From Fasting to Feasting

"For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished." There is so much trust in visions and revelation.  It would be so easy to pass it off as a dream or the imagination of his heart.  But Lehi knew the vision to be what it was and did not doubt it.  What were his life experiences that led him to know and not doubt?  How did he come to this place?  It seems this kind of knowledge comes in baby steps.  It starts with following little promptings.  Then the promptings become stronger, more detailed.  Then occasionally you are able to hear the voice of the Spirit or the voice of the Lord with the promptings.  Then the voice becomes more regular and steady and very detailed.  Then you begin to see along with hearing.  You get images, small glimpses that are part of the prompting that is told to you by the Holy Spirit.  After a while...

"And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, and rehearsed unto them, how great things the lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.  And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea.  And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained - how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem." Lehi is speaking to Laman and Lemuel and reminding them of the rebellions they have had all along this many-year journey from Jerusalem to this point where they had reached the promised land.  It seems he is reminding them just how merciful the Lord can be and all the Lord has done for them, despite their rebellions and sins.  The symbolism of their experience is a direct paralle...

What I am seeing as the over-riding message, this time around, is agency.  There is agency and there are eternal truths, immutable truths that cannot be affected by our agency therefore there are things that will happen according to the use of that agency.  I see the distressing of Ariel as the blessing and kindness that it is.  I see the struggles and the trials as the beautiful, gentle hand that allows my heart to open in places I feared to open it before.  My distress actually gives me courage and makes me desperate to open those places and heal them.  What a wonderfully gentle way to allow me to heal. I see that when I forget, I will be reminded.  Which leads back to agency, over and over in life.  It is a lovely cycle, the point of which is to allow healing to take place.  It encourages my heart to open and to turn to the Lord with my heart...the result being that my heart can be purified and I can come that much closer to Him.  I ...

"Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.  Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them.  Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day.  And thus it is.  Amen." This law of obedience is so essential.  It is the beginning of everything.  It is the process that starts all progression.  When we are obedient, for the sake of obedience, our hearts aren't in it very much.  But we see as we are obedient that the Lord is free to bless us.  As He blesses us, we feel such gratitude for how abundantly He pours out His blessings.  Then we step into the GLOW cycle. Gratitude.  We feel gratitude for how the Lord imparts freely to us.  When we fee...

"And not behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh." These things are "according to the flesh" - or are things that will be in this temporal sphere.  What is Nephi trying to say here, in between the lines?  Is there an easier, different existence that is attainable while in the flesh but is not subject to the flesh?  The things must come in the temporal world...he says nothing about any other world or existence. "But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent." All who repent will dwell safely.  All.  What type of repentance is this?  It says that all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people...if they repent will dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel.  it does not give religious qualifiers.  Repentance = safe dwelling in the Lord.  If their hearts are turned to God - be it whatever name they call Him - they...

"And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion and might, and power, and great glory.  And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.  And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth." As calves of the stall - such a tender and loving phrase to describe His constant, watchful, intimate care of those that belong to Him.  And because He has their whole hearts, He can purify and cleanse the vessel is become pure and whole - able to hold all things without breaking, or cracking, or leaking.  It is become perf...

"And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness." Nephi declares the prophet to be the God of Moses and of the children of Israel.  In this one sentence we have a Jewish man interpreting Isaiah and understanding that Jehovah of his day would become Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.  How did Nephi understand that when so many of his contemporaries and those who came after did not?  What verses of Isaiah did he read that led him to understand that the Holy One of Israel was also the Messiah? "And the righteous need not fear for they are those who shall not be confounded.  But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh - For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get ...