Chapter 6 1 Nephi 19-22

I actually got to teach this class as a sub.....it was a great privilege! Whenever we start talking about 2 sets of plates, as in 19:1-6, I am so touched to realize how our Father in Heaven knows ALL things, and is able to make provisions ahead that His work will go forth as needed. He already knew that in a couple thousand years Martin Harris was going to be disobedient and lose those 116 pages which were part of the large plates of Nephi. It was extra work for Nephi and he didn't even know why he was asked to make these extra plates, but he was obedient. With this realization, why do we ever let ourselves worry or fret about things? Fear and worry are such a waste of time...and truly a lack of faith! We discussed this in class....it was nice. Basically we just need to go forward each day, doing the things the Lord asks.....prayer with our spouse, our family, and individual...scripture STUDY (differs from "reading"...it's what we are doing), trying to be the best parents and companion we can, repenting, serving others,...all this Easy stuff (haha!!) and THEN just trusting our Father in Heaven and our Savior. They really have it all worked out for us if we will just let them. That is truly my testimony!! Study the manual with the scriptures.....isn't it just soooo good? Mom

Chapter 5 1 Nephi 16-18

This whole chapter is so good. It's a good time to examine our own attitutes toward correction. Also, how do we handle trials....are we the murmurer or do we turn to the Lord for help. It's amazing to watch the tutoring of Nephi. He had some very very difficult trials....it's easy to see how they all turned out so great....but what about while he was in them and didn't really know how it was all going to go. I think we have all had a few experiences that let us identify with that!!
A former Bishop in our stake, that is now on the High Council, shared an experience he had with the Book of Mormon while reading about the "broken bow experience". He had just lost his job the week before and was just devastated as he has a young family with 5 children. As he read those verses in 1Ne.16, the Spirit whispered to him that this was exactly what had just happened to him.....like Nephi, he had suddenly lost his means of providing for his family. He followed what Nephi did....he did not complain, but went to his own father seeking a blessing to know what the Lord would have him do. His worthy father gave him a blessing in which he was told that if he would do all he could to secure a new job that he would actually have several choices come to him that he would choose from. He said that was exactly what happened....it took a couple of months and suddenly he had several desirable companies all offering him a job. He ended up with a better one than he had before.
The church is so true!!

Chapter 4 1 Nephi 12-15

I loved learning more about Columbus and seeing from "hindsight" all the fulfilment of so many prophecies and how our Father's hand was in all of these events.....ALL in preparing a land and a constitution that would protect religious freedom so the gospel could be restored. Elder Dallin H. Oaks mentioned in his recent talk at BYUI, that there was not a nation on the earth that had a written constitution at the time ours was written and ratified. This nation was truly set up to be a light to all the world.
It is so interesting to read about the great and abominable church. The manual has so many great quotes and insights......it is wonderful.
1 Ne. 14:7...this is truly a great and marvelous work. I feel so privileged to live here to behold all of this.
1 Ne. 14:14.....I love this verse.....righteousness is the power that will befeat satan.

Chapter 3 1 Nephi 6-11

One of the things I love in this chapter (1 Ne. 7) is to see how completely the blessing given to Joseph (favored son of Jacob that was sold into Egypt), that he would be "a fruitful bough....running over the wall....a branch broken off from the rest of Israel", was so literally fulfilled in Lehi's family (a descendant of Manasseh) being commanded to return for Ishmael's family (descendant of Ephriam) and that these two lines intermarry and grow together into a huge posterity on the American continent...an ocean away from all the rest of the Israelites.
In 7:15 we talked about how pleasant Nephi's life could have been if Laman and Lemuel had gone ahead and returned to Jerusalem!! Perhaps all of the opposition was necessary to mold him into the great prophet he became. Sooo.....how is the Lord molding each of us into the daughters he needs us to be?.......it does seem to take lots of opposition!
A very rare experience that Nephi was given was to see the Holy Ghost....1 nephi 11 is an amazing chapter. In verse 7 we see the Holy Ghost bears witness of Jesus Christ (that Nephi is about to see) and tells Nephi that after this, he is to bear record that it is the son of God. In 11:11, Nephi identifies that it was the Holy Ghost and then as you read on, the Holy Ghost leaves (he fulfuilled his purpose) and an angel then descends in verse 14 to show Nephi the rest of the whole vision. I find verse 32 to be one of the most touching.
I LOVE the Book of Mormon!!

Chapter 2 1Nephi 1-5

• Nephi must have really thought about this before beginning his record, because verse 1 says sooo much! Each of you think in your own minds...if you had a piece of paper divided into two columns and at the top of each was written: afflictions in my day...and... having been highly favored of the Lord....what would you write under each of those? Think about it. That was a very uplifting thing for me to do.
• In 1Ne. 1:2....I had never realized the Brass plates were also written in Egytian (Mos. 1:4) Later Nephi mentions that he would really be able to explain himself better if he could write in Hebrew, but because it (Hebrew) takes up so much room and it is difficult writing on plates, they write in the "language of the Egyptians". Now imagine if they had had to write it in English, because 1 page of Hebrew = 15 pages of English...and yet the HEBREW took up way too much room! Amazing!
• I love 1Ne 1: 20, where it talks about tender mercies. The manual is very good on ALL of these chapters.