A Type of Christ

In Helaman 11:1-17, Nephi has already been given the sealing power by the Lord and been told that anything he asks of God will be granted because he will not ask anything that is not in line with the Lord's will. The Nephites and the Lamanites have become extremely wicked, are supporting secret combinations, and have forgotten the Lord. With the desire to help the people turn their minds and their hearts back to God, Nephi requests that the Lord smite the land with famine so that the people will remember the source of their prosperity and well-being. His prayer is answered and as the famine increases in severity the people finally recognize their dependence on God and repent. When Nephi sees that they have sufficiently humbled themselves, he pleads with the Lord on their behalf and requests that the affliction of the famine be removed. This desire is granted as well.

As I thought about this passage I realized that Nephi is a type of Christ in this story. Like Nephi, the Lord is so pure that His will and that of the Father are the same. Christ would never ask anything that would not be supported, approved and granted by His Father. There are times in our lives where we get caught up in the things of the world, get too busy, neglect the basic principles of the gospel that invite the Spirit into our lives, and we lose sight of the sustaining hand of God. Just as Nephi loved his people and pleaded with the Lord that they could be reminded of His grace, the Lord allows us to experience the difficulties that come when we are not holding as fast to the rod of iron as we should so that we too can be reminded that the way of the Lord brings safety, happiness, and prosperity. This story also illustrates how it was as soon as the people had sincerely humbled themselves and repented Nephi asked God to bless the people again. The Lord too will petition His Father on our behalf and ask that we be delivered when we have remembered Him and regained our fast hold on the rod. We are allowed to go through all we need in order to learn what is necessary for our progression, but when we have experienced what is needed we will be delivered! The Lord is completely just but exceedingly and perfectly merciful and wants the very best for us. He truly is the Mediator and He will plead before the throne of God so that we may be reminded, rescued, and redeemed.

Wherein does our destiny lie?

"Men at some time are masters of their fates:
  The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
  But in ourselves." -Julius Caesar, Act I Scene II

This is one of my favorite Shakespearian quotes. I have pondered often how blessed we are as human beings to have the gift of agency, the power to chose, in many ways, our fate. Too often we as mortals go about life in a reactionary mindset, an unintentional perspective that life just happens to us and we take what is given. If this is the case, why would Heavenly Father have bothered to give us agency in the first place? We are blessed to be able to chose our destiny ever day because of this priceless gift! Many things may happen to us that are beyond our control but our final destination is completely within our power. Are we choosing Celestial glory or eternal misery? Which direction are we facing-toward light or darkness? The choice is ours, so let us be masters of our fate and point our hearts and our feet towards the One who longs for us to return to Him.

Listening to the Spirit

As I was reading Helaman 9-10 this morning I was again amazed at the spiritual strength and boldness which Nephi possessed. As he communed with God and received revelation from the Lord he was unabashed in calling the people to repentance or declaring unto them their "secret works of darkness" (2 Nephi 9:9). As I asked the question, "Why was this chapter included in the Book of Mormon?" I realized that Nephi had to completely trust the Lord and the promptings he received because it could be very frightening to declare to a whole multitude of people that their chief judge had just been murdered and realize that among a wicked people all kinds of incriminating conclusions could be created. Yet Nephi did not fear man but trusted that if the Lord prompted him to declare these things unto the people that he need not fear and that the Lord would sustain him. We too receive inspiration and guidance from the Holy Ghost but often we cannot see the end result of what we've been prompted to say or do and as a result we hesitate in following the direction we've received. It is my desire to become more like Nephi and become more purified and in tune with the Spirit that I will be completely confident in recognizing the promptings of the Holy Ghost and will act without hesitation or "fearing what man can do" (D&C 30:11). I believe as we each do this we can someday reach the point Nephi did where the Lord said to him, "Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.

And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." -Helaman 10:4-5