A Powerful Book

Ok, So I started reading the Book of Mormon once again.

It is such a powerful book and there is so much to learn from reading it. Everytime I read it there are different things that stand out to me. I wanted to share some of the scriptures that stood out to me yesterday and touched my life. (sorry this is long but I just felt like I needed to share)

Simple truths that

touched my life in a powerful way!!

At the end of 1 Nephi 6:6 Nephi explains that the Book of Mormon is written for our benefit when he says that he doesnt want to "occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men." I have heard this before, of coarse, but it really stood out to me that as Nephi was deciding what to write he made a conscience decison of what was important and what to include that would benefit us in our lives. Because of that I am trying to pay more attention as I read to the little things that can make me a better follower of Christ.

Then in the next chapter, 1 Nephi 7, it talks about how after they went back to Jeruselem to get Ishmael and his family to join them - some of them including his own brothers turned against Nephi and in their anger they bound him with cords and wanted him to die.

Can you just imagine how Nephi felt to have his family and friends turn on him like that?

He must've really felt discouraged and alone.

(Have you ever felt discouraged and alone? I know that I have many times in my life)

Well just as things seemed very bleak Nephi prayed to the Lord and he said in vs. 17: "O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound." And just as he said these words the bands were loosed from his hands and feet.

Nephi prayed for strength to be able to change his circumstances.

I realized that we can pray for the Lord to change our circumstances but sometimes we can pray for the strength to make the changes ourselves. That was so powerful to me! The Lord is willing to help us but we need to be willing to work hard and prove that we are worthy of his help. I appreciated in Mindy's last letter she said that she realized that even though she had been working hard at the missionary work she can always work harder. I feel that same way as well. I can do better in many areas of my life.

Then one more thing that stood out to me was in 1 Nephi 8 when it talks about Lehi and his vision of the tree of life. Lehi is telling about this dream that he had and in vs 7 he says that he found himself in a "dark and dreary waste." And in vs 8 he says that he "traveled for the space of many hours in darkness."

Do you ever have days when you feel like just giving up - that your world is full of darkness, despair and no hope? Satans loves it when we feel like that - and I'm sad to say that I have far too many of these kinds of days.

It was at this point though that Lehi began to pray to the Lord to have mercy on him and show unto him His tender mercies. It was after that prayer that he saw the vision.

Once again we are taught the importance of prayer

and relying on the Lord in our times of need.

As I read this it hit me that many times we travel in darkness in our lives not knowing what to do or where to go or what direction to take in our lives. It can be a miserable feeling to be so lost and alone. . .

. . . . but it is in those kinds of moments when we feel like there is nothing left and we are losing

our faith that we are humbled enough to turn to the Lord and we inquire of Him in an

attitude of learning.

We become humble and teachable and that is when the

Lord can mold us into who He wants us to become.

Life is hard at times

and yet it is through these hard times that we see the growth in ourselves IF [keyword]

we will pray to the Lord and turn our lives over to Him and then be willing

to walk the path that He wants to lead us down.

Again such powerful words from the book of truth. I am so grateful for this powerful book that was written by inspiration for us, in these latter days, to help us as we walk along this, often-times difficult, journey called life. I have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that if we will read it and heed the counsel in it we will be much better people because of it.

If you are still reading this Thanks for letting share these feelings with you. I hope that you can find the peace, hope, comfort and knowledge from this great book as I do when I read it.

If you would like to read this book you can find it HERE.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints

you can go

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