Riches and the Kingdom of God

As I was reading in the Book of Mormon I came across a verse in 2 Nephi chapter 28. Money and riches are a way that Satan tries to lead us away from the path. Now like most things money is not inherently bad, it is just a means by which the natural man falls into temptation quite easily. In verse 13 of 2 Nephi 28 it says, 

13 They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up." 

It is not a bad thing to have money when we use it for the right reasons, but when we start to focus on ourselves with our money then we fall into the devil’s traps and neglect the people around us. There is a lot of good that can be done with money and long as our hearts are set in the right place. Jacob counsels us to seek for the kingdom of God and if we do that and we desire riches to do good then God will grant us that wish but its conditional. This verse in 2 Nephi brought to me a different perspective on the subject. Just like we rob God by not paying tithes and offerings, we rob the poor by spending too much money on ourselves that probably isn’t necessary. They key to now following into Satan’s traps is not having pride. That is the source of all evil. Now we all have different reasons for having money, but as long as our desires are with God, we will never go astray with this concept.

How Our Prayers are Answered

This last week in class we were talking about the Brother of Jared and his experience in preparing to cross the sea as he had been commanded. We went over 3 different ways that the Lord answered the prayers of the brother of Jared, and how they still apply to us tonight. I had never payed close attention to, or noticed, this before.

The brother of Jared had 3 problems he was seeking guidance on: no air in the barges he had built, no light, and no way to steer (Ether 2:19). 

First, the Lord answers his question about how to have air to breathe on the journey. He gives the brother of Jared step by step instructions as to what he can do. At times, this is how the Lord answers our prayers. We feel as we are being guided miraculously each step of the way. 

After the Lord's instruction was followed, the Brother of Jared returned to Him and asked about the light. It was dark in the barges and they could not see a thing. They were enclosed and had no sunlight as you would on a normal ship, and they could not have a fire (for obvious reasons). When he went to the Lord and asked about the light, the brother of Jared was asked "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" The Lord gave him agency to choose how to go about it. The brother of Jared then had to come up with something, and then he worked hard to obtain the stones he did (in finding and preparing them) and he then took his idea to the Lord. Sometimes the answer to our prayers will be "you decide." And that doesn't mean we do whatever we please, but it means that we need to carefully study it out and put in the effort, make a decision, and then take that to the Lord to receive confirmation that that is a good thing to do. (Ether 2:23; 3:1-6).

The third thing the brother of Jared sought guidance on was how to steer. The Lord's answer? Don't worry about it - I've got it. Trust in me (Ether 2:24). There are some things that are out of our control that we are told to not worry about. This is something that I was talking with my sister about just a couple of weeks ago. For me, this can be the hardest thing - it is definitely easier said than done. I feel like I should worry about it and that for some reason worrying shows that I care to receive an answer - but that is not the case. Worry is connected with fear. Fear is the opposite of faith and trust. But God sometimes asks us to just trust Him and allow Him to guid things to go where they need to be. 

These are each things worth studying, pondering, realizing and understanding. As we recognize the ways that God is answering our prayers, we will be able to have greater patience through the process and have the ability to keep going, regardless of the wait or the answer. 

At times the Lord instructs us more directly, sometimes He tells us to not worry, and other times He expects us to use our agency that He has given us. Each are different ways to help us grow at various stages of our lives and for our benefit. God knows what is best for us - we need to have faith in Him. He will get us across the big sea that currently is before us to a place He has prepared for us. 

Modern Prophets

The past week I have been working on a paper for religion and I have been comparing 2 prophets. Nephi and Heber J. Grant. These 2 prophets and quite similar in some of their characteristics and attributes. We always think of the ancient prophets as the mighty and powerful ones, but learning about the modern day prophets we can see that they too are mighty and powerful. I've loved learning more about Heber J. Grant and seeing how I can apply his teachings and follow his example. Both Nephi and President Grant were very persistent in the things that they did. Nephi wouldn't stop until he got the brass plates, President Grant practiced many things that he wasn't good at until he was very good. For example, he would practice marbles, baseball and singing until he do all very well. In fact he got so good at marbles that he had to bet 10 while everyone else only had to bet 1. The modern day prophets are great examples that we can learn from because they are from the same dispensation as we are. When Heber J. Grant was a kid many people thought that he was the laziest kid in town, and that may have been a weakness of his, but he wanted to improve and so he did. Everyone goes through difficulties and trials, even the prophets of this dispensation and even more so than us, but we can overcome them. Seeing the examples of the great men from this age gives me hope to be able to overcome my weaknesses. As it says in Jacob 4:6 we obtain hope and faith through the prophets.

"Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prohpecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."

The Resurrection

Today I was reading in 2 Nephi 9 about the Atonement and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In particular, I was focusing on the Resurrection and Christ's triumph over death. Because of Christ's Resurrection we will all be resurrected; if that was not the case then we would all very much be damned. We would not be able to progress, but we would remain a spirit (like Satan's current state). That sounds awful. If there had been no resurrection, then everything would have been for not. Our purpose is to learn, progress, become like God...and we can not do that if we are a spirit. We need a body.

Jacob states in 2 Nephi:

8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

9 And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

We are extremely blessed that we have a merciful God! Because of my Savior I will be able to rise again. I know that my Savior lives and that because our Heavenly Father sent Him we can be saved from physical and spiritual death. This gives us all cause to rejoice! 

Joy

During my studies last week I read the talk "Joy and Spiritual Survival" by President Russel M. Nelson from the October 2016 General Conference. This was a great talk that really makes you think about the way you go about life. To sum it up it talks about how its possible to have joy while going through tough situations. One thing that really makes a big difference is our attitude towards different aspects on life and the Gospel really impacts our attitude. President Nelson said, "What will you and I be able to endure as we focus on the joy that is “set before” us? What repenting will then be possible? What weakness will become a strength? What chastening will become a blessing? What disappointments, even tragedies, will turn to our good? And what challenging service to the Lord will we be able to give?" It is possible to have this type of attitude as long as we live the gospel. Any trial that we have can be turned for good. President Nelson shares a story of some early pioneers that had been kicked out of their home in the middle of winter and they were traveling to a new place. It was cold, snowy, and windy at this time but despite the bad conditions they still had joy. Eliza R. Snow said that there was never a complaint and that only Saints could have such joy under such circumstances. Only through the gospel is this possible. Joy can be a choice, we just need to make the effort so that when hard times come we already know what to do to keep the spirit with us. 

The Repentance Process

This past week in class we went over the Beatitudes in 3 Nephi chapter 12. Instead of looking at the verses each as an individual characteristic, we approached it in a new light I hadn't thought of before. They are steps - a process of repentance and becoming more Christlike.

First: We are poor in Spirit (we are lacking and need Christ)
Second: We mourn
Third: Meek (we become teachable)
Fourth: Hunger and Thirst after righteousness (this is an action - seeking)
Fifth: Merciful (we have felt God's mercy and seek to show that do others and help them feel His mercy as well)
Sixth: Pure in heart (we are becoming cleansed and our intent to do good is for the right reasons)
Seventh: Peacemakers
Eighth: Persecuted (Christ was persecuted, and He told us that as His disciples we would be persecuted too. As we become closer to becoming more like Christ - and less like the world - we will have more opposition and persecution).

This is definitely something that I want to study more and learn from in understanding the process of repentance (and I encourage you all to study it more as well)! Repentance is an amazing thing! I feel that the process the Savior teaches here shows the joy and blessings the come from true repentance.

Conference

 With Conference being this last weekend I feel it would be appropriate to share some thoughts about what I was able to catch during the sessions. One of my favorite talks was by President Uchtdorf in the General Priesthood Session. His talk basically went over humility and not being prideful especially in church service. He talked about President J. Ruben Clark when he would extend a call to someone, he would tell them to remember rule number 6, "Don't take yourself so darn seriously." We need to remember that we are not important than anyone else. We are all equals in the eyes of God and so we should be in our own eyes. President James E. Faust cautioned President Uchtdorf not to inhale the praise of others. This kind of pride can be an enticing temptation but we must try to avoid such things. President Uchtdorf said the one kind of service is not greater than another. The services rendered in the church cannot be compared for bigger and better. All service is for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to build up the kingdom of God. President Uchtdorf also said, "the most important calling in the one you have right now." The missionaries all have one purpose, to invite other to come unto Christ, it's not leadership positions or number of baptisms. If we magnify our callings now, God will bless us later and trust us with other assignments.

Inquire Diligently

The other day I was reading in Alma 40. This is the chapter where Alma is speaking to his son, Corianton, about life after death. I love the process that Alma explains he went through as to how he came to obtain his knowledge and testimony of this. In verse 3 Alma explains that he had "inquired diligently of God that [he] might know."
Two things stand out to me in that statement: 1) He inquired diligently and 2) he inquired of God so that he might know. I feel like a lot of the times I have questions concerning doctrine or different circumstances in my life that I want to know the answer to, but unfortunately I am not always diligent in my asking, seeking, and knocking concerning the matter. This is something I have tried to improve on the last little while: being seriously, honestly diligent in searching for answers. I can not expect to ask once one night during my prayer and then receive an answer by the morning. I need to be diligent and persistent.
Another thing that I have been trying to do better at is going straight to God for answers - seeking His guidance first. Too often I just ask someone else (family member, friend) and I do not really take it to the Lord. But it is most important to go to God first, and then He will guide you in receiving greater understanding or answers. Whether that is to then ask/talk to someone, or to read a talk, to go back through your journal, etc. Or He may answer you through words, thoughts, and feelings. God asks us to inquire of Him, not google. He is where we find will find truth.

I encourage each of you, as you do your own searching for truth, to diligently inquire of God. There we find peace, clarity, assurance, and answers.

Follow Me

For Religion we had to write a paper this past week and there were multiple options on what we could do to write out paper. I chose the option of reading all the footnotes in a chapter to study it better. I read 2 Nephi 31. A great chapter that talks about the Doctrine of Christ and has many powerful teaching. But going through the chapter this time reading the footnotes I came across some interesting things in the first part of the chapter. In versus 10, 12, and 13 the word follow is mentioned 4 times and they all have footnotes. But the interesting thing is that with the footnotes, the word follow has different definitions to it in each verse. The words intent and willing in verse 13  also have very interesting footnotes that changed the meaning of the verse for me. I invite all of you to go through those verses and check out the difference there are with the word follow.

Cry Unto Him

This week I read Alma 34 - one of my favorite chapters. Amulek is preaching and he starts to talk about prayer; what to pray for and the many ways it can bless our lives.

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.

20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.

21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

God wants us to seek Him through prayer with every aspect of our lives. Not only does He want us to seek Him for mercy and protection against the adversary, but He also wants us to go to Him seeking direction in our schooling, our jobs, providing for our families, etc. He cares about our day to day lives. He wants us to prosper and do well and find joy each day. 

If our desires are righteous, Heavenly Father will bless us in our endeavors. If I am needing help on a test, He cares. There have been many times I have prayed for help as I've studied the material for help in remembering and for success in taking the test. I have found that He even cares about my stomach pain! When I prayed for it to stop (so that I could focus on that test I was taking), it stopped. 

Prayer works. It is amazing. And I know that God wants us to turn to Him and counsel with Him in each aspect of our lives. 

God is Merciful

This past week I have been studying Conference talks from last October in preparation for this coming conference. One of the talks that I read was The Souls Sincere Desire by Carol F. McConkie. This was a great talk that really made me think. She used a passage of scripture at the beginning of her talk that was really quite reflective. 

Lucas 18: 7-8

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

What do we have to do so that God can avenge us? What condition do we need to be in to receive the blessings of God? According to the scripture we must cry day and night. Now it is impossible to always be praying every moment of everyday but we can have our thoughts always turned to the Savior and plead that things will work out for our good. It requires a lot of faith to cry day and night. And that is our faith. Will the Son of Man find faith in us when he comes? Or when it is necessary? It's a great question to ponder and think about our own individual lives and what is the next step for us so that He will find faith when He comes.