Book of Mormon 15 - “Eternally Indebted to Your Heavenly Father”

This week’s lesson focussed on King Benjamin. What a remarkable leader! He served his people by working with his people. In Mosiah 2:14, we read that “I [King Benjamin], myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be born…” I can imagine living under his rule, and hearing his words, and receiving inspiration to be true to the teachings in the scriptures.

In Mosiah 2, King Benjamin uses the word “indebted” repeatedly. He reminds us that we are eternally indebted to the Lord. In ‘The Gospel Study Companion’, presented by S. Michael Wilcox, he makes an analogy of a large plate of delicious gifts (a Christmas plate) and the blessings we receive from the Lord. He tells us that the Lord gives us so many gifts: life, preservation, joy, peace (refer Mosiah 2:20) the air we breathe, agency, movement (refer Mosiah 2:21); and we can add the scriptures, living prophets, the beauties of creation, and so much more. What do we put on our plate that we give back to the Lord? In verses 20 to 23, there are three gifts we can give the Lord: all our thanks and praise, i.e. gratitude, service, by serving our fellowman, and keeping His commandments, i.e. obedience. As we give our plate to the Lord, He gives us another plate with even more gifts. Then we need to give back again: gratitude, service, and obedience, and the cycle goes on.

In Mosiah 2:24 we read, “And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever.” The Lord blesses us in so many ways. I live in a peaceful country, a beautiful land that is clean and green, I have a remarkable family, a good job with amazing students, so much love, and good friends. I have the gospel, I have the scriptures, and I know who I am and where I want to be. I am grateful, and I do give thanks daily for my bounteous blessings.

My beautiful family

I find it easy to love other people because I have always been loved. Part of this love is expressed in service. One of the most famous scriptures from this week’s lesson is Mosiah 2:17: “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

My job is one where I serve on a daily basis. I try to make myself available to my students whenever they need me. I love doing what I can for my family. I adore being able to give a gift that truly comes from the heart.

In the past, I served as a volunteer Lifeline counsellor, at a time in my life when I had major, painful issues in my own life. This service did more for me, than I ever did for those I served. I remember going to a shift feeling lonely and sad. I remember spending four hours on one phone call, persuading a caller not to pull the trigger on a rifle he was holding to his head. Encouraging him to talk about all the things he had to live for made me so aware of how fortunate I was, despite temporary problems.

My mum and I were visiting teaching companions for over a dozen years. We never missed a visit in that time. The opportunity to visit the homes of our sisters always made the month worthwhile. We grew to love the various sisters we visited and developed a stronger bond as mother and daughter.

The gifts of gratitude and service I find easier to offer the Lord. The third one is always a struggle. I try to be obedient but I always fall short. In ‘The Miracle of Forgiveness’ by President Spencer W. Kimball, he speaks about the sins of omission and not just of commission. It is easier to avoid the sins of commission. The sins of omission are the sins I need to work on. My goal in future plates I present to the Lord, is to add greater obedience to my gifts.

In Mosiah 3:19 we read about the natural man. The natural man is an enemy to God, unless he submits his will to the Lord’s as a child submits to his father. The process of becoming a child of Christ and putting off the natural man is beautifully explained in the little video called, ‘Becoming Children of Christ’.

Book of Mormon 14 - “For a Wise Purpose”

The books of Enos, Jarom, Omni, and the Words of Mormon, although brief, cover a huge time period, approximately 500 B.C. to 145 B.C. Several passages of scripture here touched my heart as I was studying. The first thing I thought about was the importance of keeping a journal, of keeping records. Enos, the son of Jarom, was the first to record his thoughts and experiences; then Omni, Chemish, Amaron, Abinadom, and Amaleki, and, finally, Mormon.

I have always loved the story of the prayer of Enos. This must be one of the greatest prayers ever recorded in scripture. He prayed for his own soul, then for his brethren, the Nephites, then for his enemies, the Lamanites, and lastly, that the scriptures would be preserved for future generations. Enos did not just pray; he poured out his heart in prayer. I thought about my own prayers, and realised how often I fail to pour out my heart and soul to the Lord. But, I know He listens to me. 

I had the opportunity this week to know, without a doubt, that the Lord listens if you seek him earnestly.

My experience was certainly not an Enos moment, but, for me, it was special. Last week my children were on holiday from university, but back again into their studies this week. My youngest studied so hard over his week break. Every day, completely through his own dedication and determination, he studied hard with just a few, short breaks. He is earnestly attempting to pass his Bio-Med course with no less than an A for every paper, to ensure he gains entry into the Medical programme. So he works, and he works hard, consistently.

On Tuesday evening he had an important exam that counts 34% of his final mark for one of the four courses that determine entry to Medical School. I dropped him at the train station at 4.30 p.m. for a 6.30 p.m. exam start. I had a feeling of uneasiness and doubled back to the station. He was trying to contact me. He had attempted to top up his HOP card (public transport card), but the money had not come through and he had been unable to get his train. He had also left his EFTPOS card at home. I told him to get in and I would drive him through to the central city. This really was a crazy decision because rush-hour traffic is at its worst at this time of the day. But drive we did!

We did not take the motorway as it is usually at a standstill by 5.00 p.m. I drove along Great South Road. By the time we got to Mt Wellington, traffic was at a snail’s pace. I started to panic a little but remained bright and chirpy for my son’s benefit. I was praying hard that we would make it.

We hit horrendous traffic from Greenlane through to Newmarket. Khyber Pass, the road I would normally take, was not moving at all. I had a sudden thought, which I believe was an inspiration. I took a side-road and decided to cut though the Domain Grounds at Auckland Museum. This probably saved us from being late!

I got to the campus just after 6.00 p.m. and headed for the OGGB building, where my son expected the exam to be held. As I made the last turn into Symonds Street, the time was 6.15 p.m. My son received a txt from a friend telling him the exam venue had changed. It had moved to the HB. What was the problem? He didn’t know where the HB was! He suddenly said, “Just drop me here”, and I felt it was right, so I pulled over into the bus lane and dropped him, 6.17 p.m. I then started heading through the abysmal traffic home, along the waterfront. I was scared, worried, panicking, so I started to pray. I prayed vocally and poured out my heart to the Lord. I prayed with everything I had. I have never been so earnest or wanted anything so badly in my life. My prayer, to start with, was please help my son find the venue. After all his work and his dedication, help him to get there and to get there on time. I continued to pray, all the way. Once 6.30 p.m. had passed, I prayed that he would not be in a panic, that he would settle down and have a clear mind, that he would be confident, and that the unfortunate trip to the exam would not prevent him from performing well. I kept praying, keep driving, and kept crying, all the way back home. I asked the Lord to help me to be comforted if all was well. I felt a warm, peaceful feeling, and knew it would be okay.

When I got home, I spoke to my youngest daughter. She informed me that where I had dropped my son was directly outside the HB building! When I picked up my son from his exam, he told me the rest. He had found the building immediately, but had no idea what room to go to. He saw a big group of very intelligent-looking Asian students, and just had the feeling they would be doing the same exam, so he followed them. Sure enough, he ended up in the right room! He was there on time, but was shaking so hard, he could hardly hold the pen to fill in his answers. Then, as the exam started in earnest, he felt much calmer and completed all exam questions without difficulty. He is now waiting on his result.

My son and I

The Lord listens to me. Isn’t that a remarkable thing? I do not think of myself as special, but the Lord believes I am special. He listens and He answers! So yes, for me, the prayer of Enos is something that is truly significant.

Jacob had taught Enos well. He had shared his testimony with his son and rejoiced in the gospel. I was blessed with good parents who did likewise for me. I learned to pray, I learned to believe and have faith, and I learned the importance of prayer. President Gordon B. Hinckley stated, “ Treat your children as sons and daughters of God. Be kind. Love them. Respect them. Counsel with them. Teach them. Pray for them. Guide them, and God will bless both them and you.” I acknowledge the way my parents raised me.

There was another scripture that spoke to my heart. In Jarom 1:11-12 we learn that the prophets, priests, and teachers taught the Law of Moses to the people, “persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was.” This is a remarkable way to learn about the Saviour. Imagine if we lived our lives according to this belief; imagine if we tried to live as if the Saviour had already come again, as though He was with us. There is so much that we would ensure we do, and so many things we would avoid doing!

I spent a lot of time this week thinking about my own record-keeping. I am blessed in having so much of my family history completed. My mother has been a very keen, very skilled genealogist and family history specialist, for most of my life. At odd times in my life, I have written down special experiences, with the intention of keeping a regular journal. Some of these experiences I enjoyed reading through again this week. But, I also have records in other formats. I have kept all the special talks I have given in my life, special letters that I have received, and special stories I have found. I read through many of these talks, letters, and stories, during the past week. I would like to share one of these talks with you. My mum helped me write this talk when I was a student at CCNZ (the Church College of New Zealand). It shows a lot about her faith and teachings, as well as my own faith. It also speaks about one of the most important things in my life, the love of the Saviour and the two great commandments. This talk follows.

There is only one divine name given under Heaven whereby all mankind may be saved; the divine name of our Saviour. Godliness, nobility, supremacy of character exemplified every hour of His earthly existence. With ease he defeated a lawyer in argument, repeatedly healed the sick where medicine failed, comforted the broken-hearted, brought hope to mankind, inspired the most magnificent music ever written, caused many thousands of libraries to be filled with books, inspired missionaries to travel all over the world often in frightening and dangerous circumstances, and showed gentleness and understanding to the smallest child. Our Lord’s every action was inspired by such an all-encompassing, transcending love that we are not able to comprehend it fully.

Yet this mortal existence was granted to us so that we could endeavour to follow in His footsteps. And how do we follow the peerless Man of Galilee? Could we ever attain even part of a spirituality exceeding that of all others? Our Lord Himself gave us the key when He stated the two most important commandments. By striving to love God and our fellow human beings we are treading in the right path. But this can only follow after the divine fire of Christlike love has encircled us and touched us at our spiritual centre.

We have to recognise that the quality of Christ’s love, the love we need to develop, demands much of us. Although harmonic and beautiful, it requires much self-discipline. There will be periods when we struggle against ourselves. We will endure the tortures of involvement, because we greatly increase our capacity for pain when we identify with others. There will be a need to sacrifice time and even ourselves to benefit others. We might ask, “Will it be worth such effort?”

In D&C 132, verse 48, we read that he who truly loves, “shall be visited with blessings, and not cursings, and with My power, saith the Lord, and shall be without condemnation on earth and in heaven…” Isn’t this a wonderful promise that would make any cost worthwhile?

There is a true story which I believe illustrates the depth of love Christ expects from us. It is about Edith Taylor who was married to her husband, Karl, for 23 years. Karl worked in government warehouses in the States. In February 1950, he was sent to a new warehouse in Okinawa. Lonely months dragged by and Karl’s letters became fewer and fewer. After a year had passed, Edith received a devastating letter. Karl had written to Mexico for a mail order divorce. He had then married Aiko, a Japanese servant assigned to his quarters. Aiko was only 19, while Edith was 48. Edith felt heartbreak and loneliness but she had loved Karl for so long she couldn’t change her feelings. Maybe she would see him again someday.

She wrote a gently, kind letter and asked Karl to keep her in touch with his life. He did this and Edith learnt that in 1951, he and Aiko had a baby daughter they named Maria. In 1953, their second daughter, Helen, was born. Edith sent gifts to the little girls. The correspondence between Edith and Karl continued.

Then came a dreadful letter filled with a man’s fear. Karl was dying of lung cancer. He was concerned over the future of his daughters Maria and Helen, whom he had planned to send to school in Alerica. Hospital bills had eaten up all his savings and he didn’t know what would become of the girls.

Edith wrote that if Aiko was willing, she would take Maria and Helen into her own home. After Karl’s death, Aiko kept the girls for many months, but she could only offer them a life of poverty, servitude, and despair. In November 1956, Aiko sent the girls to her “dear Aunt Edith”. Edith loved the two wholeheartedly. For the first time in six years, she was hurrying home from work. Even preparing meals was fun again.

But Edith read the sadness and loneliness in Aiko’s broken English letters. Somehow she must bring Aiko to America as well. Aiko was still a Japanese citizen and the immigration quota had a long, long waiting list. So Edith wrote to a newspaper columnist. Petitions were started and in August 1957, Aiko Taylor was allowed to enter the country. At the airport, Edith called out Aiko’s name and the frail, small woman rushed into Edith’s arms. The four became a happy, close-knit family, with Edith being the proud “other mother” to Maria and Helen. Edith wrote this, “Though God has taken one life I loved dearly, He has given me three others to love. I am so thankful.”

A way to nurture this Christlike love is suggested in a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

“Lean on thyself, until thy strength is tried;

Then ask God’s help; it will not be denied.

Use then own sight to see the way to go;

When darkness falls, ask God the path to show.

Think for thyself and reason out thy plan;

God has his work, and thou hast thine, oh man.

Exert thy will and use it for control;

God gave thee jurisdiction of thy soul.

All these immortal powers bring to play;

Think, act, strive, reason, then look up and pray.”

It is not false to estimate that most of the world’s ills and miseries would vanish if everyone was capable of some degree of Christlike love. In the words of Alfred A. Peterson:

“Friendship, awareness, happiness, all are brilliant beads strung on the golden chord of love.

Love is the dove of peace, the spirit of brotherhood: it is tenderness and compassion, forgiveness and tolerance.

Love is the perfect antidote that floods the mind, to wash away hatred, jealousy, resentment, anxiety, and fear.”

Conversely, without Christ to follow, all would be chaos; life would be meaningless. As James L. Gordon aptly expresses it:

“A cathedral without windows, a face without eyes, a field without flowers, an alphabet without vowels, a continent without rivers, a night without stars, a sky without a sun – these would not be so sad as a world without scriptures or a soul without Christ.”

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Book of Mormon 13 – “The Allegory of the Olive Trees”

Welsh and Ricks (1992) in their introduction, stated, “the allegory of the olive tree, written by Zenos and quoted by Jacob to his people in Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon, strikes us anew as one of the most magnificent allegories in all the sacred literature of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Besides its exceptional length and exquisite detail, Zenos’s extended allegory communicates important meaning, deep emotion, rich wisdom, and divine feeling. No other allegorical text encompasses greater historical scope and typological vitality. It deserves an honoured place alongside the best biblical parables or symbolic literature” (p.1).

At first, I found the allegory confusing. I decided to do my own research in order to understand Jacob 5 more fully. I completed an outline of the scriptures and their contents to summarise my understanding (ideas from Bill Beardall and John Bytheway). The following is a summary table.

Bill Beardall gave the following explanation of the symbolism in the allegory. I found this very helpful.

·        Vineyard = the world

·        Tame olive tree = the house of Israel (v3)

·        Wild olive tree = the Gentiles (those who are not of the house of Israel by birth)

·        Master of the vineyard = the Lord

·        The servant = a prophet or prophets

·        Grafting natural branches into the wild trees = branches of Israel dispersed among the Gentiles

·        Grafting wild branches into the natural tree = adoption of Gentiles into Israel

·        Nephi defined grafting as coming "to the knowledge of the true Messiah" (1 Nephi 10:14)

·        Pruning, nourishing, and cultivating = the work of the Lord and his servants to save their people

·        Natural fruit = faithful Saints and their righteous works, worthy of eternal life (v61)

·        Wild fruit = unfaithful individuals and their unrighteous works

I found an old video on YouTube, a CES Book of Mormon film on Jacob 5, that shows Seminary youth caring for trees and teaches the chapter's symbolism. This also clarified a lot of the horticultural imagery that I did not fully understand. The video is linked below. 

‘The Allegory of the Olive Tree’ by Welsh and Ricks (1992), mentioned the detailed horticultural practices and procedures in Jacob 5 would have not have been known by an untrained person, such as the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that even specialists, when the Book of Mormon was translated, would not have fully appreciated the unique aspects of olive culture (p. 522). This is yet another aspect of the Book of Mormon that testifies of its authenticity.

In the Book of Mormon: Gospel Study Companion (2 CD-set) by Michael Wilcox, he talks about the allegory as an allegory and as a parable. The allegory increases our understanding of the history of the House of Israel. Reading Jacob 5 as a parable shows us more about the nature of the Saviour. He suggests that three words, repeated frequently in Jacob 5, increase our knowledge and understanding of the Saviour, the Master of the vineyard. These three words are: nourish – the Master provides constant nourishment for the trees in his vineyard; grieve – He grieves when they begin to die; and, labour – He labours to save them. I love this way of looking at Jacob 5. I love my Saviour. This understanding adds to the love I have for my Saviour and my desire to follow His direction. In v.41 the Master weeps and asks “what could I have done more?” This is such a sweet and touching scripture, and reveals the Lord’s love for me and for you.

Jacob 7 tells us about the first anti-Christ in the Book of Mormon, Sherem. Jacob is able to resist the influence of Sherem because of his unshaken faith. Jacob has already told us about the key to bringing forth good fruit, in Jacob 6:7, “after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long”. In Jacob 4:6, Jacob gave us the process for developing the same unshaken faith that he had: we need to search the prophets to be nourished by the good word of God, and study is the catalyst to revelation, and personal revelation creates unshakeable faith. I find it so comforting to have this recipe for developing unshakeable faith.

Book of Mormon 12 - “Seek Ye for the Kingdom of God”

The most striking thought I had when reading these scriptures is that a prophet is the mouthpiece of God. The messages Jacob delivered to his people, were the messages our current prophet and apostles delivered at General Conference. The prophets and apostles love the people who are entrusted to their care. Jacob’s words were desired to warn and guide the people who were listening to him. At the closing of this year’s April General Conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Brothers and sisters, do you have any idea—do you have any notion or inkling whatsoever—of how much we love you?” Jacob’s words convey the same care, the same concern.

Jacob was the oldest of Lehi’s children born in the wilderness. After Lehi’s death, Jacob followed his brother Nephi into the wilderness. Jacob and his younger brother, Joseph, were called as priests and teachers to the people. Jacob 1 taught me two important principles. Firstly, in Jacob 1:2-3, we learn that we need to take the responsibility of keeping our records and a journal with dedication. Jacob did so. President Spencer W. Kimball reminded us that, “From time immemorial the Lord has counselled us to be a record-keeping people.” This blog is my effort to follow this counsel. The second principle, highlighted in Jacob 1:19, is that callings also must be completed with fervour and with the spirit. A favourite quote of mine, is from President Henry B. Eyring, who stated that “there are no small callings to represent the Lord.” All callings, from Bishop to Visiting Teacher, are important to the Lord.

Jacob’s words of counsel were prompted by his knowledge of the sin that was in the minds and hearts of the people. He must have discerned these thoughts through the Holy Spirit and under the Lord’s guidance. In Jacob 2: 5-6, Jacob states: “But behold, hearken ye unto me, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeareth very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God…I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts.” This scripture reminded me of a favourite quotation from the prophet of my childhood, President David O. McKay. This quote has been credited to many famous people: Stephen Covey, Charles Reade, George Boardman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Samuel Smiles. Some even say it is an ancient Buddhist or ancient Chinese proverb. I like it the way it was quoted by President McKay. This quote appears below.

Our thoughts are critical to our progress in the gospel and in life. A popular psychology book by Dr Dennis Waitley called ‘Seeds of Greatness’, discussed a study by Stanford University, that affirmed that what we watch, what our thoughts dwell on, is what we eventually tend to act out in our lives. Dr Waitley further suggested that there would be a dramatic change in our lives, if we could reverse the process and script our thoughts and actions in our own minds. Brother Bill Beardall suggested four ways to script positive thoughts: hold on to the words of the prophets, prayer, service, and surrounding ourselves with pictures, music, and media that uplifts and inspires us to righteousness.

I could not help but identify themes in Jacob that also emerged at General Conference. Firstly, Jacob stressed the importance of the temple (in Jacob 2 and 3). Elder Quentin L. Cook issued a challenge: “My challenge this morning is for each of us, wherever we live, to see ourselves in the temple.” Secondly, Jacob warned the people that they needed to first seek the kingdom of God, and only then to seek riches. These riches were to be used to “clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted” (Jacob 2:19). Elder Patrick Kearon of the Seventy gave a very emotional talk, ‘Refuge From the Storm’, about the refugee crisis. He spoke about the efforts made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to aid the refugees in Europe. He spoke about the work the church itself is doing with aid agencies, as well as the work of Relief Societies, wards, stakes, and individuals in the area. “Across Europe specifically, I have seen many members of the Church who have experienced a joyful awakening and enriching of the soul as they have responded to that deep, innate desire to reach out and serve those in such extreme need around them. The Church has provided shelter and medical care. Stakes and missions have assembled many thousands of hygiene kits. Other stakes have provided food and water, clothing, waterproof coats, bicycles, books, backpacks, reading glasses, and much more…Individuals from Scotland to Sicily have stepped in to every conceivable role.” This is the work the Lord wants His people to do: clothing the naked and feeding the hungry. The Lord himself said, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).

My father was a great man when it came to looking after those in need. He taught me the true meaning of giving. He was an Inspector of Mining for the Anglovaal Mining Corporation in South Africa. He was called to inspect mines in Hotazel (known as Hot As Hell, with temperatures regularly hitting 40^oC): the Hotazel Manganese Mines, Wessels Mine and Mamatwan Mine in the Kalahari, Northern Cape. The mine workers lived and worked in extreme poverty. They had little clothing, no comforts, and the children played in the dirt in rags and bare feet. This broke my dad’s heart. When he returned to Johannesburg he spoke about the plight of these workers and their families to the members of the Johannesburg Stake. He asked if people could open their hearts and donate items for these people in dire need. Goods started to pour in – bedding, clothing, shoes, children’s books and toys, food items, health care items, everything you could think of that could make life a little easier. We started stockpiling these items in our apartment, but soon had to store in alternative locations. Eventually, my dad had to hire several rail containers and travelled back to Hot As Hell with the donated goods. He cried when he spoke about the reaction of the miners and their families. Their joy was unbounded. My dad took the matter further by addressing the poor conditions with the mining authorities. Through him the miners received improved accommodation, better working conditions, and benefits for their families. There is no joy greater than the joy of giving!

Jacob warned against pride and adultery, and advocated cleanliness and kindness. In Jacob 4:10 Jacob cautioned the brethren to “seek not to counsel the Lord”. In General Conference many of our leaders spoke about following the Lord in humility. Elder Steven E. Snow of the Seventy counselled, ‘Be Thou Humble’; and, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in his talk, ‘He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home’ stated, “As we increase in faith, we also must increase in faithfulness…With each step of faith on the path of discipleship, we grow into the beings of eternal glory and infinite joy we were designed to become.”

Two other talks echoed another theme found in Jacob 3 and left me uplifted and full of hope. In Jacob 3:1 we read, “Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause.” Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Seventy gave an inspirational talk, “Always Remember Him”, where he counselled us to remember the Lord’s promises and covenants, acknowledge His hand in our lives, remember the gift of the Atonement, enlarge our faith, partake of the Sacrament, and always remember Him as He remembers us. And the final talk in General Conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s ‘Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You’ left me on a spiritual high. “Keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - “For...the Lord...God will hold [their] right hand, saying unto [them], Fear not; I will help thee.”

Book of Mormon 11- “Press Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ”

Today’s Sunday School lesson followed on perfectly from a marvellous Sacrament meeting. Easter Sunday blessed us with a musical Sacrament meeting. The first song was sung by two Primary children with the sweetest voices and the sweetest spirits. Subsequent items were presented by the Priesthood, the Relief Society, combined brethren and sisters, and the Ward Choir. The postlude was three of our beautiful talented, Young Single Adults, one being my “other daughter” Mia. The spirit was so strong throughout the meeting. The theme was following the Saviour. The speakers included two prospective missionaries and the Bishop. What a feast!

The Sunday School lesson centred on Nephi’s teachings about the importance of feeding on the words of Christ, believing and following the doctrines of Christ, pressing forward, and enduring to the end. Jesus Christ is my elder brother, my Saviour, my Redeemer, and I owe him everything. I spent Sacrament filled with gratitude for His love and His forgiveness, and then studied the lesson with a passionate desire to learn more of His doctrine, to try to live a better life by following His example.

In 2 Nephi 31:20, we are told to:  “…press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life”. This is a message meant for me. I need to be steadfast, i.e. faithful, loyal, constant, firm in adherence to the gospel and the Saviour. I cannot pick which commandments I will obey, or when I will be obedient. If I am steadfast, it will be always, in every way.

Hope is one of the most important blessings the gospel brings to me. President Dieter Uchtdorf quoted 2 Nephi 31:20, and then followed it with these wise words:

This is the quality of hope we must cherish and develop. Such a mature hope comes in and through our Saviour Jesus Christ, for “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as [the Savior] is pure” (1 John 3:3).

The Lord has given us a reassuring message of hope: “Fear not, little flock” (D&C 6:34)…

And to all who suffer—to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely—I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in.

Never surrender.

Never allow despair to overcome your spirit.

Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart (Oct. 2008, The infinite power of hope, Ensign).

If we love God and our fellow men, we will act on that love. If we love God, we will serve Him. If we love our fellow men, we will lose ourselves in service. I am a very fortunate person. I grew up surrounded by love. I, therefore, find it very easy to love other people. I love my job because I can serve. I need to do more, but I find this requirement easier than many others.

There are two last things I need to do. To feast on the words of Christ means I must do more of what I am doing here: read the scriptures, study the scriptures, and apply what I read. And, I must endure to the end. I do not want to simply endure; I want to improve as the time goes on.

I love the gospel, I love my Saviour. Now I must demonstrate that love in everything I do. As yet, I fall far short of this goal. But I will try.

Book of Mormon 10 - “He Inviteth All to Come Unto Him"

This lesson brought back many of the discussions we had in Seminary on the signs of the times. These signs are all around us. All we have to do is switch on the television and the new items declare boldly the work of Satan and his followers. There are wars and terrorism, murders and natural disasters. I worry about the future. I am especially concerned about our young people.  They are faced with such enormous trials and these will only increase as time moves inexorably forward.

The scriptures from 2 Nephi 26-30 contained some fascinating, terrifying, reassuring, and motivating messages. We learn that the Jews, the Nephites and Lamanites, and the Gentiles will all reject Christ and apostatize. We learn that the human family will be given a second chance and how this will take effect. We are told of the Book of Mormon and how Satan will try his best to destroy it. We then learn about how we must follow the Saviour and feast on His words. All these messages are timely and will have an effect on our lives.

2 Nephi 28 gives us an insight into Satan and his tactics. Brother John Bytheway lists many of these tactics. Some include:

• Builds up false churches (3)
• Creates contention (4)
• Relies on learning, not on the spirit (4)
• Denies the existence and power of God (5)
• Denies miracles (6)
• Teaches that there is no life beyond mortality (7)
• Says God will justify some sin (8)
• Says God will save everyone regardless of how they live (8)
• Tempts people to sin now, repent later (8)
• Encourages pride (9, 12)
• Robs the poor (13)
• Promotes whoredoms, immorality (14)
• Emphasizes riches (15)
• Twists the truth (15)
• Hates that which is good (16)
• Promotes anger (19)
• Pacifies people – think of a baby “pacifier” (21)
• Lulls – think of a “lullaby” (21)
• Puts us to sleep and cheateth our souls (21)
• Uses flattery (22)
• Teaches there is no devil, hell (22)
• Says there is no need for new scripture (29)
• Says to trust in man, not in God (31)

These can be seen all around us, every day. I have associates who deny God completely. I see people around me, in academic circles, who believe they have all the answers and have no need to look further. They rely entirely on their academic achievements. I have associates and friends who belong to a religious group that borrows many of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but was established and operates for the personal gain of its leader. I see our politicians who serve no one but themselves and their lives are centred on greed and self-emulation. I know I cannot survive without the guidance of the Spirit.

The tactic that is the saddest is contained in two scriptures, that to me are linked closely: verse 8: (in part) And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin… and verse 21: And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. I see this in the lives of some of our Young Single Adults. They will have just one drink with friends… definitely not more… they won’t get drunk… just to be friendly. Or, they will go clubbing… maybe indulge in just one pill… just to make it more fun… no one will know. The trouble is that one small sin leads to more sin and more excuses, and more sin leads to guilt and an excuse to not go to church. Satan soon has them exactly where he wants them.

I know where I want to be. I know how grateful I am for the gospel. I wish I could take my testimony and share it with some of our younger people who are struggling so hard. I wish I could make it easier for them. I am so grateful for the Atonement. At least this gives us all hope. We find the guidance we need in the scriptures, especially in the Book of Mormon, and through modern revelation from the apostles and prophets.

It seems appropriate, as it is the Easter weekend, to share the message of hope in this short video. In 2 Nephi 30 we are told that being a part of the Lord’s chosen family is open to everyone. This little Easter video highlights the same message. All we have to do is follow Him.

Book of Mormon 9 - “My Soul Delighteth in the Words of Isaiah”

The Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon were always the chapters I found hardest to understand as a Seminary student and in Sunday School classes. After my last week of teaching Gospel Doctrine, we had a week break with a special Regional Conference, followed by another week with Papatoetoe Stake Conference. Then, I was called in to chat with the Bishop and I was told I would be released as the Gospel Doctrine teacher. I was a little sad. I had already read through the lesson, the scriptures, and started reading ‘Isaiah for Airheads’ by John Bytheway. For the first time in my life, I had actually enjoyed reading the Isaiah chapters, and, what was even better, they seemed to make more sense to me. I thought of not blogging my thoughts on the lessons anymore, but I issued the challenge to the class. I may not be the teacher, but I can still continue with my own challenge!

I was fascinated to read the following statistics in Brother Bill Beardall’s Lesson 9:

Isaiah's writings are quoted extensively in other scripture:

• Book of Mormon:  quotes 433 verses of Isaiah's 1,292 verses (about 32% of the book of Isaiah. Another 3% is paraphrased)
• New Testament:  quotes Isaiah at least 57 times
• Doctrine & Covenants:  contains about 100 references through quoting, paraphrasing, or interpreting Isaiah's teachings

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1973) suggested that, “It just may be that my salvation (and yours also!) does in fact depend upon our ability to understand the writings of Isaiah as fully and truly as Nephi understood them” (Ten keys to understanding Isaiah, Ensign, October). This statement made me think about this lesson as invaluable. I needed to study the scriptures and understand the content for myself.

Two chapters that I particularly enjoyed were 2 Nephi 12 and 2 Nephi 16.

Chapter 12 speaks of temples in the latter days. Verse 2 reminded me of our beautiful hymn #54:

“Behold the mountain of the Lord

In latter days shall rise

On mountaintops, above the hills,

And draw the wond’ring eyes.

To this shall joyful nations come;

All tribes and tongues shall flow.

“Up to the hill of God,” they’ll say,

“And to his house we’ll go.”

In the church movie, ‘The Mountain of the Lord’, a newspaper reporter who had interviewed President Wilford Woodruff, mentioned the definition of the word ‘Utah’. It is a Ute Indian word that literally means ‘top of the mountains’. When the Saints first arrived in Utah, they named it Deseret. It was the government that formalised the state name as Utah. This is such a strong testament to me of the divinity of the Lord’s work and the revelatory power of the prophet Isaiah. The scripture in 2 Nephi 12:2 could literally be taken to mean that in the last days the Lord’s temple would be built in Utah!

2 Nephi 16 is where Isaiah receives his call. I was particularly humbled by Isaiah’s response to his call in verse 5: ‘Wo is unto me! for I am undone…’. I have experienced a sense of inadequacy when called by the Bishop or Stake President to a calling. For a prophet as great as Isaiah to feel this inadequacy, makes me feel better about myself.

In verses 6-7, Isaiah describes a seraphim ‘having a live coal in his hand… And he laid it upon my mouth’. The coal came from the altar and is a symbol of the Atonement. This is a remarkable image that touched my soul. The image is one of a painful cleansing by fire. The coal’s heat would have burned the flesh, but the result was the beauty of the purification offered by the Lord through His Atonement and through the process of repentance.

I found this video clip from Brother John Bytheway, while studying Isaiah. It is short, but provides remarkable insight into Isaiah. He describes ‘John’s Journey’ through ‘Isaiah National Forest’. In the forest are four trees that all start with the letter C. These trees are the four themes in Isaiah’s teachings. Brother Bytheway suggests that all Isaiah’s scriptures are one of these themes or a hybrid of the themes.

The themes are:

• Covenants or Covenant Israel
• Christ
• Current events (events in Isaiah’s day – usually around alliances)
• Coming events (sometimes current events foreshadow coming events)

Brother Bytheway goes on to discuss four keys presented in 2 Nephi 25. These are:

• Understanding the manner of prophesying among the Jews and the use of complex symbols and imagery
• Having the spirit of prophecy, that comes with a testimony of Christ
• Knowing the geography and referring to the maps in our scriptures; and
• Living in the last days

Lastly, Brother Bytheway lists the four guides to help us understand Isaiah: Nephi. Jacob, Abinadi, and Jesus Christ himself.

I have found this little video a wonderful way of looking at Isaiah. It makes the understanding of the Isaiah scriptures much clearer.