Reflecting on the atonement

I have already mentioned how the analogy in this BYU devotional by Brad Wilcox has increased my understanding of how the atonement works in our lives. It has helped me to understand that the the biggest obstacle to utilizing the atonement in our lives is giving up.

I have heard that some leave the church because they feel it is just too hard to keep all the commandments and they just can't keep it up. They give up. They feel they are just not "celestial" material. Sometimes I feel that way, too.

When we feel that way, we have to dig in our heels and just keep "practicing". Satan would love to have us feel that we will never make it. He loves it when we give up.

Here is a scripture that backs up the "keep trying" theory:

Moroni 6:8

But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven.

This is another reason why we meet together as saints so often. It is important that we take the sacrament and renew our baptismal covenants. It keeps us from being bogged down with our sins. We are renewed and cleansed every time we take the sacrament. Heavenly Father doesn't want us to waste our energy beating ourselves up about our sins, but using that energy to keep trying.

I know this is true. One of the first steps to my understanding this came about 6 years ago when I was discouraged about my lack of progress and realizing that there were many things I needed to do better but I just didn't feel like I was getting anywhere. The General Relief Society broadcast was coming up and I knew I needed to listen to the messages but I felt like I was going to hear so many things that I needed to do that it would just be overwhelming. I went anyway and was startled at the main message of the meeting: Come Unto Me.


Here are links to the talks at that broadcast:
Eternally Encircled in His Love- Bonnie D. Parkin

Remembering the Lord's Love- Kethleen H. Hughes

To Look, Reach, and Come Unto Christ- Anne C. Pingree

In the Arms of His Love- Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

This post is a combination of some of the things I have felt about the Savior's love for us. He is mighty to save. When we give up and think we just aren't celestial material, we are telling the Savior that he is not powerful enough to save us. He is powerful enough to save others, but not all of us.

I love this scripture:

2 Nephi 31:19

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

Alma 34:18

Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

Sariah

In looking on the internet for information on Sariah, I found this article from Meridian Magazine. It is apparently the first chapter in a book on women in the Book of Mormon. I found it very interesting and insightful. I would be interested in buying this book.

Dreams

I don't know where I have been but I don't believe I ever knew that Joseph Smith's father had a dream very similar to the dream that Lehi had. This would have occurred when the prophet Joseph was just a little boy.

Here is an account of that dream from a gospel study blog that I like to visit:
Seth Adam Smith blog

My top 10 favorite Book of Mormon scriptures

In honor of beginning to read the Book of Mormon again this year, I have compiled a list of my 10 favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon. It is pretty hard to whittle it down to just 10, but here they are:

What are your favorites??

1) 1 Nephi 1:20
...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

2) 1 Nephi 3:7
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 for them that they may accomplish the things which he commandeth them.

3) Moroni 10:3-5
Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

4) 3 Nephi 1:8, 11-14

But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that 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.

And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers.

And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

Lift 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.

Behold, 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.

5) 2 Nephi 25:26
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

6) Helaman 5:12
And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

7) Mosiah 3:19
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

8) Ether 12:27
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

9)Alma 37:36-37
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.

10) 3 Nephi 11: 14-17
Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.

What the Book of Mormon teaches me

Having just finished the Book of Mormon a few days ago and now starting in again, I find it interesting that this verse is in the first chapter of the Book of Mormon:

1 Nephi 1:20
But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

And this scripture is in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon:

Moroni 10:3
Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

I have to say that the Book of Mormon and my own experiences have taught me that it is true. Heavenly Father loves and watches over all His children. He will help those who turn to Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. Even when we are going through adversity, there are always tender mercies given to us if we look for them.

This is the main lesson I have learned from the Book of Mormon.

Envy

Since reading a few scriptures like the following ones, it has made me think about what trouble envy causes. I thought it is interesting that something like envy would be mentioned with other problems like stealing, plundering, and murdering. I guess I had never really considered envy a sin. After reading and studying more, I realize that it is one of those "gateway" sins. Not only is it a sin, but if we give in to it, it leads us to greater sin. It is also helping me to realize how closely related pride and envy are.

• Alma 16:18

  18 Now those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be—

• Alma 4:9

  9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.

Here is a very good talk by Jeffrey R. Holland talking about envy.

It is also interesting to note that a lack of envy is part of charity or Christ-like love.

Moroni 7:45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Can there be discord, hate, envy, and dissension in God’s presence? No! Such things make a hell and not a heaven. That is why we must learn to get rid of dissension, envy, hate, and discord in this life on earth. It is here we must learn how to turn our hearts to serve one another with love. Here we must learn how to live with one another in peace and harmony so that we can be prepared to live in the presence of that perfect God we claim to worship.

Theodore M. Burton, "Blessed are the Peacemakers" October 1974 General Conference

Gospel Study Resources for 2012

The Book of Mormon online

Book of Mormon class study guide

Book of Mormon study reference link

Gospel Doctrine lesson blog

Book of Mormon timeline

Book of Mormon chronology