…a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people…
Alma 48:11-12
My neighbors showed their “souls’ joy” in their brethren being free “from bondage and slavery” by giving to local refugees this week for Tim’s Eagle service project. It was an overwhelming experience to witness so much generosity.
Behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.
Alma 26:11-12
I like these words of Ammon, “In his strength I can do all things.” This phrase is actually an echo of the words of Ammon’s convert, Lamoni. In Alma 20:4, Lamoni tells Ammon, “I know, in the strength of the Lord thou canst do all things.”
We think we go about doing good, but really, it is the Lord working in us, and we come off as beneficiaries. Sometimes the Lord blesses us through the people we serve. In this case, Ammon’s friend Lamoni gave him a phrase full of truth that Ammon remembered years later as he reflected on his missionary work.
Today I praise God for the strength to face difficult things alongside my friends. I rejoice in the things I have learned about myself, what’s important in life, and the power of God.
Blessed art thou…therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God…
Alma 8:15
I like this scripture because these words are given at a time when Alma was weighed down with sorrow and cast out for teaching the gospel. The Lord says something similar to Lehi, “Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life.” (1 Nephi 2:1)
This is the Lord’s direction for his righteous, imperfect children: rejoice. As our counselor and comforter, our Prince of Peace, he can help us rejoice even though there are empty places at church or at the table. The fact we are sad for others is a sign our hearts might be closer to the Lord than we know. And as for those we think we have failed to help, I know the Lord has things covered. He knows their needs and will give them the right number of opportunities to choose Him.
And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.
Mosiah 4:11-12
Self esteem, as the world peddles it, is not scriptural. There are scriptures that say we are children of the Most High, and that God so loved the world that he gave His Only Begotten Son, but there is nothing I have found that says that men and women are great in any frame of reference that excludes God. So, what can I do to be more dependent on him this week? What can I do to be more childlike in my humility?
Wherefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.”
2 Nephi 10:23
Is it just me, or do you get the idea that Nephi’s brother Jacob in the Book of Mormon was a little depressed? He was definitely a little down on the day he engraved on the plates that they were wanderers, mourning out their days (Jacob 7:26). So, when somebody like Jacob who has felt quite low tells us to cheer up our hearts, I think he knows something of what he speaks. He knows the power of mindset.
Hey, I can cheer up my heart when someone is thoughtless towards me because I have power to choose my reaction. Hooray for agency! And I can cheer up my heart because I can pray silently anywhere, anytime. I am never alone! I can cheer up my heart because the path to eternal life isn’t closed when I mess up. The Savior can help me with every step.
“And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.”
2 Nephi 5:27
A few years ago, I documented all the family challenges found in the Book of Mormon. Children rebel, parents are imperfect, grandchildren leave the faith, people need to fix their marriage relationships, fathers are killed, and courageous parents write their family challenges for our benefit. Lehi’s family gets the closest study, and the division and violence are heartbreaking.
Elder Holland taught,
The first 30 years of Book of Mormon history do not present a pleasant story. After the abrupt necessity of abandoning their entire earthly fortune, leaving Jerusalem hastily on the eve of international conflict, crossing the Arabian peninsula in the most adverse of circumstances, building a boat without any prior experience in doing so, crossing an ocean with would-be fatal conflicts breaking out repeatedly and landing in a primitive, unknown new land with all the hardship such a settlement would entail, the hostility within the family of Lehi and Sariah became so intense that the two halves of their family split asunder, with one group fleeing yet farther into the wilderness, fearing for their lives lest they fall victim to the bloodthirsty quest of the other. As they plunged into unsettled terrain to seek safety and fashion a life for themselves as best they could, the prophet-leader of this Nephite half of the family says they now tried to live “after the manner of happiness.”
In light of what they had just been through for thirty years and with what we know yet lay in store for them in the trials almost constantly ahead, such a comment seems almost painful. How could any of this be described as anything remotely like “happiness”? Ah, my friends, there is the rub. Nephi does not say they were happy, though it is evident they actually were. What he says is, they “lived after the manner of happiness.”
In other words, there is a pattern for happy living that we can choose to follow, even when circumstances are rough.
For me, “living after the manner of happiness” includes nurturing family relationships. My dream is that no one will ever again recount how bossy I was when I was younger and see that I am a lot more gentle than I used to be. In another relationship, I would be happier if my ideas weren’t mocked. I’m sure my family members have similar wishes: to be known, to shed old labels that no longer apply, to be accepted, to be cherished. A family counselor taught that we will be happier if we assume “benevolent intent” in our loved ones. I will do it for you. Will you do it for me?
Perhaps if was convenient to hate Nephi when he was young, as he was direct about what he saw his brothers doing wrong. The blame lies mostly with his brothers for the contention, but I see Nephi change his tone over the years. By the end of his life, Nephi stopped naming specific faults and called out to his family in love in his writing. To his beloved brethren who rejected him, he carefully explained the doctrine of Christ, which is simply that we need not stay as we were. Christ can help us change. Nephi teaches me that joy comes in the subtle shift over time from judgment to charity, especially in our families.
The dog is healing. He finds comfort in the boys after school and Richard in the evenings. During the day, he is stuck with me, the mean one who forces down medicines, locks him in the mudroom during errands, gags at the smell of his food, and cleans up his messes while muttering threats at him. I have never been a dog person because they scare me. This experience taught me that I like our dog a little bit, after all.
I finished my study of an important topic to me in the Book of Mormon in the early morning hours on Monday. This has been my steady work for months, and considering what it has given me, it seems funny it is only 16 pages. It is my record of reconciling some things I heard in a lesson at church and what the scriptures have to say on the topic. This study helped me see how things really are… And they are not what the teacher said, and not what I thought. Still, I could feel something was off, and now I know. And the Book of Mormon is, as ever, absolutely true, and a perfect manual for life. Amen.
I set out to find the “causes” of righteous behavior in the Book of Mormon. Beginning with the first verse and moving through each chapter, I began writing down things that led to righteousness: good parents, visions, dreams, the influence of others, determination to fulfill a covenant, rejoicing in the Lord’s hand in life, etc. Within a very short time, I found the goodness of God linked to the power of people to be good. With every effort shown by people, God was there, helping, guiding, inspiring, and strengthening. He is the source of the spiritual gift of faith. It is in Him that people can find a worthy placement of their faith. He sends blessings with perfect timing. He softens hearts. His Son’s atonement enables, purifies, and gives hope. He manifests himself in word, power, and deed. He is everywhere righteousness is happening. He is the “cause.” To be righteous is to allow His influence in.
I have had detracting voices to my religion throughout my life, some very close. My deep study is one reason I love my church with confidence. The Book of Mormon is true. As I have made it a manual for my life, I have felt its power. I have come to know to know what my religion is by dissecting chapter, verse, and words. It is good.
Yesterday I found a phrase I have not considered. “…all men shall reap the reward of their works, according to that which they have been…” (Alma 9:28)
What have I been to others? Have I been a light? Have I been a gentle place to land?
What have I been to God? Have I been a source of joy to Him? When needed, have I been able to reflect His light to others?
What have I been to myself? Am I as forgiving and patient with myself as I am with others? Is my focus on becoming or doing? Is my priority people or processes?
I have days when I am limited in what I can accomplish. On these days, I erase my to do lists. I have learned that my identity is not just tied to my productivity. There are very few essential things to do each day: pray, read scriptures, love others, repent, eat, and sleep. Righteousness is an identity more than a resume.
I pause at the corner store near my grandmother’s home in California when I visit and feel gratitude for the store owners who simply gave a Book of Mormon to each of their neighborhood customers. The Book of Mormon they gave to the Sanchez family sat on a shelf for years before my dad, a teenager, decided to read it.
Sometimes I think we forget that the biggest tool to bring people to Christ is the Book of Mormon. I loved this account of a BYU advertising project which asked people of all faiths to read one page of the Book of Mormon, highlight references to God, and tell what they thought and felt as they read. The responses were remarkable.
Here is what a few people said after reading:
Danny, Christian, page 4
I’ve never heard of the Book of Mormon before. But it wasn’t foreign. It was more familiar reading it. It’s like I was listening to a song that was familiar, but I couldn’t remember what it was called or who it was by…It makes me want to find out more.
Amna, Pakistan,Muslim, page 397:
This [experiment] is a brilliant idea. You should take out an ad and tell people to be here. I woke up and turned on the TV today, and all I saw was war, refugees, violence, and problems. The world needs to see this [experiment]. To see that there is hope and love in the world and that God is good…I am so grateful to be part of this project today. The whole world needs to see it. Thank you!
The full (short) article is here:
https://magazine.byu.edu/article/an-experiment-upon-the-word/