Jacob Chapter 3

      The pure in heart receive the pleasing word of God

Alma

I am excited and grateful mom that you started this process again!!! I am going to read tonight but it will probably be later in the evening...I can't wait to hear peoples comments and feelings. 

"The things Which I Saw While I was Carried Away in the Spirit"

"The Vision of the Tree of Life"

1st Nephi 8-11; 12:16-18; 15

As you study the account of Lehi's vision,

watch for the following symbols and their meanings.

Tree of Life

Fruit of the tree of life

Iron Rod

Mist of Darkness

River of filthy water

Great and spacious building

"All Things According to His Will"

Today in Sunday school we talked only

briefly about Lehi's family leaving Jeruselam

and heading into the wilderness and

returning to get the Brass Plates.

But what we focused on were the characteristics

of Nephi vs. Laman and Lemuel.....

Nephi :

respected his parents

has a relationship with the Lord

Faithful

Desired to know the truth

Courageous

Pro-active

Positive

Laman and Lemuel:

Negative

no respect for parents

Cruel

denied miracles of God

Lazy

Made excuses

No desire to serve the Lord

What other traits do you see in these brothers?

..........

who were raised by the same parents

with the same teachings

same opportunities

and same beliefs

and yet they are so very different.

interesting

A new year a new beginning

Alright everyone, this is not for just us

invite your friends, invite your

in laws, invite anyone!!!

------------

Together we can do this!!!

Last year we started off really strong

and this year we will remain strong

together as a family to make it through

the Book of Mormom!!!

----------

I will put the schedule on the side and a

post every Sunday for the week to follow.

You can add comments anytime you would

like through the week or at the end of the week.

Can't wait to do this with all of you!!!

3rd Nephi 10

Monday Helaman 13

Sunday Helaman 11 - 12

Helaman 10

Helaman 9

A week for catch up

Alright everyone so I know that

we are all a little behind.

So this entire week is dedicated

to catching everyone up so that

we can all be on the same chapters

again....and reading along together

as a family!!!

So by this time next week everyone

should be reading Helaman Chapters 1-2!!!!

So get crackin', I will be annoying everyone

to get caught up!!!

I was starting to get overwhelmed....

knowing I was behind and had to catch up

was a pretty daunting feeling. I was just

getting farther and farther behind.

So I decided to just pick up today and

slowly when I had time go back and read

an extra chapter from the past to catch up.

So here I am.....

I feel like there was a reason to start

this today. I had no idea where we were

what chapter we were on.....only that we

were somewhere in Alma. But, I am so happy

I decided to do this today!!!

------------

I love How Alma starts this chapter

in verse 3 he says

"...for I do know that whosoever shall

put their trust in God shall be

supported in their trials, and their

troubles, and their afflictions, and shall

be lifted up at the last day."

------------

Not to long ago Travis and I decided to set

a goal of being sealed in the Temple.

So we had to go through the repentance process.

Which is not always the easiest thing to do.

I was embarrassed and ashamed of choices

that I had made in the past. I felt the weight of these

choices getting heavier and heavier over

the course of many years. All the people

I had deceived, let down and hurt was constantly

in the back of my mind. We met with

the Bishop and the Stake President and

started the process of repentance.

I don't think I have ever cried so

much and felt so guilty before in my life.

I was so ashamed of all these things I

was admitting to have done. I felt like

such a horrible person.

Then, the stake president who was

such a wonderful person had this quality about him,

It was as if Christ himself was there. I felt

so loved by him even though I felt as if

I was proving to him how horrible a person

I was. I never felt judged by his gaze, I

never felt as if he thought I was hopeless.

Instead I only felt his compassion and love

every time I looked into his eyes. I felt as

if he was so happy I had returned home.

He turnedto Alma chapter 36 and read

verses 12-24 to us and for the first time I felt

hope that these things I had done would not

weigh on me for all of eternity!! I knew that

I would be forgiven, but my fear was that my

recollection of these sins would torment me

throughout my life. I must have read this

chapter 100 times. And I can say now

that although I have not forgotten the

things I have done, they do not

weigh on me so heavily. I am so

thankful for the power of the atonement.

The knowledge that we have someone no matter

the circumstance, no matter the magnitude

that we can turn to, is such a wonderful and

powerful thing. He will always be there for

us so long as we seek him out. There is comfort

in the atonement, in the Gospel, and most of

all in the Saviour!!!

------------

So all in all I am so happy to be back on track

and what a wonderful chapter for me

to come back to. Now I look at that day in

the office as a joyful day. A day I will always

remember because of the joy I can now

feel, a true happiness that I had been

missing for so many years.

Alma 20

Alma 18-19

Alma 16

I am still trying to catch up!!!

This is harder than I thought...

I was pretty far behind

Woops!!

Love you guys!!!

Alma 14-15

Alright so I have a lot of catching up to do. Silly vacation....

we should have been reading together as a family!!!

Mosiah 20-21

Mosiah 19

Mosiah 17-18

Mosiah 16

Mosiah 15

Mosiah 13-14

Mosiah 12

Mosiah 10-11

What an amazing man Zeniff was.

He followed the Lords commands, and

prospered because of it. His people were

happy, well fed, and protected!!

You would think he would have

known that Noah would have

been such a ...... what's a good word?

JERK!!!
But, I am sure he was led by the

Lord!!! Not everyone can pass their

test right?

So Zeniff, grows old and

passes his reign onto Noah.

Who instantly taxes the people,

takes himself many concubines,

Builds every comfort for himself

that he can think of, fires all of his

Fathers priests and hires all new ones.

He totally let's this Authority go to his

head....although I can say it would be

really hard not to spoil myself with

all the finer things in life if I were rich.

But, I would not take advantage of

other people to get them!!!!

Abinidi tries to warn the people

that they have forgotten the Lord. That

they need to repent and go to the Lord

or he will deliver them into their enemies

hands. So what do they do when they hear this?

They get angry and want to kill Abinidi.

Gggggggggrrrrrrrrr!!!

So frustrating but, when you are living in

sin, it's hard to hear someone tell you

that you need to shape up.

I know that from experience!!!

Mosiah 9

Wow what a chapter.....

GO ZENIFF!!!!!

Look at him just going

in there getting what he wants

and making it work.

He knew what he wanted and

he built a thriving and pretty

prosperous little city out of it!!!

And then when King Laman

got greedy and lazy....and sent

his warriors in to kill Zeniff's people

and take all their crops, and herds.

Well Zeniff says... I don't think so

He arms his men, and takes the fight to

Laman' men!!! He's got guts!!!

He calls on the Lord for strength and

help and they "slay" a ton of men

3,043 to be exact!!!

Holy Moly,

these last few chapters have

been fun to read. I don't think I

have ever read them.

Thank you so much for doing this

with me!!! I have made it

further than any other time I have

started to read to Book of Mormon!!