I wanted to share my scripture journal entry from today. I'm hoping to become more diligent in keeping a scripture journal as I work on my "Virtue" project of reading the Book of Mormon for personal progress.
4-7-20113 Nephi Ch. 1 As I read this chapter this morning I noticed that no matter what time the followers of Christ lived in their faith, and their foes are the same. As those who believed in Samuel's sign, a day a night and a day to signify Christ's birth, they were surrounded by those who tried to reason them out of their faith. Helamen 16:16&17
~"16 Some things they may have guessed right, among so many; but behold, we know that all these great and marvelous works cannot come to pass, of which has been spoken. 17And they began to reason and to contend among themselves...." But those who believed and had had a spiritual witness within themselves did not falter or sway. They knew they were believing in something that had not happened yet, and would not happen in their own land. The "reasonable" side of things had to play before their minds. The idea that Samuel was telling lies and only trying to gain followers to feed his own selfish ideas of power was probably also something that was conitinually placed before them. However, 3 Nephi 1:8 says,
"But behold, they did watch steadfastly for a day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain." They stayed steadfast! Nothing has changed, saved the miracles that we claim to believe in. We today, hold steadfast to our conviction that what happend to Joseph Smith in a time when we weren't alive, in a land we did not live in, in a the grove of trees is real. Although we can only claim such things through the witnesses we've recieved in our hearts the Lord will always deliver his people from the hands of thier enemies when the time is right. 3 Nephi 1: 9
"Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet." As Nephi plead with the Lord to save his people this is the answer he recieved:
"13Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.14Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given."Again, nothing has changed! A prophet pleads for his people and the Lord listens. "If we do what's right we have no need to fear, for the Lord our helper will ever be near." I know it is true! And as I stand among the believers today I know I would have stood among the believers then!
I love you all!
p.s. Someone needs to post besides me.
~Molly
