Thermometer or Thermostat?

1 Nephi 10:1

"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord..."

In my Book of Mormon class, we talked about the difference between acting and being acted upon. In this verse, we have Nephi asking the Lord to understand what his father knew. In class we talked about how he sat down and pondered, and sought to understand, and believed that the Lord would make those things known unto him. He made a physical effort to understand, and had faith that, through the Lord, he would understand.

Laman and Lemuel didn't. They just kinda expected the answers to come to them or not. At least from what we understand, they made NO effort to understand what their father was talking about, and resented their father.

It really made me consider--do I act, or am I acted upon? There are so many questions at this time of life that I do pray about, but do I really search and ponder in my desperate need for answers? What's funny is when a friend started bringing this up as well. I started evaluating different situations I have been in, and in what ways I could have looked at it in a better light and realized what I could have changed instead of what I wished would change. I realized that I simply could not be content just allowing things to happen around me.

Also, it has ALWAYS astounded me how sensitive Nephi is to the spirit. He knows that it feels like, and he knows that to do when he hears it! He doesn't sit there doubting whether he felt it or not, he acts on it with 100% faith! It stuns me. I realized that in my quest to learn how to feel the Spirit more keenly, I needed to act instead of assuming that such a gift will just come to me. I need to be firm in what I believe.

The Extra Details

Nephi 7

9 And it came to pass that they rejoiced exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.

10 And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.

First off, how blessed we are to have such easy access to the scriptures. We don’t have to take two weeks to go get our scriptures to study the word of God. The word of God fits in our pockets on our devices. We have constant access to what our modern prophet is telling us today, and we have the technology to see the apostles and prophets live when they speak to us. Also, this showed how much Lehi valued knowing their heritage.

However… consider this—where, in this chapter, did Nephi talk about what he went through to get those plates? This is something that I had never considered before. His brothers an extreme detriment to their cause, and they beat him with and Sam with sticks. What is the story behind that? There aren’t minute details in the Book of Mormon.  What were they probably saying the entire way there? What were they yelling at him? I wonder how many times they threatened him. We don’t know. But we know it must have happened.

Not only that, but we don’t know how Nephi told his dad that he had to kill Laban to get the plates. Nor do we know how Lehi must have responded. What a conversation that must have been. As Mr. Griffin showed in class:

“Hey… dad? I need to talk to you.”

“Sure son! What’s on your mind?”

“Well. Dad... You see. To get those plates?”

“…yes?”

“Dad… I was commanded to kill Laban. This… this is his sword.”

“You…” *Long silence as they both look at the plates.* “What… why is God asking us to do this?”

“I don’t know, Dad.”

That’s the other thing—Nephi was commanded to write these smaller plates. He didn’t know why, he just knew that he was supposed to. Sometimes we are asked to do things, and we just don’t know why. It’s a very funny thing, learning to put all of your trust in your Father in Heaven. Somehow we can learn to do it though. Nephi learned how to get personal revelation, and act on what he knew he was commanded to do. There is a quote by Julie B. Beck: "The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life." This is a difficult ability to acquire! But isn't it incredible that we can get revelation from our Father in Heaven that knows all things? We can trust Him, and we will be an instrument in his hands.

Hello World!

Because my blog is viewed by everyone around the world. *winkwinknodnod.

BUT! Regardless. Listen. For those of you who don't know me personally...

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Otherwise known as the LDS church, or the Mormons. Coming to a theater near you... "Meet the Mormons"!! 

Yes. That is me.

As a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I read and study what we call the Book of Mormon. I am actually taking a class on it at my college! It. Is. Wonderful. If you ever get the chance to combine faith and school, DO IT.

We also believe in the Bible, as long as it is translated correctly. We believe that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ, through the power of God. It is the record of those that lived in the Americas in ancient times. We also believe that he restored the true gospel of Christ to the earth.

We also believe in a loving Heavenly Father that created us, and sent us down here so that we could learn to be like Him. We also believe in the gift of agency--the gift to be able to choose between right and wrong.

That basically is a quick rehash. If you happen to cross my blog, and want to learn more, I will answer any questions to the best of my ability. Leave them in the comments! (Because, again, we know the whole world looks at this blog. ;) Ha. Haha.

But also, if you are curious,  www.lds.org is an AMAZING resource.

Looking for Something

From my Book of Mormon class:

*(Sorry. Much of this is the basics this week. I'll probably step into deeper things later, but this made an impact on me. So I'm going to write about it.)

What is your distraction? Why is it distracting you? ...If it's on your mind... why on earth aren't you looking for an answer for it? Why is it your distraction instead of your purpose?

This, (though maybe it shouldn't be this way) was quite the revelation for me. Whenever I read scriptures, I'm always thinking to put away things of the world and my own selfish thoughts and concerns and think of the eternal and everything gospel. I want to just focus on studying. You know what? It's hard to do that when scripture study is one of the few times you get to slow down and think. Telling myself not to think about my concerns at that very moment while studying my scriptures is like asking me to think... but telling me don't you dare think young lady. At the same time. ... Does that make sense?

Look for what you are thinking about... this brings "liken the scriptures to yourself" to a whole different (not new) level. It's funny--I feel like I have been told this concept before. I always thought that it meant to "modernize" the scriptures in a way where you can gain strength from them in your life. Like if you are faced with temptation. "Get thee hence Satan!" Such as when you are filled with despair because you feel like you are failing (2 Nephi 4 is my all time favorite chapter at the moment). Why not look on the page of scripture that you are reading right then. I ask questions and seek for answers, but I always formalize it. ... Must it be formalized? Why must I have a mystery that I've been trying to solve for a long while? Why must I separate my friend trouble from what I am reading? Why must I separate my feelings from my questions? Why must I separate how guilty and pathetic I feel? Why must I separate what I think are stupid questions and feelings from my scriptures? Why have I been doing that my whole life? 

It makes me feel quite behind many of my peers... but... that helps me. NOW. HERE.

Also the phrase "It came to pass." Coming from a Book of Mormon culture, I feel like I used this as one phrase that meant only one thing. But, in class, it was pointed out to me. IT came to pass. It CAME to pass. It came TO pass. It came to PASS. Everything that we experience came to pass. Not that it just happened, we experienced it and then it passed. We experienced it so it would pass. All the struggles we face? It came TO pass. And it does PASS.

And-- ...I can't wait until we get to meet Nephi. Let's be honest. :)

Two Years' Change

Life is strange. You don't have to live very long before you realize this.

Think about it--two years ago, could you imagine where you were going to be this year? Could you possibly imagine what experiences you were going to have? How different you would look? Could you imagine the people you were going to meet? Could you imagine what songs you would decide you would love? Could you see what friends you were going to make? Did you know which friends you would lose? Keep? Could you imagine the feelings you were going to feel? Despair, happiness, loneliness, excitement, anxiety, love, confusion, pain, joy, humor? Could you envision the scenes where you would laugh so hard that your stomach would ache for days? Did you imagine what people you would like? Did you know what mistakes you would make? Did you know what you would regret the most? Did you realize what would embarrass you the most? Could you imagine how your personality would change? Did you imagine what experiences your friends would have? Could you imagine what you would be involved with? Could you imagine what you would learn? What you would have to unlearn and start over? Could you imagine the conversations you would have? Did you image the relationships you would and would not develop? Could you imagine what your friends would go through? Did you see what you would be proud of yourself for doing? Did you understand that you would feel younger now than you did two years ago, but more mature? Could you... Did you... Could you... Did you....? Where did you think you were going to be? Where are you now?

Maybe it is just me. I am at that stage of life. But... I swear...

Life will be the death of me.

That's the other funny thing; life always ends in death. Everything has an end. Or does it?

All that change you have experienced in the last two years, will it ever leave?

Can you imagine two years from now?

Two years is a long time, yet a very short time. How... how... How did so much change around me? How did I change so much?

...Why does so much change? But you almost have to encourage the change by continuing the hike and walking forward through the valleys and to the tops of mountains. But! I think I'm getting stronger. I think everyone is.

I can't help but know that there is Someone at the head of this journey, and I trust my Father in Heaven. I can see his hand in my life from what I have learned and experienced. I know he is there. I... just don't know the overall result yet. And that's okay. I'm going to keep hiking, even if my feet ache and bleed and I feel exhausted. Everything will turn out.