Read: 3 Nephi 11-12
Mark: 3 Nephi 11:10-11
"Look to the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of your membership. As we attend the temple, we learn more richly and deeply the purpose of life and the significance of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us make the temple, with temple worship and temple covenants and temple marriage, our ultimate earthly goal and the supreme mortal experience." --President Howard W. Hunter
To ponder:
The Nephites were gathered in the temple when the Savior visited them. How are you preparing to go to the temple?
The authors of "The Book of Mormon: Verse by Verse" state: "His teachings comprise, in the English Book of Mormon, thirty-four pages, and they are the most precious and valuable teachings in the most precious and valuable book in the world!" I'm so excited to be in this part of the Book of Mormon!
ReplyDeleteThese two chapters are just the beginning of our Savior's visit to the Americas. It's hard to stop reading just two chapters!
I love in Chapter 11, verse 3, where it says that the Savior's voice did pierce them that did hear. I am assuming that some heard His voice and some did not. Isn't that true of each one of today as well? Then finally as they understood, they looked up!
Verses 39-40 remind me of a favorite Primary song: The Wiseman Built His House Upon a Rock! I now have this song stuck in my mind--this is a good thing!!!
In Chapter 12:23-24, I was reminded of the importance of asking forgiveness from those who we may have wronged or hurt in any way and the we go to the Lord.
A sister missionary shared the following thoughts (some 25 years after her mission): "Do I repent daily and frequently, especially of improper and unkind feelings such as anger, impatience, sarcasm, and cynicism? Do I understand that anger and irritation are wrong, even when I am in the right--that anger is an offense to the Spirit and is not the Lord's way of solving differences and frustrations?" Boy, do I need to remember these thoughts and apply them to my life!
Chapter 11: There is so much power in calm & quiet. In peace, a message is received at one's core and remains there. Abruptness, yelling, anger - it has an immediate effect, but what hits the core of the receiver is not good fruit or acceptance of any truth that might have been spit out.
ReplyDeleteHe lives! He does the work of the father. He recognizes & rewards those who have stayed close to him. He enables us to wield his power! He neglects none of us - favors no single person or group.
Chapter 12: The Savior gives us everything we need (and more) to return to eternal happiness. He teaches us the way - and has it record - and then HE WALKS the way - THEN he calls leaders & teachers to remain & help us when he goes.
I'll repeat part of what Mom shared - Anger, impatience, sarcasm, cynicism, irritation - even when I'm in the right these feelings are not of Christ. I'm not justified in these feelings for any reason. Repent!
I prepare to go to the temple by making time for it - finding babysitters and sisters to go with me. I prepare by making sure I can honestly answer all of the questions about worthiness to enter the House of God in the right way. I prepare to go to the temple by improving my relationship with God every day.
The best way to prepare to go to the temple is to pick a date! Just pick it. Early on before there are any other plans to work around. Make the TEMPLE be what you work around. That's what works for us. When we do, LOL. For us it's a financial thing as well. GAS PRICES! AGH!
ReplyDeleteSo I am in LOVE reading CHRIST'S words. I love the Beatitudes (beatus is Latin, meaning blessed or happy). Christ has fulfilled the old law and is now making it crystal clear to everyone that even the THOUGHT of evil is unacceptable. Think about it, though--thoughts inspire actions. If our thoughts are unclean and we allow ourselves to think bad thoughts simply because, "Well, I don't DO anything bad, so it's okay." Doesn't that sound like pornography to you? I love my husband so much, and have been inspired by his example recently (hopefully he doesn't mind that I'm sharing this). There's a sign right along our way to church and back (and also along the way he take to work and back) that says "Don't Drive Naked" with a naked woman, on her stomach, with tattoos of stars up her side. It doesn't show "anything", yet still shows everything. But Joseph told me, "I think I need to find a new route to work and back. I'm tired of seeing that sign or of knowing it's coming up so making plans to NOT see it, which just makes me picture it anyway." Well, that's not an exact quote, but basically that's it. I'm just really impressed to see him making that move--going out of his way to even avoid getting a bad thought!
I love 3 Nephi 12:14-16. Some might think it clashes with the next chapter (verses 1-6) where Christ says to do your alms and prayers in secret. But what he's really getting at is that if the REASON you're doing good if for praise, don't even bother. It means nothing. If you're doing good for good's sake and out of the pure love of Christ within your heart, don't be afraid to let others see it--people need someone pure to look up to. So, to those who are humble and meek, let it shine! And to those who are puffed up, go do something WITHOUT letting the whole world know about it. I just love it. It's a good message.
Okay, so back to chapter 12, verse 22. Raca is a word suggesting contempt. Even just being angry about something puts us in danger of "hell fire". Boy am I in trouble! I have quite the temper. But again, it makes so much sense. We NEED peace in our lives. We need to spread peace and be examples of peace, love, and charity. Contention is of the devil, as was pointed out in chapter 11. And the old adage holds true that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. And in fact, don't even THINK anything unkind! AND, go so far as to even LOVE your enemies (verses 44-45). Christ really DOES raise the bar high!
I'm curious, when we're done with the challenge and have more time to study some of these things out further, to really look into 3 Nephi 12:31-32. I just want to get a further understanding of what exactly this means (which means figuring out the ancient Jewish cultures and customs and laws, etc.). What's it mean to put away his wife? Not be intimate? I just don't know and want to know more.