I've fallen far behind with keeping this blog updated. So, in the interest of time I will pick out just one principle from each chapter and try to get this caught up. I'm not sure if anyone is reading this at all, but it is good for me to be focused on my reading. Trying to share what I have learned with others helps me to really understand the principles and how they apply to MY life.
Chapter 11
The thing that stood out the most to me in this chapter is in the first verse. Nephi is taken by the Spirit up to an exceedingly high mountain, where he is shown the vision that his father had. This verse stands out to me because I was recently on a rather high mountain and felt the sacredness of that place. I took my family up Farmington Canyon a few weeks ago. We got off to a later start than I thought we would and by the time we reached a point that overlooked the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding area it was quite nearly dark. All that remained of the sunset was a deep red hue that hung to the horizon. Because it was so clear and we were so high it almost seemed like we could peek over the curve of the earth. It was an astonishing sight. It was also so very quiet. It was easy to see why Nephi was taken up on a mountain, which was comparable to a temple in holiness, to be shown such sacred things.
Chapter 12
Verse 17 stands out to me in this chapter. It talks about the mist of darkness, that it is the temptations of the devil. What stands out to me most is that Satan seeks to blind not only our eyes, but also to harden our hearts. Many of us live with impaired sight. I have worn glasses or contacts since I was ten years old. This is not how Satan seeks to blind our eyes. He seeks to pervert our view of what is right, or what is important. If he can distract us from what is right, he can get a little flaxen cord around us and slowly start to bind us. If he can harden our hearts he cuts us off from the Spirit. We lose the guidance that we need to stay on the path, and wander off into broad roads. While the importance of "holding to the rod" is easy to see in this visual form, it is also easy to overlook the importance of the scriptures and words of the prophets.
1 comment:
I try to read this blog every couple weeks or so ... just like to catch your insight. I was wondering how you were doing it all with blogging, volunteering at school, work, Bishoping, family time, Bishoping, meetings, photo shoots, did I mention being a Bishop (wink) ... I just thought you were some kind of Superhuman Bishop person. ;-)
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