The Stick of Joseph

During the month of October, Jocelyn at {We Talk of Christ} has encouraged, set up, inspired other spiritual bloggers to write about the {Book of Mormon}. Her inspiration came from the {Ensign's} special issue all about the Book of Mormon. Today she is hosting a linky party for anyone who wants to testify of the Book of Mormon.

Honestly, I have many excuses as to why I haven't posted yet this month, but none of them matter... okay, my family matters. However, I absolutely had to take a moment today to add my testimony of the Book of Mormon.

I tried to think of a one moment where the Book of Mormon absolutely changed my life, the problem is... there isn't just ONE moment. The Book of Mormon changes EVERY moment of life. Each time I open its pages, I am strengthened, uplifted, taught, or humbled. Each time I find myself growing closer to my Savior, even Jesus Christ, of whom this very book testifies. And, it's not just the Book of Mormon, the Bible does the same. The Book of Mormon works hand-in-hand with the Holy Bible to testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Growing up in the church, I never had a problem with excepting the Book of Mormon as truth, especially after I prayed, as Moroni {suggests}. However, many people outside of the church have difficulty believing the Book of Mormon to be true, especially with the scripture in {Revelation}. However, both the Bible & Book of Mormon testify to the Book of Mormon's authenticity. First in the Bible, {Ezekiel 37}:

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one ^astick, and ^bwrite upon it, For ^cJudah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and ^dwrite upon it, For ^eJoseph, the ^fstick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become ^aone in thine hand.
18 ¶And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us ^awhat thou meanest by these?
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of ^aJoseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

The Stick of Judah is the Bible and the Stick of Joseph is the BOOK OF MORMON. They work together to help us understand deeper the gospel of Jesus Christ. The kicker comes in the Book of Mormon, {2 Nephi 29}--read the whole chapter, if you get a chance:

6 Thou fool, that shall say: A ^aBible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?

7 Know ye not that there are more ^anations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the ^bisles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the ^cearth beneath; and I bring forth my ^dword unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the ^atestimony of ^btwo nations is a ^cwitness unto you that I am God, that I remember one ^dnation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two ^enations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the ^asame yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my ^bwords according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one ^cword ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my ^dwork is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever. (emphasis added).

This is why the Book of Mormon is true. God is the same, yesterday, today & forever, so why would the heavens be closed to us now? Why would He stop talking to His children? The scripture in Revelation doesn't mean there is no other scripture, it just means the actual Book of Revelation is done. The Holy Bible, as we know it, wasn't written in chronological order, so does that mean all the letters Paul wrote before his death aren't scripture? NO because God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He loves ALL of children and wants to see us again.

It breaks my heart when this is the reason people don't believe in the Book of Mormon. We are LOVED & ADORED by our Father in Heaven. He doesn't want us to be alone, He wants us to follow his council so He, and His Son, Jesus Christ, can lift us when we can't stand. The Book of Mormon validates the principles taught in the Bible because it adds a further witness to the divine truth of God & Jesus Christ.

I will forever testify that the heavens are not closed. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It works with the Bible to lead us to the way of Eternal Life & Salvation. If we but open our hearts, the promises within are waiting.

Here's the rest of the linky party:

Fortification

A few days ago, in my quest to read the {Book of Mormon} again, I came to {Alma 49}. They are in the midst of the war years during this chapter. What struck me this time was the measure of the Nephites' attack preparation. They did one of two things during this time period: fought or prepared to fight.

They never once asked if the fight may or may not happen. They knew, one day, it would happen--- so they prepared. They didn't waste a moment making sure their families and cities could withstand the imminent Lamanite invasion. When the invasion occurred in Chapter 49, the Nephites' fortifications worked. Now, the Lamanites tried numerous ways to get through the Nephites' defenses. They didn't just stop after the first attack, they kept going. With the guidance of Moroni, the Nephites prepared for more than one attacks. Even though the Lamanites kept trying to get in, the Nephites stood strong through their protection.

Such is the same today. We may not be in a physical war, but we are in a spiritual war. Satan and his followers will try to get at us in more than one way; they won't give up because they want us to be miserable like them. Does that mean we should give up? NO! We must follow the example of the Nephites and prepare! Use our time to strengthen ourselves and others through the gospel---so that when our trials come (because they will) we will stand strong and be able to fight off the foe!

The best part about this whole reading was in Chapter 50 verse 23:

But behold there never was a ^ahappier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.

Just because they spent time preparing for the battles in life, didn't mean they couldn't be happy. Not just happy either--- really really happy. We can find joy in fighting for the truth because it is that--- the truth!

I needed this message now because it reminded me that the little things I do for myself, others, and my family matter. If I'm doing the right thing, then I'm helping the fortification become that much stronger and we become that much happier. :)

Book of Mormon/ You Tube Challenge

Don't forget to go and watch Elder Holland's testimony of the Book of Mormon. Like and comment on the video so it's popularity increases. Here's the {LINK} and here's the video:

Alma & Korihor

How did your scripture challenge go? Honestly, I missed one day---but that's a big step for me---so keep chugging!

Yesterday I was reading in Alma 30 about the encounters with Korihor and two things really stuck out to me:

1. Even though Korihor's beliefs were contrary to the ways of God, there was no law in the land to forbid him to believe so---and Mormon points this out in verse 7-11. Why would Mormon make sure to point this out? Because, in a God-fearing land, there should and will not be laws against agency---making sure not to force beliefs on others. Now, this can get complicated in the world today, but if you use the Spirit to recognize when your beliefs, and others' beliefs, are in jeopardy, then all will be good.
2. Korihor would not let up about Alma needing to show him a sign of God's existence. Finally Alma says this to him (verse 44):

   Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of ^aall these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the ^bearth, and ^call things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its ^dmotion, yea, and also all the ^eplanets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

   In simple terms Alma was trying to tell him that ALL THINGS on this earth point to the existence of our Heavenly Father. We do not need to see Him to know he's there; we just need to look around. We just need to reach out and recognize the good within ourselves and the world around us.

Korihor ended up being struck dumb for his lack of faith and dying in an accident. Once he noticed his wicked ways, Satan abandoned him; he didn't care about the fate of Korihor. But, we should. Since we have his example in the scriptures we are able to be reminded of the blessing it is to have agency and EVERYTHING else around us to show us just how much our Heavenly Father loves us. Even though what happened to Korihor stinks for him, his example can make sure it won't stink for us---or anyone else around us.

The Book I have grown to Love

I opened up my Book of Mormon this morning for the first time in quite a while, and it always amazes me just how good it feels to open that book- how refreshing it feels to know you are about to read God's words, and that He may even speak to you personally in His own way through that book.
I am so thankful for all of the prophets who contributed their writings, and for Mormon's dedication in prayerfully compiling all of it for us, and choosing just the right stories out of so many years of writings.
I am thankful for Joseph Smith's dedication under so much of a refiner's fire to keep that book safe, and to translate it for us to read. It is amazing how much sacrifice went into that book that just sits around our house, so often unappreciated. That we have several copies lying around, untouched, after all the work that went into that very first publication. I have gained a love for that book so many times in my life when I have consistently read from it's pages, and that love and desire to open it up is always in the back of my mind. It is so comforting to have our Heavenly Father's complete gospel in front of us, and to find answers to whatever we are struggling with. I know the Book of Mormon is true, and that it has come to us by the good will of God and humble men who were willing to do His will. And I am so thankful for all of those who sacrificed so I could have it on my nightstand, ready to open up the windows of heaven whenever I read.

Nephi's Psalm

Last week, as I was studying my scriptures I came to the point in 2 Nephi known as Nephi's Psalm. This was right after Lehi passed away and, as always, Laman and Lemuel's behavior causes Nephi to reflect on theirs, and his, fate. If you haven't read it lately, here it is, if not skip down (2 Nephi 15-35).

15 And upon ^athese I ^bwrite the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul ^cdelighteth in the scriptures, and my heart ^dpondereth them, and writeth them for the ^elearning and the profit of my children.

16 Behold, my ^asoul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my ^bheart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great ^agoodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O ^bwretched man that I am! Yea, my heart ^csorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily ^abeset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have ^atrusted.

20 My God hath been my ^asupport; he hath led me through mine ^bafflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his ^alove, even unto the ^bconsuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine ^aenemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me ^aknowledge by ^bvisions in the night-time.

24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty ^aprayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been ^acarried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath ^avisited men in so much ^bmercy, ^cwhy should my ^dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I ^ayield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to ^btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my ^cpeace and afflict my soul? Why am I ^dangry because of mine enemy?

28 Awake, my soul! No longer ^adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the ^benemy of my soul.

29 Do not ^aanger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my ^aheart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the ^brock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou ^aredeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of ^bsin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my ^aheart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may ^bwalk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy ^arighteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine ^benemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have ^atrusted in thee, and I will ^btrust in thee forever. I will not put my ^ctrust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his ^dtrust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give ^aliberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ^bask ^cnot amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the ^drock of my ^erighteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

I absolutely love these verses. Nephi was willing to express the deepest feelings of his soul to the Lord and to us. He knew the plates would be translated in our day, so why would he put some of his truest feelings for us to read?

For me, it's nice to remember that Nephi was human. Usually, we depict Nephi, and other Book of Mormon (and Latter-day) prophets as these superhuman men who do nothing but choose the right. When the reality is that they do sometimes make mistakes, but they always return back to the Lord.

In his psalm, Nephi shows us how he struggled with feelings of inadequacy, anger and jealously, just like I do. But did he dwell on these feelings? No--He prayed. Verses 30-35 are a beautiful prayer in which Nephi proclaims his faith and trust in the Lord. Nephi knew and understood that even though times may get tough, the Lord is always on our side, as long as we are on his.

What else sticks out about Nephi's Psalm?

My Eight Copies: Part 4

[This is the 4th and final part in an essay about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned and how they have influenced and mirrored my life.]

My favorite copy of the Book of the Mormon that I own is one I received while working for BYU. Each Christmas, the First Presidency gives Church employees a small gift.

One year, I received a beautiful, leather triple combination. In the letter that came with it, the First Presidency wrote,

“It is our sincere hope that your study of the scriptures will continue to be a source of inspiration, guidance and peace in your life. As you read, your mind will be enlightened, your spirit will be lifted, and there will come into your heart an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to the Lord’s commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”

I took this as a personal challenge to read more consistently, study more diligently and ponder more deeply. Every promise made in that letter was realized, and my life was changed yet again.

The final copy of the Book of Mormon that sits on my shelf is new. In it is a pamphlet about the Restoration that missionaries use with new investigators. I got it from the missionaries a few months after moving to St. Louis two years ago. I had intended to give it away to a coworker, but never did. I look at it and feel regretful that I chickened out. I had a treasure to share, and I chose to keep it to myself.

Elder Hugh W. Pinnock of the Seventy said,

“We need to open our mouths in order to communicate to others the spiritual lifesaving principles found in the Book of Mormon, as well as the importance of reading that wonderful book.”

The best way to find courage to share the Book of Mormon is to read it ourselves—daily. For those among us who are more casual, inconsistent readers, Elder Scott says,

“If you have not yet drunk deeply from this fountain of pure truth, with all of my soul I encourage you to do so now. Don’t let the consistent study of the Book of Mormon be one of the things that you intend to do but never quite accomplish. Begin today.”

I know that if we do not neglect our study of the Book of Mormon, but read consistently, daily-- we will be blessed with both knowledge and inspiration.

Our bishop always promotes the "Five Verses A Day" plan. Read at least five verses (that's it!) every day. Nobody can say they don't have time for five verses! Even when I am dead-dog tired and don't want to read, I can't ever say to myself, "I'm not going to read. Five verses is too much."

As for "How the Book of Mormon Changed My Life"?

I grew up in the Church, learning about the Book of Mormon, so it is true that there has been no dramatic change in my life. No moment when I found the Book of Mormon and went from lost and wandering to found and directed. That is why I had such difficulty finding a place to begin my Sacrament meeting talk.

The Book of Mormon didn’t change my life in a singular moment; the Book of Mormon changes my life a little bit every time I read it—grounding me in the faith, guiding me through this treacherous time that Mormon prophesied of, and always testifying of Jesus Christ, bringing me nearer to Him and our Father in Heaven.

My Eight Copies: Part 3

[This is the 3rd part in an essay about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned.]

My next set of scriptures came when I started seminary. This set lived at the church building and were there on the cart to greet every morning at 5:45. They are nearly unrecognizable as scriptures. The bindings are so bent and they are so full of quotes that my triple combination is the same size as a standard Bible. These particular scriptures taught me to diligently study them and to find strength in their pages. Up until this point, I had never been a consistent scripture reader, but at this point in my life I developed the habit of reading the scriptures daily. Building on these daily interactions with the scriptures, I gained my true testimony of the Book of Mormon.

President Ezra Taft Benson declared:

“Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life.”

During my freshman year at BYU, I had the opportunity to focus my scripture study on the Book of Mormon. Naturally, I bought myself a new copy before the class began. I had excellent teachers and was uplifted and inspired during each class session. I was constantly being presented with interpretations and views that were new to me. There was a lesson to be learned in every chapter.

However, the lesson that changed my life the most was that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, for us. In Mormon 8:35, Mormon says:

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.”

Thinking of the Book of Mormon this way, that it was written specifically for our hazardous times, brings great comfort to me and makes me anxious to seek advice from it. Elder Richard G. Scott said it so plainly:

“The Book of Mormon holds answers for the problems we face in everyday life."

It can't get much more straightforward than that! The Book of Mormon holds the answers. I hope you all may find the answers you seek in its pages.

To be continued...

My Eight Copies: Part 2

[This is the 2nd part in an essay about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned in my life.]

Each copy I have ever owned has been special to me and has influenced or mirrored my life in some way.

When I was baptized at eight years old, I was given a full set of scriptures with my name engraved on the covers. They were beautiful to me. Now, these scriptures might be described as old, worn out, and falling apart. I prefer to think of them as loved, well-used, and full of character. There are stickers on the inside cover, the pages are marked with colored pencil, red pen, yellow highlighter and varying colors of crayons with glitter. The binding is falling apart because the book is bursting with Sunday School handouts, old Sacrament Meeting programs, indecipherable notes, postcards, a For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, and even some old photographs.

When I look at them, I see my life, my progression in the gospel. I went from clumsily marking my scriptures with crayons to thoughtfully underlining key phrases and jotting impressions in the margins. I grew from a child, hanging on the testimony of my parents, to an adult, with spiritual experiences and faith of her own.

In the opening pages of the Book of Mormon, we learn that the primary purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince all people "that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.” All people "must come unto him, or they cannot be saved" (1 Nephi 13:40). Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon is "the keystone of our religion, and a man [will] get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

My worn-out and well-loved scriptures did all that for me—convinced me that Jesus is the Christ, bade me to come unto Him, and brought me nearer to God by abiding by its precepts.

What have your scriptures done for you lately?

To be continued...

My Eight Copies: Part 1

[This was originally a really long essay I wrote, so I decided to break it into a series about the many copies of the Book of Mormon I have owned in my life. Today is about my very first.]

Recently, I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting on the topic of "How the Book of Mormon has Changed My Life." While preparing, I was feeling at a loss of where to start. I have never had an exact moment of change that came from reading the Book of Mormon. I couldn’t even think of any particularly inspirational stories involving me and a Book of Mormon.

Panicked, I wondered if it even HAD changed my life at all! I mean, I know that I've read it-- enjoyed it even. Felt uplifted? Yes. Inspired? Yes. But truthfully, I've been a member my entire life... I was exposed to the Book of Mormon from day 1. How could it really change my life if I've always had it?

Finally, I decided to just open up a copy. Where better to begin than at the source? As I was looking on our bookshelf for a particular copy I had used during my study at BYU, I found another copy. And another. And another.

As it turns out, there are 12 copies of the Book of Mormon in my house. A couple of them reside on our nightstands, two more live in our scripture cases next to Bibles where they patiently wait for Sunday, the rest (eight of them) sit next to each other on our bookshelf.

I look at that bookshelf everyday, several times a day, but it never struck me until that moment that there were eight copies of the Book of Mormon sitting there. Now that I had noticed them, I looked them over and wondered how many of them were mine.

I opened the first copy and found, stamped inside: “This book belongs to Ashley.” I opened the next copy and found my name again, in my own handwriting from college! I looked through them all and discovered that 8 of the 12 copies we have in our house belonged to me at one point in my life or another.

Eight copies!

Anyone who knows me well can tell you how much I love books; they are, indeed, one of my passions. But I don’t own more than one copy of any other book. That thought struck me. If I own EIGHT copies of the Book of Mormon, surely that fact alone speaks of its importance in my life.

My first real copy of the Book of Mormon was given to me by my parents shortly after I learned to read. My name is stamped on the inside cover in neon pink ink. When my parents gave it to me, I remember feeling grown-up and important. I knew the book was something valuable by the way my parents treated it. They talked of it and read to us out of it, often. When I began reading it on my own, the language style was difficult to understand, but reading it made me happy. Looking at the pictures in the book and thinking about the stories they illustrated gave me the same feelings.

How grateful I am for parents who enabled those experiences and demonstrated a love and reverence for the word of God. Cheryl Lant, the Primary General President said,

“How blessed is the child whose parents base their lives on the teachings in the scriptures! There is absolutely nothing more important we can do for our families than to strengthen them in the scriptures.”

One of the best things we can do for our children is to teach them from the scriptures! My daughter is yet too young to understand, but we read to her out of the Book of Mormon Stories book every night. She may not understand what we're saying, but at least she's in the habit and she recognizes the cover. ;-)

To be continued...

The Book of Mormon

So I am writing this post from New York City (well actually the JFK airport). My flight is delayed, and I can't wait to get back home. We have been on vacation the past 9 days and had the opportunity of visiting the church history sites in Palmyra, New York. We were there during General Conference and we got to listen to the second session on Sunday at the Hill Cumorah visitor's center. It was incredible.

Elder Holland's talk about the Book of Mormon was so powerful. Did anyone else feel the force? I think it was especially powerful, because right before that session Josh and I went to the building where the Book of Mormon was published. I absolutely loved Elder Holland's testimony that he shared and being at the site where the plates were given to Joseph Smith really strengthened my own testimony of the truthfulness of the words in the Book of Mormon. My favorite quote was this: "No wicked man could write such a book as this; and no good man would write it, unless it were true and he were commanded of God to do so."

I also loved this passage:

"As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?

Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be “houseless, friendless and homeless” and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor.9 Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands. Failed theories about its origins have been born and parroted and have died—from Ethan Smith to Solomon Spaulding to deranged paranoid to cunning genius. None of these frankly pathetic answers for this book has ever withstood examination because there is no other answer than the one Joseph gave as its young unlearned translator."

I highly encourage you all to listen to his talk again. Don't just read it. Listen to it! I think that your testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon will be strengthened by the wonderful testimony Elder Holland shares. Have a great week!