2 Nephi 9

As you have probably noticed, I've been trying to blog everyday about a chapter in the Book of Mormon as I read through it once again. In each blog, I've try to focus on something from that particular chapter that really stood out to me. I try to show what I've learned or why I find it important or even how it relates to my own life. I really want to encourage inspiration from the scriptures as I read and then really study out a particular portion. As a result, I'm also working on keeping them short. Sometimes I get a bit carried away because it's just so exciting to me.

However, in Chapter 9, I've come across a problem. There is just so much that stood out to me in this chapter that my scriptures here are colored like the rainbow in most every verse. Seriously. I've also am grateful for the talent of writing neatly and tiny with a pen, because now the margins are filled with black-ink insight.

I suppose in order to make this short-ish I'll focus on the fact that I've discovered more favorite verses. I mean, I love most every verse; they are all amazing. But I have a few I really really enjoy because of their simplicity and what they seem to mean to me. One of them is Jacob 6:12: "O be wise; what can I say more?" This verse seems to speak very well for itself as to why it's one of my favorites. It's been a well used favorite since I was young.

But 2 Nephi 9:29 can now be counted among that list of favorites. It reads: "But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God." Many people of the world read in the scriptures where the learned think they know better and are wiser than God, and it gets them into eternal trouble. Now, it is true that thinking you are wiser than God just proves your foolishness and idiocy. But I like how this verse explains that being learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. I like that a lot. Thus, it's on the favorite list.

The other one I can count among my list of favorites is 2 Nephi 9:49: "Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God." When I read that I feel it's how I feel sometimes, and how I always want to feel. It sounds so cheerful. I want that. I want to have that be what people would think of me. My soul abhorreth sin. My soul detesth, loatheth, despiseth sin. That quite strong. I'd avoid it at all costs with that kind of feeling. I'd repent immediately with that kind of feeling. Sometimes there are those things you do that you know you shouldn't but you do anyways. That's more like a love of sin. Kinda. The next part of the verse speaks about "my heart delighteth in righteousness". That sounds cheerful, doesn't it? I mean, delighteth. What I good word. You delight in righteousness, so you'd seek it out. It's in your heart. It's a very good heart condition. I just love that phrasing. You could imagine a person like that being the kind of person you want to be around and be friends with. The last bit of the verse continues on in the same stream of joy, "I will praise the holy name of my God." I believe that I need to do that more frequently in my life. Praise God. Praise who he is and what he's done for us.

Anyways, so these are a few more new favorite verses with their perfect simplicity. Easier to memorize that way. The rest of Chapter 9 is absolutely impressive with it's teachings. There's so very much I took from this chapter. You really have to take the time to read and study each verse individually. Like there was verse 51 which started out with the moral behind many a Christmas story: "Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy." Or maybe the verses praising the Lord for his Atonement that he suffered for us so we could have bodies forever thus we would not be subject to Satan except by our own choice. There was just so much! I highly recommend reading it. I really do. Lots of pearls of wisdom in the Book of Mormon. This chapter in particular seemed to be a gold mine.