Day 4: 1 Nephi 14-15

Welcome to Day 4...

Nephi turned to the Lord for answers when his dad seemed completely crazy. That just never occurred to Laman and Lemuel! They sat around complaining and arguing about everything that came out of their dad's mouth. 

"They being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto God as they ought." They complained, "...the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us." 

Hmm...do we ever complain instead of seek the Lord's help? 

Nephi reminded them,"...the Lord hath said if ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you." (1 Nephi 15:11) 

No excuses. If we are humble, have faith, keep the commandments and ask, we SHALL receive. The ball is in our court. 

But Nephi "spoon fed" his spiritually lazy brothers anyway and interpreted parts of the dream.           

"What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?...I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."  1 Nephi 15: 23-24

If we soften our hearts and hold to the rod, we will combat the fiery darts of the adversary and be munching on the fruit of the tree of life before we know it. 

This song is a great introduction to today's reading. Enjoy feasting on the scriptures today!

• Opening Song: "Holding On to You/Iron Rod" by Jenny Phillips

• Begin study session with prayer
• Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 14-15 (listen) 
• Study Guide: Here

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1 Nephi 14:7  "For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other- either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down to captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken." 
                    

“Through the infinite Atonement, God has provided a means whereby we can both overcome our sins and become completely clean again. This is made possible by the eternal law of mercy. Mercy satisfies the claims of justice through our repentance and the power of the Atonement. Without the power of the Atonement and our complete repentance, we are subject to the law of justice.” – Earl C. Tingey 

Video "Discussions on the Book of Mormon" 
1 Nephi 13-15:

• Record thoughts and impressions in your journal.

• End with prayer and enjoy the sweetness of the Spirit in your day!

Supplemental chart:  Breakdown of plates