Life has been super busy…. still! I wish I have had more time to post. I wanted to share some pictures from our Missionary Fireside we had last Sunday. It was a wonderful event where members of our faith and missionaries shared about their lives and the story of "Why I'm a Mormon". We have such a diverse group of people in our church. It is wonderful!
In other news this week…… my oldest daughter got her driver's permit!! YIKES! I cannot believe my oldest baby is now driving with me in the car! I let her drive to seminary every morning and home from school every day. She is doing WONDERFUL and is going to get more polished every day.
Today I will share my favorite scriptures from these chapters with you. If you don't have your own copy of the Book of Mormon and would like one, please e-mail me at mypinkstamper@gmail.com and I will get you your own copy. You can also read along with us by clicking HERE!
Mormon 3:2-3
"And it came to pass that the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto this people -- Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and build up again my church, and ye shall be spared.
"And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God."
Mormon 3:11
"And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination."
- •In spite of Mormon leading his people for approximately 35 years, at this point he refused to lead them. Mormon must have been influenced by the abridgement he was making of the Book of Mormon. He saw Captain Moroni’s and Helaman’s justifiable reasons to go to war (seeAlma 43:9–58:12)—defending their lands, houses, wives, children, rights, privileges, liberty, and ability to worship. He taught the people these purposes of war (see Mormon 2:23–24). After seeing the motivation the Nephites in his day had for fighting the Lamanites—to “avenge themselves” and that they “began to boast in their own strength” and that they were guilty of great “wickedness and abomination”—he temporarily refused to lead their armies
Mormon 3:8–11. Mormon Refused to Be a Commander
One of my favorite, and the most powerful, scripture from this chapter is…
Mormon 3:22
"And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ."
- •President Gordon B. Hinckley testified that the Book of Mormon is another witness for Christ: “This scripture of the New World, is before us as an added witness of the divinity and reality of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the encompassing beneficence of His atonement, and of His coming forth from the darkness of the grave. Within these covers is found much of the sure word of prophecy concerning Him who should be born of a virgin, the Son of the Almighty God. There is a foretelling of His work among men as a living mortal. There is a declaration of His death, of the lamb without blemish who was to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. And there is an account that is moving and inspiring and true of the visit of the resurrected Christ among living men and women in the western continent. The testimony is here to handle; it is here to be read; it is here to be pondered; it is here to be prayed over with a promise that he who prays shall know by the power of the Holy Ghost of its truth and validity"
An Admonition to Believe in Christ
Chapter 5 also ends with very powerful words….
Mormon 5:22-24
"And then, O ye Gentiles, how can ye stand before the power of God, except ye shall repent and turn from your evil ways?
"Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?
"Therefore, repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you -- lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver."
- •Mormon wrote for us in the latter days, admonishing us to recognize God and His power. We are in His hands. Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Seventy explained some symbolism and blessings suggested by being in God’s hands:“Hands are one of the symbolically expressive parts of the body. In Hebrew, yad, the most common word for hand, is also used metaphorically to mean power, strength, and might (see William Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies [1978], 205). Thus, hands signify power and strength. …“To be in the hands of God would suggest that we are not only under His watchful care but also that we are guarded and protected by His wondrous power.“Throughout the scriptures, reference is made to the hand of the Lord. His divine assistance is evidenced over and over again. His powerful hands created worlds, and yet they were gentle enough to bless the little children. …“Every one of us needs to know that we can go on in the strength of the Lord. We can put our hand in His, and we will feel His sustaining presence lift us to heights unattainable alone. …“… How do we learn to extend our hand and connect to the comfort provided by the Lord? …“Here are four keys:“Learn“Listen“Seek the Spirit“Pray always“The Lord will provide sustenance and support if we are willing to open the door and receive His hand of divine assistance. …“Imagine the wounds in His hands. His weathered hands, yes, even His hands of torn flesh and physical sacrifice, give our own hands greater power and direction.“It is the wounded Christ who leads us through our moments of difficulty. It is He who bears us up when we need more air to breathe or direction to follow or even more courage to continue.“If we will keep the commandments of God and walk hand in hand with Him in His paths, we will go forward with faith and never feel alone”
Mormon 5:23. “In the Hands of God”
I want to close today by this inspirational song sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I hope you are all having a great week! I can't believe we are almost finished reading the Book of Mormon!
No comments:
Post a Comment