2 Nephi 2

The theme of Chapter 2 seems to be focused on the wonderful gift of agency we've each been blessed with to be able to choose between good and bad.

"Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other" (16).

In order for us to be able to choose, we actually had to have things to choose between. Thus, the whole "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things" (11). If there weren't opposition than we wouldn't know what real happiness was nor was true misery might be.

Learning from Ancestors

Family History. I love it. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it's part of what we do. It doesn't just mean genealogy work. I means really getting to know your past relatives. In the church, we also use it to discover which portions of our ancestors' ordinances are done.

For me, however, I have to go back a great many generations to find someone without their work done. All lines of my ancestors joined the church back in the 1800s. They've pretty much been doing Family History work ever since then. As a result, I don't focus all too much on that aspect of it. But I do love to follow the doings and stories of each individual. I learn of their struggles to America back before it was a country. I learn of their struggles across the Great Plains to Utah and from there to other parts of the West. I learn of the hardships they faced in the Great War and the Great Depression. I learn how much technology has changed. I learn of their daily lives, their hopes and dreams. It's truly fascinating to me. Much of the lessons my ancestors have learned through their trials are simular to the ones I face now. You learn much wisdom from studying your ancestors' lives.

2 Nephi 1

There's a lot in Chapter 1 of 2 Nephi. But I'll be focusing in on a part of verse 21:

". . . arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;"

I really loved that. I began looking through the Priesthood session of the October 2011 General Conference for a talk and quotes I could use for this verse and I found the following poem in "The Power of the Aaronic Priesthood" that Bishop Keith B. McMullin gave:

Preparing for the Christmas Season

It's the Christmas Season. It really is. I see decorations up. I hear Christmas music on the radio. I've come across Christmas movies on TV. I see people helping each other out. The weather's getting brisk. It's truly the Christmas Season.

There are several things we do to prepare for Christmas. We set up our decorations both inside and outside. We look for gifts for our friends and family. We may go around and sing carols to your friends and neighbors, delivering a little gift as you go. Perhaps you have a Christmas Advent calendar. Maybe you begin reading all your Christmas books and stories. Possibly you read Luke 2. We may sing and hum about Santa and his reindeer or about how beautiful the first Christmas was. You might go to a soup kitchen and serve a meal. Or maybe go to a nursing home and sing carols. Sometimes you may have a huge meal with family and friends. There's a great many things we do to prepare for Christmas.

1 Nephi 22

I really like Chapter 22. I really do. Nephi's brothers had asked him what the meaning of Isaiah's words in the two previous chapters meant. So he explained it to them. It's also the last chapter in 1 Nephi. It's basically a brief history of what will happen in the world since Nephi's time. The creation of the United States of America (7), the restoration of the gospel (8), the gathering of Israel (6-12), Jesus Christ will show his power to the world (10-12), those against the church will end up destroying themselves (13-14), the righteous will be preserved (17), the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (20), and the Millennium will occur (24-28).

This chapter reminds me much of the lesson I taught in Relief Society a few weeks ago. The lesson was Chapter 44: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

1 Nephi 21

Chapter 21 is another Isaiah chapter. I used the same sources as in the previous post about 1 Nephi 20. I have to mention that my favorite by far is Isaiah for Airheads by John Bytheway. I highly recommend it. Especially with reading The Book of Mormon. The other sources are mainly for the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament versus the Isaiah portions in The Book of Mormon. There's more to be understood when you read and study the words of Isaiah mentioned amidst the words of the Nephites and Lamanites. Like, why was Nephi quoting these verses to his brethren? Why were they important their peoples? This book really helps you out in both understanding the words of Isaiah as well as the background story going on while Isaiah was being mentioned. I really recommend it.

Officially the Christmas Seaon

'Tis the Christmas Season!!

I L♥VE this time of year. I really really do. It's one of my favorites. Everyone is in such a good mood (if they aren't stressing about presents or something). I see my neighbors putting up their Christmas lights and decorations. As well as their trees. All the stores are playing Christmas songs. A lot of community service occurs, either planned or spontaneously. Neighbors helping neighbors, strangers helping strangers. I just love every moment. Families gather together. We keep each other in mind as we try to think of gifts to give them. You begin reading all the Christmas stories. You start watching all those Christmas movies. You begin listening Christmas music as you work around the house and drive to different places. I just love Christmas. Everyone is just so happy. It's such a fantastic way to end every year. Christmas. It's just wonderful.

I hope you each have a wonderful Christmas season!

1 Nephi 20

Chapter 20 is an Isaiah chapter in the Book of Mormon. It can be compared to Isaiah 48 in the Old Testament. There are actually quite a bit of Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon. They like to quote him and teach from him. As the Lord said to the Nephites:

"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. 

 "For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. 

"And all things that he spake have been and ashall be, even according to the words which he spake" (3 Nephi 23:1-3).

But Isaiah can be hard to interpret. Thus, I'm using a few outside sources in my reading of the Isaiah chapters beyond the institute manual: Isaiah is for Airheads by John Bytheway, Visualizing Isaiah by Donald W. Perry, "Great are the Words of Isaiah" by Monte S. Nyman.

The Hike of a Lifetime (a.k.a. The Hike of MY Life)

Exercise. There are a lot of things that are positive about exercise. One of the big ones is that it generally results in a longer life. Kind've something you'd think everyone would be doing then wouldn't you? Well, let's just say that I'm extremely lazy and don't purposely go out of my way to exercise. I just live life and call it exercise.

As a result of this, even though I have a wonderful metabolism and look in shape, I'm actually not really. I mean, yes, I can go play some games of Ultimate Frisbee whenever I'd like, but let's just say I'm not a marathon runner or an extreme sport person. I'm not anything of the sort. I don't prepare myself to go hike Mt. Everest.

Well, I have a story for you.

1 Nephi 19

This chapter contains one of my favorite verses, 1 Nephi 19:23:

And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.

There are several things to be learned from this verse. Nephi taught his people using the scriptures. He read to them from the scriptures so that they may increase their testimonies in Jesus Christ. He did that by likening the scriptures unto them, this way they could profit and learn.

In modern times, we have received many instruction and guidance to teach us how to liken the scriptures unto us. One of my favorite is in the March 2009 Ensign entitled "Likening the Scriptures to Our Personal Lives". I recommend you read the whole thing. As it's all very good. But at the end of the article there are a suggested list of questions you could ask yourself as you read the scriptures: