Day 17: 2 Nephi 24-25

 Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all having a great Wednesday!  It's been a good day for me.  I got up  and played tennis this morning while my kids had their lessons.  Then I took some of the kids school shopping.  Only 3 weeks left!  Tonight we had a Relief Society Pool Party Social.  Of course, I was the only woman who did a cannon ball into the pool!  LOL!  Someone had to do it, right?  Just wanted to share that I made a new friend this past week and a half.  I feel the Lord has heard and answered my prayers, even if it took 4 years.  I am thankful for this new and lasting friendship.  I am also thankful for my other good friends near and far.

I wanted to share our "Scripture of the Day".  This scripture is an invitation to all.  We can all seek and find our own answers through prayer and faith.

Okay, for today's reading we only have 2 chapters.  In chapter 24 Nephi is still quoting Isaiah.  I will share my favorite scripture from that chapter and then we will move on to chapter 25.

2 Nephi 24:3
"And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve."

The thought that jumped into my mind when I was reading this scripture was to hang in there because good things are to come.  What a great message of hope that is!

I highlighted many verses in chapter 25.  I encourage you to also mark up your scriptures.  Highlight, underline, make notes in the margins, etc.  Here are some that I marked that I will share with you.

2 Nephi 25:23
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

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.

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 (see Ether 12:27).

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."

LOVE that scripture!

2 Nephi 25:29
"And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."

Last night the missionaries stopped by to say hi.  What a blessing it is to have the Lord's servants serving our family.

I will "see" you all tomorrow!  Please leave a comment with your thoughts.  I would love to hear them!

Hugs,
Robyn

Day 16: 2 Nephi 19-23

Hello to all my reading friends!

I am so happy that you joined me today in reading from the Book of Mormon.  If you are new to our Book Club you can join us at anytime.  Just start where we are or if you want to start from the beginning click HERE.  

They finally finished installing all of our new carpet in our house at 6:00 pm tonight!  Everything is still in disarray but we have fresh carpet.  YAAY!  Some of our rooms look completely different.  When we moved into this house 5 years ago the carpet was cream/white.  Really??!!  Doesn't work too well with 5 kids and a dog. LOL!  We kept it as long as we could stand it.  Out with the old and in with the new!  

I read our chapters earlier today and I am so happy that I did.  That gives me more time to process it and ponder it.  We are still in the chapters where Nephi is quoting Isaiah.  I'll be completely honest with you.  I don't understand about 90% of it but I know that as I am reading I feel at peace.  Here is one of my favorite scriptures from today.

2 Nephi 19:6
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland wrote of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in 2 Nephi 19:6–7 being related to both the Atonement and the time of the Millennium: “The fact that the government would eventually be upon his shoulders affirms what all the world will one day acknowledge—that he is Lord of lords and King of kings and will one day rule over the earth and his Church in person, with all the majesty and sacred vestments belonging to a holy sovereign and a high priest. All can take comfort from the fact that because the government—and the burdens thereof—will be upon his shoulders, they will be lifted in great measure from our own. This is yet another reference in Isaiah to the Atonement, the bearing away of our sins (or at very least in this reference, our temporal burdens) on the shoulders of Christ”.

I want to bear you my witness of some of the things I know to be true.  I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves each of us and knows us personally.  No matter what trials we are facing in our lives, He knows.  He is our biggest supporter, fan, and friend.  I also know that we can be together forever as a family.  You can learn more about that HERE.  I want to be with my family forever, even when they are driving me crazy!  LOL!  I know that none of us are perfect and we all can be perfected in Christ.  I know that Jesus Christ atoned for my sins and weaknesses.  It is only through Him that we can be saved and our burdens lifted.  I am so grateful and will be forever to have learned about the Plan of Salvation in my early 20's.  I cannot even begin to tell you the path I was on before I met the missionaries.  I was not in a good place in my life and was a very confused person.  I want you to know that I know that anyone can change.  How do I know that?  Because that was me.  I've come a long way and still have a long way to go but I hope that every day I can become a little better through Him.  I also want you all to know how much I adore and appreciate all of you.  I am thankful that, through this wonderful world of the internet, I have made many more eternal friendships.  

Families Are Forever

(My kids with me 3 years ago)

(The only picture I have with my mom and dad.  My dad passed away 3 years after my HS graduation but I know that I will see him again.)

(My mom, siblings, and brother-in-law.)

(Hubba Hubba!)

(The kids with Grandma and Grandpa Cardon.  We visited them in California last Fall where they are serving a 2 year mission for our church.)

I want to close today by sharing a video that touches me every time I watch it.  Some of you might be familiar with this family.  I hope you feel uplifted and strengthened.  Have a great night!

Start Reading with us Anytime!

Hi All!

I made this easy to use link list for each day we are reading.  You can join us anytime by either starting with Day 1 or where we are currently.  We'd love to have you join us!

Click HERE and bookmark this page to make it super simple to follow along.

I still have some copies of the Book of Mormon left if you need one.  I promise that it is no problem at all for me to send one out.  Just e-mail me at mypinkstamper@gmail.com.  

Day 15: 2 Nephi 13-18

Hello Everyone!

Are you enjoying your reading so far?   All of the chapters from today's reading can be compared to Isaiah in the Old Testament.  I've had a crazy busy day so I am keeping this short for today.  I hope you will take a minute and share a comment with us today and your feeling about your readings so far.

Also, I want to welcome all the new members of the Book of Mormon Book Club!  You can start where we are at or go ahead and click on Day 1 on the side bar and start from the beginning. We are excited to read with you!

Second Nephi chapters 12–24 contain quotations from the brass plates’ version of the book of Isaiah (compare Isaiah 2–14). Nephi included these chapters to add another witness of the revelations that were given to him about the future of his people and the reality of Jesus Christ. Even though his people were a branch of Israel broken off and transplanted elsewhere, Nephi used the writings of Isaiah to show how the merciful plan of the Lord extends to them as well. Nephi felt that those who read these prophecies would “lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men” (2 Nephi 11:8; see also verse 2).

Repeating what he and his brother Jacob had previously taught, Nephi encouraged us to “liken” the words of Isaiah to ourselves (see 1 Nephi 19:23; 2 Nephi 6:5; 11:8). We liken the scriptures to ourselves by recognizing similarities between the events recorded in the scriptures and events that occur in our lives. We also liken the scriptures to ourselves by identifying principles that the scriptures teach. Those principles can guide our decisions.

I want to leave you with a video today of one of my favorite songs from the church Hymns.  I hope you will enjoy this rendition, too!

*Please jump in and join us at any time!  You do not have to go back and catch up.  Just start where we are.  Click the button on the right side to request your own copy and I will get one in the mail asap.  You can also read along with us HERE until your copy arrives.  

Day 14: 2 Nephi 10-12

*Please jump in and join us at any time!  You do not have to go back and catch up.  Just start where we are.  Click the button on the right side to request your own copy and I will get one in the mail asap.  You can also read along with us HERE until your copy arrives.  

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I had such a great day at church today.  I felt all of the talks and the lessons were just for me.  In Relief Society today we sang I Believe in Christ for the opening song.  I thought I would share it with you.  I've added the lyrics below the video.  As I was singing this song I was also pondering the words and I want to let you know that I also believe in Christ.  I know that He is my Savior and that I cannot get into Heaven without applying his Atonement to my life.  

Lyrics

1. 1. I believe in Christ; he is my King!
   With all my heart to him I'll sing;
   I'll raise my voice in praise and joy,
   In grand amens my tongue employ.
   I believe in Christ; he is God's Son.
   On earth to dwell his soul did come.
   He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
   Good works were his; his name be praised.
2. 2. I believe in Christ; oh blessed name!
   As Mary's Son he came to reign
   'Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
   To save them from the woes of sin.
   I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
   Who did gain all his Father hath,
   Who said to men: "Come, follow me,
   That ye, my friends, with God may be."
3. 3. I believe in Christ--my Lord, my God!
   My feet he plants on gospel sod.
   I'll worship him with all my might;
   He is the source of truth and light.
   I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
   From Satan's grasp he sets me free,
   And I shall live with joy and love
   In his eternal courts above.
4. 4. I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
   From him I'll gain my fondest dream;
   And while I strive through grief and pain,
   His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain."
   I believe in Christ; so come what may,
   With him I'll stand in that great day
   When on this earth he comes again
   To rule among the sons of men.
5. Text: Bruce R. McConkie, 1915-1985. (c) 1972 IRI
   Music: John Longhurst, b. 1940. (c) 1985 IRI

I love songs that I can listen to on Sunday and all day long that lift me up and help me to focus on the good things in my life.  I just found this great resource on lds.org for music you can download for free.  Click HERE to listen and download a few you might like to add to your playlists.  

Tonight as I was about to start my blog post I saw that my sweet 11 year old was saying his personal prayers.  Thought I would share it.  What a great example he is to me!

Okay, let's get on to our daily reading of the Book of Mormon.  In Chapter 10, Jacob, one of Nephi's younger brothers, is speaking.  He talks about how the Jews shall crucify their God which an angel tells him will be called Christ.  

lds.org says...
The title Christ was revealed to Jacob by an angel. “Christ (a Greek word) and Messiah (a Hebrew word) mean ‘the anointed.’ Jesus Christ is the Firstborn of the Father in the spirit (Heb. 1:6; D&C 93:21). He is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh (John 1:14; 3:16). He is Jehovah (D&C 110:3–4) and was foreordained to his great calling before the creation of the world. Under the direction of the Father, Jesus created the earth and everything on it.

My favorite scripture in chapter 10 is verse 23…

2 Nephi 10:23
"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves -- to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life."

It is our choice!  We are all given our own agency to make our own choices.  How grateful I am for that.  Sometimes I make the wrong choice but I always learn from the choices I make.  

What Is Agency?

Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. Agency is essential in the plan of salvation. Without agency, we would not be able to learn or progress or follow the Savior. With it, we are “free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Nephi 2:27)

Read more about what we believe about Agency and The Plan of Salvation by clicking HERE.  This explains it in simple terms.  I am so thankful for this plan and to know where I came from, my purpose on this earth, and where I am going after I die.  

I'd like to share a few scriptures in Chapter 11.  Verses 4-7.

4 Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.

 5 And also my soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.

 6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.

 7 For if there be no Christ there be no God; and if there be no God we are not, for there could have been no creation. But there is a God, and he is Christ, and he cometh in the fulness of his own time.

In Chapter 12 Nephi quotes Isaiah again.  I found this wonderful quote from one of our apostles.  

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote of the difficulty encountered by many readers of theBook of Mormon:

“Most [readers] readily understand the narrative of the Book of Mormon.

“Then, just as you settle in to move comfortably along, you will meet a barrier. … Interspersed in the narrative, are chapters reciting the prophecies of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. They loom as a barrier, like a roadblock or a checkpoint beyond which the casual reader, one with idle curiosity, generally will not go.

“You, too, may be tempted to stop there, but do not do it! Do not stop reading! Move forward through those difficult-to-understand chapters of Old Testament prophecy, even if you understand very little of it. Move on, if all you do is skim and merely glean an impression here and there. Move on, if all you do is look at the words”

I also add my encouragement to Elder Packers to just read it even if you do not understand it.  There is quite a lot of Isaiah quoted in 2 Nephi.  Sometimes as you are reading you will find something else that pops in your head.  This is called personal inspiration or revalation.  Write these thoughts down in your journal.  Just hang in there.  I have yet to meet anyone who understand the entire Book of Mormon or Holy Bible, for that matter.  

I want to close today with this video.  There are good things to come to all of those who seek and follow our Savior Jesus Christ.  

Love to you all!
Robyn