seemed almost to be a concentrated version of everything we have read up to this point regarding the very visible pride cycle. The people are righteous then wicked then righteous then wicked, always compelled by their state of safety or the amount of their riches, and within a surprisingly short period of time. I got nervous for the people when I read the verse in chapter six which reads:

"Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did willfully rebel against God." (3 Nephi 6:18)

Yikes! After reading of all the prophesies and fulfillment of those prophesies up to this point, there is no question what the result of that choice will be. They "yiled themselves unto the power of Satan" (7:5) and are united in hatred (7:11).

United in hatred after they had received "so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls" (3 Nephi 5:20)? Wow. And after they had seen the signs of His birth!

I also recognized something present in our world today-- 6:12
"And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches."

It's no wonder we can't seem to fix this problem--it is thousands of years in the making!

I was surprised in chapter seven when we read about the power Nephi had in preaching to the people:
"And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily." (3 Nephi 7:18)

As for the great destruction that ensues--I am so glad I did not have to be there then! But then again--Christ will come again, and I hope I am prepared for that day! We just had a Sunday school lesson regarding the second coming of Christ, and I have no doubt that it will be just as the scriptures describe: a great day for those who are righteous, and a dreadful day for those who are wicked.

Day 23: Helaman 9 -16

When we started this challenge, twenty-three days ago, I thought that I had to do my reading in the morning, otherwise I would get too busy during the day and I wouldn't get it done. Which was true...at first. But now, after completing four hundred pages (we're almost down to our last one-hundred pages!), I have found that I LOVE reading my scriptures any time of day. And it's not a matter of getting it done, it's a matter of getting to do it.

At the end of the day, when I am tired and ready to relax, the idea of grabbing my scriptures actually sounds inviting, wonderful even! Rather than think, "Oh, I'll fall asleep if I try to read now," I have found myself thinking, "Oh, that sounds so good right now!" When I have a few quiet moments in the middle of the day, I grab my Book of Mormon, sit in my comfy chair by the window, and read.

Today while I sat in that big comfy chair, Sophia looked at me and said "Mom, will you help me?" Then she grabbed her own little copy of the Book of Mormon, wiggled her little tush right in next to my not-so-little tush, and with a highlighter in hand said, "I'm going to do what you do, Mom. Will you help me?" I had to smile, then I had to hold back the tears as I realized the fulfillment of my own patriarchal blessing happening right before my eyes. What a blessing! What a blessing it has been to read my scriptures every day, and to let my children see the value in that time spent in the pages of the Book of Mormon.

In these chapters today, Helaman 9-16, something wonderful happened for me. As I read, I recognized principles that I had read earlier in Alma. I wasn't sure what chapter I had read it, and my underlining and markings were not specific to this particular principle. But I kept reading, hoping I would remember something to help me find the reference. Then, just a few chapters later, it came. One word led me to find what I was looking for--restore. I quickly flipped to the index, scanned through the list of references for the word restoration/restore, and there it was: Alma 41. I remembered what I had thought when I read these scriptures the first time, then after reading Helaman 12, 13 and 14, those thoughts were brought back to me again (since it was so recently that I read them!) and I made a connection that I have been trying to find since high school:

Alma 41-42
Helaman 12:24-26
Helaman 14:30-31

If I had known these scriptures, and fully understood these principles when I was seventeen years old, I would have been able to bear this testimony when I needed it:

It is true, ultimately we are saved by grace. It is through the grace of God that we are given the atonement of Jesus Christ and allowed the opportunity to repent. But while God is a merciful God, he is also a just God. And "the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God." Thus, we must still work out our own salvation--a salvation that is only possible through the Savior, but a salvation that meets the requirements of a God bound by eternal laws. Thus we must place an emphasis on our works. From the scriptures we understand that through Christ we will be saved, both spiritually and temporally. Through resurrection, our spirits will be restored to our bodies. But in order for us to be restored to our home with God, our spirits must be restored to a nature that is not contrary to the nature of God. The meaning of the word restoration is to bring back to it's natural state. So if a man does evil,  he will then be restored to his natural state of iniquity. If a man does good things, righteous and just things, then he will be restored to his natural state of righteousness. "And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works, that they might be restored unto grace for grace, according to their works (Helaman 12:24)."
"And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

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." (Alma 14:30-31)

Yes, through the grace of God we are saved. He has given us the atonement, by which is the only way we can obtain a remission of our sins and a restoration of our bodies and our spirits. But that is not the end of the story. We are not finished once we confess our sins and pledge our faith to Christ. We must do good and become righteous, so that we can be restored to that measure of righteousness when the power of the atonement and resurrection is brought upon us.

This is the testimony that I knew in my heart but could not find the words to explain to my high school English teacher over ten years ago. He questioned me about the emphasis our church placed on good works, saying that we did not fully accept Christ because we do not believe we are saved by His grace. I knew this teacher was wrong, but I didn't know how to tell him the truth--I didn't know how to explain the complexities of such a gospel topic. Now I do. Now I think I could have that same conversation with him and, with the help of the scriptures, explain to him why we believe what we believe and why we do what we do--it's because of the Book of Mormon! It's because of the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We have it! We know it! And we are trying to live it!

I am so grateful for this time in my life where all of these things are coming together. This challenge has come at the moment when I needed it the most. It has not been easy, and yet, is it hard to accept such blessings? No. The difficulties of finding time and energy and brain power to devote to such a study of the scriptures gets easier each day. Not because there is less going on or fewer distractions, but because my desire grows stronger and my faith increases. The blessings are very real to me.

Day 22: Helaman 1-8

Hello everyone! My name is Megan Harvill and I am really excited to write about today’s chapters. First I want to say what a huge blessing it has been to be a part of this challenge, and have the scriptures play a bigger role in my daily life. It really does make a difference to read the Book of Mormon in such a short amount of time. The stories really come alive more! As I start reading each day, the previous day’s reading is still fresh in my mind, so it makes things much more interesting. What a great experience this has been! Now, on to today’s chapters:

So many exciting things happen in the first half of Helaman! I found this part in Chapter 4 interesting, when it explains that the Nephites were able to be defeated because of their wickedness.

Helaman 4:12:

And it was because of the ^{pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—}

Now, all of those things sound pretty evil – especially the sins listed at the end: adultery, stealing, murdering, etc. But for some reason, the part that stood out to me the most was that they lost the ability to be charitable. They became prideful, and withheld food and clothing from the hungry and naked. Charity is so incredibly important to keep us humble and help us remain close to our Heavenly Father.

I also found it interesting that the people who were doing this were those who “professed to belong to the church of God.” (Helaman 4:11) Isn’t it sad when the very people who claim to belong to God’s church are the ones who are mocking sacred things and sinning all over the place? That can only mean one thing in the scriptures: that they are about to be humbled again! 

This brings us to my all time favorite scripture in the entire Book of Mormon. This is when Nephi and Lehi are remembering the words their father Helaman told them:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the ^{rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.}

Isn’t that a fantastic, powerful verse? I love it! I love how it illustrates so clearly how important it is to have a solid foundation of faith in Christ. If you do, the devil will have NO POWER to drag you down into “the gulf of misery and endless wo” because you will not fall if you build upon the foundation of our Savior. I love it.

Here’s the important part: This does NOT mean you won’t have hard times. Notice how it says WHEN the devil shall send forth his “mighty winds,” not IF. We will still have challenges in life. We can count on it. But if we have built our foundation upon the rock of our Redeemer, these storms will have no power over us, and we won’t be dragged down into the “gulf of misery and endless wo.” Thank goodness!

Moving on to my favorite event from these chapters. Later in Chapter 5, Nephi and Lehi are put in prison by the Lamanites, and some men come in to try to kill them. Instead, an amazing miracle happens! They are surrounded by fire but aren’t burned, the Lamanites are unable to harm them, and everyone around hears the voice of God. The walls shake, and a dark cloud descends. It’s a pretty remarkable moment. The voice of God tells the Lamanites to repent, and not to harm Nephi and Lehi.

I don’t know about you, but I love reading people's descriptions of how the voice of God sounds to them. This is a fantastic one, in my opinion.

(Helaman 5:30) And it came to pass when they heard this ^{voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul-}

This is another example of how loving our Heavenly Father is. It makes me happy to hear that the voice they heard was still, and mild, almost like a whisper, but still pierced their souls. And yet they still knew that He meant business! Read verse 31 below:

And notwithstanding the mildness of the voice, behold the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison trembled again, as if it were about to tumble to the earth; and behold the cloud of darkness, which had overshadowed them, did not disperse

I think we can learn something about missionary work as we read about this experience. After this miracle happened, and all those people saw the flames and heard the voice from Heaven, they went forth and preached, and shared their experience. Because of this, many people were converted, and Lamanites even laid down their weapons. Sharing our life experiences and our testimonies can change lives. 

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts with you. This challenge has been such a great blessing in my life, and I've learned so much more than I ever imagined! Happy reading!