Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Alma 60 - Laziness and Complacency in the Battle Against Sin
Moroni has some strong words against sitting comfortably while battling enemies. Verse 7 makes me feel neglectful towards those around me who are struggling. Verse 8 feels like my family who need my help. Verse 9, don’t be selfish. Verse 10 or lazy. Verse 11 God is so good to me. I am so blessed, but effort is expected to repent and change. Verse 14, seriously now... don’t be lazy! Verse 15-16 it would have been easier to stay clean from sin than to try to recover all that’s been lost. Verse 17 it’s hurting your wife and kids. Verse 17 don’t betray them. Verse 19 is life so good that you’re forgetting important things. Like verse 20. Verse 21-23 are you going to do something about it? 24, change your ways, and feed and support your troops. Start the change from inner core. Get all the support you can and fight . 29-30 kill off the things that hinder your fight against bondage.
Monday, January 7, 2019
1 Nephi 3:2 -- Dreams
Lehi payed close attention to his dreams. I wonder if the dream was literally the Lord telling him this, or if it was a dream that he had to interpret. He had the faith to accept those dreams and essentially disrupt his entire family because of them.
I have dreams that are usually somewhat weird, but I can sometimes feel a message being sent. I need to take time to receive the messages that are sent through my dreams and, like Lehi, take definitive action on those messages. Go do it!
I have dreams that are usually somewhat weird, but I can sometimes feel a message being sent. I need to take time to receive the messages that are sent through my dreams and, like Lehi, take definitive action on those messages. Go do it!
Sunday, January 21, 2018
German Translation of Gospel Words
Righteous
In german is Rechtschaffen. "Recht" meaning right and "schaffen" meaning to create or bring into existence or to acheive. I love that idea of bringing what is right into existence. If you want to be righteous you need to thing about what kind of reality are you creating with your choices.
Adultery
In german is Ehebruch. "Ehe" meaning marriage and "bruch" meaning to break. The german is very powerful in the fact that you are breaking your marriage when you commit adultery. It also makes Christs words more understandable that when you look upon another with lust you are breaking your marriage, you are breaking your spouses heart.
Always remember him
In german is immer an ihn denken. "Immer" meaning always. "An ihn" meaning of him. "Denken" meaning think. Always thinking of him. How much of your day do you spend thinking of Jesus Christ. Remember is more like "oh, I didn't forget about him" but the german is more like "that is where my mind is". I like that it is more active about it.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Malachi 1
The first thing that struck me is that the Lord said he "hated Esau" in verse 3. People always say, and I have agreed, that the Lord loves everyone. I'll have to do some more studying and see if that is scriptural.
Back in those days they were supposed to sacrifice the lamb without blemish, the finest of birds, the best they had. In verse 7 it says they "offer polluted bread upon mine altar". They were surprised at the rebuke, "wherin have we polluted thee?". Verse 8 talks of them sacrificing the blind and lame and sick. Then in verse 13 the people had said, "what a weariness is it!"
Now we are to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Do I offer a lame and sickly offering and expect the Lord to be pleased? Do I think it is a "weariness" to sacrifice for the Lord? In verse 14 He says "for I am a great King". I should be jumping at the opportunity to offer my best for Him. It shouldn't be hard or a "weariness".
Back in those days they were supposed to sacrifice the lamb without blemish, the finest of birds, the best they had. In verse 7 it says they "offer polluted bread upon mine altar". They were surprised at the rebuke, "wherin have we polluted thee?". Verse 8 talks of them sacrificing the blind and lame and sick. Then in verse 13 the people had said, "what a weariness is it!"
Now we are to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Do I offer a lame and sickly offering and expect the Lord to be pleased? Do I think it is a "weariness" to sacrifice for the Lord? In verse 14 He says "for I am a great King". I should be jumping at the opportunity to offer my best for Him. It shouldn't be hard or a "weariness".
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1 Nephi 3:1 -- Speaking with the Lord
Nephi doesn't just pray, he speaks with the Lord. If I leave a message on your answering machine, I don't tell people that I spoke with you. I have to say something to you and you have to say something back, live at the moment. When I pray, it seems like most of the time I am leaving a message to the Lord, not speaking with the Lord. I pray to tell the Lord things. Sometimes I pray just to get my "check mark" for the day. That's not what the true meaning of prayer is. We need to speak with the Lord.
When I pray, I need to treat it like I do when I talk with my earthly Father. Let him know what's going on. Ask for advice, or help. Listen to his council, and try to soak in his wisdom. Don't just leave a message telling Him stuff. Actually talk with Him.
When I pray, I need to treat it like I do when I talk with my earthly Father. Let him know what's going on. Ask for advice, or help. Listen to his council, and try to soak in his wisdom. Don't just leave a message telling Him stuff. Actually talk with Him.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
1 Nephi 2:18-24 -- Blessed for Faithfulness, Cursed for Rebellion
Even though they are not very nice to him, Nephi loves his brothers. Nephi reminds me of Joseph. They both seemed to bring on their brothers tortures by thier own behaviour towards them sometimes. Yet, verse 18 we learn that Nephi was "grieved because of the hardness of their hearts." Grief is a very strong emotion. He wasn't just disappointed or upset. He loved his brothers and was deeply sorrowful that they were rebelling against God. So, and the end of verse 18 he prays for them.
You might think that Nephi, being a prophet and all, would get what he prays for. In verse 19 the Lord answers Nephi's prayer by blessing him. He was not praying for himself. He was praying for his brothers. The Lord says, "Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands" The Lords answer to a grieving prayer for his brothers goes on to say, "And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord." Nephi tried to pray blessings to his brothers, but the Lords law says that "when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated" (D&C 130:21) No matter how hard Nephi prays for his brothers, they cannot have their agency taken from them, so they must reap what they sow. They cannot have the presence of the Lord if they reject it. Verse 23 a prophecy is made. In 2 Nephi 5:20 this prophecy is fulfilled and the Lamanites were cursed with a loss of the Lord's presence.
The last concept that I find interesting is the Lord's use of "scourge" as a motivator. Verse 24 says, "And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance." It reminds me of Moses in Egypt. It's interesting how hard and stiff people can be even in the face of a scourge that is trying to soften them. When life gets tough, we need to remember the Lord and soften ourselves, to be molded by Him.
You might think that Nephi, being a prophet and all, would get what he prays for. In verse 19 the Lord answers Nephi's prayer by blessing him. He was not praying for himself. He was praying for his brothers. The Lord says, "Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands" The Lords answer to a grieving prayer for his brothers goes on to say, "And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord." Nephi tried to pray blessings to his brothers, but the Lords law says that "when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated" (D&C 130:21) No matter how hard Nephi prays for his brothers, they cannot have their agency taken from them, so they must reap what they sow. They cannot have the presence of the Lord if they reject it. Verse 23 a prophecy is made. In 2 Nephi 5:20 this prophecy is fulfilled and the Lamanites were cursed with a loss of the Lord's presence.
The last concept that I find interesting is the Lord's use of "scourge" as a motivator. Verse 24 says, "And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance." It reminds me of Moses in Egypt. It's interesting how hard and stiff people can be even in the face of a scourge that is trying to soften them. When life gets tough, we need to remember the Lord and soften ourselves, to be molded by Him.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
1 Nephi 2:10-18 -- Firm, Stiff, Soft, Hard
Soft and Firm are good. Stiff and Hard are bad.
In verse 10 Lehi pleads with Lemuel to be "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!" We find out in the very next verse that Lemuel is actually "stiffnecked". So, stiff and firm seem very similar, but there is definitely a big difference. If you look up the definitions firm definitely has an overall positive connotation. Stiff, on the other hand, is pretty negative. See the following from Dictionary.com:
firm –adjective
1. not soft or yielding when pressed; comparatively solid, hard, stiff, or rigid: firm ground; firm texture.
2. securely fixed in place.
3. not shaking or trembling; steady: a firm voice.
4. not likely to change; fixed; settled; unalterable: a firm belief.
5. steadfast or unwavering, as persons or principles: firm friends.
6. indicating firmness or determination: a firm expression.
7. not fluctuating much or falling, as prices, values, etc.: The stock market was firm today.
stiff –adjective
1. rigid or firm; difficult or impossible to bend or flex: a stiff collar.
2. not moving or working easily: The motor was a little stiff from the cold weather.
3. (of a person or animal) not supple; moving with difficulty, as from cold, age, exhaustion, or injury.
4. strong; forceful; powerful: stiff winds; The fighter threw a stiff right to his opponent's jaw.
5. strong or potent to the taste or system, as a beverage or medicine: He was cold and wanted a good stiff drink.
6. resolute; firm in purpose; unyielding; stubborn.
7. stubbornly continued: a stiff battle.
I also think of my sculpting class in college. The clay needed to be firm, so that I could mold it into what I wanted it to be, and it would stay. If the clay was too stiff, I couldn't even get it in the position I wanted in the first place. The Lord is the sculptor and we are the clay.
In verse 13 we learn of Laman and Lemuels lack of belief. Contrast that with Nephi who we find in verse 16 wanting to "know" but is blessed with belief. In the next verse, Sam believes too. Nephi's "desire to know" led him to cry unto the Lord. The Lord blesses him with a softened heart, to believe. Finally in verse 18, we read of Laman and Lemuels hard heart. Again, from Dictionary.com:
soft -adjective
1. yielding readily to touch or pressure; easily penetrated, divided, or changed in shape; not hard or stiff: a soft pillow.
hard -adjective
1. not soft; solid and firm to the touch; unyielding to pressure and impenetrable or almost impenetrable.
Can the whispering of the spirit penetrate your heart, or is it impenetrable? The sculpting clay shouldn't be hard! It needs to be soft.
Let the Spirit into your life. Pray for a soft heart, that the Lord may bless you. Laman and Lemuel did actually follow the prophet (their father) to the promised land. How many of us are like Laman and Lemuel following, but not being soft, yet firm. Are we following with a hard heart and a stiff neck, murmuring about what the Lord is asking us to do? We need to allow the Lord to write into our heart the things that need to be there. Like belief. Be a Nephi and Sam, not a Laman and Lemuel.
In verse 10 Lehi pleads with Lemuel to be "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!" We find out in the very next verse that Lemuel is actually "stiffnecked". So, stiff and firm seem very similar, but there is definitely a big difference. If you look up the definitions firm definitely has an overall positive connotation. Stiff, on the other hand, is pretty negative. See the following from Dictionary.com:
firm –adjective
1. not soft or yielding when pressed; comparatively solid, hard, stiff, or rigid: firm ground; firm texture.
2. securely fixed in place.
3. not shaking or trembling; steady: a firm voice.
4. not likely to change; fixed; settled; unalterable: a firm belief.
5. steadfast or unwavering, as persons or principles: firm friends.
6. indicating firmness or determination: a firm expression.
7. not fluctuating much or falling, as prices, values, etc.: The stock market was firm today.
stiff –adjective
1. rigid or firm; difficult or impossible to bend or flex: a stiff collar.
2. not moving or working easily: The motor was a little stiff from the cold weather.
3. (of a person or animal) not supple; moving with difficulty, as from cold, age, exhaustion, or injury.
4. strong; forceful; powerful: stiff winds; The fighter threw a stiff right to his opponent's jaw.
5. strong or potent to the taste or system, as a beverage or medicine: He was cold and wanted a good stiff drink.
6. resolute; firm in purpose; unyielding; stubborn.
7. stubbornly continued: a stiff battle.
I also think of my sculpting class in college. The clay needed to be firm, so that I could mold it into what I wanted it to be, and it would stay. If the clay was too stiff, I couldn't even get it in the position I wanted in the first place. The Lord is the sculptor and we are the clay.
In verse 13 we learn of Laman and Lemuels lack of belief. Contrast that with Nephi who we find in verse 16 wanting to "know" but is blessed with belief. In the next verse, Sam believes too. Nephi's "desire to know" led him to cry unto the Lord. The Lord blesses him with a softened heart, to believe. Finally in verse 18, we read of Laman and Lemuels hard heart. Again, from Dictionary.com:
soft -adjective
1. yielding readily to touch or pressure; easily penetrated, divided, or changed in shape; not hard or stiff: a soft pillow.
hard -adjective
1. not soft; solid and firm to the touch; unyielding to pressure and impenetrable or almost impenetrable.
Can the whispering of the spirit penetrate your heart, or is it impenetrable? The sculpting clay shouldn't be hard! It needs to be soft.
Let the Spirit into your life. Pray for a soft heart, that the Lord may bless you. Laman and Lemuel did actually follow the prophet (their father) to the promised land. How many of us are like Laman and Lemuel following, but not being soft, yet firm. Are we following with a hard heart and a stiff neck, murmuring about what the Lord is asking us to do? We need to allow the Lord to write into our heart the things that need to be there. Like belief. Be a Nephi and Sam, not a Laman and Lemuel.
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