Book of Mormon 8 - “O How Great the Goodness of Our God”

In this lesson we were able to study the words of Jacob, the brother of Nephi. Jacob, like his brother, is a wise, caring, spiritual giant. When reading his counsel, I thought about the words we hear at General Conference. In particular, I thought of the words spoken by President Dieter Uchtdorf. In the April 2015 General Conference, in his talk The Gift of Grace, President Uchtdorf spoke of his marvel at the Atonement, “I marvel to think that the Son of God would condescend to save us, as imperfect, impure, mistake-prone, and ungrateful as we often are. I have tried to understand the Savior’s Atonement with my finite mind, and the only explanation I can come up with is this: God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly”. I also thought a lot about the Saviour’s love for me and the sacrifice He made through His love.

I used a couple of pieces of church music that always touch my soul, in the hope that the class would feel the Spirit. I played ‘I Stand All Amazed’ at the beginning of class, and then used ‘No Greater Love’ by Turning Point, when discussing the Atonement. The words of this beautiful ballad, always bring me to tears. It starts off:

“Father, please forgive, I broke your heart again.

Didn’t mean to let you down, but I know I have.

O, God, hear my plea – I’m not worthy. Set me free.

Just lift me up once more, like you’ve done before.

Sometimes I’m so blind, I know I don’t obey.

I just forget about the price He had to pay…”

And in the verse on Gethsemane, the line that pierces my soul, “Do I realise each time I fall, He feels that much more pain”.

I love my Saviour. I must love Him enough to be obedient. I cannot face the thought of His pain and agony being that much worse each time I sin.

Like Jacob, President Uchtdorf also explained about grace; that it is by grace that we are saved. In 2 Nephi 9:26, Jacob reminded his people that "the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice". If there had been no atonement and no resurrection, we would have been subject to Satan forever. Christ did for us what we simply could not do for ourselves. President Uchtdorf explained it perfectly: "Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience: it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God. Thinking that we can trade our good works for salvation is like buying a plane ticket and then supposing we own the airline. Or, thinking after paying rent for our home, we now hold title to the entire planet earth".

One of my favourite old Seminary scriptures is also in 2 Nephi 9. In verses 28 and 29, we read: “O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish…But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God". I work in the tertiary education sector and I have known many men/women who were learned but foolish. I have seen so many who gain their degrees and then think they have all the answers. Many of these same people are so full of pride that they turn away from anything to do with Christianity or God. I am so grateful for the gospel. It keeps me “real”. As I continue to learn, I comprehend how much there is still to learn. The complexities of science, the immense volume of new knowledge discovered in the world through research, and the ever-changing face of technology, need to be balanced with knowledge of the Saviour and the gospel. I marvel at the infinite breadth and depth of the master creator.

In President Uchtdorf’s October 2015 conference talk, It Works Wonderfully, he spoke about the simplicity of the gospel, “so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime—even an eternity—of study and discovery to fully understand it”. He outlined the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! He mentioned the thick sediment that can block our visions of the beautiful truths of the gospel when, through pride in our own wisdom we “gild (gospel truth) with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations”. His suggestions remind us of the counsel of Jacob. He suggested simple steps to live the gospel: hear the truth, believe in the promises and trust In the Saviour. As our trust grows, we will love God and each other more. As our love for Him grows, we desire to be obedient. We then desire to serve Him and our neighbours, the poor, and the needy. The more we walk the path of discipleship, the more we desire to learn the word of God. Perhaps this is a good guide to fulfil the directive from Jacob to reconcile ourselves to the will of God (2 Nephi 10:25).

Book of Mormon 7 - “I Know in Whom I Have Trusted”

This week I have spent a long time reflecting on who I am and where I stand in the gospel. I love reading through Nephi’s psalm and catching a glimpse of his soul. He truly is a hero, in every sense of the word. I thought I would try to write down the thoughts I had as my own personal psalm. It is certainly not a classic but it reveals my soul. It is not numbered and the language is modern, but here goes:

O Lord, my Saviour and my Redeemer!

My heart is as heavy as a weighted anchor. The deep waters cradle my drowning heart.

How could your purity and sanctity be defiled by my paltry sins? How could I add to your pain with my weakness; add to your heartache with my failings?

My children flounder in humanity because I have failed to guide them, to prepare them, to provide the strength of the gospel shield. How can this be forgiven?

Yet, my sins are known to thee, and I am loved. I am a child of God; I am special; I have eternal potential.

I must lift my anchor, shake off the salty water, and allow my boat to move forward towards the far shore. I must shake off the chains of depression that provide a fertile home for lack of motivation, procrastination, feeling insignificant, and unworthy.

There is a glimmer of light in the darkness. As my anchor approaches the surface of the water, I see the glow of the sun and the light warms and encompasses me. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude; my heart is filled with joy in recognition of my bounteous blessings.

I am filled with gratitude for the sunshine, clear, cloudless skies, the love of animals, the love of my children and their children, my parents, my life.

The previously still water ripples with a gentle breath of air. My heart sings its own song of joy as I watch my granddaughter sleep. The sweet smell of newly opened jasmine on the fence and grapefruit flowers in full bloom, sipping that first sip of chilled water on a hot day after a fast, the first day after the coughing has finally stopped and I know I am back to full health, a hug from anyone at any time – all these heighten my awareness of everyday blessings.

I acknowledge the greatest blessing from my elder brother, my Redeemer, my Lord – His Atonement. The hope instead of guilt; the ability to be clean, to be forgiven; to once more see His face and walk in His presence, knowing He loves me – this is the key to shaking off the doubts and facing the challenges.

The gratitude must be accompanied by right choices: choosing the scriptures instead of the new novel; choosing church attendance instead of sleeping in on a cold morning or napping on a drowsy afternoon; choosing honesty at all costs; choosing prayer; choosing temple attendance; choosing eternity.

Lord, grant me the strength to shake off the doubts and forge ahead; to appreciate my great blessings; to gain strength from thy love; to seek thee in humility; to make the right choices. I will love and praise thee, forever.

I made this picture for my Facebook page. These are some of my choicest blessings: my mum , ex-, children & grandchildren. Love them dearly. Photo taken on my mum's 90th birthday!

I discussed psalms with my dear mum and she mentioned a psalm she had written many years ago. It was the first time I had read it. I found it moving and inspirational, so I asked her if I could share it. Her psalm is numbered and very similar in style to the Old Testament psalms. Here is her psalm:

Psalm of Praise by Ina Esther Hearns

1. Oh mighty organizer of worlds and suns without number, thou who has brought order to the infinite universe

2. Through whom the righteous will savour the glories of exaltation and by whom the corrupt will receive perfect judgement.

3. Thy eternal power will stem the red tidal wave of evil, thou wilt crush the hordes of the anti-Christ beneath thy heel.

4. In these latter-days the spires of thy Holy Houses will reach towards the heavens, a beacon of hope to thy people.

5. That here thy Saints may serve thee in gratitude, for thy tender mercies they will encompass themselves in holiness.

Our beautiful Hamilton temple - photo from www.ldschurchtemples.com

Book of Mormon 6 - “Free to Choose Liberty and Eternal Life”

Lesson #6 meant a great deal of personal reflection. 2 Nephi 1 contains words of advice from Lehi to his sons. Lehi discussed the destruction of Jerusalem and the importance of the American Continent as a Land of Promise with associated blessings for obedience and cursings for disobedience. 

The scripture that made me think was: 2 Nephi 1:13. Lehi told his sons to awake from a deep sleep and shake off the chains by which they were bound. The deep sleep Lehi referred to is apathy. I may not be apathetic in some things but I am in others! I will put 100% in to my Sunday School preparation for Gospel Doctrine class but I am apathetic with temple attendance. I love sleeping in – it is definitely my weakness, my chain that binds me. I think about setting my alarm to get up early to attend the temple and my “snooze” button kicks in – I think well, maybe next month, or maybe by the middle of the year! I have the same apathy with my own personal self-discipline. I know I should eat all things in moderation but I do love a good sugar kick! Again, I hit the “snooze” button – I will stop drinking sodas tomorrow, or by next weekend, or only allow myself one for the weekend! I need to follow Nephi’s example and do it NOW!

I also thought about the chains of addiction. There are many who try to excuse an addiction, or even worse, who justify the addiction by claiming it is just who they are – they cannot help it. Elder Marvin J. Ashton addressed this point in, “Shake off the chains with which ye are bound”. Here is part of his counsel:

“Those words apply to us today. Who among us hasn’t felt the chains of bad habits? These habits may have impeded our progress, may have made us forget who we are, may have destroyed our self-image, may have put our family life in jeopardy, and may have hindered our ability to serve our fellowmen and our God. So many of us tend to say, “This is the way I am. I can’t change. I can’t throw off the chains of habit.”

Lehi warned his sons to “shake off the chains” because he knew that chains restrict our mobility, growth, and happiness. They cause us to become confused and less able to be guided by God’s Spirit…

Righteous living is a shield, a protector, an insulation, a strength, a power, a joy, a Christ-like trait. Yes, living a life of righteousness is a chain breaker…Is it any wonder, in our day as it was in Nephi’s, that God’s pleas are “awake,” “listen,” “procrastinate no longer,” “believe me,” “come back,” and “seek the straight course”?” (Elder Marvin J. Ashton, Oct. 1986, Shake off the chains…)

I have seen this in the lives of members. I have seen a celestial marriage, a beautiful, young family, whose happiness and well-being is threatened by chains. A father chained by addiction to pornography, to drugs, while his wife struggles to cater to the needs of little ones totally reliant on her, while she is overwhelmed by feelings of powerlessness and desperation. The only answer is to make the change now. Avoid the excuses and the rationalisations that come from only one source, Satan himself. Follow the Saviour, break the chains, love your wife, and be there as a whole man and an honourable Priesthood holder for your children.

In 2 Nephi 2, Lehi addressed his son Jacob, his first child born in the wilderness. He spoke of the purpose of life, the creation of the earth, the fall of man, and the atonement of Christ. One of my favourite scriptures is 2 Nephi 2:11-12, which speaks about the necessity for opposition in all things. This scripture was part of our scripture mastery when I was a Seminary student. The words of this scripture have helped me face adversity many times in my life. I may be sick today but I will be better next week and next week I will really appreciate my health!

Lehi also spoke of the atonement. I am always in awe of the love of my Saviour when I consider the atonement. He suffered for me, as weak as I am. He loved me enough to die for me. My sin increased the pain He endured. I love my Saviour. The atonement gives us hope. The atonement provides a way back to our Heavenly Father. Lehi outlined our choice in 2 Nephi 2:27: liberty and eternal life or captivity and death. Let us try to make the right choice now, without delay.

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