Divinity of the Book of Mormon

This isn’t about trying to convince anyone to think the way I do, it’s just me explaining what I know and how I got there. In the Church, we often talk about the divinity of the Book of Mormon, but what does that really mean? When we say the book is divine, does that just mean it’s really good? I’ve heard people exclaim that a particular dessert is divine, but I doubt it’s the same.

To me, there are three aspects of the divinity of the Book of Mormon:

1.       Divine Purpose

2.       Divine Origin

3.       Divine Translation

If any one of these is removed, the other two don’t stand. So let’s look at each one.

Divine Purpose

Why do we have the Book of Mormon? The Title Page, which Joseph Smith translated with the plates, states that the book is:

·         Written to the Jew and Gentile (that covers everyone)

·         Written by commandment, “and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation”

·         To be interpreted “by the gift of God”

·         To convince Jew and Gentile (again, that’s everyone), “that Jesus is the Christ”

Mormon taught us that the record was written so we would believe the “record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews” saying that if we believed that record, we would also believe this record (the Book of Mormon). Those who have come to love the Bible will recognize that same spirit in the Book of Mormon, as they are from the same divine source. Nephi also saw this in a vision, where “plain and precious” things had been lost or removed from the Bible over the years (1 Nephi 13:26) and that the coming forth of the Book of Mormon would “establish the truth of the [Bible]”.

Now we have the Bible and Book of Mormon to jointly testify that Jesus is the Christ.

Divine Origin

Through the prophet Lehi, we learn that Joseph in Egypt was taught about a branch of his seed that would be broken off and raised in righteousness (2 Nephi 3), and that this branch would keep a record that would one day “grow together” with the writings of the seed of Judah (the Bible). He was also taught about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and translation by one who would be “called after me; and ... after the name of his father.” I wonder what went through Joseph Smith’s mind as he translated that passage and realised it was speaking about him.

The Lord was preparing for the Book of Mormon for hundreds of years before Lehi’s family ever left Jerusalem, and His hand can be seen as various writers added their commentary to the record.

Nephi mentioned a couple of times in his writings that he didn’t know why he was making a second set of records, other than “the Lord hath commanded me... for a wise purpose in him” (1 Nephi 9:5, 1 Nephi 19:2-3).  He also said that he wasn’t going to write anything on the plates “save it be that I think it be sacred” (1 Nephi 19:6).

Moroni knew the record he had compiled was not for his day, but for ours. “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 8:35).

Divine Translation

Moroni said that after he hid the record, no one would be able to “bring it to light save it be given him of God” (Mormon 8:14).

Emma Smith, who often helped Joseph as a scribe during the translation process, described how Joseph would work. She said, “When he stopped for any purpose at any time he would, when he commenced again, begin where he left off without any hesitation, and one time while he was translating he stopped suddenly, pale as a sheet, and said, ‘Emma, did Jerusalem have walls around it?’ When I answered, ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘Oh! [I didn’t know.] I was afraid I had been deceived.’ He had such a limited knowledge of history at that time that he did not even know that Jerusalem was surrounded by walls” (Edmund C. Briggs, “A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856,” Journal of History, Jan. 1916, p. 454).

As part of her final testimony to her son, she said Joseph “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictate a book like the Book of Mormon. And, though I was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, and was present during the translation of the plates, and had cognizance of things as they transpired, it is marvelous to me, "a marvel and a wonder," as much so as to anyone else...

“I am satisfied that no man could have dictated the writing of the manuscripts unless he was inspired; for, when acting as his scribe, your father would dictate to me hour after hour; and when returning after meals, or after interruptions, he could at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him. This was a usual thing for him to do. It would have been improbable that a learned man could do this; and, for one so ignorant and unlearned as he was, it was simply impossible.” (Emma Smith - Last Testimony of Emma Smith 1879 Q&A between Emma and Joseph Smith III, The Saints' Herald 26 (Oct 1879))

To me, that is what it means to say “the book is divine”. It is divine because its purpose is to bring us closer to Christ. It is divine because God has guided the events surrounding it for centuries and foretold its coming. It is divine because it was translated by the gift and power of God. It is divine because I have received divine confirmation that it is true.

The last chapter in the book contains a promise, that “...when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:3).

Burdens and the Atonement

I was asked to give a talk recently from Elder Bednar's "Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease" from the April 2014 conference:


In the April Conference this year, Elder David A. Bednar told a story of a friend who purchased a 4WD pickup. He said:

“Shortly after taking possession of the new vehicle, my friend ... decided he would cut and haul a supply of firewood for their home. ...[the] snow already had fallen in the mountains where he intended to find wood. As he drove up the mountainside, the snow gradually became deeper and deeper. My friend recognized the slick road conditions presented a risk, but with great confidence in the new truck, he kept going.

“Sadly, my friend went too far along the snowy road. As he steered the truck off of the road at the place he had determined to cut wood, he got stuck. All four of the wheels on the new truck spun in the snow. He readily recognized that he did not know what to do to extricate himself from this dangerous situation. He was embarrassed and worried.

“My friend decided, “Well, I will not just sit here.” He climbed out of the vehicle and started cutting wood. He completely filled the back of the truck with the heavy load. And then my friend determined he would try driving out of the snow one more time. As he put the pickup into gear and applied power, he started to inch forward. Slowly the truck moved out of the snow and back onto the road. He finally was free to go home, a happy and humbled man.”

Elder Bednar pointed out that it was the load of wood that gave the truck enough traction to get out of the snow and return home. “Each of us also carries a load,” he added. “Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints.”

We need to ask ourselves, “What am I carrying in my truck?” Or as Elder Bednar put it, “Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck?”

Here are a few points I took from Elder Bednar’s story to help me get my truck out of the snow:

First, watch what I put into the back of my truck. I worked for a moving company for the year before my mission and I saw people pack things I considered to be odd. One family brought their water storage with them, others brought stacks and stacks of old newspapers and magazines, furniture restoration projects in various stages of completion that they were going to get around to finishing “one day”, the old-fashioned metal milk cans (the tall ones) full of wheat, boxes and boxes of books that had never been read. Then they were usually confused at the end why we couldn’t get everything to fit into the truck.

We had an experience several years ago when we moved from Edmonton to Strathmore that helped us learn the lesson of prioritizing what goes into the truck. My experience in moving helped me determine that we needed the large truck, even though at the time we only had two small children. I made the reservation a few weeks in advance and when I went to pick it up, the truck wasn’t available and we had to use a medium-sized truck. I knew right away we wouldn’t have room for everything, but despite my protests this was our only option and we had to make some decisions about what we wanted to bring with us. Friends who came to help us load the truck found themselves taking things home with them so that we would have room to pack the items we really needed. While we weren’t exactly thrilled at the time, it did help us to weed out some of the “nice” things we really didn’t need in favor of the items that we needed most.

Elder Bednar cautioned, “we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most.”

There is a quote attributed to the French writer Voltaire, “The enemy of the best is the good.” If we put too many good things in our truck, we may not have room for those things which would give us the best traction. Elder Oaks said in his Oct 2007 conference talk, “Consider how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or magazines. Of course it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it. Some things are better, and others are best.” (Oct 2007 General Conference)

There were probably many other things Elder Bednar’s friend could’ve used to fill the back of his truck, but the load of wood was the best to provide the necessary weight and traction.

Second, like everyone else, I’m going to have to carry a burden. That’s part of the terms and conditions we agreed to when we said we’d follow our Heavenly Father’s plan before we came to mortality. Elder Bednar said, “Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness.”

Did he just say we can’t ultimately be happy without bearing a load? That probably seems counter-intuitive to most of us. Captain Moroni could teach us about being cheerful during hard times. He was the head of the Nephite army for 17 years of war with the Lamanites. It was during this time of war that it was recorded, “…behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi..." (Alma 50:23). Despite the constant war, the Nephites were happy because of their righteousness and obedience to God. And not just a little happy, but like "they're making a new Star Wars movie" happy. In fact, this was the happiest they had been as a people since Lehi and his family walked off the boat.

A spirit of gratitude seems to be essential to finding happiness in the midst of trials and burdens. Section 78 of the Doctrine and Covenants instructs us that, “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious” (D&C 78:19). Not just some things, or most things, or the things we like, but all things.

Sister Bonnie D. Parkin taught in the April 2007 general conference, “The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord—even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be revealed. Then comes a sense of peace.”

Third, Elder Bednar spoke of the importance of the Atonement in our lives in relation to being able to bear our burdens. He said the Atonement “enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities.”

In a 2001 BYU devotional, he said, “I suspect that you and I are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming power of the Atonement than we are with the enabling power of the Atonement. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us… But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—… to empower us... Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for … good men and women who are … striving to become better and serve more faithfully.”

Nephi recounted his experience of being tied up by his angry brothers and left “in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.” (1 Ne. 7:16). He prayed to be delivered according to his faith, “…yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.” (vs. 17)

In that situation, I can guarantee my prayer would not have been so charitable and probably would’ve had a few requests to smite my evil brothers because they so clearly deserve it. Notice Nephi didn’t ask for the Lord to magically make the ropes fall off. He asked for enough strength to free himself, something he could not do without the added ability through God’s help. In essence he was saying, “I will do everything I can to get free, please make up the difference.”

The Book of Mormon offers another example of how the Lord’s enabling power helped the people accomplish more than they could on their own.

Alma the Elder and his people were being oppressed by Amulon, a former priest of King Noah. Amulon and the Lamanites put such heavy burdens on Alma’s people that they “[cried] mightily to God” (Mos 24:10) to the point Amulon instructed the guards to kill anyone found praying to God. They continued to “pour out their hearts” in prayer, and the Lord promised to “deliver them out of bondage” saying, “I will … ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders” (Mos 24: 13-14).

The Lord made it clear that while Alma and his people were still in bondage, they would still have to carry the burdens so they could stand as witnesses and “know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions” (Mos 24:14). In other words, the burdens they had to bear were intended to bring the people closer to the Lord and strengthen their testimonies. He wants us to know that we don’t have to go through hard times alone.

President George Q. Cannon taught, “No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so]. … We have made Him our friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments. ["Freedom of the Saints," in Collected Discourses, comp. and ed. Brian H. Stuy, 5 vols. (Burbank, California: B.H.S. Publishing, 198792), 2:185]

Sometimes the Lord removes our burdens, but most often He helps us become strong enough to carry them. The key is to “…submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (Mos 24:15). That seems like a difficult thing to do as we are struggling with our burdens.

Joseph Smith also set an example of cheerful and patient submission while he was confined in the Liberty Jail. In Doctrine & Covenants 123:17, the last verse written while he was still in jail, he wrote, “Therefore, dearly beloved … let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” (italics added)

Sometimes when we are so focused on our own burdens, it can be hard to hear the gentle invitation from the Lord, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

That means Christ is offering to help us carry our load. Think about that for a minute. No matter what we’re carrying, Christ is extending the invitation to bring it to Him and He’ll help us carry it. As Elder Maxwell taught, “We can confidently cast our cares upon the Lord because, through the agonizing events of Gethsemane and Calvary, atoning Jesus is already familiar with our sins, sicknesses, and sorrows. He can carry them now because He has successfully carried them before” (Neal A. Maxwell Gen Conf Oct 1987).

I feel sometimes we have a tendency to think the Atonement can help us after we’ve done all the work. Nephi did say that it is “by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23), right? It’s like we’re trying to move a heavy piano up a flight of stairs on our own, thinking that if we can just get it to the top of the stairs, then Christ can help us roll it into nicely into place. We need to remember that His invitation was to those “that labor and are heavy laden” and not to those who are already finished. As I understand it, Nephi’s statement means that the strengthening and enabling power of the Atonement will save me over and above everything I can do. I will never get the piano to the top of the stairs on my own, so it’s a matter of accepting the Lord’s invitation to help and then not complaining about how heavy the piano is while He is doing most of the work.

Elder Bednar went on to say, “We are not and never need be alone… There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.”

He concluded his talk by saying, “I invite you to study, pray, ponder, and strive to learn more about the Savior’s Atonement as you assess your individual load… The unique burdens in each of our lives help us to rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah (see 2 Nephi 2:8). I testify and promise the Savior will help us to bear up our burdens with ease (see Mosiah 24:15). As we are yoked with Him … and receive the enabling power of His Atonement in our lives, we increasingly will seek to understand and live according to His will. We also will pray for the strength to learn from, change, or accept our circumstances rather than praying relentlessly for God to change our circumstances according to our will. … We will be blessed with spiritual traction.”

Week 2: Tree of Life

The reading for this week was 1 Nephi 8-15.

I wrote a post on 1 Nephi 8 earlier this year, so I won't rehash that material right now.

Some other thoughts I had which I didn't cover before:

-The iron rod. I noticed how close the iron rod was to many of the dangers, such as the river. Wouldn't it make sense to move the rod a little further away? Then I realized that would make it harder for people trying to make their way back to reach the rod, or for those holding the rod to reach out and help others.

-The sole purpose of the GSB (Great and Spacious Building) seems to be for people to dress up really nice and point fingers at those eating the fruit. Sounds like a good time. All who gave heed to the GSB, "fell away into forbidden paths and were lost" (1 Nephi 8:28) while the faithful "heeded them not" (1 Nephi 8:33). In the eternal scheme of things, no matter how sophisticated or cunning the arguments sound as they come from the GSB, it can't amount to more than a pointing finger.

Chapter 9. Nephi takes a break to let us know the Lord told him to make another set of plates. The Lord has a "wise purpose" and Nephi is obedient even though he doesn't know what that purpose is. It's enough to know that "the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning..." and "...he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words..." (1 Nephi 9:6). 

Chapter 10. After hearing Lehi's account, Nephi desires a first-hand witness. It seems from Nephi's account in Chapter 11 that Lehi didn't explain the dream, because Nephi told the Spirit that he wanted "to know the interpretation thereof". 

"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." (1 Nephi 10:19). 

Chapters 11-14. Nephi is carried away in the spirit as he sat pondering the vision of Lehi. One of the benefits I've noticed already from following the reading schedule is how liberating it is to know I have seven days to finish seven chapters. I don't feel as pressured when I pick away at a chapter throughout the day. There's no rush to move on to the next chapter right away and I have more time to think about what I'm reading. A quick quote from Pres. Eyring:

"... reading, studying, and pondering are not the same. We read words and we may get ideas. We study and we may discover patterns and connections in scripture. But when we ponder, we invite revelation by the Spirit. Pondering, to me, is the thinking and the praying I do after reading and studying in the scriptures carefully." (Pres. Henry B. Eyring, Serve with the Spirit, Oct 2010 Gen Conf)

And one from Elder Scott:

 "...I start reading a passage of scripture; I ponder what the verse means and pray for inspiration. I then ponder and pray to know if I have captured all the Lord wants me to do. Often more impressions come with increased understanding of doctrine. I have found that pattern to be a good way to learn from the scriptures." (Elder Richard G. Scott, "How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life", April 2012 Gen Conf)

Notice how many times during Nephi's vision the Spirit, and later the angel, tells him to "look". I used to think that was a little weird. After all, Nephi asked to see the vision, what else is he going to be doing? The angel isn't telling him to put his phone away and pay attention, I think there's so much going on in the vision that the angel needs to direct his attention to the key elements. I think it's not so much "look" (implying he wasn't looking before) as it is "look over there". By Chapter 13, Nephi seems to have "caught up" to the point the angel no longer needs to keep telling him where to look and transitions from "look" to "thou hast beheld".

Chapter 15. Nephi goes back to his father's tent and his brothers were "disputing" about some of the things Lehi told them. I don't know how I missed it before, but the next part never really clicked in for me. In verse 5 Nephi says "...I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall." Nephi came out of a great spiritual experience, being privileged to see the Savior's mortal ministry and His post-resurrection appearance to the Nephites. I never really grasped the impact it would have after seeing those wondrous events to then witness the destruction of the Nephites because of their wickedness. No wonder he had to wait to receive his strength again before dealing with his brothers.

They told Nephi, "...we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken..." (vs 7) and "... the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." (vs 9).

The prophet Joseph Smith taught:

"God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them" (Teachings, p. 149, emphasis added).

It's one thing to explain something to a person who really wants to understand. It's a completely different experience to have to explain something to someone who should know but doesn't want to put in the effort to find out for themselves (Call me one more time to ask me about something I covered in the staff meeting...). Points to Nephi for not trying to beat it into them with the brass plates.

I like the "If... Then..." statements in the scriptures. They make it easy to follow along and replicate the results. Nephi quotes a scripture in vs 11:

"...If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."

If these things are not being "made known unto [us]", then we must not be meeting all the required conditions. Failure to meet any one of the conditions will result in not receiving the promised blessing.

Another point I just noticed this week and find very fascinating is how Nephi handled the little Q&A session. In vs. 8 he asks, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?" and could have easily added something along the lines of, "I asked and the Lord showed me the vision too." Not once does he mention to his brothers that he had a personal witness of Lehi's vision.

I also wonder if the brothers ever picked up on the fact Nephi was explaining points of Lehi's vision which Lehi himself didn't notice? Nephi pointed out that Lehi didn't notice the river of water was filthiness because he was so caught up in other things (vs 27). "If Dad didn't notice, how do you know?"

So, that's a very brief overview of the reading for week 2. Week 3's assignment is 1 Nephi 16-22. Feel free to comment with anything which impressed you during the week. Don't be shy...

Moroni's Quest: Week 1

Since I'm not teaching any more, I figured this would be a good way to keep me studying on a regular basis. Our stake is doing Moroni's Quest in July and they handed out the reading assignments, so I thought I'd follow along in my book and make notes here of things which impressed me.

Week 1: 1 Nephi 1-7

I wonder how Joseph Smith felt as he translated Lehi's experience in Chapter 1. Lehi described "a pillar of fire" (1 Nephi 1:6) and an incredible vision where he saw Christ and was taught many things only to be mocked later by the people he was trying to save. Truman Madsen indicated some of Joseph's earlier accounts of his First Vision used the word "fire" instead of "light" as well as his amazement that the trees around him did not catch fire.

In Chapter 2, Lehi is commanded to take his family into the wilderness so he leaves everything behind and takes his family on a camping trip. At this point, it doesn't seem like the Lord has told them where they are going or how long they'll be gone. God said, "Go" so Lehi left.

Later in Ch 2, Nephi prays to the Lord and had his heart softened "that I did believe all the words of my father" (1 Nephi 2:16). He doesn't say that was the specific intent of his prayer, but it seems likely. Did Nephi doubt his father? That doesn't seem to fit his character. I think he recognized a need for a spiritual conversion stronger than what he already had. He then prayed on behalf of his stubborn older brothers and the Lord tells him, "...inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord" (1 Nephi 2:21). Notice He didn't say, "if thy brethren shall rebel against thee". Every time Nephi exhorts his brothers to be faithful, remember that he already knows they are going to be cut off.

Chapter 3, Lehi tells the boys to make the 12-14 day trip (around 180 miles) back to Jerusalem to pick up the brass plates from Laban. I've been in the car not two minutes away from my house and not turned back to get something I have forgotten. I can't imagine travelling for 2 weeks one-way to pick something up. If the plates were so important, why couldn't the Lord say, "Don't forget to pick those up on your way out of town"? Nephi would've missed the opportunity to find out how obedient he really was, and Sariah wouldn't have received her witness either.

Chapter 4. Nephi goes out to get the plates, knowing only that God has "prepared a way" to accomplish His commands. How many times in my life have I felt frustrated because I couldn't see how things would end up? Nephi sets the example by doing everything in his power to be obedient and trusting the Lord will pick up the rest.

Nephi finds Laban passed out drunk, then gives us a detailed description of Laban's sword and the metals used to make each piece. Based on this, and Nephi's ability to molten ore and make tools, I think he worked in the trade.

Chapter 5, the boys return with the plates. Mother Sariah has been a little worried because they were taking so long. Lehi & family offer sacrifice and burnt offerings in thanks. Upon receiving the brass plates, Lehi "did search them from the beginning" (1 Nephi 5:10).  There are examples in Church history of those who received the Book of Mormon in a similar spirit. Parley Pratt recorded of his experience:

“I opened it with eagerness, and read its title page. I then read the testimony of several witnesses in relation to the manner of its being found and translated. After this I commenced its contents by course. I read all day; eating was a burden, I had no desire for food; sleep was a burden when the night came, for I preferred reading to sleep. 

“As I read, the spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I knew and comprehended that the book was true, as plainly and manifestly as a man comprehends and knows that he exists” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, 3d ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938, pp. 36–37).

I've had the Book of Mormon all my life and I don't think I've ever read it with that much enthusiasm.

Chapter 6, "Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men" (1 Nephi 6:6). Everything Nephi and the following writers chose to include is "of worth unto [us]".

Chapter 7, Lehi sends the boys back to town to pick up Ishmael and his family. What would you say to another family to convince them to leave the comforts of home and wander in the wilderness. What would it take for me to drop everything and go?

On the way back, Laman & Lemuel want to go back to Jerusalem. Nephi tries to talk them out of it and they tie him up and leave him to be eaten by wild animals. The interesting part to me is that after they left Nephi, they kept going in the wilderness rather than going back like they said they would. What changed their minds? They had the perfect opportunity to go back, but they didn't. It's also amazing to me that Nephi "did frankly forgive them" (1 Nephi 7:21) after they were sorry and asked to be forgiven. Nephi doesn't seem to be the type to hold a grudge.

So, there's week #1 in a nutshell. I'm happy for the excuse to go through these scriptures again with a very specific reading schedule which makes me slow down and think about what I'm reading. Please feel free to comment on anything which sticks out to you.

Reading for Week 2: 1 Nephi 8-15

Deliverance

No, not the kind with the paddles and banjos... A friend's post has had me thinking a lot about the theme of deliverance throughout the Book of Mormon. And since I recently listened to the entire Book of Mormon in the car over a 2.5 week period, some of the examples are still fairly fresh in my mind. 

The Book of Mormon writers (and abridgers) wanted to make sure we understood that Christ delivers the faithful and those who put their trust in Him. What really stuck out to me this time is the thought that very seldom are we spared from trials/tribulations/etc. or rescued immediately. The Lord's timing can be as instructive as is our delivery by His hand.

Nephi had an awesome attitude and never faltered in his faith. He and his brothers are sent back to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates. Their first two attempts didn't go well and they end up hiding. Laman and Lemuel proceed to beat Nephi and Sam with rods. An angel appears, and asks why they are beating their younger brothers. If it were me, I'd probably be asking the angel if he was stuck in traffic or stopped to get a snack. This sort of intervention would've been great before the beatings started. But Nephi doesn't complain and takes the opportunity to give his older brothers a pep talk.

On the way back from picking up Ishmael and his family, Nephi gets tied up and left to be eaten by wild animals. He prays and receives the strength to burst his bands. No waiting, just pray and receive; immediate deliverance.

FFWD >> Laman & Lemuel didn't like Nephi correcting their rude behavior on the boat, so they bind him with strong cords for four days. They eventually untie him when they realize they are about to be killed in the storm. Nephi grabs the liahona and prays to the Lord. My prayer would've included, "... and if Laman and Lemuel should happen to accidentally fall over the side, please let them get eaten by sharks", but Nephi just prays and gets the ship back on course. So, what does this teach me about deliverance? Do you think at some point during those four days Nephi may have prayed, "O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound" as he did in the wilderness (1 Nephi 7:17)? It worked the last time. Each previous time Nephi had been delivered, it had been with minimal waiting. Why did the Lord wait so long this time? It doesn't seem fair that Nephi had to suffer so Laman and Lemuel could be taugh a lesson. Maybe Nephi needed to learn something about himself which he couldn't learn in any other way?

What about the story of Alma and Amulek? Their time in Ammonihah did not go well. They end up being cast into prison where the judge and several of the people take turns hitting them and spitting on them, and  taunting them for a few days while depriving them of food and water. They finally stand and plead with God, "How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance." They break their bands, the prison comes tumbling down around them, killing their captors, and the two men walk out free and unharmed. Score one for miraculous deliverance.

Alma was "constrained by the spirit" not to use the priesthood to prevent the faithful women and children from being burned in the flames. Could he also have been constrained not to use it to free themselves from prison and the related abuse? Do I have enough faith in the Lord and His plan to sit patiently, often enduring great hardships, until He says it's time to use the "get out of jail free" card?

So, where am I going with all this? The thought which keeps coming to mind is that God does deliver the faithful. No question there. But, the desired deliverance almost never comes how we expect it, or even when. For Abinadi, deliverance came through his martyrdom in flames. The women and children of Ammoniah who were thrown into the fire? The "Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory". The Army of Helaman was miraculously delivered in battle, even though each of them were wounded. Nephi and his brother Lehi were delivered from the Lamanite prison after being starved for a few days. The Nephites who believed Samuel's message of the Lord's birth were delivered, almost literally, at the last minute.

I do not doubt the Lord will deliver me from trial and hardship. I do, however, wonder a little bit as to whether I will play the part of Nephi and burst my bands right away, Alma the Elder whose burdens were made light so he couldn't feel them, Alma and Amulek who endured and witnessed great suffering before the prison comes down around them, or even Abinadi whose deliverance came in death. Whatever the Lord has in store for me, I just hope I can hold on long enough for the deliverance to come.

Stay on Your Mountain

The lesson (in our ward anyway) for next week is #31 and is the start of the "war chapters" in Alma. This is one of my favorite sections in the Book of Mormon. I'll admit, it's easier to read about all the wars and fighting than it is to read something like Jacob 5, but I am starting to see more of the value behind these chapters.

Let me start with a quote from Elder M. Russell Ballard which helps make it easier to apply the war chapters to our lives today:

“We are in a war.  This is the same war that raged in the premortal world. Lucifer and his followers are committed in their evil direction. But we must never forget this about Lucifer: he is a liar. He is the father of all lies and has been from the beginning. He was cast out of Heavenly Father's premortal kingdom because of his disobedience, and now he has one goal, one eternal commitment that has never changed from the time of the war in heaven until the present day. His sole purpose is to make you and me as miserable as he is, and the best way for him to accomplish that is to entice us into disobedience.” (BYU Devotional, March 12, 1996)

I don't think we'll have many times in our lives when we'll be required to put on our breastplates and armor, grab our sword, and run off into battle. But we can apply many of the things Mormon chose to include in the abridgment to our lives to help keep us safe from the adversary and his forces.

I'm going to start with Chapter 47 because this went from being just a cool story to something I could really understand. Amalickiah and his group join the Lamanites, he gets the king wound up to go to battle against the Nephites, the majority of the Lamanite army doesn't like the idea and went up to the top of Mt. Antipus so they wouldn't have to go against the Nephites. The king gave Amalickiah command of the army and told him to "compel them to arms". Amalickiah says, "Excellent, this fits into my plan to become king."

Now, I'm not going to claim any interpretive ability here as that's not my job. I will, however, suggest this is one possible application. Put yourself in Lehonti's place for the story (he's the leader of the army who has "fixed in their minds with a determined resolution" not to go against the Nephites). Where has he and the army taken refuge? "...upon the top of the mount..." (Alma 47:7). Does that mean we should go hide out in the wilderness to avoid the influence of the world? No... the Lord wants us to be "in the world, but not of the world." What comes to my mind is the scripture in Isaiah 2:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it."

The "mountain of the Lord's house" is the temple. Pres. Hunter taught, "we again emphasize the personal blessings of temple worship and the sanctity and safety that are provided within those hallowed walls. It is the house of the Lord, a place of revelation and of peace." (Oct General Conference, 1994).

Obviously we can't spend all day every day in the temple, but if we work to stay worthy and honor the covenants we've made, that protection will follow us home.

So if we're assuming the part of Lehonti, who is playing Amalickiah? Hmm... who else has an overwhelming desire to destroy our freedom and make us miserable? Who tries to get what he wants through lies and deceit? Oh yah, that would be Satan.

So Amalickiah takes his army to the foot of the mountain, waits for night then sends a "secret embassy" to get Lehonti to come down. Lehonti is no dummy, he refuses to come down. Amalickiah tries three times unsuccessfully before changing his tactic. This time he goes up the mountain, "nearly to Lehonti's camp" and asks Lehonti to come down with his guards. After all, Amalickiah was only concerned about Lehonti's comfort and safety and had his best interests at heart. Seems legit, right? You don't want to watch that R-rated movie with the graphic depictions of sex? No problem, how about you watch this one instead? It doesn't actually show anything, but they talk about it all the time and show enough that you'll know what's going on. The one I heard the most growing up was, "You can repent in time to serve a mission." That rarely ended well either.

Lehonti fell for it and met with Amalickiah, who tells him, "Sneak down during the night, surround my army, we'll surrender, and you'll be in charge of the whole army. All I ask is to be second in command." Again, seems like a good deal. Lehonti gets what he wants (doesn't have to go against the Nephites), plus a bonus.

Everything goes according to plan. Unfortunately, it was Amalickiah's plan and not Lehonti's. We need to remember that every time Satan offers us a deal, it fits his plan and not ours. Whatever Lehonti had planned for his new position didn't last long. Amalickiah had one of his servants "administer poison by degrees" to Lehonti. Notice he didn't kill him outright, any more than Satan gets us to jump straight into the deep end. That's not his style. Rather than try to come at us head-on, he usually sides-up beside us so he can put his arm around us and pacify us, get us to let down our guard, and before we know it we're on the wrong path (See 2 Nephi 28:21). Lehonti probably didn't even know he was being poisoned.

Lehonti dies, Amalickiah becomes leader of the whole army, visits the king, has him killed, and is now king of all the Lamanites. If Lehonti had stayed at the top of the mountain, he would've been safe. Amalickiah could not have gained an advantage, and would never have become king.

So, the moral of this story: "Don't come down off your mountain!" Not even a little bit.

Experiment on the Word

I really need to work on updating this one more often. I'm such a slacker...

Anyhow, I recently had the opportunity to fill in for our Gospel Doctrine instructor for a few weeks and really was meaning to post a few things here (really, I was). The last lesson I did was on Alma 32, which was a bit of a challenge. Most everyone in the class is likely to know the story line already (Alma & co. visit the apostate Zoramites in an effort to bring them back on-side, they find a group of the poor & humble who are receptive to the message, Alma teaches them about faith and experimenting on the word of God). So, how do you present the material in a way that doesn't put everyone to sleep?

First, let's dispel a lingering myth. At no point in chapter 32 (or anywhere else I can find) does Alma compare faith to a seed. You can look all you want, but you won't find it because it's not there. What he says is, "...we will compare the word unto a seed" (Alma 32:28).

Here are some of the points which jumped out at me:
-Verse 11, am I a "Sunday Mormon"? Or do I live it 7 days/week?

-Verse 26-27, it's interesting to me that Alma gives the humble Zoramites the "scientific method" for discovering truth right after the story of Korihor, who basically said "if you can't prove it scientifically, it doesn't exist."

-Alma's discourse on the seed seems to be a continuation of the Parable of the Sower. He's talking to those who's hearts are "good soil", so he can spend more time talking about nurturing the seed rather than the condition of the ground.

-The biggest insight I had this time came from two quick references in verses 13 and 22:

13 And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

22 And now, behold, I say unto you, and 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.

I've read this passage many times, I've had many lessons on this chapter, but this was the first time this idea occurred to me. And when it did, it was like someone had highlighted and underlined it for emphasis and I had one of those, "how long has that been in there?" moments. Before Alma starts talking about faith and making room in their hearts for the word of God, he plants the idea that God is merciful. He says in verse 13 that everyone who repents will find mercy. Those are pretty good odds. Then he says God is merciful to everyone (again, loving the odds here) who believes on his name.

So now I have to ask myself, "Why is it so important to Alma that these Zoramites understand the mercy of God?" Maybe because they had dissented from the Nephites and perhaps had doubts they could be accepted again. Satan is quick to tell us that we've come too far to turn around, regardless of what we've done. Not only had these people left the church, they actively built another one to teach there would be no Christ (oops... awkward).

Then it hit me again in chapter 33. Alma wants to really drive home the point that these people don't have to come to the synagogue to worship, so he uses a scripture about prayer to back up his point (Alma 33:3-11). Okay, so we can pray in the wilderness, the field, our houses, closets, when we're alone or surrounded by people... that's comforting. Alma could've used any number of scriptures to back up his point. There are many great examples of prayer which would help illustrate how you don't have to be in church on Sunday to pray. He chose this one for a reason. Count how many times in those nine verses where God's mercy is mentioned. It's okay... I'll wait for you to come back...

Six times in nine verses. It really seems like Alma is trying to get this idea to stick. So, hidden in a story I thought I knew was this wonderful underlying message that God is merciful. Not just some of the time either. All the time. And not just to the preferred customers, but "whosoever repenteth shall find mercy" because "God is merciful unto all who believe on his name".

Thanks to that insight, this passage now has a new depth of meaning for me. Experiment on the word, plant it in your heart and nourish it until it grows. I've done that with various aspects of the gospel and it has never failed. And now I can add the understanding and reassurance of God's mercy to the process.

The Tree of Life

Yah, I know... it's been a while since my last post here. I haven't actually been the Gospel Doctrine instructor since the ward boundary change last year. I came across something which helped me understand Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life a little better than I had before. Amazing what happens when I actually read the lesson material before class...

The lesson manual pointed out there were four groups of people described in the vision:
A. Those who started on the path, but became lost in the mist of darkness (1 Nephi 8:21-23)
B. Those who managed to partake of the fruit, but then became ashamed and fell away (1 Nephi 8:24-28)
C. Those who partake of the fruit and remain faithful (1 Nephi 8:30)
D. Those who go straight for the GSB (Great and Spacious Building) without even getting on the path (1 Nephi 8:31-33)

I had one of those "how long has that been there??" moments. I'm not sure what the trigger was this time, but I realized, "This sounds an awful lot like the parable of the Sower!"

Let's look at the four groups of people described in Matthew 13:
1. Those who hear the word, don't understand, and are caught away by Satan (Matt 13:19).
2. Those who receive the word with joy, but fall away after tribulation or persecution (Matt 13:20-21)
3. Those who receive the word, but let the cares of the world take over (Matt 13:22)
4. Those who receive the word and bear fruit (Matt 13:23)

This reminded me of the matching sections on exams where you link items from one column to the corresponding item in the other column. I like it when things break down into pieces I can understand.

Here are my answers:
A3. They start off on the path, but their desires to reach the fruit get choked by the desires of the world.

B2. These people experience the joys of the gospel, but become ashamed or offended and fall away. This to me is the saddest group. They had first-hand experience of the fruit and how it was "desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10). They ate the fruit and left. Not because the fruit didn't taste good, but because of how others made them feel about it. Maybe some of them came back, but too many do not. It reminds me of Lyman E. Johnson's story. He was the first apostle chosen in this dispensation, but eventually fell away and was excommunicated. He once told the brethren:

"I would suffer my right hand to be cut off, if I could believe it again. Then I was full of joy and gladness. My dreams were pleasant. When I awoke in the morning my spirit was cheerful. I was happy by day and by night, full of peace and joy and thanksgiving. But now it is darkness, pain, sorrow, misery in the extreme. I have never since seen a happy moment." (As cited by Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. (London: Latter-day Saints Book Depot, 1854-86), 19:42.)

He should be the poster boy for the GSB.

C4. These people went through all the same hard spots on the journey, passed through the same mists of darkness and endured the same tauntings from the GSB residents and still remained faithful.

D1. These guys thought the GSB looked more appealing than some glowing fruit and didn't even get on the path. Maybe they didn't understand how that little piece of fruit was worth all the effort. Maybe they didn't see how it could make them happy. Everyone at the window pointing their fingers seemed to be having fun.

A few other observations I had...
-I've often wondered about the man "dressed in a white robe" (1 Nephi 8:5) who was Lehi's guide at the beginning of the dream. He tells Lehi to follow, and that's the last we read of him. Was Lehi's experience similar to Nephi's? Did the 'man in white' stick around and explain things as they went along? What was Lehi thinking as he was walking through the "dark and dreary waste... for the space of many hours"? After all, he was being obedient and still found himself in a dark place.

-I found it a little interesting there was a very clear-cut path, albeit strait and narrow, and a rod of iron leading travellers to the tree of life and the fruit, but the way to the GSB was shrouded in the mist of darkness to the point where those trying to make their way had to "[feel] their way" (1 Nephi 8:31), which tells me they were walking blind. Many of them were drowned, many were lost, all just trying to get to the GSB so they could have fun pointing out the window at people eating fruit (sounds like a good time to me). Don't get distracted by the GSB travel brochures, read the fine print. Satan doesn't care if you get lost or drown along the way, he just wants you off the path and away from the iron rod, "for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)

A Blonde Moment

I took three of the kids to stake conference on Sunday (#4 wasn't feeling well). I have been listening to the Book of Mormon as I drive, so it started playing again when I started the car. After one of the many "I, Nephi..." verses, Allie (6yrs) asked a very serious question:

"Dad, how did Nephi know how to talk to the radio?"

After explaining it wasn't actually Nephi speaking, but someone reading the scriptures, she was fine again.

I worry about that girl sometimes. Cute, but the blonde goes all the way to the roots some days...

Lesson 14: Pesky Neighbors

This week's lesson deals with probably my second-favorite parable. The more I learn about the "good" Samaritan (Note, Christ never used the term 'good' in relation to this parable), the more appreciation I have for my Savior.

A lawyer, trying to trap Jesus, asked what he had to do in order to inherit eternal life. Christ turned the question back on him saying, "You're a lawyer, what does the law say?"

This must've been a bit embarrassing for a lawyer to appear not to know a basic question like that, so he answered, 'Love God and your neighbor'. In an effort to save face, he added, "And who is my neighbor?"

Essentially he's asking, "Where is the dividing line between neighbor and non-neighbor? If someone asks me for help, where's the cut-off point where I'm no longer obligated to do anything?" I'm sure we've all had neighbors we'd rather not have to help if we could get away with it. Maybe they play their music really loud at all hours of the night, maybe they let their dog wander around on your lawn. To the Jews of the day, any Israelite was considered a neighbor. However, if you saw a Gentile drowning, you weren't technically obligated to help under the law.

"The rabbis said, 'An Israelite killing a stranger-inhabitant doth not die for it by the Sanhedrin, because it is said, If any one lifts up himself against his neighbor.' 'We are not to contrive the death of the Gentiles, but if they are in any danger of death we are not bound to deliver them... for such a one is not thy neighbor.' (J. R. Dummelow, The One Volume Bible Commentary, p. 751)

Christ referred to this point earlier in his ministry, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy" (Matt 5:43).

Jesus responded to the lawyer with a parable:

...A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Jericho was a Levite city about 12-15 miles away from Jerusalem and the road was called the "red path" or "bloody way" as it was known for frequent attacks on travelers. The wounded man in the story is left unaided by a passing priest and Levite, who move to the other side of the road to avoid him.

While this may seem a little harsh to us, the listeners would've understood, as the priest and Levite would've held responsibilities in the temple and any contact with one who was dead would result in being made unclean (Numbers 19:16) and unworthy to serve in the temple without a lengthy cleansing period.

The stinger for them would've been the actions of the Samaritan who saved the life of the wounded man. In fact, when asked who he thought was neighbor, the lawyer couldn't even say Samaritan but referred to him only as "he that shewed mercy".

On the surface, the moral of the story seems to be "do good to everyone", which is definitely one important application. But remember the lawyer's original question, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" I feel we as readers often take the wrong role in the story. We think we are to be the Samaritan, when in fact we are the wounded traveler. It's almost as if Jesus was asking, "what can you do, as the wounded, dying man on the side of the road, to save yourself?" The answer is clear, we are vulture bait unless someone steps in to help. The only source of salvation comes from one they despised most. Earlier in Christ's ministry, the Jews applied what was probably the worst label they had, "Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan...?" (John 8:48)

The Samaritan in the story gave the inn-keeper two-days wages as payment in advance, which would've been more than enough, and a promise he would pay more if needed. Eternal life comes through Christ no matter how unpopular He may be, whether in His day or in ours.

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23)

"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..." (2 Nephi 2:8)

Lesson 13: Fish Again?

If you live in Raymond, you don't get a lesson this week, one of the casualties of the boundary adjustments and the creation of a new ward. The rest of you are probably on Lesson 13.

This is my first "civilian" posting, which was an interesting experience. I had a few ideas and insights as I read, but mostly questions.

Jesus and the disciples had gone up to Tyre and Sidon from Capernaum (about 60km away). Matthew and Mark don't mention the reason for the detour, only that while they are there a Greek woman "besought [Jesus] that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter" (Mark 7:26). Matthew records she "cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on my, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" (Matt 15:22). She was making enough of a scene the disciples "besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us." (Matt 15:23). "Can't you just help her so she'll go away?"

Christ told the woman, "Let the children of the kingdom (JST Mark 7:26) first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." Ouch, that seems a little harsh. But the Greek word used here means "little dog" or family pet.

The woman, who seems to have understood what Jesus was saying, replied, "Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." (Mark 7:28).

Jesus, impressed with her faith (see Matt 15:28) tells her she can have what she wants and her daughter was made whole.

So, was this the primary reason Christ came to the region? Nothing else is recorded of the trip. It seems a long way to go to test the faith of a gentile woman. Was this a primer for the apostles, letting them know the time will come when they will take the gospel to the gentiles?

From the coast of Tyre and Sidon, they traveled to Decapolis, ten cities to the south east of the sea of Galiliee, again largely populated by gentiles. The people had followed the Savior for three days as he healed their sick (see Matthew 15:32-39/ Mark 8:1-10). Four thousand men (not counting women and children) were starting to get a little hungry and Jesus had compassion on them. The disciples pointed out they were in the wilderness and couldn't buy bread, and didn't have enough to feed everyone. Christ took the seven loaves and the few small fish, gave thanks, and broke them. The disciples then distributed them among the multitude, and after everyone was full, they collected seven baskets of left-overs.

Some of my questions:
-Why did he wait three days before having compassion on the multitude? The 5,000 were fed after only a single day.
-Why didn't the disciples just ask for a repeat performance? They had seen him feed 5,000 with only five loaves. Were they afraid to ask for something which seemed so far out of reach?
-Why were there only seven baskets left over? For that matter, why were there twelve baskets left over the first time?

A couple of points I'm taking from these two experiences:
-I need to be more like the gentile woman in my prayers. Her faith and persistence resulted in the desired blessing. My prayers could use a bit more faith and persistence.
-Don't be offended or hurt when the Lord tests my faith. In the scriptures, every time faith is tested a great blessing awaits on the other side, "for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6)
-The multitude followed Christ for three days without eating. What am I willing to give up to be closer to him? A bad habit or two? Maybe a favorite sin?

Not How I Had Pictured It...

Any calling to serve in the Church comes with an eventual release date (with a very few exceptions). I knew my day would come eventually, although I had imagined it quite differently. I figured in about 4-5 years, despite my best efforts to stay under the radar, someone would realize I was still teaching and move me to some other calling. Sure, I'd accept the new position, but on the inside I would still be missing my favorite calling of all time. That's not how it happened...

Last night there was a meeting for the Raymond stake in which all the ward boundaries were revised and the new Raymond 9th ward was created. Speculation has been running rampant for over a year now, but last night it became official. I thought it was rather amusing they chose "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go" as the opening hymn. The stake went through and released a couple of bishops as well as some other stake callings, so we were all trying to guess where the boundaries would be, based on who was being released. I honestly thought we were safe because they only seemed to be affecting three of the wards. But sadly, we got traded to First ward.

To say we have mixed emotions is somewhat an understatement. Trevor is excited because now his friend and his cousins will all be in the same ward. Rhys is excited because his friend Owen is also in 1st ward (we live two houses away, pretty good odds we were going to be in the same ward). I'm sure 1st ward will be fine, but it's still hard leaving 5th ward.

I'm very grateful to have been given the privilege of teaching Gospel Doctrine for nearly five years. I've had so many great learning experiences and will miss everyone. I take with me all the things they taught me (even though I was supposed to be the teacher). If you've never taught Sunday School, you're missing out on what it's like to see people in the class have "ah-ha!" moments, or to feel guided to take the lesson in a different direction and see it touch someone.

This calling has given me the wonderful opportunity to serve alongside some great men. Two of the most influential:

Brother Terry Tieland, I still remember your Book of Mormon lessons and feeling your testimony as you taught. One of my biggest worries when I was first called was how high you had set the bar.

Bishop Bernie Orr, from being priesthood helpers on Beehive camp, to teaching, to your time as bishop, I've always looked up to you. The hardest part of this whole transition was probably the realization I'm not in your ward any more. I am a better person because of the things I've learned from you.

So, to the 5th ward Gospel Doctrine class, I thank you. I learned far more from you than you did from me.

Now I just wait to see where I get called next. In the meantime, I'll still keep working on the weekly lessons because it's fun for me.

Lesson 12: Never Seems to Work With Ice Cream

The other point I wanted to cover from this week's lesson is the feeding of the 5,000.

A large multitude had been following Jesus because they had seen the great healings he had performed. As the evening drew close, Christ had compassion on the people and asked Philip where they could buy enough bread to feed the people (John 6:5). Philip replied two hundred pennyworth (the equivalent of 200 days wages) wouldn't be enough to feed the crowd, even if they all only had a small portion.

Andrew said there was a boy who had five loaves of bread and two small fish, "...but what are they among so many?" (John 6:9). I wonder if Andrew caught a glimpse of what Jesus had already set out to do. In my limited understanding, he seems to be either using this to show they had no way to feed such a large group, or he was cautiously hoping the Master could miraculously provide for them.

Christ instructed the disciples to arrange the crowd into groups of fifty (Luke 9:14), took the loaves and fish and blessed them. The disciples were then instructed to distribute the food to the multitude. After everyone had eaten and was full, twelve baskets of left-overs were collected.

Here are a few thoughts I had this week...

-Give Your All
I would love to one day find out how the young boy responded to the request for his food. What did Andrew say to him? "Excuse me, would you mind donating your food to help feed this crowd? Thanks."

How would you even respond to that? "With all due respect sir, you should wear a hat and not spend so much time in the sun. Drink more water too, stay hydrated. Just sayin'..."

By all indications, this boy willingly gave everything he had even though it was clear it wouldn't be enough. When we are asked to do something big (maybe speaking in Church, a calling to the primary, etc) and everything seems to suggest our capacity may not be enough, we need to remember the Lord's math is different than what we normally use. Christ can do more with our mere loaves and fishes than we could, he just asks that we give him everything we have so he can make more of us than we could on our own. Seems like not a bad deal.

-Christ Never Runs Out
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "...Don't worry about Christ running out of ability to help you. His grace is sufficient. That is the spiritual, eternal lesson of the feeding of the five thousand" (Jeffrey R. Holland, "Come Unto Me", BYU Fireside, 2 March 1997).

No matter what our problem or difficulty, we can be completely confident in Christ's ability not only to understand our situation, but also to provide the needed assistance. We may not understand how he can have more of us left over than what we started with, but fortunately he's not restricted to our understanding.

Along those same lines, have you ever had an experience where one verse or passage of scripture opened up and you learned far more than you ever thought you could? It usually happens to me while I'm preparing for a lesson. A seemingly insignificant passage I may be inclined to gloss over suddenly becomes a rich spiritual feast and I find myself having difficulties trying to catch it all.

-Gather Up the Extra
I wonder if the apostles gathering the remnants of the bread and fish could be symbolic of the gathering of the twelve tribes of Israel. Just sorta thinking aloud there...

I'd be very interested to learn what they did with those twelve baskets. Did they use it to sustain themselves, or did they share it with those in need as they traveled? Either way, nothing was wasted. I wonder how often in my life I have wasted the generous blessings I've been given. Probably more often than I care to admit.

Anyhow, I hope my ramblings make sense. I'd love to hear any thoughts you might have on this...

Lesson 12: Your Focus Needs More Focus

I'm trying not to succumb to the rumors flying all over town of impending ward boundary adjustments (everyone knows someone who knows someone who is related to someone who saw the newly revised map) and the fear that this lesson may be my last as the 5th Ward Gospel Doctrine instructor. This time, the stake actually put an announcement in all the ward bulletins and is having a meeting for the adults on Sunday evening.

Anyhow, the lesson covers a few events I'd like to discuss in a little more detail than what we are normally able to do in class. The first of which is when Christ walked on the water to reach the disciples in the boat.

After Christ had miraculously fed the five thousand, he sent the disciples into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee and meet him on the other side while he went up to a mountain be alone (Matt 14:22-23).

A storm had come up which slowed their progress. By the fourth watch (3:00am - 6:00am), they had only gone about 25-30 furlongs (John 6:19), or about 5-6km. As they were struggling against the wind and waves, they saw what they thought to be a spirit coming across the sea towards them. Jesus called out to them "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matt 14:27). Peter said, "If it really is you, tell me to come out to meet you." Jesus invites Peter, who almost made it the whole distance before he started sinking.

For those of us who don't spend a lot of time boating or don't forsee the need to walk on water in the future, what can we apply from this event to our lives today?

-The Lord takes the most direct route
Knowing the severity of the storm and knowing his disciples were struggling, Christ naturally took the most direct route to help them. He didn't wait for them to reach the shore (which they probably would have done in the morning when the winds calmed) and congratulate them for toughing it out. He also didn't calm the storm, as he had done before. This time, he let his presence calm the disciples. We were never promised we wouldn't have storms in our lives, or even to have all our storms calmed. But we do have the promise we can make it through the storms with Christ. He will always take the most effective, the most direct path to succor us.

-Be of good cheer
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "This scriptural account reminds us that the first step in coming to Christ--or his coming to us--may fill us with something very much like sheer terror. It shouldn't, but it sometimes does. One of the grand ironies of the gospel is that the very source of help and safety being offered us is the thing from which we may, in our mortal shortsightedness, flee." (Jeffrey R. Holland, "Come Unto Me", BYU Fireside, 2 Mar 1997)

-Come
Make the effort to come to Christ. His invitation goes out to all of us, not just a few, and not just when we feel we're ready or worthy. Just as the father ran to meet his prodigal son, Christ will make sure we do not have to walk home alone. We shouldn't be surprised if sometimes it seems we are called to walk on water (or through it, in Moses' case). Just remember God never sets us up to fail, so if he asks us to do something we can be confident he has "prepare[d] a way for [us] that [we] may accomplish the thing which he commandeth [us]" (1 Nephi 3:7).

-Keep your eyes on Christ
Peter jumped out of the boat and walked towards his Master. When he noticed the winds, he got a little nervous and started to sink. He was close enough that all Jesus had to do was "immediately ... [stretch] forth his hand, and [catch] him" (Matt 14:31). I once heard a quote which has stuck with me:

"An obstacle is something you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

While he was walking, Peter's focus remained on Christ. But when he looked at the waves, he started to sink. When things are going rough in our lives, if we see waves there's a good chance we're looking in the wrong direction.

Lesson 7: "Be not afraid, only believe"

For some reason of all the miracles Christ performed, this one (well, technically two) sticks out to me the most this week.

All we know about Jairus (Greek, "whom God enlightens") is that he was "one of the rulers of the synagogue" (Mark 5:22). His faith in Christ's ability to heal his daughter seems genuine, and he implored Jesus to come with him to save her. He knew if Christ would come, his daughter would be spared from death.

As they went a large crowd followed, as it usually did. As they walked, a woman who had suffered for twelve years from a blood hemorrhage touched the Savior's clothes and was healed. He stopped to inquire who touched him, which the disciples thought was a bit odd, considering the large crowd which was no doubt constantly bumping up against him. He looked at the woman, who then confessed what she had done, and told her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague" (Mark 5:34). Not only did he know that she had been healed, he also knew what he had healed.

As he is talking with this woman, someone brought Jairus the news, "Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?" (Mark 5:35). Essentially, "There's nothing he can do now, there's no point in taking any more of his time."

Christ told Jairus, "Be not afraid, only believe" (vs. 36). Luke adds, "and she shall be made whole" (Luke 8:50). Jairus did believe and his daughter was restored to life.

I wish more details of this account had been preserved because I'd like to get to know Jairus a bit better. I'm left to assume because his reactions weren't recorded, he was quietly trusting in the Lord. I'm sure someone would've written something had Jairus snapped... "We need to walk faster." "Why are we stopping to see who touched you? We're on a tight schedule!" "If we hadn't stopped, maybe we would've made it in time and my daughter would still be alive!"

There was only quiet faith on the part of Jairus. How hard would it be to calm the natural sense of urgency a parent would feel on behalf of a dying child? Instead of letting the incident with the healing of the woman irritate him, he seems to have let it build his faith in Christ's ability to grant the desired blessing. Even when he received word of his daughter's death, he quietly followed the Master. When those around him were laughing to scorn, he still showed faith.

This whole experience seems to have been tailored to build Jairus' faith in Christ's power to heal. Jesus could easily have simply told him to go home and his daughter would be healed, as he had done with the centurion (see Matt 8:5-13) and the nobleman (see John 4:46-54). But Jairus would've been deprived of his walk with the Master. They could have walked a different route where they would not have been "interrupted" by the woman seeking healing for herself, Jesus could've simply found her on the way back and healed her later.

So, what can we learn from Jairus and his experience?

First, miracles are predicated on faith. The woman was told it was her faith which made her whole, not the touching of Christ's clothes. Often, we will experience ridicule or scorn for exercising our faith. There is no evidence from the scriptural account to show Jairus ever lost his faith in Christ.

Second, the Lord is keenly aware of us. He knew who, out of a large pressing crowd, had touched his garment. We can be assured he is also aware of our needs, many times even when we are not.

Third, we shouldn't get too caught up in our own needs that we can't stop to help someone else along the way. Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught:

"When, for the moment, we ourselves are not being stretched on a particular cross, we ought to be at the foot of someone else’s—full of empathy and proffering spiritual refreshment." (Neal A. Maxwell, "Endure It Well", April General Conference, 1990)

Fourth, no one is beyond the healing reach of the Savior. How often do we consider ourselves as having gone too far astray? We have wandered off beyond Christ's ability to help us back. We give up on ourselves just as those in the house had given up on the daughter (turns out she was only mostly dead...).

Finally, we need to exercise patience when asking for blessings from the Lord. God has a way of using what we feel are delays and turning them to our benefit. We can grumble about having to wait (and probably miss out), or we can let it strengthen our faith like Jairus did.

Lesson 7: Needs of the One

This week's lesson deals with Christ's miracles. There have been chapters and books written about the various miracles performed, so what does that leave for a 45-minute lesson? There are so many ways to apply the lessons to our lives today, how does one pick a few selected examples when they are all so rich?

When I worked on this lesson last time (four years ago), one of the strongest impressions I had was how much the Lord loves the individual. I went through and counted 21 miracles performed for just one person; healings, casting out devils, even raising the dead. He often went out of his way to reach someone. If I have time this week, I'll see about picking a few miracles to discuss, but now I want to focus on "the one".

The Lord used the image of the shepherd leaving the "ninety and nine" to search for the one sheep which had gone astray (Matt 18:12-13) to show us (among other things) how much he cares for us. And notice the sheep didn't get a lecture all the way home, but the shepherd rejoiced in finding the one which had been lost.

When the resurrected Savior came to visit the Nephites, he told the multitude to come forward to feel the nail marks in his hands and feet, they came "one by one until they had all gone forth" (3 Nephi 11:14-15). So, how many people are we talking about? Thirty? Fifty? How about 2,500 (see 3 Nephi 17:25). Even with a group of 2,500 people, he still made sure they had individual one-on-one time with him.

That's how I imagine the atonement taking place. We talk about the infinite atonement (see 2 Nephi 9:7, Alma 34:12) which makes it easy sometimes to forget the very personal nature of the sacrifice. I haven't found any supporting evidence of this, but I believe the atonement was made one person at a time. The closest I've been able to find is a quote from Elder John H. Groberg:

"I feel that as [the Savior] hung upon the cross and looked out…, he saw through the stream of time. His huge, magnanimous, loving soul encompassed all eternity and took in all people and all times and all sins… Yes, he saw down to you and to me" (John H. Groberg, "Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament", Conference Report Apr 89).

In my heart, I see the Savior in Gethsemane taking on himself the burden of our sins. When my name "came up" I imagine him pulling my picture out of his wallet (I'll never understand how it was done, so I put it into terms I can grasp a bit better) until he was sure I had been sufficiently covered before he pulled out the next person's photo. "I ... [suffer] these things for [you], that [you] might not suffer if [you] would repent" (see Doct and Cov. 19:16-18). And then, just to make sure, he went through it all again on the cross:

"...while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, ... all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred." (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane", April General Conference 1985)

So, while there are so many great spiritual lessons to be found in the miracles performed by Christ, one of the biggest for me is the reminder of the importance and value in God's eyes of the one.