Day 162

I'm at chapter 15 in the 1st Book of Nephi right now. I feel like Nephi and the personalities of all his family are really coming alive to me this time around as I read the Book of Mormon. In the latest chapter I've read, Nephi "exhorts with all the energies of his soul" to his brethren to try and get them to believe the words of God. I can't imagine how much of a heartache he must have while trying to help his brethren know the truth, and to have them still reject it.

The attitudes of Laman and Lemuel also are sticking out to me, because they have the attitude that is still around today concerning faith. They want signs. They want Heavenly Father to speak directly to them, but Heavenly Father wants them to exercise faith. Without faith, we are nothing. And they aren't patient enough to try and pray and ask God himself, and to try and feel the answers rather than hear them from the Lord himself. So many people today are still like that.

Day 161

What I love reading about right now in the book of Nephi are all the good qualities of his character that show throughout the reading I've done so far. He is humble, stating to the Lord when he has visions that he does not know all things. He is hungry for the word of the Lord, he desires to see all that his father saw. And he is granted that by showing that he has faith that all his father prophesied of is true. I'm sure the Lord knew that Nephi didn't have to see his father's visions in order to believe him. He was given the opportunity to see them because of his great faith.

I also feel bad for Lehi. He preaches to Laman and Lemuel so much because it hurts him as a parent to see his children stray. I'm sure it's such a trial for him and his heart is heavy when he learns that they won't believe the word of the Lord. I'm sure any parent who has had children who go astray know exactly what Lehi is feeling.

Day 160

I'm about 5 chapters into the 1st Book of Nephi. What I really am loving so far is how excited Nephi is about the gospel. I don't know if I really picked up on that before. But he is in awe of the prophesies his father makes, and he takes this gospel seriously. He is such a good example of someone who is humble and has a hunger for knowledge, the perfect combination we all need to have to recieve our own revelation from God.

Day 159

After listening to Conference, Paul and I have decided to re-read the Book of Mormon on our own. We've made a goal to finish it by the end of the year. That only gives us three months, but when I think of Parley P. Pratt reading it non-stop all day and all night, then it helps me realize it is a very doable goal. This morning I read the first chapter of the 1st Book of Nephi. I only had time before work to read the first chapter. But already I can tell that this will be a good thing to do. We'll both have to read an average of 2-3 chapters a day, which means we'll both have to split it up to read morning and nights. But I think of any goal to set right now, this is a good one. I kept feeling like this is something I should pick up to do again while listening to conference all weekend. There were many powerful testimonies of the Book of Mormon, and I knew that I should continue to read it on my own over and over again, because it is a book made for today. It will guide me and comfort me throughout my life. It is the greatest gift.

Day 158

I'm posting about the morning session of Conference, because it is still so fresh on my mind (since it finished about 10 minutes ago) and I'm especially thinking about President Uchtdorf's talk. I love, love LOVE it. It spoke to me. Heavenly Father knows me. He knows what is going on in my life. He knows what I wish for, what I hope for, what I'm praying for, what I'm trying to become. He knows all of that, and that is such a comfort to me. I just can't get over that, and I don't want to. I want to hold this feeling close to me for forever.

Day 157

Today I read a short article by President Monson about the powers of the Book of Mormon. I loved how he told us that that book holds the answers we need in these latter days. That's why it was brought to earth, to help us remember what we had been taught in the premortal life, and that Heavenly Father knew the challenges we would face now. That book is a reference guide, and a comfort. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I love the feeling of peace that comes over me everytime I read it.

Day 156

Today I read the last part of section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants. What the verses mainly said to me was that as long as I endure to the end and try and be faithful until the end, Heavenly Father will help me into his kingdom. I love verses like that, because not only are they full of promise, but they also tell me how Heavenly Father works. He wants us to work hard to be with him, because that is the greatest reward. He won't make our lives easy/trial free, because then we wouldn't appreciate eternal life with him if that happened. We need to experience bad things in order to appreciate good things. I feel like verses like that are everywhere in the scriptures, so it seems to me that that's what Heavenly Father really wants us to remember when we are going through hard times-they are worth it.