2 Nephi 10:15-25
10:15-18 - I'm not exactly sure what these verses mean, to be quite honest. There are some themes that I believe can be addressed here, such as in verse 15, the Lord "must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abomination." For me this references the concept that there is no hiding from God, that he is omniscient, he knows all, not only all knowledge as far as universal knowledge, but also he knows all that we not only do but what we think about and secretly desire as well. There is no secret or hidden places from the Lord, and believing or living like there is simply wastes our time and resources, but also is a deep deception as well. The day that we discover all the lies we told ourselves to be false will be a painful and dreadful day indeed, let's just hope that it's sooner rather than later. Verse 16 references God's treatment of all people equally. He not only loves us all, but he also will protect his chosen people against everyone else too. He says "they who are not for me are against me," and at first I thought this to be a little harsh because I know many people who don't believe what I believe and some actively don't believe in God, but they are not bad people, many are actually very good people, but if I think about it, if you don't believe in God to the point that you change your lifestyle to conform to his standards, then you are living after the manner of the natural man, you live and act according to your innate desires and your own logic and reasoning, which to me is the natural man. And while you might not be actively opposing or fighting against God, but in Mosiah 3:19 we learn that "the natural man is an enemy to God." This is a little bit of an eye opener for me because I've never connect the idea that not standing for God, I guess passively implies that you are standing against him. Verses 17 and 18 are a little bit abstract for me right now, as far as the gentiles afflicting Lehi's seed, but then their hearts will be softened, and they will be their fathers, yeah, it's a little bit too much for me right now.
10:19 - Here is what is applicable to us today, I mean it's all applicable to us today, but I think the concept of all people who will dwell in the promised land "shall worship me, saith God." The further we get from "God" and "religion" and "we are a land of liberty so we don't have to listen to anyone else" the further we move away, as a society, from as 2 Nephi 4:4 teaches the "Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence." In my recent learning about agency, one of the things that I've seen is that agency allows us the ability to choose our actions for ourselves, but it doesn't mean we can choose which laws we want to apply to us. Just because we won't believe it or just because we want to tell ourselves that it's not true, doesn't mean that it's not true. Agency is not freedom from consequences. We have been greatly blessed in the promised land, and the like Spiderman says, with great power comes great responsibility. We've also seen that being cut off from the presence of the Lord is the ultimate consequence, it is what causes the gnashing of teeth and deep desperate torment. So if the Lord tells us that this is our promised land, and tells us that "all men that swell thereon ... shall worship me," and also tells us that if we do not, we will be cut off from his presence, which is the greatest punishment of all, then our slow descent into chaos and evil is most serious, and so many people think that we are finally free, when in fact we are not free, and we are being slowly lead down to hell by the same man that wanted to kill Smurfette, what kind of sick person does that?
10:20 - When I first read verse 19 and into 20, I didn't see the connection, but having just learned what I wrote in the previous paragraph, it makes total sense that following the "we must worship the true God" verse, and all that that implies, as described above, Jacob would provide comfort and guidance to his audience who would hopefully be paying attention enough to follow his point. He says "our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off." I might be wrong, but to me, this says "all is not lost, there is hope, God is great and loves us, so let's do what he says, let's keep his commandments and be happy." Jacob points out that they "have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land." This is a significant message that I don't think we recognize enough in our struggles. They says "when God closes a door, he opens a window," and to me this is the same sentiment, but more along the lines of "when God closes a door, he opens the garage with the Bentley inside." I think I've talked before about when I was fired from my job a few years ago and how at the time it was very traumatic, but eventually it lead me to freedom, freedom financially as I got a much better job, it gave me the opportunity to leave my now ex husband, it gave me the opportunity to heal many family relationships. The Lord truly led me "to a better land" even though, like Lehi's group, at the time I didn't see it. I'm hoping that this is the same outcome for me relationship wise. I'm truly hoping that all that I endured and all the craziness that was my marriage, as that door closed, sometime another door will be opened and there will be my superman, and that I will truly be able to believe in the fulfilling relationship.
10:21-22 - Here the IM discusses the fact that while we know about many of the house of Israel that has been broken off, that "Undoubtedly, there are others we are not aware of, such as the lost tribes from the ancient kingdom of northern Israel and possibly other groups led elsewhere." The Lord broke off this branch which yielded the Book of Mormon, the Jaredites which yielding the book of Ether, it's very interesting to me to think about who else was led away, which of their cultural aspects us attributed to originally being from the house of Israel. I've heard, though I could be wrong, that all these branches that God has broken off and planted throughout the "vineyard" has kept records and one day, all those records will be released, and I can't wait to read them.
10:23-25 - And Jacob's final call for repentance. In verse 23 he references agency again, though a little bit more pronounced this time, "remember that ye are free to act for yourselves" and because of this they should "cheer up your hearts." It's an inspiring way to come out of the gloom and doom, fire and brimstone, it's really a beautiful reminder that all the bad, we are able to decide what we want to do, which way we want to go. And if they (we) repent "may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine."
10:19 - Here is what is applicable to us today, I mean it's all applicable to us today, but I think the concept of all people who will dwell in the promised land "shall worship me, saith God." The further we get from "God" and "religion" and "we are a land of liberty so we don't have to listen to anyone else" the further we move away, as a society, from as 2 Nephi 4:4 teaches the "Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence." In my recent learning about agency, one of the things that I've seen is that agency allows us the ability to choose our actions for ourselves, but it doesn't mean we can choose which laws we want to apply to us. Just because we won't believe it or just because we want to tell ourselves that it's not true, doesn't mean that it's not true. Agency is not freedom from consequences. We have been greatly blessed in the promised land, and the like Spiderman says, with great power comes great responsibility. We've also seen that being cut off from the presence of the Lord is the ultimate consequence, it is what causes the gnashing of teeth and deep desperate torment. So if the Lord tells us that this is our promised land, and tells us that "all men that swell thereon ... shall worship me," and also tells us that if we do not, we will be cut off from his presence, which is the greatest punishment of all, then our slow descent into chaos and evil is most serious, and so many people think that we are finally free, when in fact we are not free, and we are being slowly lead down to hell by the same man that wanted to kill Smurfette, what kind of sick person does that?
10:20 - When I first read verse 19 and into 20, I didn't see the connection, but having just learned what I wrote in the previous paragraph, it makes total sense that following the "we must worship the true God" verse, and all that that implies, as described above, Jacob would provide comfort and guidance to his audience who would hopefully be paying attention enough to follow his point. He says "our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off." I might be wrong, but to me, this says "all is not lost, there is hope, God is great and loves us, so let's do what he says, let's keep his commandments and be happy." Jacob points out that they "have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land." This is a significant message that I don't think we recognize enough in our struggles. They says "when God closes a door, he opens a window," and to me this is the same sentiment, but more along the lines of "when God closes a door, he opens the garage with the Bentley inside." I think I've talked before about when I was fired from my job a few years ago and how at the time it was very traumatic, but eventually it lead me to freedom, freedom financially as I got a much better job, it gave me the opportunity to leave my now ex husband, it gave me the opportunity to heal many family relationships. The Lord truly led me "to a better land" even though, like Lehi's group, at the time I didn't see it. I'm hoping that this is the same outcome for me relationship wise. I'm truly hoping that all that I endured and all the craziness that was my marriage, as that door closed, sometime another door will be opened and there will be my superman, and that I will truly be able to believe in the fulfilling relationship.
10:21-22 - Here the IM discusses the fact that while we know about many of the house of Israel that has been broken off, that "Undoubtedly, there are others we are not aware of, such as the lost tribes from the ancient kingdom of northern Israel and possibly other groups led elsewhere." The Lord broke off this branch which yielded the Book of Mormon, the Jaredites which yielding the book of Ether, it's very interesting to me to think about who else was led away, which of their cultural aspects us attributed to originally being from the house of Israel. I've heard, though I could be wrong, that all these branches that God has broken off and planted throughout the "vineyard" has kept records and one day, all those records will be released, and I can't wait to read them.
10:23-25 - And Jacob's final call for repentance. In verse 23 he references agency again, though a little bit more pronounced this time, "remember that ye are free to act for yourselves" and because of this they should "cheer up your hearts." It's an inspiring way to come out of the gloom and doom, fire and brimstone, it's really a beautiful reminder that all the bad, we are able to decide what we want to do, which way we want to go. And if they (we) repent "may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine."
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