Ether 8

WHAT ARE OUR DESIRES & Where will they LEAD US?

Omer was a friend to Akish, and yet he was willing to kill Akish to obtain his desires. How did his desires ever bring him to that point:

The son of the king (Jared) wanted to reign in his father's stead, so his daughter devised a plan to dance in front of Akish so that she might please him enough, so that he would desire her to be his wife. After this was accomplished, Jared agreed to allow Akish to wed his daughter IF he delivered the head of Omer.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:

1. “Desire denotes a real longing or craving...
   “… What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity” (“According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 21).
   Akish allowed his desire of the daughter of Jared to work within him so much so that he was willing to give up on what mattered most to obtain that desire. In fact, as he was executing his plan, he and his followers swore an oath to conceal the killing. The interesting thing about this procedure is that the swore and oath by the God of heaven (vs. 14). This very act convinces me that they knew God existed. It blows my mind that they created a secret combination to kill someone and part of that process was to swear it on God's throne. The very being that had taught them "Thou shall not kill". They swore an oath to follow through with one of the greatest sins of mankind against our Eternal Father????
2. This is a direct example of what happens when we allow ourselves to desire things of the world over things of God. In verse 7, it speaks of Jared desiring for the glory of the world. When we set our hearts on things contrary to God, we can convince ourselves that God will be okay with us committing a little sin, and maybe even swearing by his name and evil oath...that might be okay too.
3. There are so many things in our society today that wants to draw our desires away from the God we love. Some of these things are clothed in "the love of all men" that it can be difficult to see the right course. As I contemplate same sex marriage and planned parenthood, I think of how conniving Satan is in causing us to doubt. We must be diligent in keeping our desires focused on God. We must control the desires of our hearts. 

Ether 6

Ether 6

I love the gratitude expressed in this chapter. As the Jaredites traveled towards the promised land the did "sing praises unto the Lord..., and did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord" (vs 9). Then in verse 12 it states that "when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord" (vs. 12).

How many times in my life do I shed tears of gratitude towards the Lord? I know the Lord blesses me. I know it happens on a daily basis. However, I think it's easy to neglect those blessings in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Someday I am positive that I will be accountable for my lack of gratitude towards my Heavenly Father. I am humbled at my lack of gratitude. In my heart, I am grateful, but I don't often express that gratitude. I know that I am sinning by not expressing gratitude for my blessings. Please Heavenly Father, help me to become better in expressing a sincere thanks for all that I know thou does for me. Help me to stop and express a sincere expression of gratitude. Help me to take the time. Help me to not allow the busyness of our daily lives to get in the way of what matters most. Help me.

Ether 4

Ether 4

I love the counsel we receive in this chapter. I love that in verse 13 it states that knowledge is hid up because of unbelief; however, in verse 15 it then states that "when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know...". It further states that we need to "rend" (vs. 15) the veil of unbelief in order to receive all that the Father wants to give unto us.

Choice is key in our salvation. WE choose faith. We choose to hope. We choose charity. Whether we obey the principles of the Gospel is truly a choice. We get to choose whether we will follow the commandments or nowt. We get to choose whether we will make it home again, or whether we will allow our minds to be blinded by the temptations of the devil. It seems pretty straightforward--choose good or choose evil; however, it's easy to allow our views be tainted by Satan's cunning perspective. I truly have a testimony of the need of constant diligence. We need to be constantly reading our scriptures, constantly praying, and constantly seeking God. If we do not, we can be deceived, and be heading towards the pathways of destruction prior to our realization.

We must be believing, and then all things will work together for our good. We must trust in God. Trust that He is, and trust that He is good. As we place our trust in Him, He will direct our paths.

Ether 3

Ether 3

|I have continued studying the scriptures, but I haven't kept as faithful of a journal as in times past. I am attempting to repent of that today with this entry.

There were several things that touched me about Ether 3.

I loved that in verse 14 it describes Christ through Christ's own words:
"Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters."

We are God's children. Jesus Christ loves us. He paid the price for our sins so that we might be redeemed.

I also love the faith demonstrated by the Brother of Jared. He had the faith to believe that if he asked God to touch the stones, then he would. He had the faith to ask. He had the faith to trust. He gave us an example of how we can pray to our Heavenly Father when we are faced with trials. And probably more poignant was what God taught us through this interchange. We can learn from this account that answers to our prayers do not always come in the same way. Sometimes Heavenly Father will tell us; however, sometimes we will need to come up with a solution on our own, and then move forward with faith--just like the Brother of Jared moved forward.

3 Nephi 19

When Jesus came to the America's there were people who traveled all night to spread the "good news", so that more may see the Savior. When I think about their sacrifice, I desire to be more like them. I am sure they were tired from their travels. I wonder if some of them missed part of the Savior's visit for their desire to share with others His coming. And then I wonder if I am spreading the "good news" with as much joy and gusto as these people did?

In verse 9, I am taught another lesson on seeking my Savior. It states, "And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them" (3 Nephi 19:9). Every Sunday we are given the opportunity to have the Holy Ghost to be with us. Every week when we take the sacrament, we are promised to have His spirit to be with us as we remember our Savior. As I think about the importance of the Spirit and the promises we have received to be able to obtain that spirit, I think I should be praying to have Christ in my thoughts on a daily basis.

It seems that the more the Spirit can remain with me, the more I come to Christ. The more I come to Christ, the more I am His servant. The more I am his servant, the more I become like Him. Becoming His is my ultimate goal.

I like in verse 23 it states, that the Savior can be in us if we believe on Him. And later it talks about how we can be purified in Christ through our faith in Christ. It seems to me that in order for this purification to happen, we need to be willing to seek the Savior, we need to make Him a part of our lives, and we need to ask for this purification. The scriptures talk about a desire that will occur within each of us

3 Nephi 14

As I continue to read about the be-attitudes, I reflect on my life, and I how I can be better now. IN verse 20 it states, "Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them." I feel I have met with several people who are struggling with their testimonies, because of things they have read concerning Joseph Smith. As I read The Book of Mormon, I feel power in each page, my life is changed for the better, and I am have felt the spirit guiding me to make right choices. Joseph Smith translated The Book of Mormon. I am sure he made mistakes in his life as he was only a man--not a God; however, I can't deny that he was a prophet of God, because of the fruits he was able to bring forth during his life. I can't deny what I feel when I read from The Book of Mormon. I know it to be true. I have no doubt that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. I have no doubt that the Lord himself guided the publication of this book. This whole thought goes along with several more scriptures in this chapter as well.

Verse 3: "And why beholdest thou the bean in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye."

I don't desire to know all of Joseph Smith's transgressions. Nor do I think, we can possible know them accurately. Without Joseph being able to testify against them on his behalf, I think we will never know the whole story. Although I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, I also believe that he was a man, and being a man--he was prone to make a few mistakes. In saying this, I am not excusing him of evil; however, because of his "fruits", I believe that some of the "evil" that is being said, is fabricated by the devil. I truly believe that someone who was "evil" could not have translated The Book of Mormon; therefore, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and the evil that has been and will continue to be spoken of him is a misrepresentation of a prophet of God.

Verse 14: "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

I think we have to willing to seek and pray for answers in our day. As I study the scriptures, and as I pray, I know the Lord will guide me. There are many things that can pull me away from my testimony if I allow them to do so; however, I have no doubt that if I am doing my part--God will lead me through that narrow gate.

In our day, I see many who have fallen away, and who continue to fall away. I pray for the strength to continue on the path for I know Satan is aware and very real. I am at war with him, and I am determined to win.

Finally, on another thought, the Lord admonishes us to do his will and build our "testimonies" on his foundation. Those of us who "heareth" His sayings and "doeth" them, will be built on a firm foundation (verse 24-27). Sometimes it is difficult to follow the Lord's will, or to even accept His will in our lives. Some of these moments, can cause us great distress, and could be a reason or someone to fall away.

I will never profess to understand all that is God's will, but I will bear testimony that I know that He is overall, and if I trust in Him all will be right in my life. I may not like His will, but I know that all things will work out for my good. I know that I will become better as I trust in Him. Just recently, my little brother passed away. I wish it wasn't God's will to take him. I wish there was a different plan. However, I know that as I rely on my Father in heaven, all things will work together. This is called faith. I may not understand all things, but I know that with God--all things will be right. Right now my heart hurts, and I find myself battling depression--He never said these trials would be easy, but He did say He would help us through them. So, I trust. I pray. I ask for help. And I know someday--I will be on the other side of this pain, and because I trust in God and His will, I also know that I will see my brother again.

3 Nephi 13

The next couple of chapters is often referred to as the be-attitudes--basically an instruction manual for life. Living by their precepts will guide us and direct us. One concept that caused me contemplation today was the concept of not doing righteous things to be seen of others. In the New Testament this instruction is offered quite often, and then related back to the Pharisees. I think too often we point our fingers at the Pharisees, but we too--have some of those tendencies.

The Pharisees wanted to appear righteous. I think some of them even wanted to be righteous, but they missed the point. Righteousness is not found by merely doing a checklist of "good deeds". Righteousness is found in the heart. Sure, we have to do the good to become good, but our righteousness also requires our heart turned to God. For the Pharisees it was easy to get caught up in "looking" good rather than actually "being" good.

In our day, I feel we can easily fall into the same problem. With social media at our fingertips, we can post "brags" on Facebook and Instagram or even Twitter. Sometimes those things posted are for righteous purposes--perhaps, to share the gospel, or to reach someone in need; however, when we post to be seen of men for our good works, we are not much different than the Pharisees. All too often "selfies" are taken for the mere purpose of the praise we can receive. Too many people are finding their self-worth through social media. Are we posting to be seen of men? If we are, we may need to rethink our motives.

In 3 Nephi 13 it counsels against doing deeds of righteousness to be seen of men. It talks about alms and fasting. I believe this is a matter of the heart. When we turn our hearts to God, we will be doing those good deeds for righteous purposes--whether it be posting about righteousness or simply acting by faith. Our motives for the good we do will make all the difference.