And I said unto him: What am I that I should tempt God to shew unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true? Yet thou wilt deny it because thou art of the devil. Nevertheless not my will be done; but if God shall smite thee, let that be a sign unto thee that he hath power both in heaven and in earth and also that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done and not mine.
I should ask for what I want, and cheerfully accept what I am given.
For behold, after that ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?
He will give me the strength I need.
And it came to pass that the servants did go to it and labor with their mights, and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them. And they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
As I obey, I will prosper.
And the Lord of the vineyard saith unto them: Go to and labor in the vineyard with your mights. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand and the season speedily cometh. And if ye labor with your mights with me, ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.
I appreciate most what I work hardest for.
And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his servant: Let us go down into the nithermost parts of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches have also brought forth evil fruit.
I should examine old habits and see if they are worth keeping.
See also Jacob 5:66, "clear away the bad according as the good shall grow".
Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom and in justice and in great mercy over all his works.
I can make better decisions by counseling with Him first.
But before that ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
I should seek to know and understand a situation through prayer before choosing my course of action.
"When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves."
Change and transform - power and glory.
Now according to the reigns of the kings—?the people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defense and having labored in all his days for their welfare
I should strive to protect those in my home from harm
Wherefore we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ and view his death and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world. Wherefore I Jacob take it upon me to fulfill the commandment of my brother Nephi.
I can be persuasive by taking the time to find out what others need and either giving it to them or showing them how they can get it.
And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye. For Christ will shew unto you with power and great glory that they are his words at the last day. And you and I shall stand face to face before his bar, and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
The words of Christ - which includes all true words, whether quoted in scripture or not - will show me how I can change and even undergo great transformation.
I have charity for the Jew—?I say Jew because I mean them from whence I came;
I should be kind to my family and friends.
Nevertheless the people did harden their hearts, for they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches and to do all manner of iniquity. And they did smite upon the people of Jesus, but the people of Jesus did not smite again. And thus they did dwindle in unbelief and wickedness from year to year, even until two hundred and thirty years had passed away.
I should have an eye single toward what will make me happy long-term, and not allow the animosity of others to distract me from that.
And they did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of Moses, but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer and in meeting together oft, both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord.
When I do what I am prompted to do, I will become happier.
Now is the time to prepare and prove ourselves willing and able to do all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall command us.
But I Nephi have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night because of them. And I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
If I speak, He will listen and answer.
But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always and not faint, that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.
Very short prayers are fine.
Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ. And there will be no more doctrine given until after that he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.
I should listen to His voice and do the things He tells me.
For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way and receive the Holy Ghost, it will shew unto you all things what ye should do.
The Holy Ghost can only show. It is up to me to choose to do the good things I am shown.
And the Father saith: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.
Not just sprinkling His name upon me, I should immerse myself it it.
And he saith unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?
It's not the keeping so much as the willingness to keep that purifies me. It's not my body's performance but my heart's desire.
For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people; and the wicked will he destroy and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire.
I should destroy the wickedness within myself by fire. As with baptism, this fire is the Holy Ghost.
For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all the nations of the earth, and they shall write it.
And also to individuals. And therefore I should write the words and individual commandments that He speaks to me.
But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations, they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts.
All I have to do is choose a better path, and I can be safe.
And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had both heard and seen and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting.
Whatever I do should be something that is worthy of doing in His name
And it came to pass that they did do all things even as Jesus had commanded them.
I am given personal commandments. Following them gives me power and blessings.
And when they shall have received this—-which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith—-and if it should so be that they shall believe these things, then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
As I ascribe the good things in my life to Him, it makes my belief in Him more powerful, and with that greater power, I can do more, I can change more, I can become more.
Then shall the learned say: I cannot read it.
If I ask for His help, I can do anything.
For thus saith the Lord God: They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and sealed up in a book. And they that have dwindled in unbelief shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God.
I should write down the times I see His hand in my life.
"...the chance to act and to learn and not just be an observer of the gospel."
"... each time we resist entertainment or ideologies that celebrate covenant-breaking, we are exercising our faith"
For they which shall be destroyed shall speak unto them out of the ground, and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit. For the Lord God will give unto him power that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust.
As I read my scriptures, I should consider how the words can inspire me to improve my life.
"...let us not just endure this current season. Let us embrace the future with faith!"
"...a place of security is anywhere you can feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and be guided by Him."
And after that they have been scattered and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations—-yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ the Son of God and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind—-and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ and worship the Father in his name with pure hearts and clean hands and look not forward any more for another Messiah—-and then at that time the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things--
I should declare God to be good and seek to become more like Him through His transformational power.
And as one generation hath been destroyed among the Jews because of iniquity, even so have they been destroyed from generation to generation according to their iniquities. And never hath any of them been destroyed save it were foretold them by the prophets of the Lord.
The wrong path is clearly marked, so I can know how to avoid it.
Wherefore hearken, O my people which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words, for because that the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you—?nevertheless they are plain unto all they that are filled with the spirit of prophecy, but I give unto you a prophecy according to the Spirit which is in me—?wherefore I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father. For behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn.
I should strive to speak plainly.
and made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof and opened not the house of his prisoners?
In the part of the world over which I hold stewardship, I should minister with care, creation, and kindness.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
As I become more like Him, I will become more precious than fine gold.
And in that day shall ye say: Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
I should take time to be grateful for the good things He does for me
"What if it is, to some degree, attainable in this life and, indeed, a prerequisite to being with Him again? What if 'even as I am' is exactly and precisely what is meant by the Savior?"
I should adopt the same empowering beliefs He holds. Not about Him, but about me. What does Jesus believe about me?
"Becoming more like Jesus in thought and behavior is not grinding and repressing, but emancipating and discovering!
Becoming like Him doesn't mean copying His behavior so much as it means adopting His empowering beliefs. What empowering beliefs did Jesus hold?
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
I should seek to live my life as if I were on His holy mountain. How would I live differently if I were on a holy mountain? His holy mountain can be wherever I am. I can carry it inside me.
and shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. And they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.
I should stay strong, not faint, and bear His standard. He will help me do this if I ask.
"...love the Lord thy God, and... obey His voice."
Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him and join his enemies together,
When I choose to align with His will, I will find strength against and protection from my adversaries.
Say ye not, A confederacy, to all to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
I can always ask him to take away my fear and exchange it for comfort, courage, and strength
And he said: Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
I should remember the signs of His love that He has already shown me.
And he laid upon my mouth and said: Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged.
I should embrace the empowering belief that my sins and iniquities can be removed, allowing me to be free to make progress again.
But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
My judgment should be like His, such that a decision makes all involved better off because of it.
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.
I can wash any smudge of the world by using His power.
The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people and the princes thereof. For ye have eaten up the vineyard and the spoil of the poor in your houses.
If I judge my own actions by His standards, I can make good choices and not have to fear His judgment.
For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations, yea, upon every one, yea, upon the proud and lofty, and upon every one which is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.
I should be humble enough to focus on what needs fixing in my own life, and leave aside finding fault with others. It's a better use of my time and energy.
