We did it! After this post we have read the entire Book of Mormon together! Thank you so much for spending your time with me and learning more about my church and beliefs. I hope you will pray about what you have read over these past 4 months and ask our Father in Heaven to know for yourself if these things are true. I promise that you will receive your very own answer if you ask with real intent and an honest and pure heart.
I am in Utah right now visiting my family (both my husband's side and my side, too). Oh, how I love this place! This is the view from the room I am in right now. I woke up early this morning right before the sunrise and the temple was so beautiful!
Yesterday we drove up to Heber Canyon with my husband's side of the family where we had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving dinner! His parents returned home from their 2 year mission in San Diego, California and this was such a great time to spend as a family. While we were up in the beautiful canyon and snow I decided to go ahead and do our yearly family pictures. I think they turned out super cute!
(Had to add the mushy one, too! LOL!)
Today we are reading in chapters 8-10 of Moroni. These chapters have special meaning to me today. When I was learning more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from the missionaries, they asked me one day to read in Moroni 10:3-5 and then get down on my knees and pray to know if it was true. I did just that and felt a special warm feeling in my heart that what I was reading was, indeed, true. I was baptized into the church within 2 weeks after that and my life has not been the same since. I am so thankful to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life! I know that I have come a long way from the person who I used to be and I also know that I have a long way to go to be the person God wants me to become. I can do it!! I just need to hang in there and press forward. Do you know what?? He also wants you to become the person He has planned for you to become!
In Chapter 8 Moroni is sharing an epistle from his father Mormon. I was touched by the following verse that was written for Moroni. It shows of a father's love for his child.
Moroni 8:3
"I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end."
I especially loved this verse because we are asked to "liken the scriptures" unto ourselves. I know that every day when I pray I am also asking my Father in Heaven to watch over and protect my little children. To help them to be safe, to help them to make good choices, and that they know how much I love them. I found the following video on Youtube of some teenage boys who are singing to their mothers. It really touched my heart so I wanted to share it with you.
In Chapter 8 of Moroni it also teaches us about baptism of little children. We believe that a little child is innocent and has no need for baptism until they reach the age of accountability which is 8 years old.
Moroni 8:8
"Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them…"
Moroni 8:10-12
"Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach -- repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.
"And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.
"But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!"
Here is a great talk given by one of our Apostles, Boyd K. Packer.
This talk reminded me of how precious my little children are. Here is a picture of my two daughters who are now 13 & 15. They have always made me smile. I am grateful that our Heavenly Father trusted me to raise these sweet spirits on this earth. Although it is a challenge sometimes, I know that I receive great blessings from my children every day.
Moroni 8:16-18
"Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear.
"And I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of salvation.
"For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity."
Okay, now let us move on to Chapter 9 in Moroni. Mormon is giving another epistle to his son Moroni and telling how bad the conditions are with the Nephites. There was one verse that really stuck out to me.
Moroni 9:6
"And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under the same condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God."
This verse really made me think. Am I laboring diligently with the truths I have been taught? Are other people's reactions affecting how I share the Lord's message? Am I standing faithful in all situations no matter what my friends are doing?
I am touched by the last words of Mormon to his son Moroni.
Moroni 9:25-26
"My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.
"And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen."
- •Mormon knew that Moroni faced overwhelming challenges due the wickedness of the Nephites. Nevertheless, Mormon also knew that Moroni could endure with the assistance of divine grace. True to the Faith explains that grace provides strength to persevere in the daily struggles of life:“The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. …“In addition to needing grace for your ultimate salvation, you need this enabling power every day of your life. As you draw near to your Heavenly Father in diligence, humility, and meekness, He will uplift and strengthen you through His grace”.
Moroni 9:26. The Grace of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Grace
Grace is the help or strength given through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ . Through the grace of God, everyone who has lived will be resurrected —our spirits will be reunited with our bodies, never again to be separated. Through His grace, the Lord also enables those who live His gospel to repent and be forgiven.
Additional Information
Grace is a gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ. The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ.
Everyone on earth experiences physical death. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, all will be resurrected and will live forever (see 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; 2 Nephi 9:6-13).
Because of personal choices, everyone also experiences the effects of sin (see 1 John 1:8-10; Mosiah 16:4). These effects are called spiritual death. No one can return to the presence of God without divine grace. Through the Atonement, we all can be forgiven of our sins; we can become clean before God. To receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives (see Ephesians 2:8-9; James 2:17-22; 2 Nephi 25:23; 31:20).
The grace of God helps us every day. It strengthens us to do good works we could not do on our own. The Lord promised that if we humble ourselves before Him and have faith in Him, His grace will help us overcome all our personal weaknesses.
Now we are moving on to the chapter in the Book of Mormon that changed my life forever! I promise you that if you read this chapter, ponder it's words, and then kneel and pray to know for yourself if it is true, the Lord will answer you. I know that this is true! Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers and will grant you the desire of your heart.
These next 3 verses are all I had read from the Book of Mormon before I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They are truly special verses to me. You can learn more about my church by clicking HERE.
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."
- •Elder Gene R. Cook, while serving as a member of the Seventy, spoke of the importance of pondering God’s mercy as a means to achieving greater faith and humility:“The last five words of [Moroni 10:3] offer an important admonition—‘ponder it in your hearts.’ What is the antecedent of ‘it’—the thing that we are to ponder? It is ‘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.’ We are to remember how loving, how provident, how good, how forgiving our Heavenly Father has been toward us.“What usually happens when we begin to ponder how merciful the Lord has been to mankind? To us personally? What happens when we count our blessings, or perhaps our sins for which we must ask hisforgiveness, and recognize his hand in our individual lives? Is it not true that our hearts turn to the Lord in love and gratitude? Do our faith and humility increase? Yes, and that, in my judgment, is the impact ofverse 3—following the counsel therein helps us to become more humble, more willing and ready to receive new information and knowledge with an open mind” (
“Moroni’s Promise,” Ensign, Apr. 1994, 12).
Moroni 10:3. “When Ye Shall Read These Things”
- •President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shared the process he went through to receive a spiritual witness of the Book of Mormon:“When I first read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, I read the promise that if I ‘would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if [the things I had read were] true; and if [I would] ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he [would] manifest the truth of it unto [me], by the power of the Holy Ghost’ (Moroni 10:4). I tried to follow those instructions as I understood them.“If I expected a glorious manifestation to come at once as an overpowering experience, it did not happen. Nevertheless, it felt good, and I began to believe. …“I learned that anyone, anywhere, could read in the Book of Mormon and receive inspiration. …“My experience has been that a testimony does not burst upon us suddenly. Rather, it grows. …“Do not be disappointed if you have read and reread and yet have not received a powerful witness. You may be somewhat like the disciples spoken of in the Book of Mormon who were filled with the power of God in great glory ‘and they knew it not’ (3 Nephi 9:20).“Do the best you can” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2005, 5–7; or
Ensign, May 2005, 6–8). - •Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offered more insight into how to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon by pondering a question while reading:“There is another and simpler test that all who seek to know the truth might well take. It calls for us simply to read, ponder, and pray—all in the spirit of faith and with an open mind. To keep ourselves alert to the issues at hand—as we do read, ponder, and pray—we should ask ourselves a thousand times, ‘Could any man have written this book?’“And it is absolutely guaranteed that sometime between the first and thousandth time this question is asked, every sincere and genuine truth seeker will come to know by the power of the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is the mind and will and voice of the Lord to the whole world in our day” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1983, 106; or
Ensign, Nov. 1983, 73–74). - •President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) issued the following challenge and promise to readers of the Book of Mormon:
“I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon. …“Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God” (“A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, Aug. 2005, 6).
Moroni 10:4–5. Receiving a Testimony of the Book of Mormon
- •Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles commented on Moroni’s promise of having “real intent”: “Moroni did not promise a manifestation of the Holy Ghost to those who seek to know the truth of the Book of Mormon for hypothetical or academic reasons, even if they ‘ask with a sincere heart.’ The promise of Moroni is for those who are committed in their hearts to act upon the manifestation if it is received. Prayers based on any other reason have no promise because they are not made ‘with real intent’” (Pure in Heart[1988], 19–20).
Moroni 10:4. “With Real Intent”
I was looking through my pictures this morning and wanted to share some of them with you. When I was 21 years old looking into my future, I would have never imagined having a family who I could love and who would love me in return.
Here are some of my other favorite verses from Moroni 10 (but I really love them all!)
Moroni 10:20-23
"Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.
"And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.
"And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
"And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me."
Moroni 10:32-34 (Moroni's final words)
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
"And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
"And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen."
It looks like it is time for me to close my last post on our Book of Mormon reading! I want to thank you all for reading with me. I know that I have grown spiritually by having done this with you.
I want to close by bearing you all my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know, without a doubt, that this is the word of the Lord and it was brought forth and translated by the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that when I read from its pages, I feel closer to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that I am not perfect and have a long way to go but through the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I can be made perfect! I know that if I press forward, feasting upon these words, repent, and endure to the end that I can live with my Heavenly Father and Savior again along with my family. I have seen miracles in my life and in the lives of others through the fullness of the gospel. I know that the Lord loves me and that I am HIS daughter! He knows me personally and wants me to succeed in my life. He wants YOU to succeed, too, and make it back to him. You are also his sons and daughters. I know that we came to this earth to learn to be like Him and that this journey is tough but we can do it if we rely upon Him! I also want you to know that you all are loved. Whenever you feel down or unloved I want you to imagine that you feel the Savior's arms wrapped around you. When I am praying for you all, I pray that you can feel His love. I want you all to know that! I also know that we have a living prophet on the earth today who received revelation from Heavenly Father for us! His name is Thomas S. Monson. I know that by living the gospel we can become who He intends us to be. I love you all and am so thankful for this wonderful journey we get to spend together. I hope you continue to pray and find your own answers. I know that He will answer you. I say these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Here are all the links you might need….
To request your own copy of the Book of Mormon from me click HERE!
To read the Book of Mormon online click HERE!
To have the missionaries come and teach you about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, click HERE.
To attend one of our church meetings in your area click HERE.
To start at the beginning click HERE!
Big hugs to all of you!
Robyn
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