1 Nephi Chapter 11

This chapter says a few simple and profound things.

1. Nephi testifies that Christ lives and that he has seen his redeemer. He is really excited because Jacob could testify as well and Nephi wanted to prove to his people that there will be the coming of Christ.
2. Nehpi was so delighted. The tone of this chapter is just excitement. He is just so excited to share this with his people.

In the next chapter he is going to talk more about Isaiah. The reason he was so excited about Isaiah is because Isaiah preached about the coming of Christ.

1 Nephi Chapter 9-10

This chapter Nephi tells us that the Lord commanded him to make 2 sets of plates. One set (The plates of Nephi) are to account for the ministry of his people. The other plates are to account for the politics (reign of the judges) and wars and contentions. Nephi didn't know why and neither do I (I wish I had my study guide...I bet it would tell me!)

Chapter 10:
Nephi prophesies about John the Baptist. There is a footnote that John the Baptist was foreordained to prophesy about the coming of Christ and "prepare the way of the Lord". Nephi prophesies that John the Baptist will baptize the Messiah with water. John the Baptist was foreordained. If he was not righteous then I suppose God would choose another. I think that all of our lives are foreordained (patriarchal blessing) to a point. But if we are not living up to our potential and keeping the commandments...we will miss out on the blessings that we could have.

All growing up, especially in Young Women's (what an inspired program) I was always told that I'm a daughter of God. I really saw myself that way growing up and I think that is where a lot of my confidence came from. As I've gotten older, busier, less spiritual...I think I've forgotten that I really am a daughter of God. I am trying to see myself through my father's eyes and be how he wants me to be. I am so grateful for the atonement and for the gospel.

1 Nephi Chapter 8

Lehi's Dream

Lehi started out his dream in a "dark and dreary wasteland". To get out of it he began to pray unto the Lord and he asked for mercy. I think that our dark and dreary wasteland is any time that we are in spiritual darkness. The only way out of it is through prayer, scripture study and trying to get closer to our Heavenly Father.

Reading this very familiar story...I liken myself to the different paths of the dream. I've held on to the iron rod and tasted of the fruit. I've been lost in the midst of darkenss. I've eaten the fruit and been ashamed (not truly ashamed but not willing to share it with other because of what they might think of me). The only one I haven't been is the person in the great and spacious building mocking everyone (I'm not the mocking type). As I think about my journey in life I'm grateful for my struggle. I feel like it is making me a stronger, more understanding person. But it also makes me want to be the one on the straight and narrow path, clinging tightly to the iron rod.

v. 30 "...he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."

What I don't want is to ever get so lost that I am lost forever.

1 Nephi Chapter 7

Well tonight was going to be another night where I could spend an hour on the computer but say to myself that I had to much to do and needed to get to bed because it is late. Well, no excuses!

So my first thought in reading this chapter is...I wonder how the daughters of Ishmael felt. Were they happy to get husbands? I can't imagine they being very excited to journey in the desert!

Then two of the daughters, Nephi's brothers and two of the brothers of Ishmael rebelled and wanted to go back to Jerusalem. My first thought is...LET THEM GO! It will serve them right because they will get brought into captivity when Jerusalem is taken over. It would have save Lehi & his family so much grief if they would have just let them go.

As I read on...Nephi does give them the choice. He reminds them the Jerusalem will be destoyed "And you shall also perish with them. And now if ye have choice, go up to the land, and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go ye will also perish; for thus the Spirit of the Lord contraineth me that I should speak."

Then the brothers get mad and tie Nephi up and Nephi prays and the Lord loosens the rope and he is freed. They get mad and try again but the daughters of Ishmael plead with them and they feel bad and apologize. If they didn't believe Nephi so much, why did they try to hurt him. Why didn't they just go back?

In verses 10-12 Nephi mentioned that they forgot about the angel, forgot about how they were delivered out of Labans hands, and forgot about all the things God can do. So what experiences in my life have I forgotten at times?
1. I forget all the times I've felt the spirit testify of the truthfulness of the gospel: testimony meetings, in the temple, EFY, Youthconferece & girls camp. All the times I've prayed and recieved answer.
2. The peacful feeling of truth I've felt in the temple. (I haven't been for over a year...one of my goals for April is to go to the Temple)
3. I've forgotten the guidence I used to get in reading my patriarchal blessing. It used to help me guide my life...but hasn't really for some time. I'm going to read that tomorrow.

1 Nephi Chapter 5-6

I have a lot of different kinds of journals. I have a personal journal that I occasionally write the happening of my days. The audience is me and perhaps my posterity. So that they can see what i was like growing up.

Then I have my blog...mostly for me but also to share our life with family & friends. My audience is me and Robert (a fun way to share our day with him) and also our family/friends. The purpose...just to share our daily life and thoughts.

And then this scripture journal right now is for me to discover what the Lord whats me to learn through the scriptures. My own visual reference of my testimony. My audience is myself. Although I suppose it might be a good thing to share with my posterity in the future.

Nephi wrote with a specific audience in mind. His posterity and people and maybe even us. His purpose was not to entertain, it was to persuade men to follow God. Did he know how many people would be reading his words? How many lives he would lead to believing and following God & Jesus Christ? I doubt this journal will ever affect anyone in that gradious way...but if it helps me to become closer to Jesus Christ...it's purpose will be served.

1 Nephi Chapter 3-4 Exercises

These are from the Seminary book exercises...

1. And it came to pass that I, Aubrey said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded.
....hmm when is the last time I did something difficult that the Lord asked me to do? I boar my testimony today. The Lord told me in my patriarchal blessing that I need to bear my testimony. Ever since then it has been difficult. I decided today since I felt the spirit that I needed to be an example to my kids and bear my testimony...so I did. It wasn't an amazing spiritual experience or anything (mostly because everyone was watching Peyton and Brielle on the stand and I was totally distracted. But it was good to get up and bear my testimony since it had been a long time (in testimony meeting at least)

2. The big difference between the 3 times that the brothers tried to get the plates is the first time they relied on chance. The second time they relied on their own ingenuity and the third time they (Nephi) relied 100% by the spirit. I tend to run in the #2 category of going with what I think we should do and have a hard time being guided 100% by the spirit

Integrity (1 Nephi 4: 30-38)

One of the Young Women's values in integrity. I would not consider that one of my strong values and that is something that I would like to work on. I'm not all that great at keeping my word. A person's word used to be something special...a bond, and oath, or an oral contract. Even with my kids I tell them lies sometimes. Like, I'll be right back with some milk, when I know by the time I get back they'll be fast asleep. That's the only one I can think of right now but things like that. Also with volunteering for stuff...When I do that I need to always follow through and not stink out on people. I don't want to be flakey. I want to be a Woman of Integrity that people can count on.

Killing...1 Nephi Chapter 4

I don't really like the idea of Nephi killing Laban. I guess now that I'm older it reminds me of those crazy Kolts that kill people in the name of God. So I am going to read this chapter with a prayer of understanding.

Okay so I read the part about him killing Laban. I talked to Robert about it. He made a good point that the Lord knew what would happen if he was not killed and it was bad enough that he told Nephi to kill Laban. Then I read an article out of the New Era which gave me even more clarity.

Some people might claim that by saying the Spirit commanded him to kill Laban, Nephi was rationalizing to justify what was, in fact, murder. They might argue that God would never have commanded Nephi to take a life.

However, Nephi was a righteous man; he was well acquainted with the promptings of the Holy Ghost and knew the difference between his own thoughts and divine revelation. Nephi did not have to include the account of his slaying of Laban in his record. He was not caught in the act, and he might have left his account of obtaining the plates vague. He could even have lied, saying that Laban was already dead when he found him, or providing some other plausible explanation. But Nephi was a truthful man; despite the fact that it was a difficult subject, he wrote it as it happened.

The incident may well have been a trial of faith for Nephi. The Lord could have helped him procure the record in some other way. Instead, the Lord allowed Nephi to struggle with a dilemma: obtain and safeguard the plates as he had been commanded, or let Laban live.

But if Laban had lived, the consequences would have been disastrous. The mission to obtain the plates would have failed, and without the plates, Lehi’s posterity would have perished in unbelief (see 1 Ne. 4:13). The history of Lehi’s descendants would have been far different, and there might have been no Book of Mormon as we know it. Had Nephi not procured the plates, the “keystone of our religion” would be missing.

The rest of his answer was good and talked about the nature of God. I think he made some good points that it was not only to preserve the knowledge of Lehi's people but we may have not had the Book of Mormon and think of how many would have dwindled in unblief. I am still going to pray for spritual confimation of this.

Faith...

I woke up this morning eager to read my scriptures. I had such a great day yesterday...and it was THURSDAY! Those are usually my least favorite days of the week! But there was just something special about yesterday. Maybe it was the fact that I got up early and got dressed that made me productive. But I feel like I had the Holy Ghost with me yesterday. I didn't lose my temper once, got lots done and just felt happy all day.

1 Nephi Chapter 2
When I read this chapter I can just imagine what some of my sisters would say if my parents told them they were selling their house and moving to Missouri to live in a tent. I don't think they would go. The big difference between Laman, Lemuel and Nephi is that Nephi had a desire to know the truth. He was teachable. And again instead of just believing his father, he prayed about it to know for himself and he knew what his father was saying was true. Lamen and Lemuel didn't want to know if it was true...they just wanted to complain.

1 Nephi Chapter 3
I think it would take incredible faith to believe that your father is a prophet and not a crazy man.

1 Nephi, Chapter One...Tender Mercies

So I have goodly parents. I think my parents did a great job teaching me and being an example to me. But I still have a choice. To be like Nephi. He took the knoledge that his Father passed on to him and he had great faith and decided to write what he knew to be true on the brass plates.

I like the example of Lehi. Prophets came and testified that the people needed to repent or the city would be destroyed. He didn't just A) believe the prophets blindly B) Hear what they say but not act upon it. He went to the Lord in prayer to find out what he needed to do.

1 Nephi 1:19...I cannot imagine being Lehi. Preaching to people and they think that he is CRAZY! That takes a lot of GUTS and FAITH! (especially in those days where they stoned you instead of JUST making fun of you)

Best verse of 1Nephi Chapter 1:20..."But behold, I, Nephi will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverence".

So Nephi wrote an abridement of the record of his father on his own plates in his own words. So he was kind of like an editor and brought us the most important information that he though would bring us closer to Christ.

Making scriptures a priority

So I bought the Seminary student guide from the distribution center to read along with the Book of Mormon. It looked like more fun to read than the adult version :)

I still want to read the D&C lessons so I can follow along in Sunday School but I really feel like I need to read the Book of Mormon.

The title page of the BOM gives reasons as to why the Book of Mormon was written. The most important being that it is to convince the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.

In the introduction it says that this book is the keystone to our religion. It bears witness of Christ. Okay... I will continue tomorrow.