Category: School

This past week our class has been studying 2 Nephi 9-16.

As I’ve studied through these chapters this week, I’ve had many thoughts and many things that have affected me.  But there is one thing that has really stuck with me.  We discussed it during our weekly gathering this past Thursday.  It is from 2 Nephi 15:26.  It reads, “And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them.”

I really like this scripture as I believe it is speaking about us in this day and how we should act as Latter-day Saints.  I believe that it is our responsibility as members of this church to act each day in accordance with our beliefs.  That we should act in such a way as to help bring people to the Gospel.

In the past I have always felt that missionary work is done by those young men and young women serving full time missions.  That it is something that is not necessarily needing to be done by the rest of us.  I have always felt that we should support our missionaries of course, but I’ve felt that this support should be done primarily by encouraging them and having them over for dinner.

There have been many instances, talks and lessons in church over the past year that have really helped to change my way of thinking in regards to missionary work.  This past weeks studying has helped to change it also.  Having my son out in the mission field has also helped to change my way of thinking as I interact with him in our weekly emails.

I have come to realize that the scripture in 2nd Nephi relates to each of us in these last days.  And that we should make every effort to help build His church every day of our lives.  It is our responsibility as members to be the ones doing the missionary work by reaching out to those around us.  We need to be the ones bringing the full time missionaries opportunities for them to teach.  We should be the ones creating the opportunities and utilizing the help of full time missionaries to help us.

Each week as we study the scriptures, I am finding ways that I need to strive to be better.  This past week has helped me to realize that I need to try and reach out to those around me and to make sure that everyone can see the type of person I am by the life that I am living.

This past week in our class we’ve been studying 1 Nephi Chapters 15-22.

One of the key things that has stayed with me this week is the importance of gratitude.  As we study the scriptures, we see stories from different points of views and the attitudes from the various people.  In a talk by Kirk Astel titled “Attitudes in Affliction”, he speaks of the contrasting attitudes of Nephi and his brothers, Laman and Lemuel.

Nephi always keeps a positive outlook on things, trusting in the Lord that things happen as they should and that he will be better for it.  Laman and Lemuel however, constantly murmur regarding their circumstances and what they have to endure as they wander through the wilderness.

I watched one other video this week that talks about this same topic.  The talk is titled “Grateful in any Circumstances” by President Uchtdorf.  In his talk, President Uchtdorf speaks of a waiter in a restaurant that tries to make a particular customer happy but is unable to do so despite repeated attempts.  The customer always finds something to complain about even though the waiter continues to go above and beyond with trying to provide service.

These stories really make me stop to look at myself and where I am in my life.  Am I happy?  Am I grateful for the things that I have? Am I doing the things that the Lord would have me do with the many blessings He has bestowed upon me?

I think it is easy to go through life always working towards the next goal or the next milestone and not stop to be truly grateful for what we have right now.  I know that I am guilty of this.

I look forward to the weeks ahead as I try and put the lessons I’ve learned this week into practice in my everyday life.  I know that I can be more grateful for all the things in my life for the Lord has truly blessed me in many aspects of my life.

This week in class we have been reading 1 Nephi 1-5.  One of the main things I learned while studying through these scriptures is the importance of faith.

The 4th Article of Faith reads, “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  This shows the importance of faith since it is listed as the first principle of the Gospel.

As we read through the first chapters in the Book of Mormon, we come to realize the great amount of faith that both Lehi and Nephi have.  Lehi shows great faith that everything is going to be ok as he takes his family and leaves Jerusalem after seeing in a vision that the city would be destroyed.  In doing this, he leaves behind everything that he and his family own.  After leaving, he sends his sons back to obtain the plates of brass from Laban.

Nephi also shows great faith at this point as he decides to ask for himself from the Lord if the things that his father has been saying are true or not.  He shows great faith in deciding to go back to get the brass plates even though he has no idea how that will be accomplished.

Nephi’s expresses his faith in 1 Nephi 3:7 – “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, 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 commandeth them.”

This verse is one of my favorite scriptures as it gives me strength to know the truthfulness of this statement.  Our Father in Heaven will truly not give us more than we can handle.  And though we may question and think that what is being asked is too much or too unbearable, with the proper attitude and complete faith in our Father, we can truly accomplish anything that He asks of us.