Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.
I should be willing to do whatever inconvenient thing He asks when I ask Him for help to become more like Him. The first step will always be to seek His peace.
And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness.
He will always give me good advice
"above and beyond my regular scripture study and prayer, I need to give the Holy Ghost the chance to communicate to me by being still and by pondering"
I need to find more time For quiet reflection, or to learn how to reflect amid chaos. And amid interruptions.
"don't procrastinate a recognition of your blessings in the moment, right now. Find joy in your journey and offer gratitude"
When I pause to find peace, I can also think of something to be happy about.
"We become actively engaged in the pastime of conditioning ourselves to believe that happiness and achievement are always somewhere in the future. There is an attitude of tolerating today"
He can help me dismiss the feeling of "I don't deserve happiness today, and definitely not right now. Maybe tomorrow"
"Sometimes we procrastinate joy, gratitude, and the beauty of today."
I should let his peace fill me so that nothing prevents me from feeling joy and gratitude.
"My faith and confidence in the Savior increase as I place my faith and confidence in Him."
He will do more for me, as I ask Him to do increasingly more for me, to help me become more like Him
"But you must ask and then be willing to accept and act upon the answer you receive."
This is the key to all revelation
"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
I have this same power over the storms inside me
Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel.
I should look for the blessings of His hand in my life and feel His peace
Gratitude is the willingness to act on an empowering belief in the face of a certain outcome
The empowering belief is "my life is good... because of you"
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine; and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
He has the power to help me if I ask
Thy children shall make haste against thy destroyers; and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
If I ask for His help, I can disperse feelings of darkness, sadness, anger, and fear.
That thou mayest say to the prisoners: Go forth; to them that sit in darkness: Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.
I don't have to be stuck in darkness, sadness, anger, or fear. The prayer in my heart can help me move foraward with peace.
Darkness, sadness, anger, and fear don't come up full blown. They have precursors that trickle in beforehand. My goal is to act spiritually when I first notice the precursor. Keeping a prayer in my heart is my spiritual DEW line.
And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.
There is peace unto me when I do what He asks
Also, saith the Lord; I the Lord, yea, I have spoken; yea, I have called him to declare, I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
As I strive to follow Him closely, He will prosper me.
"Sometimes what He wants me to do is a lot easier than what I think He wants me to do."
Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
I should keep my spiritual ears open and Hear Him
"I bless you to see the needs of those around you and strengthen those you love"
When given the choice between focusing on my pain or her pain, I should focus on hers.
"I bless you to... learn better how to draw upon His power"
No one can tell me how to do this except the Holy Ghost, because I have to figure out what words and images are already most powerful to me, and then find a way to connect the gospel to them.
"I bless you to increase your faith in Jesus Christ"
Make Him a more empowering belief, by believing that the more I become like Him, the happier my life will be, because I will spend less time being afraid and angry, and more time being peaceful and kind.
Wherefore I spake unto them, saying: Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves, that ye may have hope as well as your brethren from whom ye have been broken off; for after this manner has the prophet written.
I should study conference talks, not with my eyes, but with a more open spiritual ear to what He's trying to teach me.
"As you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world."
Keep a prayer in my heart. Each time I do, it creates a thread of connection. These threads add together to become a mighty cable.
"Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power."
This is an empowering belief
"The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power - power that strengthens us"
The ability to reframe what I'm going through. To transform the situation into something manageable.
"Each person who makes covenants... - and keeps them - has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ"The power of Jesus Christ is the ability to always be in His most resourceful state.
This power changes my ability to exercise courage (ability to act in the face of anticipated pain)
Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed.
He can save me from whatever trouble I'm feeling by giving me His peace
And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.
I should be kind
And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals, which were for the use of men. And we did find all manner of ore, both of gold, and of silver, and of copper.
As I go through trials and difficult times, I will discover unexpected treasures. I should focus on these and be grateful for them.
Now my father, Lehi, had said many things unto them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael; but, behold, they did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me; and my parents being stricken in years, and having suffered much grief because of their children, they were brought down, yea, even upon their sick-beds.
I should listen to the things He says to me and do them
And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.
I should remember the source of the power that brought me this far and let Him help me keep moving forward.
And now, they said: We know of a surety that the Lord is with thee, for we know that it is the power of the Lord that has shaken us. And they fell down before me, and were about to worship me, but I would not suffer them, saying: I am thy brother, yea, even thy younger brother; wherefore, worship the Lord thy God, and honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.
Whether progress is slow or fast, He is with me and can give me the peace and power I need to keep moving forward.
And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.
I can be raised up to higher peace, power, and strength if I ask for His help
"It is not a time for speculation regarding the mysteries of the world. It is a time of basic, practical, how-to instruction, for which we can find application in our lives. The lessons should teach us how we can become better husbands, fathers, and members of quorums"
Think of communication less as a megaphone and more as a gift to your audience. Does it help them solve a problem? Does it make them feel good about themselves or see themselves as they want to be seen? Does it connect to how they see the world and provide solutions that are actionable? If we want people to engage and take action, we have to connect to what they care about and how they see themselves.
Call to Action - Specific, Valued, Know How to Do
Review your calls to action. Are you asking communities to do something specific that they value, that will connect them to the cause, and that they know how to do?
Fail = Don't Care or Don't Know
People fail to act not because they do not have enough information, but because they don’t care or they don’t know what to do. If you start with this perspective as the foundation for your work, you can craft a strategy that helps people care and tells them exactly what you want them to do.
Story - Characters; Beginning, Middle, End; Plot, Conflict, Resolution
Stories have characters; a beginning, middle, and end; plot, conflict, and resolution. If you do not include these elements, you are not telling a story.
And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedingly sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and now when they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were glad in their hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.
If I'm feeling sorrowful, it brings mirth to one who does not love me and does not have my best interests at heart. I should seek strength from the One who loves me.
And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did chasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish.
I should strive to hear Him and do as He says
And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives.
I should listen to what He tells me through the scriptures.
And it came to pass that we did take our bows and our arrows, and go forth into the wilderness to slay food for our families; and after we had slain food for our families we did return again to our families in the wilderness, to the place of Shazer. And we did go forth again in the wilderness, following the same direction, keeping in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, which were in the borders near the Red Sea.
I should follow His directions so that I can stay in the good places.
Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen.
I should be aware of and grateful for the gifts He has given me.
Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.
I can encourage others
And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.
I can know what to say and do if I ask Him and listen
"We seem to limit the ability of the Lord to help us in every aspect of our lives"If there's a limit to the help He can give me, it's because I put the limit there. I can also take the limit off.
And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed
I can ask to know what lesson the scriptures are trying to teach me.
"We must constantly emphasize the truth that we love that to which we give time, whether it be the gospel, God, or gold."
Love means spending time, listening, and speaking sincere praise
And now I make an end of speaking concerning the things which I saw while I was carried away in the Spirit; and if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen.
I should accept and embrace the truth. All truth. The embracing is even more important when it's hard.
Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been.
I should see what He has show me and write it down
And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
Who has dominion over me? I should let it be Him so that I can enjoy the full power of His kingdom.
And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
I should watch for manifestations of Him
And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.
I should ask for His help so that I can go forth out of captivity
