3 Nephi 11:33-34

Still thinking about baptism...I like 3 Nephi 11:33-34.  It boils things down to the basics:

"And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned."

I think often people get very angry, or perhaps, fearful of a God who goes around damning people.  But truly it is our own choices and actions that damn us, or in other words, stop our progression.  To continue on the path laid out for us by our Father in Heaven we must do those things he has told us are essential to do.  (And by the way, if you check out footnote "a" in verse 33 it refers you to the Topical Guide under Baptism, Essential.)  It is not because He is mean or arbitrarily likes to assign us things so we can jump through hoops, or into pools of water in this case.  It is because He loves us and knows what we need to do to make it back to Him.  He knows the path we must walk to learn the things we need to learn to become like Him.  I hope I can be humble enough to follow all the steps He asks me to take and endure, or more accurately--progress--to the end.

3 Nephi 7:25--Why Get Baptized?

Sometimes, in literature and in life, I come across those with the attitude of--why get baptized?  They believe in God, but see no real necessity to get baptized.  When I come across this attitude I think of the Savior's baptism and the obedience involved in following his example, but when I read 3 Nephi 7:25 it struck me as a good answer to that why-get-baptized question.  It says:

"...all such as should come unto them (those ordained to the ministry) should be baptized with water, and this as a witness and a testimony before God, and unto the people, that they had repented and received a remission of their sins."

I also like what it says in 3 Nephi 9:17-20, when Christ announces that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled:

"...for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.  I am the light and the life of the world.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.  And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost..."

It seems to me that if you are unwilling to get baptized with water "as a witness and a testimony before God" then there is no way that you can receive the baptism "with fire and with the Holy Ghost" that comes with a broken heart and contrite spirit offered up unto the Lord.  A sad blessing to miss out on indeed.

Helaman 14:30-31

I have heard and said these words many times..."Be an example."  "Help those around you."  "Serve others."

All of these things are wonderful pieces of advice, but I have noticed even wonderful things can become distorted if I take them too far.  You see, I can sometimes have an over-reaching sense of responsibility towards others.  I can take these nice phrases into my heart and suddenly I am responsible for the spiritual welfare of those around me.  My family, my visiting teaching sisters, and my neighbors begin to weigh heavy on my mind.  I think of how Lehi longed to share the precious white fruit of his vision with his family, and I can see that for me it feels more like I need to carry my whole family on my back and lug them along the straight and narrow path because anything less would be a lapse in my duty as a wife and mother.  After all, I am responsible for the spiritual tone in my home, so I must also be responsible for any and all sin that might happen within its walls and probably even outside its walls if it has to with those over whom I have been given stewardship.  I know that this is not correct.

I know that lugging someone along the straight and narrow path isn't possible.  I know that in Heavenly Father's plan we must all chose whether to hold to the rod and seek for the fruit waiting for us.  Or another way of saying it--if I could borrow from a biblical parable--is we cannot give the oil in our lamp to those who may not have filled their lamps sufficiently full.  It just cannot be done because we are all free.  Free to choose for ourselves.

I know that my desire to "help" others along can turn into issues with control.  I know some people in my life might think that I am too controlling, but it is odd to me how very much I don't wish to be that way.  I am truly trying to do that which has been asked of me.  My natural way of looking at the world is more of a "live and let live" philosophy, but that feels too uncaring when I think of gospel teachings.  So...I have been working on my perspective of things and Helaman 14:30-31 has a little reminder for me when it says:

"And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.  He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you."

I also have been thinking a lot about the difference between 'not making stellar choices' and 'committing actual sin.'  As I have paid more attention to this, I have been able file a lot of things in the former category.  I know we cannot make everyone happy with us all the time.  I know that nobody is perfect.  I am grateful that we all have the Atonement and ability to repent.  I know that keeping all of this in mind will enable me to more lovingly help those around me, teach with the Spirit and by example, and serve others while allowing them to choose for themselves.  I know that the feeling of responsibility will no longer be crushing as I put things in their proper perspective, and I will find more peace and joy in my life.

Helaman 13

I have been thinking about what I said concerning trust in my last post, which was basically:  Wouldn't it be wonderful if Heavenly Father could trust me as much as I trust him?

Well, I've been thinking that maybe he does.  I know I could do better about following the promptings that I receive.  I hesitate more often than I should and am sometimes "slow to walk in wisdom's path."  (Helaman 12:5)  Perhaps as I learn to trust Heavenly Father more readily and follow more speedily, his trust in me will grow.  I am forever grateful that he loves me so much even though I am not the most trustworthy being on the planet.

Samuel the Lamanite is a perfect example of one who follows the Lord promptly even when things get really hard.  In Helaman 13, it tells of how the Lamanite people are righteous and the Nephites have fallen into wickedness.  Samuel is sent to preach, and he does so until they cast him out.  He is about to head back to his own land when:

"...the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever thing should come into his heart.  And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart." (Helaman 12:3-4)

I love that!  They wouldn't let him in so he climbs onto the wall?  I am pretty sure I would be stomping away from the gates of Zarahemla muttering..."Well, I could have sworn that the voice said to go and preach some more, but obviously I was mistaken.  If I was supposed to go and preach I'm sure my path would not be blocked--for surely if I am supposed to do something, it will be made easy, right?"

I am immensely grateful for the patience that the Lord has with me.  It is awe-inspiring, and it gives me hope.  I have hope that I can learn to endure and follow in faith that which he asks me to do even when obstacles block my way.

And now I am left to ponder--why it is that the obstacles which have been blocking my way lately are my own character flaws?  You would think that I at least would be able to get out of my own way.  Apparently there are many more lessons I have yet to learn.

Helaman 10:5--Trust

Perhaps the reason I didn't notice all the success Nephi experienced in Helaman 5 is because it didn't last long.  He goes into the land northward to preach but is rejected.  When he returns the Nephites are wicked again and the Gadianton robbers are in the judgment-seat, having committed murder to get there.

Nephi is lamenting their wickedness in his garden tower which draws attention and eventually leads to him telling the people that their current chief judge has been murdered and is right now laying in his own blood.  Men are sent to check but never come back because they get thrown in prison for the murder.  The story continues but it's not what I want to focus on today.

After all the hubbub dies down, Nephi was walking home when "a voice came unto him" letting him know that "all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." (Helaman 10:3-5)

When I was younger and I read this story, I marveled at the power given to Nephi.  Now I am amazed by the trust.  Heavenly Father has ultimate trust in Nephi.  It is humbling to think about.  What if Heavenly Father could trust me like I trust Him?  That would be truly wonderful.

Helaman 5--Wow

Helaman 5...this chapter is amazing!  It feels like this is the first time I have read it because there are so many details I have never paid attention to before.  This time an answer to a prayer was in the details so I really noticed a lot more than usual.

This is the chapter where Nephi and Lehi (the sons of Helaman) are thrown in prison and eventually surrounded by a pillar of fire.  But what I didn't notice before was that the Nephites were in a very bad place politically speaking.  Their country was going to pot even with Nephi sitting in the judgment-seat.  It says in verse 2:

"For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous then they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction..."

So what does Nephi do?  He delivers "up the judgment-seat." Huh?

It seems so illogical for him to do that when things are going so poorly that the Nephites have lost half their land to the Lamanites and they had abandoned their design to get it back.  But Nephi gives up the judgment-seat (I'm sure to someone he trusts and feels will rule righteously) and goes, taking Lehi with him, from city to city preaching the word of God.  It says in verse 18:

"...for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them-"

Through their obedience many Nephite dissenters along with 8,000 Lamanites were baptized.  Why don't I remember all of this?  It is pretty huge.  Anyway, the part of the chapter that has always stuck with me now comes into play, Nephi and Lehi are in prison and about to be put to death by the Lamanites when a pillar of fire surrounds them.  A voice speaks to their captors.  Not a thunderous voice, but "a still voice of perfect mildness."  About 300 people experience this and they go and "minister unto the people."  The chapter ends with the Lamanites laying down their weapons of war and GIVING the Nephites back their land!

It is just another example to me how important revelation is in our lives.  The last time the Lamanites were wreaking this much havoc, Captain Moroni fought with the sword to gain back their lands.  Captain Moroni was right.  Nephi was right.  And yet, they handled things differently based on the revelation they received.

Helaman 3:29--Dividing Asunder

Lately, I have been thinking about the iron rod in Lehi's vision due to preparing my part for a visiting teaching conference in Relief Society so when I read Helaman 3:29 it made me smile.  This scripture so perfectly describes why we need to keep a hold of the iron rod, or word of God.  It says:

"Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil..." (Emphasis added)

I so very much need something to divide the truth from the cunning twists that the devil makes of the truth here on earth.  It has been essential to me in my life, and I'm sure the word of God, whether contained in the standard works or given me by the mouth of a living prophet, will continue to guide me along the path towards my Father in Heaven.

Incidentally, my connection to visiting teaching is that we as sisters can bring gospel messages into one another's homes and therefore assist each other in keeping our focus on the iron rod, the path ahead, and the tree of life.  As distractions in the world are all around us, I feel that this is an important work.