Great are the Words of Isaiah

I am currently enrolled in an on-line book of Mormon class. This week our reading was in 2 Nephi chapters 9-16 which include a lot of the words of Isaiah. Isaiah is hard to understand. Knowing that I struggle with the Isaiah chapters I spent a lot of time this week reading and listening to the additional course materials. I watched and took notes on all the Digging Deeper clips. I read the Institute Manual sections for these chapters. I was hoping to gain additional insights with these resources. I read the Isaiah chapters. I struggled to understand what I was reading. I planned to go back over the Book of Mormon chapters to see if I could pick out the information that was discussed in the additional resources. However, life got in the way. I had some crazy stuff happen with my calling and my family. I appreciated this quote from President Packer in the institute manual: “Most [readers] readily understand the narrative of the Book of Mormon. “Then, just as you settle in to move comfortably along, you will meet a barrier. … Interspersed in the narrative, are chapters reciting the prophecies of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. They loom as a barrier, like a roadblock or a checkpoint beyond which the casual reader, one with idle curiosity, generally will not go. “You, too, may be tempted to stop there, but do not do it! Do not stop reading! Move forward through those difficult-to-understand chapters of Old Testament prophecy, even if you understand very little of it. Move on, if all you do is skim and merely glean an impression here and there. Move on, if all you do is look at the words” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 76; or Ensign, May 1986, 61). I was struggling with this weeks reading but I did read the words and a couple of things stuck out to me. 2 Nephi 9:20 reads, "O how great the holiness of our God!for he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it." It brings comfort to me to read these words and believe that God knows the beginning from the end. It helps me move along in my life trusting that He knows what I need to do and become and He will lead me along. I brings peace to my heart to know that God is in the details of my life. I also love 2 Nephi 9:41, "O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name." Knowing that Christ is the one who will make the final judgement is awesome. He who descended below all things and knows all things will be our final judge. he will not delegate away that responsibility. He will satisfy both justice and mercy. He loves us beyond our wildest imagination. He gave his life for us so we do not have to suffer. His judgement will be a righteous, loving tender and fair judgement. so, even though I had a tough week and did not get to do all that I wanted and had a hard time with the scriptures, I still learned valuable things. I had experiences that proved to me that God is indeed in the details of our lives and I am grateful for the tender mercies I received.

Nephi or Laman and Lemuel. Which one am I?

I am studying the Book of Mormon again. "I, Nephi, having been born or goodly parents..." I have read that phrase many times. The stories and events in the first book of Nephi are very familiar to me. I often think of Nephi as the good guy, the main character, and Laman and Lemuel the bad guys and smaller characters who just never get it. This time as I am studying this book I am drawn to Laman and Lemuel. Not that I want to be like them, but what can I learn from them so that I do not become like them. As I compare and contrast these three men to each other I see the vast differences in their attitudes and choices. Nephi is perfectly faithful and obedient and has a positive and grateful attitude in all circumstances. Even when he is tied up and being beaten by his brothers, he praises the Lord for his blessings. Laman and Lemuel constantly see the bad in all their circumstances. Whining and murmuring and being angry with their younger brother and their prophet father. their horrible attitudes always make the situation worse for themselves and for the people around them. Then I think of myself. Am I more like Nephi or more like Laman and Lemuel? Oh it is hard to search my soul, my attitude and my desires and see Laman and Lemuel in me. I get frustrated. I get angry. I murmur. I forget the great blessings the Lord has given to me in the past and worry that I will be left to wander in my own personal wilderness. I do not want to be like them. I do not want to be the bad guy. Laman and Lemuel were fair weather fans. When things were good, they were humble, they were decent. Then something would go wrong and they immediately lost faith and were angry. Do I do this? I have to admit that I have. Even as horrible as Laman and Lemuel were, every time they repented, they were forgiven. The Lord loved them too. He wanted them to be happy too. Maybe all the return trips to Jerusalem and the years in the wilderness were chances for them to change and become truly converted. Nephi, on the other hand is always faithful and obedient. When he needs guidance in any situation, he immediately turns to prayer, never doubting that the Lord will answer him. And then when he receives an answer, he acts on it. Trusting that the Lord will not leave him to fail. Nephi seeks the counsel of his prophet father and when he speaks, Nephi obeys. Do I listen and act on the counsel from prophets? Do I turn to the Lord for help? Nephi gets some pretty big assignments. Get the brass plates. Build a ship. I love how he does not ask for a blue print of the completed boat but instead asks where he should go to find ore to make tools. He learns step by step, line upon line. I so often want to know the end from the beginning before I act. Nephi has some pretty hard things happen to him. He has to leave his home and wealth to live in the wilderness. His brothers abuse him and try to kill him many times. He faces hunger and hard work in the wilderness. He never murmurs. He gives thanks to the Lord in his afflictions. Nephi is an amazing example of faith and obedience and forgiveness and gratitude. I want to be like Nephi. I have been thinking about these three men. Which one am I more like? I have realized that I am like all three of them at different times in my life. What I am learning is that I really want to be more like Nephi. When I see my Laman and Lemuel side coming out I need to step back and think about what I am doing and what the consequences might be. I can learn a lot from these guys. I have moments of Nephi like faith and obedience. I need to foster those attributes. I am grateful for the examples of all three men. I can choose daily who I am going to be. Today I choose Nephi.