Chapter 10

Oh, despicable me!  We say it to ourselves almost every day when we fall short.  Yet Christ is there. Our Father in Heaven is there.  They say to us, “Therefore, cheer up your hearts and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves.”  The barrier of unbelief comes because Satan is a real being and daily tells us of our worthlessness.  For some reason, many of us, having heard this message so constantly throughout our lives, have unfortunately come to believe it.  Don’t believe it! It is a lie!  “Wherefore…reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in the through the grace of God that ye are saved.  Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine.”

Chapter 9

 After all, “he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.  And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.” Nephi exhorts, “come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation.” For Christ commands all of us to “repent and be baptized in his name, having a perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel.”

Because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, death came into the world: both physical and spiritual.  Christ’s atonement provides the escape from both.  First, we will be resurrected.  Second, if we repent, we can escape his judgment.  Mercy and grace of Christ save us spiritually as well.

Yet, we sin daily and the tendency is to think of ourselves as pathetic and weak, not able to correct our direction and certainly unworthy of the Lord’s grace.  Nevertheless, it is true.  He will forgive and cover for our sins.  His righteousness substitutes and covers for our wickedness.  Thus, making us worthy to stand and receive of his blessings and goodness in the short run—giving us hope-- so that in the long run he can change our hearts and our dispositions; thus, sanctifying us and preparing us to enter his presence.

Chapter 8

The Lord is the “Rock” of our redemption.  When he says, “Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged,” he is telling us that we are from his lineage; we are from the same quarry.  We are his adopted people.  We are children of Christ when we enter the covenant of baptism and take upon us his name. “I am he that comforteth you,” he says.  When he comes into our lives “sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”  He wants us to wake up and trust him. 

Chapter 7

The Lord challenges us to give any evidence that he ever has or ever will desert us. He tells us that “I gave my back to the smiter, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.  I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”  In other words, Jesus did everything he could have to convince us that he will never, ever give up on us or desert us.  When he says he justifies us, he means that he forgives us immediately, when we repent and seek his forgiveness. This is possible because he suffered in our place.  Isaiah said, “For the Lord will help me.”

 

 

 

Chapter 6

I recently attended a meeting where Elder Larry Echohawk spoke.  He said that he had talked to Elder Packer and Elder Packer said he (Elder Packer) is among the “Gentiles” spoken of in this chapter.  Elder Packer told Elder Echohawk, who is among the House of Israel spoken of in this chapter, that much more needs to be done to find and teach his people. Isaiah saw the native people of the Americas being carried on the shoulders of the Gentiles in the latter days. These Gentiles are my ancestors and others who are non-native and non-Lehi inhabitants of the Americas. We who are Gentiles scattered and afflicted the native people, but we are now supposed to make up for past wrongs and do all we can to assist in bringing them to Christ.

 Elder Echohawk is a “Lamanite” who descends from Lehi in the Book of Mormon.  I served my mission among the Navajo.  I have a tender place in my heart for these choice people.  I was pleased to hear from Elder Echohawk that much is being planned by church leaders to reach Lehi’s children.  The native people of North America still need to blossom.  I want to do my part.

Chapter 5

When Nephi took his people away from the original colony because his brothers wanted to take his life, he founded a new colony in the mountains.  He built a temple!  “And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.”  When we do the things the Lord commands, we too can be happy.

Chapter 4

Dear Nephi! You have given me a look into your heart.  You are strong and mighty, yet you too have weakness, remorse, sin, and regret in your life. In your pleading to God, you have spoken the very words of prayer that are my pleadings.  You have shown me the way.  You have reminded me of the Rock who will never give up on me. I love you Nephi.  I give my everlasting thanks to you.