Tuesday, September 29, 2015
The mist of Darkness
In reading about Lehi's vision on the Tree of Life, Patty and i had a really good discussion about the mist of darkness. It speaks of falling away and repentance being the way back to the rod. But how do you find your way back? When you repent, does the mist lift long enough for you to see your way back. My theory is that when we repent, God is able to see the Godly sorrow we have in our hearts and it is at that point that he sends Jesus to us to be our savior. Jesus is the light that can help us see through the mist and is then able to grab hold of us and guide us back to the rod. Which brings everything full circle for me because as we repent and show godly sorrow we are grabbing hold of the atonement god has provided for us in his son.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Strength from Faith
Strength from Faith
As a family we have read the Book of Mormon multiple times. The problem is that we have always read it to get it done. I know my wife has asked countless times to slow down and try to absorb what we are reading, and my only thought has been to get finished and move on to the next book of scriptures so we can say we have read all the scriptures. So to Patty and our daughter Aimee, I am deeply sorry. We have never sat down and studied like we have been asked to do in the first couple weeks of class. I now realize how much we have missed. Not only do I feel like I have shorted them in their desire to gain insight into the scriptures, I also feel as thought I have robbed myself of the opportunity to grow closer to my heavenly father.
The first week of reading in the Book of Mormon, and I have discovered what great strength we can gain from simple faith. I had never thought about Nephi's desire to obtain the plates as he was commanded, as a partnership between himself and the Lord. I had always thought it was just something he was told to do and he obeyed. It seems to me that he had a simple faith. God said do this and you will be blessed, and Nephi did the task, short, sweet, and to the point. As a former soldier I learned quickly how to obey orders so it never dawned on me that there was more to it than that. This week i realized that Nephi loved the Lord so much that he would endure anything and everything to please his God. His simple faith gave him the strength to endured long travel with whinny brothers, rejection when he believed he was doing what God had commanded and even being beaten. It was not until after he endured so many trials that the Lord delivered Laban into Nephi's hands. I can only imagine the happiness Nephi felt when he accomplished his task. I know when I embark on a long journey, a difficult task and things seem impossible, I am apt to give up, but when the Lord steps in and gives me the courage and strength to get those things done, I feel overwhelmed with his love. When I stop, step back, and rely on the Lord, exercise my simple faith, he gives me the strength and courage to accomplish all things through him.
As a family we have read the Book of Mormon multiple times. The problem is that we have always read it to get it done. I know my wife has asked countless times to slow down and try to absorb what we are reading, and my only thought has been to get finished and move on to the next book of scriptures so we can say we have read all the scriptures. So to Patty and our daughter Aimee, I am deeply sorry. We have never sat down and studied like we have been asked to do in the first couple weeks of class. I now realize how much we have missed. Not only do I feel like I have shorted them in their desire to gain insight into the scriptures, I also feel as thought I have robbed myself of the opportunity to grow closer to my heavenly father.
The first week of reading in the Book of Mormon, and I have discovered what great strength we can gain from simple faith. I had never thought about Nephi's desire to obtain the plates as he was commanded, as a partnership between himself and the Lord. I had always thought it was just something he was told to do and he obeyed. It seems to me that he had a simple faith. God said do this and you will be blessed, and Nephi did the task, short, sweet, and to the point. As a former soldier I learned quickly how to obey orders so it never dawned on me that there was more to it than that. This week i realized that Nephi loved the Lord so much that he would endure anything and everything to please his God. His simple faith gave him the strength to endured long travel with whinny brothers, rejection when he believed he was doing what God had commanded and even being beaten. It was not until after he endured so many trials that the Lord delivered Laban into Nephi's hands. I can only imagine the happiness Nephi felt when he accomplished his task. I know when I embark on a long journey, a difficult task and things seem impossible, I am apt to give up, but when the Lord steps in and gives me the courage and strength to get those things done, I feel overwhelmed with his love. When I stop, step back, and rely on the Lord, exercise my simple faith, he gives me the strength and courage to accomplish all things through him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)