Aug 15, 1990
Today’s Reading- Mosiah 2:39-
Verse 39: If you do not repent while in this lifetime, then mercy can have no claim on you. Christ can not become a mediator for you, therefore, you must pay the price for sin by yourself.
Verse 40: Benjamin addresses the old, young, and children old enough to understand. This is significant because it is not just the old that need to repent. We all need to repent every day of our lives. He wants us all to remember what happens to those who do not repent. Repentance may seem difficult at times, but compared to the consequences, it is very very simple. We just need to keep in mind an eternal prospective. Of course, with an eternal prospective, we would not ever sin. Benjamin spoke in no uncertain terms so that none of us would have any excuse to not repent. The entire Book of Mormon was written in simplicity so that we would have no excuses. This is why we come under condemnation for not reading and using the Book. It’s simplicity remover our excuses and places upon us great responsibility.
Verse 41: We should also remember the rewards of keeping the commandments. If we keep the commandments. we will be blessed in all things, both temporal and physical. There are commandment upon which all blessings are predicated. These things are true and Benjamin testified of it. If we keep all of the commandments, when we keep all of the commandments. We will be blessed with all things that we need and desire. Our desires will become more righteous and they will truly be fulfilled.
Aug 16, 1990
Wolves never attack healthy sheep that are in the center of the fold. They always attack the sick ones by the edge. Satan is the same way. He will get the people who are wavering, uncertain or unsure.
Yesterday was zone conference with President Bott. He is so cool. The neatest thing that I learned was why things that I do, don’t bother me at all at one time, but if I do the same thing a month or two later, it really drives the Spirit away. We are all expected to progress. If we do not learn to obey more and more laws, we will constantly be without the Spirit.
I also learned something else that really helped me to understand why when people are really keeping the commandments and following the counsel of the prophet, they are often tried more and have more problems with depression. The nearer people are to God, the more Satan tries them. If they are not near to God, Satan has them already and doesn’t need to try them. The reason that God allows us to be tried so much is to prove us.
After Zone Conference, I had an interview with President Bott. I was able to talk to him about all of my frustrations with the fact that Elder Jasperson doesn’t want to work very hard. He gave me some advice to really help. He also told me that when I think I’m ready to go senior to let him know and he’ll make me senior the next transfer. Hopefully, I can do that by next month.
Today’s Reading - Mosiah 3:1
Verse 1- Benjamin asks them to be certain that they are paying attention. All of his words are important and he wants them to listen. Then he tells them that he will prophesy of future events. In our lives, we often need to be told to be sure that we are paying attention to the gospel. I’m going to try to live my life in such a manner as to never need to be reminded of the importance of the gospel.
Verse 1 is also how the Lord often teaches us. First, we are given a commandment or a law (ie law of Moses, Revelations to the prophets or personal revelation.) Then when we are obedient to that law, we are given more insight or laws by which to live. Line upon line, precept on precept. Also similar to the dispensations of time. men are taught, they fall away, and God call to them and teaches them more.
Verse 2: Benjamin is explaining that the source of this revelation was an angel from God who awoke him while he was sleeping. The angel also awoke Benjamin’s understanding. The angel STOOD in front of Benjamin. This is consistent with past and present reports from prophets about angels from God. We must always be certain of the source of our revelations.
Verse 3: It is interesting that Benjamin was told to “awake, and hear.” Evidently he still had his agency and could still choose whether to listen to the angel or toll over and go back to sleep. The angel tells him that he has come to tell him good things that will make him happier. The reason these are “glad tidings of great joy” is that without Christ, we could know no joy. The message of Christ is the only message that will ever bring us joy. Through this message, we are given the ability to find joy in life and in all that we do. Christ is the source of all of my joy. Perhaps the angel was Gabriel who later announced Christ’s birth?
Aug 17, 1990
Yesterday was both a good and bad day. Elder Jasperson and I got a discussion taught and we made some good contacts. We also spent a lot of time in the morning helping Yia and Kia take some tests for jobs they were applying for. I got a bunch of mail and a wedding announcement for Todd and Heather’s wedding which is today.
Last night we went on splits. I scheduled some things for us to do today that were important (ie welfare food delivery) when I got home, Jasperson was all uptight because “I went over his head.” I’m not too sure where it will go from here, but I’m going to work hard and get stuff done whether he wants to or not. I sure hope this doesn’t blow up.
Today’s Reading Mosiah 3:4-
Verse 4: Benjamin had been praying and the Lord heard and answered his prayers just as he hears and answers my prayers, and everyone’s prayers. Even if the answer is sometimes ‘no’. Benjamin had been living worthily. If we want out prayers answered, we must be living worthily. The angel brought a message to Benjamin which would cause him to rejoice, he also commanded him to tell the message to the people. God wants all of us to know Christ and to be happy. He gives revelation to the prophets today just like he did to Benjamin. The righteous will always rejoice in the words of a prophet, but the wicked will not.
Verse 5: Christ was to come to earth with power. He is omnipotent. Christ has all power. Christ reigns over this earth. Christ has lived from Eternity to all eternity. I don’t really grasp this, but I guess we have a hard time grasping the concept of eternity, and thus, I am unable to comprehend why there does not need to be a beginning. But God understands, and He said it was so, so it is so. Christ was to come to earth, possess a body and work miracles among the children of men. If men who possess the priesthood will be faithful, they will also have the power to do mighty miracles in His name and for His glory. It is important that no one try to perform miracles in his own name, it is only through the power of Christ that these things are possible. These mighty miracles listed here are as applicable to spiritual healings as they are to physical healings.
Aug 18, 1990
Verse 6: Christ shall cast out devils. He will do this in three ways. One of them is to cast out evil spirits which possess or torment people. Another way in which Christ cast out devils from the hearts of men was to rid their hears of the false traditions of their fathers, as well as the fears that they had of the next life. Christ came to help me and give them cause to rejoice. Doing these 2 things certainly helped men, but he did one more important thing. He gave the priesthood to men. This allows us to have the power to do all of the things that are listed in verses 3-5.
Verse 7: The first part of this verse shows that Christ will be subject to the same things as all men. while on Earth, His body was mortal. Then Benjamin speaks of the atonement. Only Christ could live through such pain. Since He was the Son of God, he alone controlled the time of HIs death. At any time during His suffering, He possessed the power to die, but He chose to suffer for me. I am so grateful for the atonement. That is what will make it possible if I am worthy, for me to return to His presence with my family
Yesterday I gave my first blessing in Hmong! It was really a neat experience. While I was the Elder’s quorum President at BYU, I really learned a lot about giving blessings that really helps me now. Anyway, we were on splits and one of the old women in the branch, Yia Yaj, wanted a blessing. The guy who was with me was a priest so I had to do it. I could really feel he Spirit as I blessed her and I could really see a physical change in her between before the blessing and after the blessing. Before I blessed her she was just mumbling. There was another Hmong lady there whom I asked what she was saying. She told me that she couldn’t understand her either. After the blessing, I talked with her for almost an hour and understood her! The priesthood is so strong and so real. I hope that I can learn to use it better.
The reason that Christ suffered was that He anguished over the wickedness of men.
verse 8: Christ created the earth, thus, He is Father of the Earth. Christ made it possible for us to return to Heaven. he will be the reason that we return to Heaven. Thus He will be the Father of those of us who return to Him, making Him the Father of heaven- by atoning for our sins, He made it possible for us to be spiritually reborn. Christ is our spiritual father. He has done so much for me. he has given me an opportunity to return to Him and my Father in Heaven. I truely love Him for this. He is my Savior.
We spent most of this afternoon trying to find the home of a man who was referred to us by an American. The guy lives way up north of Fresno. Anyway, we never did find the home, but we went out and found some Hmong people who were farming cherry tomatoes. we went and talked to them for a while. They just hot here from France a few months ago. they speak Hmong with a French accent. It was really weird as well as difficult to understand.
Tonight, we visited quite a few people and taught a first discussion. Things are going better. we really go quite a lot done tonight. I hope we keep working this much tomorrow. My understanding of the language had really increased in the last two days. I really need to concentrate on speaking more clearly now. The church is very true.
Aug 19, 1990
Today’s reading Mosiah 3:9-
Verse 9: WE must have faith in Christ and His atonement in order to gain salvation. Christ came unto men ( who are His own) and also unto Israel, who are His chosen people. After all of the great works that Christ performed unto the people, some of them claimed that he was possessed of a devil and scourged and crucified Him. Perhaps the worst scourging He received was not he physical one, but the emotional scourging He received knowing that many of His own chosen people did not accept Him and thus could not be saved.
Verse 10: Christ was resurrected and now he stand to judge the world. HE can now judge men righteously because He has suffered hunger, pain, thirst, fatigue, and temptation, triumphing over all of these. He has know the trials of men. As a result, he can judge us fairly.
Verse 11: This verse clearly states that Christ atoned for the sins of those who do not have a knowledge of God’s commandments during their lives. These people will, however, be required to learn the gospel and accept Christ as their Savior in the Spirit World. Thus, they must also prove themselves worthy of their salvation.
Verse 12: Wo unto those who know the will of God and rebel against God! If we purposely act in direct opposition to God’s will and do bad things in order to rebel against God, we will lose our faith in Christ as well as our salvation. This does not apply to those things that we do being deceived as to their righteousness. It does apply to sins we commit knowingly and we say “I’ll repent later.” That is when we lose the Spirit completely and repentance from these sins is very difficult, but it is possible.
Today has been a fairly good day. We taught two discussions and they both went well. I taught parts of the discussions and I feel pretty good about it. I’m kind of discouraged that none of our investigators seem to be having any spiritual experiences. It is so important for us to have the Spirit with us as missionaries, but it is also important to explain the Spirit better. I wish that my comp and I would have companion study every morning, but he just doesn’t seem to want to get up in time.
In church today, I felt the Spirit very strongly many times. The Church is true and God lives. I will never deny this- not for anything. Well tomorrow’s P-day so I better get to bed. I also blessed a little girl who was sick today- in Hmong!
Aug 20, 1990
Today’s Reading - Mosiah 3:13-
Verse 13: Before Christ was born, He sent prophets unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people. This means that Israel was not the only people who were told Christ would come. It seems reasonable to me that all of these prophets would be the reason that such a large number of people have beliefs that seem to have a large number of similarities. In fact, Buddha taught of one that would come whose was far greater than hem who would have holes in his hand, feet and side and that the people should follow him when he came. Perhaps Buddha was one of these prophets and the people just perverted his teachings over the years. Anyway, all men were taught of Christ that they could have faith in Him and repent.
Verse 14: The Israelites were too wicked to accept the law of the gospel which allowed for repentance. As a result, they were given the law of Moses. This was a far lesser law. How often do we today reject the prophet’s counsel, thus, causing ourselves to live a lower law. I will always strive to be strictly obedient to the counsel of our dear prophet.
Verse 15: Although the Lord showed the people many signs and wonders which pointed directly to His coming, the people hardened their hears and refused to listen to the prophets and see the signs and wonders that Christ must atone for their sins or the Law of Moses would be worth nothing to their salvation. A greater sacrifice was needed than they had offered for their sins. They needed to have Christ’s atonement in order to be able to gain true forgiveness- they just didn’t understand.
Missing a few pages...
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