Book of Mormon Stories - The Tree of Life

Time: 600 BC
Place: Jerusalem and the surrounding wilderness
Reference: 1 Nephi 7,8,11,12
Characters:
Lehi: Father of the family and a prophet.  He enjoys fearlessly preaching repentance to the Jews, receiving death threats, reading books obtained in strange ways, dreaming crazy dreams, trekking through the wilderness, and dwelling in tents.
Sariah: Wife of Lehi and a worried mother.  She enjoys spending time with family, bearing children in the wilderness, matchmaking, and gardening.
Nephi: Legendary younger brother and heroic prophet.  He enjoys archery, playing with swords, building ships, hiking to high mountains, writing poetry, and confounding his brothers.
Sam: Faithful but sometimes forgotten middle child.  He enjoys long walks through the wilderness, campfire stories, sailing, and playing with God's compass.
Laman and Lemuel: The two peas in a pod rebellious older brothers.  They enjoy antagonizing their brothers, eating raw meat, making new friends, dancing with hot women, and uttering tribal cries.
Zoram: Promise-keeping servant of Laban. He enjoys playing hide-and-seek in the dark, hitch hiking, reading in the libraries of Laban, and skinning beasts.
Ishmael: Adventure-seeking Jerusalem father. He enjoys playing matchmaker, listening to stories, going on trips with his family, and building camp fires.
Sons of Ishmael: Strong, rude, party animals. They enjoy bullying, building alliances with others, practicing robe knotting, and arm wrestling. 
Hot daughter of Ishmael: Sweet, spiritual, beautiful woman. She enjoys shopping for clothes, saving people's lives, staring at hot boys, and batting her eyes at Nephi.
Writer: Nephi
Background information: This is a popular story in the Book of Mormon. This story teaches us about God's love for all of us and what more we can do to come closer to Him. It also teaches us about the danger of temptation and the importance to hold fast to what we believe.
Previously on Book of Mormon Stories: Nephi and his brothers were commanded to return to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates. Nephi was adamant about keeping the commandments and knew of the blessings that come from it. Along the way he learned an even deeper lesson on keeping the commandments. He slew Laban, took the brass plates, and brought a new friend, Zoram, back to Jerusalem with them. They all rejoiced to be able to have the scriptures with them in their travels. (click here to read the full story) 


After Nephi, Laman, Lemuel, and Sam's arduous journey to Jerusalem and back to get the brass plates, the Lord once again commanded them to return to Jerusalem. The Lord needed them to return to bring Ishmael and his family into the wilderness so that Lehi's children could have someone to marry. It's interesting to note that no complaining took place this time. The sons gladly hiked back to Jerusalem to get some hot wives.

"And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord. And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father." 

As they were travelling back, "behold Laman and Lemuel, and two of the daughters of Ishmael, and the two sons of Ishmael and their families, did rebel against us." Oh how surprising: his brothers are rebelling again. They wanted to go back to Jerusalem instead of going on a crazy trip into the wilderness. Nephi tried to testify and be like "guys..commandments..promised blessings..you saw an angel..Why aren't you guys getting this?!" Laman and Lemuel weren't impressed and they proceeded to bind Nephi with chords and leave him there to die. But faithful Nephi prayed to God and God loosed the bands so that he could stand and continue preaching. Then his brothers were super angry, but one of Ishmael's daughters and her mother and brother all pleaded for them to spare his life. They then realized that they were being jerks and asked for forgiveness and they continued on their way. A few chapters later, Nephi married this cute, brave daughter of Ishmael. ("And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife...And also, I, Nephi, had been blessed of the Lord exceedingly" "because I have a hot wife" [1 Nephi 16:7-8].) 

After they had all been travelling in the wilderness together, Lehi came to his family one morning and told them he had had a dream. Super. Lehi's dreams are so fun. He told them that in his dream, he saw a "large and spacious field...And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood...And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood." So there are tons of people in this huge field who are holding on to this rod of iron trying to get to this tree. 

Why is this tree so important? "And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted.. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy.." 

It made him so happy that he wanted his family to have some too. He gestured to his family to come eat the fruit and Sariah, Sam, and Nephi did and they were also filled with joy. But when he beckoned Laman and Lemuel to come, they did not. Instead, they were on the other side of a river in a "great and spacious building...And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit."

There were lots of other people there other than the ones in the building and the ones eating the fruit. There were some who would hang on to the rod for a while but eventually let go and were lost in the darkness. Others actually partook of the fruit but then were ashamed because of those laughing at them so they left the tree and were lost. Many were wandering around in the darkness, either making their way towards the great and spacious building or simply not knowing where to go and were also lost.

The number of those actually on the iron rod was few, but they were strong and knew what they wanted and where they were headed. "And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not."

Now you may be wondering, what does this all mean? So were Nephi and his brothers. Nephi went and prayed to the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord appeared to him and told him what the things in Lehi's dream meant. Here I will give you a cheat sheet of what the elements in the dream symbolize. 

Tree of Life: The love of God "Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.. Yea, and the most joyous to the soul."

Rod of iron: The word of God.

The mists of darkness: The temptations of the devil, "which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost."

River: The depths of hell. Ouch.

The great and spacious building: The pride of the world. "And it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great...Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

I love the story of the tree of life. I have tasted of the fruit and I know that it is so desirable above all else. Maybe there is a huge great and spacious building with fingers pointing at me and mocking me for my beliefs but I know what I have felt and seen and I know that this is true. I want others to be able to have it as well. That is why I am a missionary and I go and teach others about the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are so many people out there who are lost and don't know where to go. I am trying to find those who are willing to come to the iron rod so that they can be brought to the love of God and enjoy the fullness of His gospel. This gospel is the only way and it brings me so much joy and happiness. Nothing in that great and spacious building can even compare to the incredible love of God and gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that as we all hold on to the iron rod by reading our scriptures, praying, going to church, keeping the commandments, and heeding the words of the prophets and apostles, we can all make it to the tree of life and rejoice together. 

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it"(Mosiah 2:41).


Amen.

Faith in Jesus Christ

Faith is a word that gets tossed around a lot, but what does it actually mean? How can we have faith in something and why does it matter?

The Book of Mormon tells us in Alma 32:21: "And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." Faith does not mean that we know something. It means that we believe and trust in something. 

We can have faith in a lot of things. I have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow. I have faith that people will read this blog. But it is faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost that are most important. The Lord has revealed Himself and His perfect character so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in Him without reservation. 

Faith must be centered in Jesus Christ in order for it to lead a person to salvation. It is faith in Jesus Christ that produces miracles. Jesus said to His apostles: "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you"(Matthew 17:20). Faith is a principle of power and it is by faith that our prayers are answered and that men are able to do things in the name of God. Faith is essential to our salvation.

Miracles do not produce faith but faith produces miracles. Many people say that if God will show them a sign then they will believe. If God always showed Himself to us to make us believe, then we wouldn't have faith. "Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator"(Alma 30:44).

Faith comes by righteousness and obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, although miracles often confirm one's faith. There are so many ways for us to increase our faith and God has given us all the tools necessary. He has given us the scriptures, prayer, the Holy Ghost, church, prophets, church leaders, and missionaries. At first our faith is small. It's like a tiny seed. But as we nourish it by reading the scriptures, praying, going to church, and keeping the commandments, it will start to grow. We need to be continually increasing our faith until we can one day have a perfect knowledge of the principles of the gospel.

Faith leads us to action. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we'll want to act on it. Faith in Jesus Christ will lead us to wanting to come closer to Him. How do we do this? Repenting of our sins, keeping His commandments, and being baptized. Faith means we have confidence and trust in Jesus Christ which leads us to obey Him. 

Anyone can develop faith in Jesus Christ. Praying and reading the scriptures and going to church can help us grow our faith. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way that leads to salvation. I invite you to take a step of faith and to learn more about God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Read the Book of Mormon and Bible and pray about them. My faith in Jesus Christ is what helps me to get through the good days and the bad days.

"Now, as I said concerning faith - that it was not a perfect knowledge - even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
"But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words"(Alma 32:26-27).

Amen.

What's a Mormon Church Service Like?

Like the BEST! 

Mormon church services are 3 hours long. Yes, you read that right. THREE t-h-r-e-e 3 hours long. What?! "I can't give up that much time on a Sunday! I have stuff to do! You guys ask too much!" It's not like Christ came to the earth and died so you could have this gospel and return to live with Him again... God expects us to actually do stuff. Get over it. 

The first hour is generally what we call Sacrament Meeting (some congregations have it last). During Sacrament Meeting, we take the sacrament or communion which is the bread and water to remember Jesus Christ. Although it is meant for those who have been baptized, everyone is allowed to have it. I would love to spend a whole post explaining the sacrament but for now this awesome scripture will do: "For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory - remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins"(D&C 27:2). 

Along with taking the sacrament, we have speakers from the congregation who give 10-15 minute talks on an assigned topic. So the great thing is that if you don't like a speaker, they'll be done soon anyway. We also sing hymns and open and close the meeting with prayer. Everyone sits with their families except for the Bishop and his two counselors and the speakers who sit on the stand. Everything that is done during Sacrament Meeting is voluntarily done, no one is paid or hired.

After sacrament meeting, we have two hours of classes. The first class is called Sunday School. The youth are put into Sunday School classes based on age and then all adults 18 and older go to Sunday School together. There is Gospel Principles for new members and anyone who would like to join, Gospel Doctrine, and sometimes other classes as well set up by the the Bishop. There, everyone reads the scriptures and learns different principles of the gospel such as faith or repentance or keeping the commandments. 

The third hour the adults go to Relief Society and Priesthood and the youth go to Young Men and Young Women. Relief Society is the biggest and oldest women's organization in the world. In Relief Society Women learn more about the gospel and study the scriptures and words of the leaders of our church together. Priesthood is where the adult men go where they learn more about the gospel together. Young Men and Young Women is for youth ages 12-17 and they are taught more about the gospel. 

 

All children ages 3-11 go to Primary. There, they go to class with other kids their same age for an hour and learn from the scriptures. For the other hour all of the children come together and learn more from the scriptures and sing songs. It's super fun and educational.

Babies 18 months to 3 years go to nursery where they have a short lesson and snack and play games during the two hour block of classes.





Everyone has a place at church. There are leaders and teachers for every age group and lots of people willing to help out. All of the leaders and teachers are volunteers and no one is paid. The Primary teacher, Sunday School teacher, Librarian, Bishop, piano/organ player, etc. are all assigned to have that "calling" for a certain amount of time. Once they are "released" and no longer have that calling, they will receive another one. The Bishop that I had while I was in middle school is now in charge of nursery. Everyone helps out because we are all there to worship God and teach and learn from and love one another. 

I am so grateful for church. I love going. Sure, it isn't always entertaining or exciting but I always feel so good while I am there. I get to take the sacrament, learn more about the gospel, study the scriptures with others, and makes friends with other people who I might not get to associate much with otherwise. The Spirit is so strong there and so is the sense of love and community. Going to church is what helps me get my spiritual strength for the week.

To find your nearest worship service, go here!

"They were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
"And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.
"And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus"(Moroni 6:4-6). 

Amen.

Manner of Prayer

God has commanded us to pray to Him. Prayer is how we can communicate with Him and receive guidance. Jesus Christ said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened"(Matthew 7:7-8).

2 Nephi 32:9 in The Book of Mormon reads: "But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul."

So how are we to pray to God? What is the manner of prayer? Jesus Himself gives a great example in Matthew 6 during his Sermon on the Mount. He first tells us not to be hypocritical about it. We need to pray sincerely, not just for show. There are times for public prayer but there are also many more times for private prayer. 

Next He says: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do..." Imagine you're a dad and every time you did calls you to talk to you on the phone, they repeat the same phrase to you and then hang up. What kind of conversation is that? Prayer is a conversation with God, not a recited grocery list of requested blessings. The only time we recite memorized pray is when we perform ordinances such as taking the sacrament (communion) or baptism. 

Jesus then proceeds to offer a beautiful prayer as an example. This prayer wasn't meant for us to memorize and repeat, but to learn from and incorporate its principles into our own personal prayers. From His example I will give the steps of prayer:

1. Address God, our Heavenly Father. "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." Jesus started by addressing OUR father. We don't pray to Jesus, we pray to Heavenly Father. Things we can say are "Dear Heavenly Father," "Dear God," "Our Father in Heaven,' etc.

2. Thank Him for blessings and acknowledge His hand in your life. "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." God has given us so many blessings and He expects us to be grateful. They don't have to be huge blessings. I thank God for my home, family, friends, the gospel, my job or schooling, and big or small things that happen. 

3. Ask Him for blessings, forgiveness, help, etc. "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil:" God is willing to help and bless us but first we need to ask. I have asked for healing either for myself or others, forgiveness of my sins, more patience with others, to pass an important test, to be safe while driving in a storm, to feel comforted on a sad day, to know if the Book of Mormon is true, and many more things. We can ask for anything as long as it's a righteous desire.

4. Close in the name of Jesus Christ. "Therefore ye must pray always unto the Father in my name"(3 Nephi 18:19). We do this by saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen," or something along those lines. We communicate with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. We say every prayer and perform every ordinance in Jesus Christ's name.

Praying can be weird or awkward at first, but as we continue to pray to God, we will feel His Spirit and He will bless us immensely. This quote explains very well the purpose of prayer:

"As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings" (BD: Prayer).

Prayer is a commandment from God. He is our Father and He wants us to communicate with Him. He loves us and is willing to guide and bless if we seek Him in humble prayer. We are to pray to Him always. Pray to him in the morning when you wake up; at every meal; before, during, and after you study the scriptures; at night before you go to sleep; when you are lonely or scared or sad; when you need help. He will listen to and answer every single prayer.

"Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day"(Alma 37:36-37).

Amen.

Where Do We Go After We Die?

What happens when we die? The scriptures tell us!

"Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection - Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life"(Alma 40:11).

Now you know. Don't you feel better? We are all taken home to God. Then what happens next? We all just go to heaven or hell? Wrong. It's much more exciting than that!

After we die, we will all go to the spirit world. The spirit world is like a waiting room. We wait there to be resurrected and judged. But while we are there, we're not just sitting around drinking pina coladas and napping on big, fluffy clouds and playing our harps. Those who didn't have the opportunity to accept the gospel while on earth will be able to learn about and accept the gospel while in the spirit world. What? Where in the world did we get this idea from? It's in the Bible! "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit"(1 Peter 4:6). 

Jesus taught that "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"(John 3:5). We all need to be baptized. But some people live their whole lives without ever knowing that. The spirits of those who followed Christ and were baptized on earth teach those spirits who weren't baptized about the gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit world. Those still living can then be baptized in behalf of those deceased persons in Holy Temples and the dead are given the choice to accept or reject the baptism. It doesn't change their religious affiliation or who they were, it just gives them an opportunity that might've been missed while they were on earth. Cool right? Again, the Bible teaches this principle in 1 Corinthians 15:29 when Paul was speaking to the people: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" God is a just God and will make sure everyone has the chance to be baptized either in this life or the next. 

After this time of waiting is over and Christ has come to the earth again, we will all be resurrected. That is Jesus's free gift to everyone regardless of if they were good or bad. "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame"(Alma 40:23). We will each have a glorified, perfected body and our spirit will never be separated from it again. 

We will then be judged by God for our works and the desires of our hearts. Everything will be taken into account. Jesus Christ will stand by our side and be our advocate and plead our case. "For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared"(D&C 76:111).

And then do we go to heaven or hell? No again. If there was just a heaven and hell, where would be the cut off? I committed 300 sins so I go to hell but you only had 299 sins so you go to heaven? God is so much more loving and merciful than that. He has prepared places for us depending on how we lived here on earth. 

There are three kingdoms of glory: the Telestial, the Terrestrial, and the Celestial. The Telestial has the glory of the stars, the Terrestrial the moon, and the Celestial the sun. The Bible teaches this as well. 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 states: "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory." And how are the glories of these three kingdoms different? I'm glad you asked!

The Telestial Kingdom is the lowest kingdom of glory. Its glory is compared to the stars. Those who continued in their sins and did not repent will receive their reward in this kingdom. They cannot live with their families forever or live with God or progress. It is a beautiful place but it is essentially hell. It isn't hell like we think of where they are tortured in fire forever, but it is hell because they have eternity to know that because they followed Satan instead of God they can't be with their families or with God. "And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell"(2 Nephi 12:11).

The next kingdom is the Terrestrial Kingdom which is like the glory of the moon. People who do not accept the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ but live honorable lives will receive a place in this kingdom. "These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness. These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father"(D&C 76:75-77). They can't live with their families or God or progress any further, but they can still be visited by Christ and be happy.

The highest kingdom of glory is the Celestial Kingdom. This is where we want to go to. "They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given... Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's. And they shall overcome all things"(D&C 76:51, 59, 60). This is where we can live with God and our families forever in eternal happiness. This is where we can progress and inherit all that the Father has and become like Him. This is the goal. This is why we are here. God wants us to follow Him so we can return as families and live together with Him forever.

After we die, we will go to the spirit world to wait for Christ's second coming and to prepare those who didn't hear the gospel. Then we will be resurrected, judged, and sent to one of the kingdoms of glory. God loves us and wants us to return to live with Him. He knows that not everyone will make it, but He has still provided other lower kingdoms of glory. No matter what we do, each of us will go to a kingdom of glory which is infinitely better than anywhere and anything on earth. We are all saved. But for us to reach the highest degree of glory, we need to follow Jesus Christ. We need to have faith, repent, be baptized by His proper priesthood authority, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and keep following Him until the end. And that is the purpose of life.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

(Romans 8:16-18)

Amen.

Why Are We Here?

We are all children on God. He loves us so much. When we came to earth and were born, we forgot everything. We call this the "veil." Our minds were veiled. Although we can't remember living with God, our spirits can still recognize the familiar presence of the Holy Ghost. When we learn about God and gospel truths, it can sometimes have a familiar ring to it. That's because our spirits once lived with God and we have been taught the gospel before.

The first people to live on the earth were Adam and Eve. They were created in the image of God. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them"(Genesis 1:27). They were placed in the Garden of Eden. They were commanded to "multiply and replenish the earth." Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence and could not sin, have children, or die. They had dominion over all the animals and could eat the fruit of the garden. God told them not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, Satan tempted them and they eventually ate the fruit of the tree and were cast out of the garden. They became mortal, could sin, experience pain, were able to have children, and they would eventually die. 

Most of Christianity looks down upon Adam and Eve for their transgression, but if they hadn't eaten the forbidden fruit then we would not be here. The Book of Mormon teaches us more about the significance of this transgression: "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin"(2 Nephi 2:22-23). 

Because of the fall of Adam, we were all able to be born but we will all die. This time we are given here on earth is for us to learn and grow and to prepare to meet God again. It's a testing period to see if we will have faith and follow God even though we can't remember Him. "There was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God.."(Alma 12:24). 

God has given us the gift of free agency. We are free to choose to follow God or to follow Satan. Neither can force us to do anything but they can both influence us. If we want to be happy and return to live with God, we need to follow God and the quiet promptings of the Holy Ghost. "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable unto himself"(2 Nephi 2:27).

Jesus Christ is central to God's plan. We "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:23). None of us can return to live with God in our sins. That is why God provided a Savior for us.  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved"(John 3:16-17). 

Jesus Christ performed the atonement. The atonement was when Jesus Christ suffered for all of our sins, pains, and sorrows in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day. Jesus Christ suffered for our sins so that if we would come unto Him and repent, we can be forgiven and cleansed. Only through Jesus Christ's atonement can we return to live with God again. "For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made"(Alma 34:9).

Although Jesus Christ paid the price of our sins, that does not eliminate our personal responsibility. We can never repay Christ for His sacrifice and He doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He does expect us to follow Him and keep His commandments. If we have faith in Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and keep following God to the end, we are promised that we can be cleansed from sin and return to live with God again.

This life isn't easy nor was it meant to be. This life is for us to learn and grow and overcome challenges. Jesus didn't only suffer for our sins but for our pains and sorrows as well. He knows exactly how we feel and how to help us. If we will come unto Him, He will help bear up our burdens. Life is a lot easier to get through with Christ.

God wants us to be happy. He wants us to follow Him. He wants us to learn about Him and return to live with Him again. That's why He sends missionaries to teach people about the gospel so that His children can know what we're supposed to do here. 

(For chapters in the Book of Mormon that explain more about Adam and Eve, read 2 Nephi 2, Alma 12, and Alma 34. Genesis 2 and 3 in the Bible tell the story.)

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy"(2 Nephi 2:25).

Amen.

Book of Mormon Stories - Nephi and His Brothers Get the Brass Plates

Time: 600 BC
Place: Jerusalem and the surrounding wilderness
Reference: 1 Nephi 2,3,4,5
Characters:
Lehi: Father of the family and a prophet.  He enjoys fearlessly preaching repentance to the Jews, receiving death threats, reading books obtained in strange ways, dreaming crazy dreams, trekking through the wilderness, and dwelling in tents.
Sariah: Wife of Lehi and a worried mother.  She enjoys spending time with family, bearing children in the wilderness, matchmaking, and gardening.
Nephi: Legendary younger brother and heroic prophet.  He enjoys archery, playing with swords, building ships, hiking to high mountains, writing poetry, and confounding his brothers.
Sam: Faithful but sometimes forgotten middle child.  He enjoys long walks through the wilderness, campfire stories, sailing, and playing with God's compass.
Laman and Lemuel: The two peas in a pod rebellious older brothers.  They enjoy antagonizing their brothers, eating raw meat, making new friends, dancing with hot women, and uttering tribal cries.
Laban: Grumpy nobleman who's a descendant of "Joseph and the amazing, technicolor  dream coat." He enjoys family history, treasure hunts, commanding armies, partying with his brethren, sword fighting, and wine tasting.
Zoram: Promise-keeping servant of Laban. He enjoys playing hide-and-seek in the dark, hitch hiking, reading in the libraries of Laban, and skinning beasts.
Writer: Nephi
Background information: This story teaches us some great principles: the need to pray and ask God to receive answers, the blessings from keeping the commandments, and the importance of trusting God even if we don't understand.
Previously on Book of Mormon Stories: Lehi received a vision from God that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. After unsuccessfully preaching to the people, he and his family were commanded to leave Jerusalem and depart into the wilderness. Two of his sons, Laman and Lemuel, complained a lot against their father because they did not believe that God had commanded them to leave. Nephi was probably similarly upset but we will see what Nephi does different that helps him to receive a testimony that Lehi really had been commanded of God. (click here to read the full story)


Nephi is a funny guy. You get to see a bit more of the character of him in this story. He starts off by saying in verse 16 of chapter 2, "I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God.." So here we learn what's important to Nephi: that he's a big, buff dude and that he's curious about God. Great. Next he says that "I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers." Hold on. He prayed and received an answer from God. You mean all you have to do is pray and God will answer you? Crazy! It's not like we're told that a million times in the scriptures. Nephi was able to receive an answer from God because he asked in faith and really wanted to know. God doesn't always pay us personal visits, but He always answers our prayers.

The Lord then gave Nephi a promise that becomes a repeating theme throughout The Book of Mormon: "And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands" He's also told, "And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren." What exceedingly young and large in stature guy doesn't want to be led to a land of promise or be a ruler over his brethren? Sign me up!

As soon as Nephi was told that he will be blessed if he keeps the commandments, his father came to him and told him that the Lord commanded that Nephi and his brothers should return to Jerusalem and obtain a record on brass plates. This record was owned by a man named Laban and had the genealogy of Lehi's forefathers and records of ancient prophets. Lehi and his family had just traveled for probably over a month in the wilderness and now the sons were told to go back because their crazy dad received yet another vision that they have to go back and get scriptures from a rich, powerful, blood-thirsty nobleman. Sounds super fun. Nephi's brothers were understandably less than excited. Nephi, on the other hand, was ecstatic. "A commandment? Did you just say commandment? The Lord just barely told me that I need to obey those!!" He then proudly said to his father, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." And just like that he convinced his brothers to come with and they all headed back to Jerusalem.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they cast lots (pick up the unlucky stick) and Laman was chosen to go to the house of Laban and ask for the plates. (Laman is Nephi's murmuring brother. Laban is the nobleman. Don't confuse the "M" and "B") Laman strolled into Laban's palace and was like, "Hey sorry man but God told my dad that I need to take your brass plates off your hands.. sorry I think he's crazy too but my brother is having a heart-attack about keeping the commandments." Laban was not impressed and tried to kill him so Laman ran away. 

For their next attempt to obtain the record, Nephi and his brothers decided to go back to their old home and gather up "our gold, and our silver, and our precious things" to trade Laban in exchange for the brass plates. Once again Laban tried to kill them and he stole their stuff. 

Laman and Lemuel were ticked. They had been almost killed (twice now for Laman) and now all their valuables were gone. They yelled at their younger brothers, Sam and Nephi, "and they did smite us even with a rod." Ouch. "And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod?" I wish an angel had appeared to my older siblings when they smote me. But that's beside the point. Anyway, Laman and Lemuel ceased their smiting after being chastised by the angel. They were still upset and didn't believe that God could help them but Nephi was like, "Seriously? You just saw an angel! And we need to keep the commandments!" 

Nephi then decided to try this own his own without his brothers. "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." He crept into the city into the house of Laban. He saw a man laying on the ground and approached him. "I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine. And when I came to him I found that it was Laban." This is another funny moment with Nephi. He just barely noted that it's Laban when he saw Laban's shiny sword. He then gives us a full verse about how cool Laban's shiny sword is: "And I beheld his sword... and the hilt thereof was of pure gold; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof..." Such a guy.  

The Spirit then nudged Nephi to remind him that he's standing over the unarmed, drunk man who has the plates and had tried to kill him. The Spirit next commanded Nephi to kill Laban. Nephi, understandably, freaked out a bit. "What!? But that's against the commandments and you said not to break them!" The Spirit then told him that "the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." Nephi then realized that if he is to inherit the promised land, his children will need the commandments which are on the brass plates. If he doesn't follow the commandment to kill Laban, he can't obtain the brass plates, and if he doesn't obtain them then his children won't know the commandments. If Nephi doesn't kill Laban to obtain the record then he won't be obeying God's commandments. A-hah! Finally understanding, Nephi took Laban's shiny sword and killed him. Then he dressed up as Laban and went in search of the brass plates. 

Along the way, he met one of Laban's servants, Zoram. Zoram thought Nephi was Laban so he took him to the brass plates. After Nephi obtained the plates, he took Zoram with him to his brothers outside the city walls. As they approached, his brothers got scared and started to run away because they thought Nephi was Laban, but Nephi called out to let them know it was him. Zoram then started to tremble and run away but Nephi, the young but large in stature guy, grabbed him. He promised Zoram with an oath that if he will follow them, he will live and he can be part of their family and go to the promised land. Zoram vowed that he would stay with them and the five of them 
returned to their parents in the wilderness with 
the brass plates. 

Their mother, Sariah, had thought they had all died so she was extremely relieved when they returned. They gave thanks to God. Nephi ended by reminding us about the whole commandment thing and how obedient he had been: "And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us." Good job, Nephi.



Nephi learned the importance of keeping all the commandments of God even when he didn't understand or when no one else wanted to. Obeying God isn't popular. Most of the world thinks that obedience to God's commandments limits us and makes us dumb sheep. On the other hand, it blesses and frees us. Nephi was in a scary situation and he could've easily given up, but if he didn't do as the Lord commanded then he would've lost the promises and blessings associated with obedience. We need to trust that God knows best and that if we do as He asks, He will help and protect us and bless us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Amen.