Can you imagine?

Since becoming a seminary teacher, my scriptures have become as important for me to tote around as my wallet, cell phone,  or keys.   I take them everywhere.  I never know when I might have a few minutes to sit and read them.  I have one of those "pocket-sized" copies of the Book of Mormon in my purse, too.  Just in case.   I know.  One of my daughters calls me a "scripture geek".   It is what it is.  I find it fascinating how one can discover something NEW every time they read them.  Fascinating!

Reading them brings me peace.  I've come to understand who God is and how much He loves us.  The scriptures contain his commandments, his laws, and testimonies of those who know Him.

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without scriptures? 

I found it interesting in the Book of Mormon to learn of some of the Lord's covenant people who were without scriptures/records.  We find in the Book of Omni, that Mosiah, a descendant of Lehi, discovered a large group of people in Zarahemla whose ancestors also left Jerusalem centuries before, as Lehi did.  The difference between Lehi's group, and these people of Zarahemla (a.k.a., the Mulekites) is that Lehi's group had a record of their people (the Jews), and the others didn't.  When Mosiah and the Nephites met the Mulekites, they realized that "their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them." (Omni 1:17)  The Mulekites' language had degenerated, they lost their culture, their doctrine, and they didn't know God.  All this was due to the fact that they had taken no scriptural record with them when they left Jerusalem. 

King Benjamin, Mosiah's son, taught, "...Were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God." (Mosiah 1:3)   The mysteries of God are truths learned only by faith and revelation; FAITH in God, and REVELATION from God.

A life without knowing God?   I can't imagine....................

"For They Did PRICK THEIR HEARTS With the Word."

In our Church, there are many meetings that we attend; we are a Church of meetings!  That's good. We sit through many talks and lessons over our lifetime.  Some of them build our faith, and others call us to repentance. The ones that call us to repentance either solidify our testimonies of the gospel (usually if we are living consistent with what is being taught), or they "prick our hearts".   A "heart-pricking" is a GOOD thing!  It's meant to humble us.  It's a sign and an opportunity for us to "turn" back to the Lord and repent.  Perhaps if we didn't feel the "pricking", natural consequences of our actions might send us through a trial that would have the same effect on us, but be more painful.  Perhaps a "STAB", rather than a "prick"?

In the Book of Jarom, he notes this description of the Nephites who lived during his time.  There was much to be done to humble them "...because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks..." (Jarom 1:3)  President Ezra Taft Benson tells us that this is PRIDE.  Fortunately for the Nephites, their leaders were faithful men of God.

Their spiritual preparation: Their "...leaders were mighty men of the faith of the Lord", and they taught the Nephites the ways of the Lord.  (Jarom 1:7)

The temporal result of their spiritual preparation: "...We withstood the Lamanites and swept them away out of our lands, and began to fortify our cities, and whatsoever place of our inheritance." (Jarom 1:7) "...And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us.  But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land." (Jarom 1:9)  Couldn't we use this same spiritual preparation to "sweep away" Satan?

They had stalwart leaders who served valiantly in their callings to continually use the word of the Lord to remind them of their covenants with Him, and to look to the Savior for their salvation through the Atonement.  "....They kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance.." (Jarom 1:12) 

We just recently listened to General Conference and our stake held a Stake Conference a few weeks ago. There was much to be heard; I felt a few "pricks". When we feel those "pricks", we'd be wise to make some adjustments in our lives so that the next time we hear similar talks, we wouldn't say "ouch!".

Returning to Lehi's Vision

As I was pondering what we learned this past week in the book of Jacob, I found it more than coincidental that everything could relate back to Lehi's Vision. That's something that had never occurred to me before in reading and studying the Book of Mormon.

Monday's lesson - Pride (Jacob 2)

Tuesday's lesson - Riches, Wealth & Pride (Jacob 2)

Wednesday's lesson - Immorality, Unchastity (Jacob 2-3)

Thursday's lesson - Having your actions consistent with that you know (Jacob 3)

Today in Seminary we referred back to Lehi's vision and tried to identify the parts of his vision that would apply to what we learned this past week.  It all seems to apply. 

The Great & Spacious building described in 1 Nephi 8:26-27, 33 and 1 Nephi 11:35-36 describe the lifestyle of some of the Nephites in Jacob 2-3.   The building is filled with a variety of different people wearing fine clothing, mocking those who are being obedient to spiritual things.   If they were once spiritual people, they no longer feel the Spirit or have an understanding of things NOT of this world.  If they have never learned to recognize the Light of Christ, we can understand why they scorn those who have.  They are caught up in PRIDE and SELF.

Wednesday's & Thursday's lessons dealt with being loyal to the Lord, keeping your actions consistent with what you know, and being accountable for that.   We went back to Lehi's vision in 1 Nephi 8 and re-identified the 4 groups of people in his vision.

1.  vvs. 21-23 - People on the path, lost their way in the darkness, never caught hold of the rod.

2.  vvs. 24-25, 28 - People on the path, pressing forward clinging to the rod, ate the fruit, were ashamed after heeding influence from the world, fell away.

3.  vvs. 30, 33 - People on the path, pressing forward holding fast to the rod, ate the fruit, heeded not the world.

4.  vvs. 31-32 - People who never made it to the path, lost, never made it to the rod, went the way of the world.

We discussed which people were more accountable for what they knew, and which ones stayed loyal to the Lord. We also applied D&C 82:3 to these groups of people in Lehi's vision.  It was very interesting to become re-acquainted with this vision. As we keep referring back to it, my class is becoming better at relating the people in the vision to groups of people today.  I asked our class to try to see if they could apply whatever they are reading in the Book of Mormon to Lehi's vision.  It may not always fit, but let's just see what does fit.  It brings greater light to our understanding.  I'm sure we will discover more as we continue.  How exciting!

JUST DO IT!

Here are my thoughts from today's seminary lesson in Jacob 3:3-11......

When I was little, my dad used to have a paperweight on his desk that said, "DO IT".  Whenever I hear the Nike slogan or see the logo, "Just Do It.", I think of my dad.  Nike has the right idea.

So did President Spencer W. Kimball, 12th president of the Church who has said, “We must lengthen our stride and must do it now.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th President of the Church, gave a talk to the youth and young single adults on 12 November 2000 in Salt Lake City titled “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth."  In it he shared some counsel to help the youth face the challenges ahead of them:

"Be loyal to the Church under all circumstances.....This is the very work of God designed to bring about the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters.......Walk in faith before Him with your heads high, proud of your membership in this great cause and kingdom which He has restored to the earth in this, the last dispensation of the fulness of times. Why? To bring you happiness...............Be true to your own convictions. You know what is right, and you know what is wrong. You know when you are doing the proper thing. You know when you are giving strength to the right cause. Be loyal. Be faithful. Be true, my beloved associates in this great kingdom."

The Nephites didn't have either President Kimball or President Hinckley, but they had Jacob.  In chapter 3 of Jacob in the Book of Mormon, the Nephites have not kept their actions consistent with what they know. There has been a "disconnect", somewhat of a slumber, with what they know, and how they have been living.  Because of this, there has been an absence of the Spirit in their lives; an absence of divine direction.  They know better, but have not done better. 

It's interesting that Jacob uses the words, "...arouse the faculties of your souls; shake yourselves that ye may awake from the slumber of death", as if they have not been conscious of what they have been doing. They've been distracted, preoccupied, incoherent, disjointed, non-alert.  The PRIDE that they have developed has allowed temptation to creep into their lives until they are in a state of being "unaware" of their inconsistency in living the gospel.  They will be held accountable for the light, knowledge, and understanding they have received and comprehend.  So will we.

Sometime in our life, when we're ready, we come to understand that living true to what we know, brings us peace and contentment.  It invites the Spirit to dwell with us.  Blessings flow through our obedience in LIVING the gospel of Jesus Christ and not just saying we're living the gospel.  We must be alert and aware at all times, 'lest the adversary deceive us and distract us from doing good things......Maybe we can work on minimizing that periodical "disconnect" that happens when we lose focus. 

If Jacob were here, he'd tell us to open our eyes and "Just Do It."!

LOYALTY to the Lord

I had a some strong thoughts about our seminary lesson today.  I hope I conveyed them to my class. We've crept through Jacob 2 in the Book of Mormon for the last 3 days because I felt it was important to catch what was going on in this chapter. 

As Jacob continues to speak to the Nephites at the temple about pride, the love of riches, and unchastity, he  agonizes about having to speak to them boldly.   He spoke of the hurt feelings from family members that have arisen from their actions.  The men have neglected to take care in watching where their loyalties lie and seeing how those actions affect those they love. 
In verse 35 it reads: ".....Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds."
As our lesson was centered on living the Law of Chastity, we talked about loyalty to a spouse, a loved one, and a family.   When we are committed to a spouse in marriage, we promise to stay loyal to them, and none other.  When we live the Law of Chastity within a marriage, we form a bond with them and there is a strength that forms between us in that commitment we've made to each other.  We compliment each other and become greater by sharing "assets" (talents, abilities, strengths, etc.).  His assets become hers, and hers become his.   Isn't this like what the Lord is asking of us by entering into sacred covenants with him?  When we enter into a covenant with the Lord, he is offering us his righteousness if we would be loyal to him.  Because he loves us, he's willing to take on our sins if we repent, and commit to honor and obey him, and "no other gods".  Perhaps those hurt feelings expressed in verse 35 above somewhat reflect the Lord's feelings when we are not loyal to him?  Living the Law of Chastity helps us to understand being loyal to the Lord, which is what he asks of his covenant people.
Jacob is the very one, who in 2 Nephi 9, gave a strong, stirring sermon on the power of the Savior's Atonement.   Everything brings us back to the Atonement.  All things testify of Christ.   We become "complete" through him.

I Don't Have PRIDE, Do I?

Well, studying the Book of Mormon is like looking in a mirror.  We see bits and pieces of ourselves.   I think that was the point of the book.  We don't always like what we see in the mirror, though, WHICH IS THE POINT OF THE BOOK!  We were meant to read about what were the causes of the downfall of the Nephite civilization, and see the correlation with ourselves, in hopes of avoiding it.  Jacob 2 left me with much to contemplate.

President Ezra Taft Benson gave a stirring talk in the April 1989 General Conference titled "Beware of Pride".  I was living in Fontana, CA at the time.  I don't recall hearing this talk in 1989.  This talk was the backbone and springboard for our lesson in seminary today. 

President Benson defines pride as ENMITY (hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition) toward God and/or others.   It can be seen as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended.  It is also faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, unforgiving, jealous, disobedience, and selfishness, just to name a few.  

We took a brief True/False quiz on PRIDE at the beginning of class:

1. If you don't like someone, then you have pride.
2. Arguing is a form of pride.
3. The way to overcome pride is by going to church.
4. There are some forms of pride that are good.
5. Disobedience to someone in authority over you is pride.
6. Gossiping is a form of pride.
7. If you have pride, you welcome input from others.
8. Poor people don't have pride because they don't have money.
9. Holding onto grudges is pride.
10. If someone offends you, then you have pride.

Going over the answers of this quiz made for a good discussion.  Our class was a bit surprised that some of these behaviors were forms of pride.  I brought a mirror to class to make the point that in order to overcome pride, we had to be able to identify it, then we had to be willing to look for the pride in ourselves before looking for it in others. We can't overcome what we don't acknowledge.  

What is beautiful about the Book of Mormon is that it not only identifies and defines pride in the Nephite people, but the solution to overcoming it is given as well.  1.The two groups in the Book of Mormon that seemed to have the greatest difficulty with PRIDE are "the learned, and the rich." (2 Ne. 28:15)   In several chapters previous to this, Jacob teaches that "...to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God." (2 Ne. 9:29).  2.  He addresses the rich by stating, "Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.  But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God." (Jacob 2:17-18)  

The application of this to ourselves is key!  The Book of Mormon was written for us to bring us closer to Jesus Christ through his teachings. We overcome the world by becoming like him.  The Book of Mormon also shows us how to overcome the struggles the Nephites/Lamanites had in common with us.   If we can implement the teachings of Jesus Christ in this book, we will be able to sidestep a similar destruction. 

President Benson concludes his talk by stating, "God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble. Alma said, “Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.” (Alma 32:16.)

Let us choose to be humble.

Tender Hearts Discovered Through Tardy Make-ups

Students roll into seminary, and sometimes they're late. It's going to happen.  I've tried to come up with a fair way for them to do tardy make-ups.  So far, this has worked for me over the last several years.

1.  I collect each student's e-mail address at the beginning of the year. 

2. I send them each an e-mail to make sure I have the correct e-mail address.

3.  I put them in an e-mail group in my address book online.

4.  For every day that I have a lesson, I send them a group e-mail (BCC) with 3 questions from the lesson.   I call them my "3 Seminary Questions", followed by the date.

5.  In order to get credit for a tardy, they must answer at least one question correctly and send it back to me through e-mail.  Since I send 3 questions/day, they have an opportunity to get credit for 3 tardies at one time.   They cannot "bank" their tardies past a week, so whatever questions they answer correctly beyond what they need gets translated into Mormon Money (a money reward system we use in class).  

What's nice for me is that I can see, from their responses, who was listening and who wasn't.  Or even better, whether what I've taught was clear or unclear.  If I was unclear, then I know that I need to work harder as a teacher to articulate my thoughts and teach differently.  If I was clear, then I know how to continue.  Sometimes students answer the questions with simple answers, and others have been known to write paragraphs.  It's completely up to them. 

For those students who attend seminary on time, they can simply delete the e-mail when they receive it, or answer the questions to earn Mormon Money.

You can see that this takes some time to maintain and be consistent.  I haven't had a problem with maintenance, so far.  What I enjoy the most are reading the responses.  There are times when I can "see in their heart" with their honest answers.  I have found class comedians, poets, book-writers, and students with wild imaginations in reading these responses.  Some of their "talents" would never have been discovered had I not given them the chance to express themselves in this way.  So....................this is what works for me.

Here are my questions from today's lesson in 2 Nephi 28:

1. In 2 Nephi 28:4-9, there are several false teachings Nephi mentions would be present in the last days. Name two.

2. How could being aware of these false teachings be helpful to us? How do we know they're false?

3. In the short movie we watched today, President Boyd K. Packer compared the dangers of Satan to us, with the dangers of a crocodile to other animals in the wild. How were the other animals fooled (especially the young) to get close enough to the crocodile? ...And give me an example of how that could be us?

From a teacher of the RISING GENERATION...

Impressive.   My youth were very expressive about what they learned this past weekend while listening to General Conference.  I am happy to see that they have a passion about it.  Again, not my experience as a youth. I always find it so interesting to listen to them.  I don't think I'm that old, or that different from them.  But apparently I am.  They always have such an interesting perspective that I don't see until they share it with me.  That's part of the excitement of teaching youth.   This RISING GENERATION just knows so much more than my generation did when we were that age.  Progress; thank goodness. 

This is what they heard:

Elder Holland's talk made the biggest impression on them.  Read the Book of Mormon, treasure it to avoid being deceived by Satan. Read it, know it, testify of it.   Joseph Smith was a true prophet. Elder Holland's testimony was bold and amazing.  (This is one talk they'll never forget.)

Love Family - Need to be more loving to each other, tell your family you love them and show them, teach your family the doctrine, teach them good morals, talk to one another, be kinder.

Love God - Be loyal to him, know who he is, keep his commandments, pray often.

Love Others - Look for ways of serving, "warm fuzzies", take care of those who have less, lose yourself in serving others.

Anger - Anger doesn't solve anything, patience, can't feel the Spirit when you're angry.

Missionary work - Now is the time to prepare, be worthy, learn so we can teach, gospel must be spread throughout the rest of the world.

Heart - Need to soften our heart by reading the scriptures, praying, keeping the commandments, partaking of the sacrament every week.  Don't be casual.  Being casual turns your heart to stone.  Holy Ghost can't dwell in your heart if it's hard.

I have a great class.  I am happy they are willing to open their mouths and share their thoughts and what was important to them.  An experience like watching General Conference simultaneously brings us closer from hearing the messages at the same time.  The Spirit is able to touch us all in a given moment even if we are miles apart.

Getting Revvvvvvvvved up for General Conference!

When I was little, my father would pick me up out of bed, blankets and all, plop me on the couch, and turn on the t.v. at 6:00 a.m. on the Sunday of General Conference.   I grew up in Hawaii (Pacific Standard Time - 4 hours behind Utah) and there wasn't a way to record the sessions back then.  Darn.  I didn't see the point of me having to lie there on the couch on those mornings. General Conference just couldn't keep my attention longer than 15 seconds at a time.  The speakers all seemed the same.  All wearing suits and ties, elderly, and I remember them speaking VERY SLOWLY.   

At the time, I didn't appreciate my dad and what he was doing.   Well, my dad turned out to be my hero and example. I have tremendous gratitude for his stalwart testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He taught me what I SHOULD be doing out of obedience even if it was hard for me.   The understanding and wisdom came later, as well as the testimony.   Today, I have come to crave General Conference.  I listen to every speaker and it's somewhat depressing at the end of the weekend to think I have to wait another 6 months before I can get my "spiritual bucket" filled again. 

As I spoke to my seminary class this morning about preparation for General Conference, I could tell that there were some who already had the excitement and positive anticipation for it.  I hoped to make it clear to them how important it was to me.  If they ever seek to know why I feel the way I do, then perhaps they will attempt to know for themselves through prayer.  

I asked each of them to sign up to report back to the class on 2 speakers over the whole conference.  Monday's lesson will be comprised of thoughts, impressions, information, and inspirational messages from them.  I appreciate the ability we have to access the talks online through http://www.lds.org/.   I shared that with the class so they could refer to this website if they wanted to review any of the talks.   I, of course, will watch ALL of the sessions (except the Priesthood session), and try to tie some messages together to share my testimony with them on Monday.    I'm looking forward to an amazing weekend.

Having a "Nerf" BLAST with Scripture Mastery

This Nerf gun is the funnest Scripture Mastery prop I have ever used.  I bought a few of these last year to play with my class and we never EVER got tired of using them to test ourselves on how well we knew our Scripture Mastery.  I laminated twenty-five 8-1/2" x 11" pictures on cardstock of each SM.  I also laminated twenty-five corresponding cards with only the references on them.  And I did the same for the key words.  So that is seventy-five cards total.    As we learned each SM, I'd use these flash cards to test them.   Then at the end of a day where we're concentrating on SM, I tape the cards to the chalk board and set up a few chairs facing the board.  Each shooter has a Nerf gun with several darts.  I bought darts of different colors so we could differentiate which shooter they came from.   The fun starts when I ask for something specific and they have to shoot at the correct card.  The first one whose suction dart sticks to the card, is the winner of that round.  I'll say: "I'm looking for the key words that go with the reference __________."  Then they know they're shooting at the cards with the key words.  Or I'll begin by saying, "I'm looking for the picture for this scripture." And I'll start reading the actual scripture.  The first one whose dart sticks on the correct card is the winner of that round.   They take turns and play as a devotional group or another organized group we've planned ahead of time.   

The fun comes when you see how aiming at the target isn't as easy as it looks.  Also, just because you know the answer doesn't mean you have the fastest gun.   And.......sometimes you'll  know the answer, you'll have the faster gun, but your dart doesn't stick like you wanted it to.   It's tons of fun.   At first I was wondering whether I was encouraging violence in seminary.  I've gotten over that thought a long time ago.  If this is how we bond as a class, then I'll get EVERYONE a Nerf gun!  'Going to play it tomorrow.  We know 8 SM very well at this point in the year.  I'll put up the 24 cards and we'll get to know them even better. 

Nephi: Too Much GOOD to keep up with!

Well, it's the beginning of the seminary year and I'm already behind in logging in my thoughts, impressions, and lessons.   I'm licking my wounds and moving on. 

My seminary class is at the end of 2 NEPHI and we're approaching Jacob quickly.  Here are some thoughts I have about NEPHI. 
Like Moses, I noticed NEPHI isn't too complimentary of himself (even though we're very aware of the incredible man he is).   His humility shows quite frequently as he writes about his weaknesses.  I've shared with my class that we all want to identify with NEPHI, but realistically, we're more like LAMAN & LEMUEL than we want to admit.  It is my impression that this is why he writes about them so much.  It is our challenge to overcome the faults of LAMAN & LEMUEL in ourselves.  Once we identify what those things are (pride, selfishness, physical comfort, lack of commitment to the Lord, love of the world, greed, etc.), and then admit that we have those things, then we can work on ridding ourselves of what will hold us back from receiving the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

NEPHI is very repetitious, THANK GOODNESS.   He speaks often of the condition of our hearts.   He tells us what will soften our hearts.  You can see a process occuring in NEPHI of gaining understanding from the Lord of the Lord's will.  As NEPHI is obedient, he begins to open himself to what the Lord wants and those turn into his own personal desires as well.  NEPHI begins to become as the Savior is.  NEPHI cannot NOT be obedient to the Lord.   In his very last words to us, he says: "For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the judgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey. Amen."   (2 Ne. 33:15) He MUST obey because he is in full acceptance of the Lord's way.  To do otherwise would to go against all he knows to be true.

There is a digression occurring with LAMAN & LEMUEL because of their complaining and insincere repentance.  They continue to harden their hearts to the point that only the power of God can soften them (1 Ne. 18:20). They are no longer sure of what they know (loss of their testimony), they are reluctant to listen to their younger brother NEPHI for direction because they don't believe he's being directed by the Lord.  There is also pride mixed up in their rejection of NEPHI.

The most noticeable difference in them was made apparent to me once NEPHI took the Lord's faithful followers away from LAMAN & LEMUEL.   In 2 Nephi 5, NEPHI takes his people (those who believe in the Lord and his revelations) and separates them from the influence of evil.  He builds a temple and teaches his people to be obedient to the commandments of God.  When they keep the Lord's commandments, they prosper in the land.  Those left behind with LAMAN & LEMUEL, then are left with a curse (being cut off from the presence of the Lord - 2 Ne. 5:20), a sign of that curse (a skin of blackness - 2 Ne. 5:21), and the result of that curse (became an idle people, full of mischief - 2 Ne. 5: 24).

NEPHI teaches us so much more.....I'll have to stop in later and share what else made an impression on me!

1 Nephi 2: Early signs of Apostasy for THE BROTHERS

Laman and Lemuel; what are we going to do with them?  The absence of the Holy Ghost in their lives contributed to their quickness to anger and murmuring against their father.   Interesting how they would feel anger towards Lehi, who was simply being obedient to the Lord.  Would they have been respectful of him if he hadn't been obedient?  I doubt it. Lehi's integrity is quite admirable.  In 1 Nephi 2:11, Laman and Lemuel's stiffneckedness, murmuring, and their hearts set on the wealth of the world were a result of their absence of the Spirit (chased away by their rebellion, no doubt).   According to 1 Ne. 2:12-13, they knew not the dealings of God, and they didn't believe in the words of the prophets. No witness and no testimony of these things.
In contrast to them, Nephi follows the pattern in yesterday's lesson.  In 1 Nephi 2:16-17, Lehi testifies of what he knows is true, and Nephi seeks to know for himself after hearing him. Nephi's exertion of FAITH is prayer.  He receives his own personal witness from the Lord, and thereby testifies of what he now knows is true to Sam.  Sam now seeks to know for himself, and the cycle goes on.  It's a beautiful pattern on how testimonies are sparked and how the Holy Ghost works through us in every step. 
Nephi's experience is relayed in contrast to his brothers' experience.  Without a "course correction" for Laman and Lemuel at this point, they are headed down a road of darkness and sadness.  Meanwhile, we watch as Nephi, because of his faith, obedience, humility, and willingness to follow the Lord's will, receives light, knowledge, understanding, and blessings. 

1 Nephi 1: Through our FAITH, we are able to learn to receive revelation from the Lord

I've been so impressed with Lehi's obedience. I've discovered a pattern in the scriptures that help me to recognize how we receive a testimony of TRUTH. Lehi learns of the inevitable destruction of Jerusalem through the living prophets in his area. They know this through revelation and inspiration. Lehi, in understanding this, seeks to know for himself. He exerts FAITH through prayer, after which he receives his own revelation, to much more than I think he anticipated. He must have been such a faithful and worthy man to have been chosen to receive such revelation. He receives a vision, and is given a book. The Spirit testifies to him of the truthfulness of what he is experiencing, and now he has a personal manifestation of what he has "seen" and has been "shown". Now he is in the position to testify to others through the power of the Holy Ghost. This is how testimonies are developed. Faith is a key factor to all of it.
1. Someone who knows, testifies of TRUTH.
2. Someone who hears, seeks to know for himself.
3. He exercises FAITH, and in this case prayer.
4. He receives his own testimony through revelation.
5. He testifies of what he now knows.
.....and the cycle repeats.
It repeats in the next chapter. But this time, Lehi is the one who knows and testifies of TRUTH. Nephi is the one who hears and seeks to know for himself. Nephi exercises FAITH through prayer. Nephi receives his own testimony through revelation from the Lord, and then he testifies of it to Sam. (1 Nephi 2:16-17)
I believe this is in the beginning of the Book of Mormon so we can seek our own witness of the truthfulness of this book in testifying of Jesus Christ and his mission. We then are obligated to seek others and open our mouths in testifying of what we know, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Great stuff. (smile)

The GREAT PLAN OF HAPPINESS

Every year, one of the first lessons we teach in seminary is "The Plan of SALVATION". 'Used to wonder why; now I see the wisdom. Must not have had a true testimony of it, but I do now. "If you know where you've been, and where you are now, it helps to know how to get where you want to go." In my opinion, this lesson is really about knowing and trusting God the Father. Faith, of course. It's His great plan to help us reach TRUE JOY by becoming like Him.
It's a magnificent plan where we are completely free to use our agency in making choices. We agreed, in the pre-mortal existence, to follow the plan. We must have seen "the way", otherwise we would never have supported it. We must have seen how confining and limited we would be as unembodied spirits; how trials and testing as mortals would give us the strength we needed to become like Him. Trials are placed in our path as part of the "perfection" process. Magnificent plan!
The Fall of Adam, although many look down on this part of the plan, was absolutely necessary to bring us into mortality. This is how we gain our bodies. All part of the great plan.
This plan also makes it clear to us how the Atonement of the Savior, Jesus Christ, is the one feature that facilitates the plan. The Atonement is what makes the plan work. Without it, we are trapped in our sins (bodies are trapped on this earth) and our spirits belong to Satan. The Savior's Resurrection opens the ability for our spirits to reunite with our bodies, thereby becoming immortal. We are given the opportunity to repent of our sins and through the Atonement, we can be washed clean, and return to our Heavenly Father clean and worthy. By knowing this, we develop a deep feeling of gratitude and reverence for Jesus Christ.
We had a great discussion as a class today. I used the suggestion in the manual (imagine that!) of stretching a string from one wall in the class to another, representing the line of our lives. I hung a paperclip over the string with a clear plastic body figure on it representing our spirits, and an identical body figure on another paper clip using cardstock. Moved the figures up and down the line while discussing progression during teaching. Wrote "Pre-Mortal Life", "Mortal Life", and "Post-Mortal Life" on 3 small envelopes. Used the envelope flaps to hang them on the string. Thought it was a corny idea when I read it. Ended up being the best Plan of Salvation lesson I've ever taught. Great visual for them. I hope they GOT IT! I GOT IT GOOD!

Class Theme for the Year

"Face to Face with the Savior" Alma 34:32-33, 2 Nephi 33:11, D&C 88:68
I was thinking of what it would be like to meet the Savior, face to face. I'd start crying like a baby, for sure. If President Monson visited my class or came to my home, that would be my reaction. If the Savior were in my presence, this reaction would be intensified 1000 x's. What a priviledge it would be....... Then I thought about what it would require for me to be worthy of His presence. That thought alone brought me to a humble place. Then I thought about what it requires for me to be worthy of another member of the Godhead; The Holy Ghost. Whatever I needed to do to prepare to meet the Savior are the same things I need to be doing to be worthy of the Holy Ghost. If we're able to maintain the companionship of the Holy Ghost, then that will prepare us to meet the Savior. "This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God..." I felt a reverence about this theme for my class this year. I want them to be reminded daily that we are working towards the day when we can stand before the Lord in full confidence, clean and worthy of His presence. It's a DAILY process; one that we must keep on our minds and in our hearts.

Scripture Chain Devotionals

Here is the concept. I want my students to work together as a devotional group. Each group will be in charge of a Scripture Mastery (SM) scripture. Using their Topical Guide, Footnotes, and Bible Dictionary, I want them to use their cross-references to connect together a series of references to form a complete picture of a doctrine, principle, or precept.
They are to start with the SM assigned, and then come up with several references that would make a solid "chain". Then they are to narrow it down to 3 of the strongest that would support that SM and the principle it is teaching. Once they have done that, they are prepared for the week of devotionals.
The Monday student will present the SM assigned their devotional group. He/she can use pictures, objects, props, (or not) while presenting and teach us the principle/doctrine/precept. He/she will name the chain (give the other 3 references), and the class is to write them down in the margins of that SM.
Tuesday's student in that group will present the same principle/doctrine/precept, but using one of the other references in the chain. It keeps going until the end of the week. Usually I will do a SM activity on Friday, so we only need 4 devotionals each week. I will always give them class time to work with their groups on each SM they are assigned. To take it a step further, if they can plan to select the hymns we are singing each day of the week they have devotional so they coincide with their principle/doctrine/precept, it would be ideal.
The idea is to form these chains so that they will master the SM scriptures. If they are ever called to give a talk on one of these principles/doctrines/precepts without much time to prepare, they can take one of their "chains" and easily adapt it to a talk. I also see that this will help them avoid being unprepared. They will have done the bulk of the work with their group. The ultimate end to each devotional would be that each one could testify of the truthfulness of what they have taught. If they can use a personal experience to solidify each principle and help the youth in class internalize it, I will go home with a huge smile on my face that day. =)

My Own Set of "Gold Plates"

This is our class project this year. All students will have the opportunity to copile their own set of PLATES.

This idea was the brain child of a man in my ward who used to teach seminary. He shared it with me and I added to it with my own idea of inserts.

Materials: One sheet of gold posterboard, one sheet of yellow posterboard, two 2" binder rings, a paper cutter, a sharpie marker, a glue stick, some colored & white paper, a two-hole puncher, and my computer & printer. The posterboard is cut to 4-1/2" x 6" rectangles. The paper that is inserted is cut to 4" x 6" rectangles, or blank 4" x 6" notecards can be used. I am aware that the original plates had three rings and this one only has two, but I only used two to make it easier for us; convenience.

The yellow cardstock marks each book in the Book of Mormon. They also indicate which plates they were from. They serve as dividers.

Where ever there were pictures which I could insert illustrating specific accounts, I glued a copy of it onto a piece of 4" x 6" notecard, and on the back of it, I'd give the scripture reference and a brief description of the picture. Most pictures were taken from the Book of Mormon Seminary Student Study Guide. All are Church approved pictures.

Other inserts include maps, background information, quotes from prophets on Scripture Mastery scriptures, quotes from prophets on doctrine and principles in the Book of Mormon, etc.

I want my class to take notes during our lessons, on blank 4" x 6" paper I'm giving them. We'll compile the book/plates throughout the year, in hopes that this will be a meaningful resource to them in future years.

"We're at the STARTING GATE..."

Seminary begins on Monday, August 17th. I teach a class of juniors and seniors in the Murrieta Stake in California of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is my 4th year teaching. Being a seminary teacher has been the hardest calling I have ever had. Along with that, though, are rewards I've received through teaching that are greater than any I have ever had. I have a much deeper understanding of who God is, His plan for us, and where I fall in that plan. I have come to know that the scriptures testify of Jesus the Christ, that he made an Atonement for all mankind (including me, personally), and this enormous blessing makes it possible for me to become "perfected" through Him. I have a greater desire to attend the temple, and have begun to "ponder" more frequently; more deeply. Through my journey this year in teaching my seminary class, I plan on "holding their hands" through the Book of Mormon and SHOWING them how this book directly speaks to them and is a handbook for them to refer to on how to "overcome the world" and look to Jesus Christ for their salvation.
I just received my list of students yesterday. I spent the day calling or texting each of them to welcome them to my class. I've been making preparations in the Primary Room (my classroom this year in the building that I teach in) to make the room inviting and to be organized so everything flows for me. I've been clearing room in my closet, laminating Scripture Mastery flashcards, and separating perforated Scripture Mastery Cards, which for some reason took WAAAAAAAAY longer than I anticipated. I've created "plates" that the youth will be able to compile throughout the year as we study. I'll share that in a future post.
There will be a parent/student/teacher Fireside this Sunday 8/9 at the stake center.
Future entries I make will be more about the lessons I teach. I have already discovered so much in the studying I have done over the summer break. Will spoon feed it to all of you over time. Join me; the more the merrier...