1 Nephi 11
Chapter 11
Nephi sees the Spirit of the Lord and is shown in vision the tree of life—He sees the mother of the Son of God and learns of the condescension of God—He sees the baptism, ministry, and crucifixion of the Lamb of God—He sees also the call and ministry of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. About 600–592 B.C.
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This chapter is full of amazing things: revelation, the Savior, God's love, the Atonement, judgement- the list goes on and on.
The first thing that hit me about this chapter was the process in which Nephi went through to receive his answer.
1. He was taught (10:17)
2. He desired to know for himself if it was true (10:17, 11:1)
3. He had faith that the Lord would tell him (10:17-19,11:1)
4. He pondered the things which he had been told (11:1)
As he was pondering he was taken away in a vision and received the answers he was looking for. I'm sure we can find the questions we have by following the same pattern.
But the thing that strikes a chord in me this morning is the love of God (v 22) and how it is most joyous to the soul. I love my Father in Heaven. The other night as I was driving home alone from an errand I was listening to an instrumental version of "How Great Thou Art." A feeling filled the van and my whole soul. It wasn't tingly or warm, like the Spirit usually is when I feel it. It was more tangible- more substantial- like I wasn't alone. I felt the strongest impression that He was aware of me, and that He wanted me to know that I wasn't alone. At that moment, I didn't feel alone- I felt Him there. Though I couldn't see Him or hear Him, I felt Him. It was truly joyous to my soul.
What did you think/learn today?
In the first verse, Nephi tells us that AFTER he desired to know the things his father had seen, then .....
ReplyDeleteI forget that desire comes first. I can desire, righteously, then I will be blessed as Nephi was.
It always starts with our own heart. The spacious building and all it's worries can certainly contribute to how we feel, but if we can overcome the negativity and keep turning our hearts to the Lord we can get what we desire. We can desire spiritual gifts and then ask for them, having faith, and then receive. Nephi had many wordly worries, but his desire for righteous overcame them. I want to be like that. Quite frankly, I am weary of the spacious building and the mist of darkness. I just want to sit under the tree.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that personal experience with us. I am a huge believer in the positive effects that spiritual music can have on us.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful this spiritual experience must have been for Nephi, to see the amazing things Christ would do in the future. I like verse 6 too when the spirit says, "Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God, for he is God over all the earth, yea even above all."
You are welcome. Thanks for sharing our thoughts, too :)
ReplyDeleteMe too. I want to hang out under the glowing tree and eat LOTS of that yummy fruit. Come chocolate wouldn't hurt either. I think that must represent the love of our Heavenly Mother :)
ReplyDeleteI like that reminder, too. Was it you that said earlier that even though Laman and Lemuel had great spiritual experiences, it didn't change their hearts because they had not desired them before they happened. Great insight, Lana :)
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