Seeds of Posterity

A recent article describes a cache of old squash seeds that was found in Nebraska. Further research suggests that Indian tribe responsible for it went through painstaking steps to ensure this line of seed stayed pure for hundreds of years. When planted, the line of seeds grew and still produced squash.  This metaphor relates to the seeds of procreation within each of us. Ultimately, Satan wants each of us to denigrate and pollute our seed, and to have purity in the gospel wiped away from our posterities. He employs the tools of abortion, pornography, and chemical addiction to entice and lead us individually astray. But really it is our “seed” that is his most prized target. Destroy the plant, and you destroy the subsequent seed it produces.  In addition to our individual seed, The Book of Mormon also teaches us that the Lord views His children as seed “groups.” Thus, we receive blessings not only by keeping our individual seed pure, but also blessings (and sometimes curses) that are assigned by Him to these groups of His seed.

 2 Nephi 4:1 And after he had made an end of speaking unto them, he spake unto Sam, saying: Blessed art thou, and thy seed; for thou shalt inherit the land like unto thy brother Nephi. And thy seed shall be numbered with his seed; and thou shalt be even like unto thy brother, and thy seed like unto his seed
 
 Alma 3:17 And again, I say he that departeth from thee shall no more be called thy seed; and I will bless thee, and whomsoever shall be called thy seed, henceforth and forever; and these were the promises of the Lord unto Nephi and to his seed.
 
 Ether 1:43 And there will I bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me of thy seed, and of the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee, a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed.

LESSON LEARNED: It is Satan’s desire to separate God's seed, His children, from returning to Him.  The Lord desires to keep His seed pure through the righteous acts of His children, and for us to keep our individual seed unspotted and pure as well.

FEEDBACK: HOW DOES THIS IMPACT YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON MORALITY, ADDICTION AND YOUR OWN POSTERITY?

Anchor of Souls

I attended a ward fireside last night where a man named Al shared his testimony. Al is not yet a member of the church, but is anxiously awaiting his baptism in the near future. He discussed how he felt that his soul was lost before he met the missionaries -- that he was always strung out on drugs or alcohol. It was all he could do to keep himself sober during the day so that he could work in a construction job. The Book of Mormon and the Gospel of Jesus Christ changed all that for Al. He described going from a lost, detached spiritual state to one in which his soul is firmly anchored in his new-found faith.

Ether 12:4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

LESSON LEARNED:  Reading and adhering to the principles found in The Book of Mormon can lead individuals from a lost, uncertain state to one that is anchored in faith in Jesus Christ.

FEEDBACK:  HAVE YOU WITNESSED THIS MIRACLE HAPPEN WITH THE HELP OF THE BOOK OF MORMON?

Take No Offense

All eyes were undoubtedly on Jesus when He appeared to the Nephites. His arrival had been foretold for centuries. And now that He was finally here, many tears of joy were shed over His teachings and the outpouring of His love. One poignant event, though, is when Jesus addressed Nephi directly, and all eyes next turned to him. Jesus inquired of Nephi about an event that was prophesied of by Samuel the Lamanite, and questioned why it hadn’t been recorded on the plates. This was probably an uncomfortable moment for Nephi, one in which he could have reacted to in many different ways -- embarrassment, guilt, shame, offense.  But the record tells us he simply realized his oversight, and ensured the event was quickly recorded.  A good reminder of the proper way to take counsel from a priesthood leader: quickly alleviating the offense and the guile of the Satan, and then moving right along.

 3 Nephi 23:7 And it came to pass that he said unto Nephi: Bring forth the record which ye have kept.

 3 Nephi 23:11 And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?
 12 And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written.
 13 And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded.

LESSON LEARNED: Spiritual correction, when prompted by the Spirit, may come to each of us from a friend, bishop, stake president, or general authority.  Nephi teaches us here the appropriate way to respond. 

FEEDBACK:  HOW HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO RESPOND TO SPIRITUAL CORRECTION IN THE PAST?

Trials and Faith

What do weight loss and investment accumulation have in common? Both are slow but steady processes. Both have their ups, their downs, and sometimes, their failures. But hopefully, they both move in the right direction (that is, weight down and investments up). Both require a great deal of patience to see them through, because a lack of patience will often lead to an abandonment of either goal. With a lack of patience, people often flip from one crash diet to another, or seek get-rich-quick schemes that cause them to abandon their investment goals. Similarly, the Lord has a plan for His children to succeed in life. It starts with the understanding that the accumulation of faith requires immense patience, and that there are no quick shortcuts. Also, life isn’t meant to be an entitlement program: all must go through the same steps to reach the desired outcomes. There will be chastening along the way that will come in the form of losses, hardships, and trials. This is the Lord's way of allowing us to grow along the way as we develop both patience with ourselves and faith in Him. 

 Mosiah 23:21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

LESSON LEARNED: In the final day, the Lord probably won’t be so much interested in what trials we have experienced. He will probably be more interested in what we have learned through those trials.

FEEDBACK: WHAT LESSONS OF FAITH HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR OWN TRIALS?

The Three Witnesses

When Joseph Smith was translating The Book of Mormon, the Lord allowed three witnesses to eventually see and handle the golden plates: Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and David Whitmer. They each faltered to varying degrees later in life, but none of the three ever denied their testimony of this event. Of interest is that salvation isn’t guaranteed by privilege: Ether 5:5 in The Book of Mormon states that these three would still need to repent and gain their own testimonies of Jesus Christ in order to be saved, even after seeing and touching the plates. These details were prophesied of by Moroni over 1,000 years before they.

 Ether 5:2 And behold, ye may be privileged that ye may show the plates unto those who shall assist to bring forth this work;
 3 And unto three shall they be shown by the power of God; wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true.
 4 And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record—and all this shall stand as a testimony against the world at the last day.
 5 And if it so be that they repent and come unto the Father in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God.

LESSON LEARNED: Seeing is not necessarily believing. Similar to Laman and Lemuel faltering after seeing an angel, the three witnesses struggled in later life as well. Only a personal testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ can lead to conversion and thus salvation.

FEEDBACK: WHAT EXPERIENCES WITH FALTERING IN FAITH ARE YOU AWARE OF, DUE TO A LACK OF PERSONAL TESTIMONY IN THE SAVIOR?

Pondering Brings Peace

Turbulent times call for desperate measures. Each of us would do whatever it takes to ensure that we and our families are protected during an earthquake, an economic upset, a serious accident, or other calamities. But are we just as eager to aggressively seek for peace? A prophet of God has recently told us how we can do that: read The Book of Mormon each day.

“If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study.

My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. I so testify with all my heart in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

LESSON LEARNED: Reading The Book of Mormon daily brings with it peace, protection from temptation, the influence of the Spirit, and freedom from fear.

FEEDBACK: HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THESE BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY READING THE BOOK OF MORMON EVERY DAY?

From the Dust

The coming forth of The Book of Mormon is sometimes referred to as “from the dust” or “from the earth.” This refers to the plates being hidden by Mormon until Joseph Smith could be led to them in these latter days. Below are some verses with more structural evidences of the Book of Mormon's truthfulness. In this case, Mormon prophesied that it would be in a day when there would be “great pollutions upon the earth,” in addition to many other modern-day calamities that have come to pass. Some of these might have been predictable for him, but “great pollutions” would be an unlikely insight to come up with randomly. Pollution was probably an unknown term in the times of both Mormon and Joseph Smith.

 Mormon 8:25 And behold, their prayers were also in behalf of him that the Lord should suffer to bring these things forth.
 26 And no one need say they shall not come, for they surely shall, for the Lord hath spoken it; for out of the earth shall they come, by the hand of the Lord, and none can stay it; and it shall come in a day when it shall be said that miracles are done away; and it shall come even as if one should speak from the dead.
 31 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.

LESSON LEARNED: The Book of Mormon contains a number of specific details regarding future spiritual events. But there are also evidences of temporal details of our day that would have been impossible to predict without revelation.

FEEDBACK: WHAT TEMPORAL EVENTS OF OUR DAY HAVE YOU DISCOVERED IN READING THE BOOK OF MORMON?