It's been almost two years since I posted last. I don't know why except that I guess I just lost interest in writing. I did finish reading the New Testament then went on to read the Book of Mormon two or three times after that. I finished the Book of Mormon again on Thanksgiving Day of this year, having read it with the four-volume commentary by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert Millet. Over the years I've read it many times, sometimes just reading, and other times while trying different study methods. I love it, and I know it is the word of God as written by several ancient prophet writers and brought forth to us today through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
I'm starting it again today and decided to write a little in here as I go along. I'm not sure how long the writing will last - but we'll see. I'll do something I did several years ago - note what is said about the Lord in each chapter, statements easily overlooked as we read the stories and doctrinal discourses. It is truly a witness for Him. Also, I'll choose and write about a scripture or two from each day's reading that I especially like or that has special meaning to me.
1 Nephi Chapter 1
One can be favored of the Lord. He is good. One can pray to the Lord and receive answers. God has a throne and is "surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. Christ's luster is above that of the sun. One can be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. The Lord's works are great and marvelous. His power and goodness and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth. The Lord is merciful. Those who come unto Him will not perish. The Lord shows things to man (eternal truths). The Messiah will come and bring redemption to the world. The Lord has tender mercies over those who have faith in Him.
I appreciate it that in this very first chapter Nephi establishes the fact that the Messiah will come and that He is watchful over the inhabitants of the earth and reveals His will through prophets. Nephi's father, Lehi, was one of the Lord's prophets. In verses 8-11 we read of a vision wherein Lehi saw the Lord:
8 "And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.
9 "And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
10 "And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
11 "And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth. . . ."
I like what Lehi did after the vision.
14 "And when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power and goodness and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou are merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!
15 "And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him."
Lehi was commanded to teach what he had seen to the people of Jerusalem. And from there we have the beginning of the Book of Mormon records.
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