Obedience is something I struggle with. I am good for the first little while but staying the course on a long-term goal is difficult for me. I find my interest wanes and I struggle to stay on task. I prefer tasks that are quick and easy to accomplish. I don't think I'm alone in that, but it's something I wish I could do better.
President Banks, our new Stake President, has asked us to re-read the Book of Mormon before our next stake conference (in six months). He suggested that we also keep a record of our feelings and inspiration as a result of this study. This is something I think I would like to do. I am going to try daily to keep a record of my impressions as I read the Book of Mormon and would invite any of you who are interested to follow along. I am going to take weekends off because I don't have internet at home. I am also not going to be perfect at this, but I am going to do my level best.
To start off, I have read the Book of Mormon almost daily (again, I'm not perfect!) since I was 14 years old. Thus, I am very familiar with the Book and the various messages it contains. I am in no way an expert on the Book, nor should any of my thoughts/feelings be construed to be anything other than the ramblings of my own mind. But I like to share - sharing is caring, after all!
So, today I started in 1st Nephi, chapter 1. I will not relate the history of the translation of the Book at this time, trusting that you can look that up and that I will allude to it in future posts. But it is amazing to me that we even have this Book in the first place. Nephi is writing to us and to his children, leaving us a tangible record of what transpired in his life. His object is none other than to prove to us how good God has been to him in his life so we can start to recognize the same patterns in our own lives.
He (Nephi) starts out talking about his parents and his life in Jerusalem. His father was a good man, his mother a good mother, and similar to other Old Testament era folks, they are real people. That's one of the reasons why I love the stories from the Old Testament so much - these folks are REAL - they are human and earthy, full of problems, issues, and frailties that come with existence on this sphere. And yet they overcome, securing the love and blessings of the Lord for themselves and their posterity. Incidentally, I think that the number one commentary on the Old Testament is the Book of Mormon. If you want to understand the Old Testament better, read the Book of Mormon and compare and contrast the doctrines that are contained within them.
One of the things that has always struck me about this chapter is how much Lehi (Nephi's father) talks about the greatness of the Lord and His unfathomable mercy. Lehi sees in vision the destruction of the great city of Jerusalem. He sees the deaths of many of the people who live there, and the captivity and diaspora of the rest. And yet, he repeatedly mentions how merciful God is! Does that seem a little incongruous to anyone else?!?
I think back to the time of the flood (Noah) where only a very few people were saved from the destruction of the deluge. I think think of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the entire region was burned. I think of the destruction found in the Book of Mormon, including the Jaredites, the destruction surrounding the events of the death of the Savior, and the ultimate destruction of the Nephites. I also ponder the incredible destruction taking place in the last 100-150 years (starting with the Civil War and continuing on today), the famines and ethnic violence, the millions suffering in intellectual darkness and devastating poverty across the world. And I wonder at the term "mercy" when contemplating this...
It seems to me that the Lord is merciful. His mercy is excellent and pure, and we cannot understand all of the reasons for His actions. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. His ways are more excellent than our own. Therefore, we cannot even begin to comprehend all of what His purposes are and how He will bring them about.
There are a few things I know for sure:
1. He loves us.
2. He has shown us, individually and collectively, great mercy in the past.
3. The ultimate expression of His love and mercy is the sacrifice of His Son, atoning for our sins and making it possible to return to live with Him forever in a perfected and glorified state.
4. That all things are done in His wisdom and according to His plan.
This, I feel, is what ultimately leads one to praise God for His tender mercies. He is merciful. He wants us all to have a chance to return to live with Him, regardless of our circumstances. He is kind, just, and loving. We can have confidence in Him and in His ability to fulfill His plan for the salvation of His children (all of us!). I believe this is what lead Lehi to exclaim his love for God and his appreciation for the mercy He extends to all of us.
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