A few of these verses were referred to in our meetings today.
We thought it was powerful to read them all together.
Matthew 9:2 "And, behold, they brought to [Christ] a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."
Matthew 14: 27 "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Acts 23:11 (of Paul in prison) "And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul."
3 Nephi 1:13 "Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets."
D&C 61:36 "And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you"
D&C 68: 6 Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.
D&C 78: 18 "And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along."
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Bearing Record
Our good friend Lindsay Anderson contributed today's post. Thank you, Lindsay!
The importance of keeping a record is repeatedly taught in the Book of Mormon. In fact, that is what the Book of Mormon is -- a kept record.
Nephi was asked to obtain the records contained in the brass plates of Laban. He was also asked to keep a record of his own people. Enos was so concerned with the importance of the record that he asked the Lord to preserve it. The entire book of Omni -- all 30 verses -- is an example of how crucial all five authors knew that keeping the record was. They may have only penned a few sentences in their lifetime, but small or not, they knew that what they were doing was significant. And these examples only come from the first 150 pages!
But why? Why so much emphasis and struggle to keep and maintain this record?
Well, first and foremost, it was a commandment. After Nephi had made the plates "by way of commandment," he writes that, "I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord" (see 1 Nephi 19:3).
That it was a commandment should be reason enough, but as we learn from Amaleki in the book of Omni, if a record wasn't kept, the language of a people (in this case, the people of Zarahemla) would become corrupted and lost and as a result they would not know their Creator.
Which brings up perhaps the most important reason a record was kept: to teach those who would read it -- to teach us -- to come unto Christ. As Mormon writes,
"And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.
"And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people" (Words of Mormon 1:7-8).
And as King Benjamin teaches his sons:
"My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.
"For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time.
"I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.
"O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.
"And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers" (Mosiah 1:3-7).
In the last few weeks, as I came to these verses in my daily scripture reading, I found myself "likening them unto myself." It hit me that keeping a record of my own -- whether it be via a personal journal, a blog, a photo album with captions -- is not too unlike what the Nephites were asked to do. It is something I have been asked by modern prophets to do because it will serve a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto the Lord.
Just as ours can when we read the Book of Mormon, and just as they will when we bear records of our own.
The importance of keeping a record is repeatedly taught in the Book of Mormon. In fact, that is what the Book of Mormon is -- a kept record.
Nephi was asked to obtain the records contained in the brass plates of Laban. He was also asked to keep a record of his own people. Enos was so concerned with the importance of the record that he asked the Lord to preserve it. The entire book of Omni -- all 30 verses -- is an example of how crucial all five authors knew that keeping the record was. They may have only penned a few sentences in their lifetime, but small or not, they knew that what they were doing was significant. And these examples only come from the first 150 pages!
But why? Why so much emphasis and struggle to keep and maintain this record?
Well, first and foremost, it was a commandment. After Nephi had made the plates "by way of commandment," he writes that, "I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord" (see 1 Nephi 19:3).
That it was a commandment should be reason enough, but as we learn from Amaleki in the book of Omni, if a record wasn't kept, the language of a people (in this case, the people of Zarahemla) would become corrupted and lost and as a result they would not know their Creator.
Which brings up perhaps the most important reason a record was kept: to teach those who would read it -- to teach us -- to come unto Christ. As Mormon writes,
"And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.
"And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people" (Words of Mormon 1:7-8).
And as King Benjamin teaches his sons:
"My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.
"For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time.
"I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct.
"O my sons, I would that ye should remember that these sayings are true, and also that these records are true. And behold, also the plates of Nephi, which contain the records and the sayings of our fathers from the time they left Jerusalem until now, and they are true; and we can know of their surety because we have them before our eyes.
"And now, my sons, I would that ye should remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby; and I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers" (Mosiah 1:3-7).
In the last few weeks, as I came to these verses in my daily scripture reading, I found myself "likening them unto myself." It hit me that keeping a record of my own -- whether it be via a personal journal, a blog, a photo album with captions -- is not too unlike what the Nephites were asked to do. It is something I have been asked by modern prophets to do because it will serve a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto the Lord.
As I thumb back over the things I have written, the records I've kept, I've realized that when I write honestly about the things I do each day and the thoughts I have while doing them, my testimony can't help but seep through. The same thing happened as the Nephites wrote about repairing broken bows, building ships and traveling through the wilderness, marching to war, and ultimately witnessing Christ himself as He visited and taught them in the Americas. As routine as their lives might have sometimes seemed on a daily basis, they wrote about them anyway. They wrote because it was a commandment and would serve a wise purpose, and as they did so, as they bore their record, their testimonies were not only apparent, they blossomed.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Comforting
You know how consistent, meaningful scripture study is hard to come by?
You know how that's sometimes frustrating?
I know I feel frustrated by that sometimes as a young mom.
Because praying and studying are how we connect, right? They are the means we use to commune with our Father in Heaven. Yes, they are.
But President Uchtdorf taught a profound truth two conferences ago in his talk on "The Love of God."
It's a truth I have treasured as a mother of small children:
"Listen for the voice of the Father in the bounties and beauties of nature, in the gentle whisperings of the Spirit. In your daily interactions with others, in the words of a hymn, in the laughter of a child, listen for His voice."
In the laughter of child.
Scripture study is so necessary.
And private, quiet prayer is truly powerful.
Neither are to be neglected.
But when I fall asleep during my evening prayers or on top of my good intentions, Pres. Uchtdorf's words bring me comfort. They remind me that I can find my Father in Heaven in other moments, too. I can find him in the love and laughter of my children. I just have to listen.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
"That Imperial Palace Whence [We] Came"
Sorry for the lag round these parts! Sometimes you just have to drop the ball, you know??
A couple of months ago, we had friends over for dinner. They were fairly new acquaintances and so we spent a few minutes asking typical get-to-know-you questions. After, "and where are you from?" was exchanged a few times, my four year old daughter tilted her head thoughtfully to the side and asked her dad, "Where am I from?"
Heaven, I answered in my heart.
And I really believe that. I believe that each of us - every man and woman on the earth - are spirit sons and daughters of God and that we lived with Him, our Heavenly Father, before we came to earth. I've been told that other organized faiths generally don't espouse that belief. But it's a belief that seems so natural to me.
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:*
William Wordsworth's words are familiar to most of us, aren't they?
Earth...the homely Nurse doth all she can
To make her Foster-child, her Inmate Man,
Forget the glories he hath known,
And that imperial palace whence he came.*
That "imperial palace," that "mighty home," (I love that Charlotte Bronte phrase from Jane Eyre).
But why discuss premortality at all? Well, I think Wordsworth is right:
[These] shadowy recollections, (or, better, these revealed truths!)
...be they what they may,
Are yet the fountain light of all our day,
Are yet a master light of all our seeing;*
Isn't that true? Knowledge of our premortal existence with God totally illuminates our understanding of earth life. Latter-day Saint doctrine teaches that our earthly experience was established by God, our Father, as a critical, temporary piece of our eternal, long-term development. Makes sense doesn't it? Aren't growth and development what all good parents are preoccupied with? I like this description, that: "just as most of us leave our home and parents when we grow up, God knew [we] needed to do the same. He knew [we] couldn’t progress unless [we] left for a while. So he allowed [us] to come to earth to experience the joy—as well as pain—of a physical body."
I was talking with a friend this weekend about some significant trails and we both took comfort in the knowledge that experiencing pain is one of the primary reasons Heavenly Father sent us to earth. When emotional and physical burdens feel heavy, acknowledging "this is why I"m here," always, always, always gives me courage and hope.
I love Elder Maxwell's words: "Enoch, to whom the Lord revealed so much, praised God amid His vast creations, exclaiming reassuringly, 'Yet thou art there' (Moses 7:30; see also Jer. 10:12). This same special assurance can see each of us through all the seasons and circumstances of our lives. A universal God is actually involved with our small, individual universes of experience! In the midst of His vast dominions, yet He numbers us, knows us, and loves us perfectly (see Moses 1:35; John 10:14).
...[But] even though [Enoch] knew he had been called personally by a personal God, [he] wrestled with feelings of personal inadequacy (see Moses 6:31). Enoch also wept over the human condition, but he was told, 'Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look' (Moses 7:44). If Enoch had not looked and been spiritually informed, he would have seen the human condition in isolation from the grand reality. If God were not there, Enoch’s 'Why?' would have become an unanswered scream of despair!"
But we need not despair. Because our lives "didn’t begin at birth and...won’t end at death" (mormon.org). We need not despair, because we can view human suffering in connection with Heavenly Father's eternal plan of happiness. We need not despair, because our Father sent His Son to make our happiness and our development and our eternal salvation possible, ensuring that,
Though inland far we be,
Our Souls have sight of that immortal sea
Which brought us hither.*
And not only "sight of" - but hope to return (Ecc. 12: 7).
*Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood, William Wordsworth
A couple of months ago, we had friends over for dinner. They were fairly new acquaintances and so we spent a few minutes asking typical get-to-know-you questions. After, "and where are you from?" was exchanged a few times, my four year old daughter tilted her head thoughtfully to the side and asked her dad, "Where am I from?"
Heaven, I answered in my heart.
And I really believe that. I believe that each of us - every man and woman on the earth - are spirit sons and daughters of God and that we lived with Him, our Heavenly Father, before we came to earth. I've been told that other organized faiths generally don't espouse that belief. But it's a belief that seems so natural to me.
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:*
William Wordsworth's words are familiar to most of us, aren't they?
Earth...the homely Nurse doth all she can
To make her Foster-child, her Inmate Man,
Forget the glories he hath known,
And that imperial palace whence he came.*
That "imperial palace," that "mighty home," (I love that Charlotte Bronte phrase from Jane Eyre).
But why discuss premortality at all? Well, I think Wordsworth is right:
[These] shadowy recollections, (or, better, these revealed truths!)
...be they what they may,
Are yet the fountain light of all our day,
Are yet a master light of all our seeing;*
Isn't that true? Knowledge of our premortal existence with God totally illuminates our understanding of earth life. Latter-day Saint doctrine teaches that our earthly experience was established by God, our Father, as a critical, temporary piece of our eternal, long-term development. Makes sense doesn't it? Aren't growth and development what all good parents are preoccupied with? I like this description, that: "just as most of us leave our home and parents when we grow up, God knew [we] needed to do the same. He knew [we] couldn’t progress unless [we] left for a while. So he allowed [us] to come to earth to experience the joy—as well as pain—of a physical body."
I was talking with a friend this weekend about some significant trails and we both took comfort in the knowledge that experiencing pain is one of the primary reasons Heavenly Father sent us to earth. When emotional and physical burdens feel heavy, acknowledging "this is why I"m here," always, always, always gives me courage and hope.
I love Elder Maxwell's words: "Enoch, to whom the Lord revealed so much, praised God amid His vast creations, exclaiming reassuringly, 'Yet thou art there' (Moses 7:30; see also Jer. 10:12). This same special assurance can see each of us through all the seasons and circumstances of our lives. A universal God is actually involved with our small, individual universes of experience! In the midst of His vast dominions, yet He numbers us, knows us, and loves us perfectly (see Moses 1:35; John 10:14).
...[But] even though [Enoch] knew he had been called personally by a personal God, [he] wrestled with feelings of personal inadequacy (see Moses 6:31). Enoch also wept over the human condition, but he was told, 'Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look' (Moses 7:44). If Enoch had not looked and been spiritually informed, he would have seen the human condition in isolation from the grand reality. If God were not there, Enoch’s 'Why?' would have become an unanswered scream of despair!"
But we need not despair. Because our lives "didn’t begin at birth and...won’t end at death" (mormon.org). We need not despair, because we can view human suffering in connection with Heavenly Father's eternal plan of happiness. We need not despair, because our Father sent His Son to make our happiness and our development and our eternal salvation possible, ensuring that,
Though inland far we be,
Our Souls have sight of that immortal sea
Which brought us hither.*
And not only "sight of" - but hope to return (Ecc. 12: 7).
*Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood, William Wordsworth
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