Day 87: December 29, 2011

2 Nephi 19

Verse 6:

I love reading of this prophecy of the coming of the Savior to the world and to hear the wonderful names and titles that he deserves. He truly is wonderful. And He is the everlasting father and prince of peace. I am so grateful for my knowledge and testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for his life and ministry and the fulfillment of this prophecy by Isaiah.

Day 86: December 28, 2011

2 Nephi 18

Oh Isaiah, how I wish I knew what you were talking about. I guess its time to pull out my scripture study manuals so I can understand.

Verse 14:

Here the savior is described as a sanctuary and a rock and stumbling place. According to the institute manual for Book of Mormon, the Savior is both able to save and condemn. He can save those who strive to live righteously and who repent and use the atonement. But to those who are wicked and do not turn towards Christ and his atonement, he will condemn them and they will have to suffer for the sins that they commit. I want to be the righteous that always comes to the Savior so that he can save me.

Verse 17:

And I will wait on the Lord. We are sometimes asked to go through hard times and suffer. During those times the Lord will allow us to suffer alone but will come to us as we patiently trust and wait for him to remove the burden from us. Elder Robert D. Hales said, “As we put our faith and trust in the Lord, we must battle our pain day by day and sometimes hour by hour, even moment by moment; but in the end, we understand that marvelous counsel given to the Prophet Joseph Smith as he struggled with his pain of feeling forgotten and isolated in Liberty Jail: “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; “And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes” (D&C 121:7–8). My dear brothers and sisters, when pain, tests, and trials come in life, draw near to the Savior. “Wait upon the Lord, … look for him” (Isa. 8:17; 2 Ne. 18:17). “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:31). Healing comes in the Lord’s time and the Lord’s way; be patient.”

Day 86: December 27, 2011

2 Nephi 17

Verse 14:

Isaiah prophecies that the Savior will be born of a virgin and his name will be Immanuel. This past week I had the opportunity to celebrate this miraculous birth of my Savior and Redeemer. I am so grateful for his life and his ministry. I am also grateful for his mother Mary. I have thought a lot about her and all that she did. She knew she would be publically scorned for being with child before she was married, yet she still accepted the Lord’s will for her. I also she how the Lord gave her comfort and helped her realized that with him all things are possible. He did this by sending Elisabeth, her cousin, a son, even John the Baptist, in her old age. I think he could have sent him to any mother, but by choosing Elisabeth, not only did it aid in the faith of Zacharias and Elisabeth, but it helped prepare Mary for her son. I am also amazed with Joseph and his kindness and mercy. He was waiting for the allotted time to take Mary for his wife, and when she came back from Elizabeth, she was very pregnant. He could have pointed her out to all of the community and then could have helped stone her. But he decided not to. He was just going to let her go. But after a dream he knew he needed to still take Mary as his wife. And he did, and he took care of her and the son of God. He was a very valiant and sweet man.

Day 85: December 26, 2011

2 Nephi Chapter 16

This chapter Isaiah talks about a dream he has where his mouth is cleansed from any iniquity and where he is asked by the Lord to go forth and teach the gospel and prophecy. The Lord asks who he can send and Isaiah responds here am I send me. HE then asks the Lord how long he should do this, and the lord tells him until all the cities have heard the word. I need to be more like Isaiah. I need to be willing to go and say here am I! and then I need to get to work and do what the Lord needs me to do. What a great example from the scriptures.

Day 84: December 25, 2011

2 Nephi 15

Verse 21:

Woe unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight. We need to be wise as the Lord would have us, not on our won knowledge. We need to look unto the Lord and do his will and trust in him rather than trusting in our flesh. This reminds me of my favorite scripture. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your doings acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. I need to stop relying solely on my own knowledge and learn more from the Lord. I need to trust that He will direct me in the paths that I should go. It does not mean that I shouldn’t think for myself and get to work, it just means that I need to makes sure that I am looking more the Lord and following the guidance that I receive from the Holy Ghost and scriptures and prophets as I make my choices.

Verse 25:

Our Heavenly Father is a God of justice. He has to punish us for our mistakes and sins. But he is also merciful. Even after our mistakes, his hand is still outstretched to us. Because he loves us so much he sent his son so that we can be forgiven. I am so grateful to know that his hand is still outstretched despite my mistakes.

Day83: December 7, 2011
2 Nephi Chapter 14
Verse 4:
The Savior washes away our blood. IT is through his atonement that we can turn us from crimson to white as snow. He has taken upon him every sin and mistake that we have made. We are asked to do all that we can to keep the commandments and be faithful and the promises to make up the rest. What a blessing! I am so grateful for his atoning sacrifice for me.
Verse 6:
The Savior provides us with a tabernacle, a safe refuge from the storms of life. This life is full of so much darkness and so much sin. If we follow the commandments and strive to do our very best the Lord offers his protection and his spirit in order that we might be able to come off conqueror in the end. I need that protection!

Day 82: December 6, 2011
2 Nephi Chapter 13
Wow Isaiah is hard to understand! I didn’t pull a lot from this chapter, which is because I just don’t understand Isaiah very well, but It does talk about the Children of Israel and how they are caught up in the ways of the world. They care too much about worldly processions and clothes. They are not as in tune to the things of the Lord as they should be. I need to keep a watch on myself to make sure that I do not get too caught up in the things of the world and forget to focus on the Savior and the path towards home. Isaiah, you and I need to get to know each other better! J

Day 81: December 5, 2011
2 Nephi Chapter 12
Verse 3
Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the Lord. The temple is our piece of heaven on earth. It is where can go to worship and commune with our Heavenly Father. At this time in my life I am so blessed to be so close to so many of these Houses of the Lord. I am so grateful for the peace that comes over me as I go there. I need to make sure to always live my life so that I can be worthy of this blessing and go more often! I have had many answers come to me while sitting in the celestial room of the temple. I love the temple!
Verse 5
We are invited to walk in the Light of the Lord. It is in this light that we can find our way on this path of life. Yesterday we had stake conference. The theme for the conference was John 8:12 which says “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” I don’t want to walk through this life in darkness. Sometimes the choices that I make keep me from walking in the Light that the Savior provides for me. I need to be more diligent and obedient to his commandments. I love the light. I know I am happier during the months of the year when there is the most sunlight. Just as that is the case, I am happiest when I am walking in the light of the Lord. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the knowledge and light that I receive from it.

Day 80: November 28, 2011
2 Nephi Chapter 11
Verse 2
Nephi delights in the words of Isaiah. I think that I need to spend more time studying Isaiah and his words. I sometimes think that it is too hard for me to understand and I choose to skip those sections or to read over them quickly. This is a goal that I need to work on.
Verse 6
Without Christ, we would all perish. I am so grateful that the Savior chose to come to earth and atone for my sins so that I don’t have to perish. I have a desire to return to my father’s presence and it is through the atonement of Jesus Christ that that is possible.