1 Nephi 11
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This is the chapter from which the name of my blog was derived from. The term "And I Looked" holds great significance for me. In my heart it means and I followed, and I obeyed, and I had the desire to know God, etc.
When I allow Heavenly Father to mold me and to guide me, I imagine He often says, "My daughter, look to me." And I want to always look. Or he might say, "Michelle, look over there. You're friend needs help." And I want to always look.
He has a higher way, a higher purpose for me. And I really, really want to see it. So I look. I look in the scriptures, I look through prayer, I look in church, in pondering, in nature, in my family, in the temple, in my friends, in my callings, in myself. I look to find Him and what he wants me to see. And whenever I do, I feel joy.
I want to be an ever-looking, ever-seeking, ever-serving, ever-obeying daughter. Only then will I have ever-lasting joy.
I love the faith that Nephi showed in the very first verse: ...and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me... I, too, share that belief. That's why I look.
What does he want me to do today? Who needs my help? How does He feel about me? Which ancestors are ready? What does my family need that I might not see? I know that the Lord is able to make these things known unto me. That brings me great comfort. I just need to ask, and to look for the answer.
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Yesterday I pondered on the necessity of personal conversion. In this chapter I see another benefit of getting our own personal answers. Lehi had described the tree to Nephi. Nephi believed what his father saw (vv 4-5). I'm sure Nephi had developed a mental image of the tree himself. But when he saw the tree for himself in verse 8 he was blown away by the beauty of it...and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty.
He knew it must have been beautiful, but he didn't realize just how beautiful until he saw it for himself. (Can you see where my mind is going with this?)
The goodness of God is beautiful. We can have faith in it because our leaders, family or friends might have told us. But we won't realize just how beautiful it is - He is - until we can see, and feel, it for ourselves.
That's why seeking a personal testimony is so important. We can know for ourselves the mysteries of God!
If an angel were to come and ask me today, "What desirest thou?" what would I say? What do I desire? Do I desire to know the mysteries of God? Do I desire His will for me, not to impose my will on Him? Do I desire to know the meaning of the gospel, to see the treasures in the scriptures,to find joy in my service, to see life through heavenly eyes?
I also love how Nephi- as strong as his testimony was - knew that he didn't know everything. And he knew that was OK. He didn't let that diminish the testimony he had, or prevent him from bearing it to anyone else. His testimony was built on faith, not facts.
(All this and I haven't even gotten to the doctrine in this chapter!! I promise- not all posts will be this long. I just love the scriptures!)
Did you catch in verse 25 that not only was the tree representative of the love of God, but so was the fountain of living waters? Makes me think to the times the Savior referred to Himself as the living water.
It makes sense, then, that the angel here showed Nephi the Savior first, before telling him the meaning of the dream. The love of God and the word of God were and are given to us through the Savior. They are one in purpose.
I can tell Nephi loved Jesus Christ. He refers to Him as the Lamb of God, Son of God, Redeemer of the world,
I wonder what wave of emotions Nephi experienced as he saw with his own eye the birth of the Savior, His baptism and His ministering among the people in power and great glory(28), the miracles He performed (31). Was as moved to tears. Did his heart swell with joy?
I wonder, we he saw our Redeemer being judged and crucified, did he weep at the sight? It's one thing to read or hear about it, but to see it. I don't know if my heart could take it.
Nephi already believed in the Savior (v 6), then he looked and saw more.
I don't know if I'm ready to see with my own eyes my Savior on the cross. I don't thing I could bear it. Especially knowing that my weaknesses, my mistakes, my purposeful wrong choices, compelled Him to be there.
I know it's part of the Plan. I know He loves me and doesn't begrudge me.
But, still, it pains me to know that He suffered for me.
It also makes my heart swell with gratitude, that He would do that for a sinner like me. It makes me love Him more. It makes me understand that I need Him and His Atonement every day, every moment. It makes me want to throw away my sins- chuck 'em across the globe- and be clean so I can be with Him. I want to thank Him, serve Him, love Him, and be with Him.
I caused Him so much pain. I want to be a source of joy for Him.
So, when my Savior and our Father ask me to do something, I will. When they ask me to be someone, I will. With the ask me to do something as large as giving up my life for them, I will.
And when they ask to me do the smallest thing for them - such as look - I will.
This is the chapter from which the name of my blog was derived from. The term "And I Looked" holds great significance for me. In my heart it means and I followed, and I obeyed, and I had the desire to know God, etc.
When I allow Heavenly Father to mold me and to guide me, I imagine He often says, "My daughter, look to me." And I want to always look. Or he might say, "Michelle, look over there. You're friend needs help." And I want to always look.
He has a higher way, a higher purpose for me. And I really, really want to see it. So I look. I look in the scriptures, I look through prayer, I look in church, in pondering, in nature, in my family, in the temple, in my friends, in my callings, in myself. I look to find Him and what he wants me to see. And whenever I do, I feel joy.
I want to be an ever-looking, ever-seeking, ever-serving, ever-obeying daughter. Only then will I have ever-lasting joy.
I love the faith that Nephi showed in the very first verse: ...and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me... I, too, share that belief. That's why I look.
What does he want me to do today? Who needs my help? How does He feel about me? Which ancestors are ready? What does my family need that I might not see? I know that the Lord is able to make these things known unto me. That brings me great comfort. I just need to ask, and to look for the answer.
----
Yesterday I pondered on the necessity of personal conversion. In this chapter I see another benefit of getting our own personal answers. Lehi had described the tree to Nephi. Nephi believed what his father saw (vv 4-5). I'm sure Nephi had developed a mental image of the tree himself. But when he saw the tree for himself in verse 8 he was blown away by the beauty of it...and the beauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty.
He knew it must have been beautiful, but he didn't realize just how beautiful until he saw it for himself. (Can you see where my mind is going with this?)
The goodness of God is beautiful. We can have faith in it because our leaders, family or friends might have told us. But we won't realize just how beautiful it is - He is - until we can see, and feel, it for ourselves.
That's why seeking a personal testimony is so important. We can know for ourselves the mysteries of God!
If an angel were to come and ask me today, "What desirest thou?" what would I say? What do I desire? Do I desire to know the mysteries of God? Do I desire His will for me, not to impose my will on Him? Do I desire to know the meaning of the gospel, to see the treasures in the scriptures,to find joy in my service, to see life through heavenly eyes?
I also love how Nephi- as strong as his testimony was - knew that he didn't know everything. And he knew that was OK. He didn't let that diminish the testimony he had, or prevent him from bearing it to anyone else. His testimony was built on faith, not facts.
(All this and I haven't even gotten to the doctrine in this chapter!! I promise- not all posts will be this long. I just love the scriptures!)
Did you catch in verse 25 that not only was the tree representative of the love of God, but so was the fountain of living waters? Makes me think to the times the Savior referred to Himself as the living water.
It makes sense, then, that the angel here showed Nephi the Savior first, before telling him the meaning of the dream. The love of God and the word of God were and are given to us through the Savior. They are one in purpose.
I can tell Nephi loved Jesus Christ. He refers to Him as the Lamb of God, Son of God, Redeemer of the world,
I wonder what wave of emotions Nephi experienced as he saw with his own eye the birth of the Savior, His baptism and His ministering among the people in power and great glory(28), the miracles He performed (31). Was as moved to tears. Did his heart swell with joy?
I wonder, we he saw our Redeemer being judged and crucified, did he weep at the sight? It's one thing to read or hear about it, but to see it. I don't know if my heart could take it.
Nephi already believed in the Savior (v 6), then he looked and saw more.
I don't know if I'm ready to see with my own eyes my Savior on the cross. I don't thing I could bear it. Especially knowing that my weaknesses, my mistakes, my purposeful wrong choices, compelled Him to be there.
I know it's part of the Plan. I know He loves me and doesn't begrudge me.
But, still, it pains me to know that He suffered for me.
It also makes my heart swell with gratitude, that He would do that for a sinner like me. It makes me love Him more. It makes me understand that I need Him and His Atonement every day, every moment. It makes me want to throw away my sins- chuck 'em across the globe- and be clean so I can be with Him. I want to thank Him, serve Him, love Him, and be with Him.
I caused Him so much pain. I want to be a source of joy for Him.
So, when my Savior and our Father ask me to do something, I will. When they ask me to be someone, I will. With the ask me to do something as large as giving up my life for them, I will.
And when they ask to me do the smallest thing for them - such as look - I will.
Oh Michelle! Your testimony and insights on this chapter make my heart and mind want to explode because of how full they are. You have an incredible gift of comprehension and ability to put your insights and thoughts into words in a way that is thought provoking and spiritually moving. I am so blessed to know you! Thank you for choosing to serve a mission and braving the freezing cold of those harsh Minnesota winters all those years ago so we could meet and become friends for life.
ReplyDeleteSo, my routine with this blog (typcially) is that I read today's chapter the day or night before and type my thoughts out and consider what to post. Then I excitedly anticipate the arrival of of your emailed posting by the time I wake up in the morning. If there is time, I read it first thing in the morning. If not, I read it at lunch. If I don't have time at lunch, then I read it in the evening. No matter when I read it, I enjoy taking in the insights and comments of others, which are posted throughout the day. It's like an all-day spiritual feast.
I noticed in this chapter something about how Nephi’s question was answered. He wanted to know the meaning of his father’s dream. Did the Spirit come right out and tell Nephi “The tree represents this…” or “The building represents that…”? No. He led him to deeper understanding by showing him (LOOK, an action word). The Spirit asked questions. Nephi had to have a desire to know, be willing to look and study it out in his mind to come to his own understanding of the questions asked and the meaning of the dream.
In verse 1 we are taught three things Nephi did BEFORE the Spirit came to him and increased his understanding. 1) Desired to know. 2) Believed the Lord could make it known to him. 3) Pondered in his heart. Then we read he was “caught away in the Spirit of the Lord….” At that point he was prepared to receive information and greater understanding from the Spirit of the Lord. To apply this in my own life, if I want to understand the mysteries of heaven, I must first do my part to prepare spiritually, as Nephi did.
This chapter contains a wonderful testimony of the Spirit of the Lord, the great teacher. It also brings deeper meaning and understanding to the words AND I LOOKED....
Michelle, as to the first part of your post, it reminds me of a post I put on my blog a while back about "Random Acts of Kindness" http://www.bensopinion.com/2012/11/random-acts-of-kindess.html
ReplyDeleteThe reason I include it is in essence it says that I'm fed up with being random. I want targeted service. I want to do the things and help the people that God needs me to help. That comes when I prepare myself and am willing to ask God to lead me.
The one verse that struck me is verse 5. Nephi tells the Spirit of the Lord "You know that I believe." I'm just wondering how or why Nephi even thought to respond that way. When Peter responded that way to the Savior in regards to the "Lovest thou me?" question, we can understand that Peter was around the Savior often and was able to interact and have a lot of communication with him. He undoubtedly knew how the Savior felt about him. I just find Nephi's response very intriguing and I wonder how frequent the interactions were between Nephi and the Spirit.
Dh wasn't feeling well last night so we watched a conference talk for FHE. Yeah! Two weeks in a row!! Anyway, babysteps... It was the Gen RS president's talk on "First observe, then serve." We cannot accomplish anything without looking it over first. That talk really fits in with the "Look, and I looked" theme of this chapter. Nephi couldn't serve (obey or do) until he first looked. We can't either.
ReplyDeleteSome people are so blinded by their own glory they can't begin to see. But in the final verse of the chapter it says that great spacious house of pride that fights against God is going to fall, and fall epically. This gives me comfort. Why? Because I know how important it is to keep my eyes looking to the right source. To keep my heart open to the spirit. To know that God is in control, and no matter how bad it seems to be or the downward spiral the world seems to be in around me.... I can overcome the epic fail by being on the right side.
"...after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and BELIEVING THAT THE LORD WAS ABLE TO MAKE THEM KNOWN UNTO ME..." Nephi not only was always seeking and desiring to know more of the things of God, but he KNEW God could and would answer him. He KNEW he would receive the things he desired. I think this shows not only his sure faith in God, but also his confidence in himself. I believe God can, will, and does answer prayers. But sometimes I'm not so sure of my own ability to feel or see or acknowledge all the times He has answered. It is my fear of failing to see that sometimes keeps me from asking and seeking.
ReplyDeleteThe vision of the tree of life seems so simple and in fact it is. The simple truth is that if we follow and hold tight to the word of God - the scriptures, prophets, our own personal revelation - then we will in fact make it to that which is "precious of all". We will make it to God and be able to feel of His love. It really is that simple. But then the mists of darkness and the laughter from others distracts us. It is then that we need to remember, and keep our eyes toward, the thing we really want the most. Those are the times when just holding on isn't enough. We must hold fast.
My thoughts on for this chapter are smiple....What desirest thou? I am pondering on some specifics in my life and what I truly desire. I know my desires and questions will be answered, but I am seeking.
ReplyDeleteI love the example that this chapter teaches of personal relationship with the Spirit and pure faith.