Skip to main content

1 Nephi 22: 4-9

"And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away."

Nephi is continuing to tell his brothers things that were revealed to him.  It would be so easy to think Nephi a bit crazy at this point - he had no proof for the things he was saying.  The only proof he had was the verification given by the Holy Spirit.  

"And since they have been led away, these things have been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts; wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all men.

It seems that every verse in every book of scripture is saying this one message - it's about the heart.  It's all about the state of the heart.  It's all about my motives, not my actions.  What matters is whether I close/harden my heart or open/soften my heart.  A closed heart keeps me from God.  An open heart connects me with Him instantly.  This is why healing from our past experiences and seeing things through the eyes of truth (things as they really are, rather than the emotional filter we all have), and allowing those scales of darkness to fall, little by little from our eyes is so very, very important.  The false beliefs I hold within me keep me from opening my heart.  They make me feel afraid, judged, judgmental, angry, hurt, and a hundred other negative emotions.  When I feel those things I feel like I need to protect myself and close my heart to keep myself safe. 

"Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.  And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered.  And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders.  And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."

Once again all thigns are both temporal and spiritual in nature.  Being led away is a physical, temporal thing for the House of Israel, and they have and will yet come through many hardships to be once again gathered.  It is also spiritual in nature.  The hearts have been led away as well, and hardened against the Holy One of Israel.  I have seen this in many of my Jewish friends...they carry on the physical traditions, observing Shabbat, but they have given up on God and the idea that He is personally invested in the day to day and individual lives of His children.  They do not see that it is their hardened hearts that make Him seem so distant and unknown.  

I see this in my own life.  I see the days where I feel distant and feel far from God...those are the days that I have not bothered to return and report.  Those are the days I've closed my heart, I've hardened it out of false beliefs or out of fear or some other silly thing that doesn't really matter.  If I would but open my heart, I would see miracles.  

It is hard, isn't it?  To open my heart when I don't want to do it.  How does a person develop the desire when there is no desire?  On those days when I want to run away from myself and from anyone who can see me (most especially God), how do I find the desire to open up?  I suppose it simply comes from asking.  Praying to desire to have the desire.  Praying to desire to desire to open up. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My life ended 10 days ago and then it started again.

Cory. The first time I met him and he told me his name, five minutes later I called him "Cody." And that is how we began, with me hurting his feelings because I remembered the wrong name. Twenty years and 3 months and one day after that first meeting, he died. I can hardly believe the life I've lived in those 20 years...it seems we packed an eternity of experiences - both good and awful - into those two decades. We were engaged the day we met. Four months later we were married. Thirteen years later we divorced. Two years after that, we were married again. Four years (plus a little) later, divorced again. Ten months, three weeks, and five days later, he was dead. The first divorce, I didn't know it was mental illness. One moment he was loving and the best man I'd ever known. The next moment he was scary and someone I was afraid to be around. He would apologize and I would believe him when he told me he would not do it again. I would immediately extend trust...
7 comments
Read more

Shifting the Blog

Hi friends.  Up to today, the blog has just been writing some of the thoughts I've written in the margins of my scriptures as I studied them.  This morning, however, I am feeling pulled to change this blog in a different direction. All of us have baggage from life.  Maybe we were abused.  Maybe we thought of ourselves  as abused.  Maybe we didn't have the kind of parents our friends had.  Maybe we had the perfect parents and still felt sad.  Maybe we were struggling with fitting in so much that we completely changed who we were and now have no idea how to find ourselves again.  Maybe we were so popular that we felt constant pressure to perform and live up to the expectations of those around us.  Maybe life is lovely and we feel ungrateful because there is this nagging feeling that something is missing - but life is good and all of our needs are met.  Maybe we feel like our best isn't enough no matter what we do.  Maybe we fee...
3 comments
Read more

The Gift of the Natural Man - Part 1

Please bear with me while I share all of this with you.  At the beginning, the gift of the natural man will not be super clear.  But as I explain and go through all of the things that will give you the frame of reference, you'll begin to see what I'm trying to share with you. In Genesis 3:24 we read: "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." The first thing I would like to do is point out a few distinctions.  It reads "cherubims  and  a flaming sword" not " with " a flaming sword.  This is important.  It is also important to note that the flaming sword turns "every way." Another important distinction to make is that it says "to keep the way of the tree of life" not "the way  to  the tree of life."  Again, very important if we are going to understand this doctrine. Lastly, let's make ...
2 comments
Read more