Day 356 Today's reading: Ether 15:1-17 // Luke 24

Question of the day: What caused Coriantumr to have a change of heart? When have you experienced a change of heart?

His change of heart came once it was too late to go back. The comment I added to my scriptures was, do I have a tendency to push past the opportunities from the Lord to pursue my own wants, as self defeating as they are?

I finished the Book of Luke. This last chapter made me think more about the temple. I'll start John today or tomorrow.

Day 353 Today's reading: Ether 13:1-18 // Luke 23

Question of the day: What do you think Moroni meant when he wrote the first shall be last and the last shall be first, in relation to the gathering of Israel?

Ether 13:15 - War begins as soon as Ether is forced to leave the Jaredite people. To me this is not a coincidence. The Lord's blessings diminish when the righteous are removed from among a people. I think we see the opposite when a temple is placed in the midst of a people. I see it as one of the great miracles of our day that we have temples already dotting the land and fixing in place the Lord's holiness to bless and strengthen that city and that people. Never in the world's history has something like this even been remotely possible. 

Luke 23: The Lord's crucifixion. I am reminded that Christmas would mean nothing without Easter. There is no importance to the Lord's birth without his atoning sacrifice including his death and subsequent resurrection. Praise be to God for the matchless gift of his beloved Son! 

Day 352 Today's reading: Ether 12:22-41 // Luke 22

Question of the day: Why do you think it is important for us to recognize our weaknesses? Why do you think we need to be meek in order to overlook the weaknesses of others?

I feel like Moroni was prompted to see clearly his weakness in writing so that as he asked for the Lord to make it available to us, he would know it was only by His grace that it would be done. When we receive any blessing from the Lord it is by and through His grace that it is done. 

I suppose the meekness means that we accept the fact that God has given each of us weaknesses and yet he still has charity towards each of His children. And this should affect how we treat each other.

Luke 22: suffering in Gethsemane

Day 351 Today's reading: Ether 12:1-21

Question of the day: How has faith been an enabling power in your life?

Ether 12:4: This is a good verse to start with to study faith.

Ether 12:21: How do we grow our faith to be like that of the brother of Jared's?

Luke 21: about the second coming. 

Day 350 Today's reading: Ether 11:1-23

Question of the day: Are prophets today rejected like they were in these verses? How can we stand up for the prophets? My initial thought is that how we receive, act upon, and share the words of the prophets ultimately is the best way to stand up for them. 

How do I harden my heart towards the prophets and their words? I don't rebel against them but do I resist some promptings I get when I hear, read, or study their words?

Luke 20: I enjoy these chapters where we read of challenging questions posed to the Lord, which he handles perfectly by addressing the real issues at hand such that those with ulterior motives are foiled. We need to learn how to ask of God the right questions and carefully listen for the answers.

Day 357 Today's reading: Ether 15:18-34

Question of the day: What consequences can anger have for an individual or a family?

Anger seems to prevent us from making rational decisions, decisions we would otherwise not make. This is what we saw between Shiz and Coriantumr, somehow they allowed themselves to continue to be worked up in anger towards each other. Coriantumr had fought multiple leaders, whereas Shiz only ever fought against Coriantumr.  With this in mind I think it is easy for us to see that Shiz had really focused his hate on Coriantumr. He was easily brought back to anger towards Coriantumr because he had killed his brother.

Day 352 Today's reading: Ether 12:22-41

Question of the day: Why do you think it is important for us to recognize our weaknesses? Why do you think we need to be meek in order to overlook the weaknesses of others?

One of the first thoughts that occurs to me is that humility turns our hearts to God as we see how dependent we are on Him. Moroni and Ether both saw their weaknesses and it turned them to God, so weakness is one of those things that helps us to have humility. If we recognize our weakness we can see God's power, and we will love Him better for it.

I'm impressed by the idea that Moroni is concerned with his weakness in writing. What is it that he sees in his writing that is so disappointing? Also, what is it that he sees in the writing of others that he admires so much. Certainly all of the prophets and even Jesus proclaim the mastery of Isaiah's writing. Is this what Moroni is comparing himself to? He only mentions the writing of the Brother of Jared. Do we know first hand what the Brother of Jared wrote? It is hard for me to tell the difference between what he wrote and what Moroni would have summarized.

Day 348 Today's reading: Ether 10:1-16

Question of the day: Why would Satan try to cause contention within a family? How can you overcome this contention?

Amanda asked this question of our children. There were some amazing answers I wish I had written them down. Things like jealousy and he can't have it so he wants us to be broken up. We started talking about how to overcome contention and we didn't get far into it before it was time to go. I want to know the childrens' answers to this.  Satan is so good at getting us to fight and be unhappy with each other. How do combat this? Addi said Family Home Evening, which I thought was great. Hannah said love each other.  Their answers are simple but true.

Day 336 & 337 Today's and Yesterday's reading: Ether 2:1-12, Ether 2:13-25

Question of the day (336): When have you followed a spiritual prompting and then received further direction from God? Why do you think we sometimes need to respond to a spiritual prompting before we can receive additional revelation?

I'm not sure I can think of a specific example off the top of my head of a time that I have followed a prompting and then received further direction. But I would say that it is very common for me to ponder upon an issue for days or weeks and find that as I continue to seek guidance or information that more comes over time. I find it very interesting to go back to my journals or prayer notes and see how an idea started and then continued and changed over time.  This leads to my answer to the second question, faith is developed with work. Faith without works is dead being alone. So as we follow a prompting and then continue to seek more guidance, the Lord does give us more and refines the information given. I think the Lord always wants to give us more, we choose how much to receive.  Check this out from Elder Scott in April 2012 Conference:

"When I am faced with a very difficult matter, this is how I try to understand what to do. I fast. I pray to find and understand scriptures that will be helpful. That process is cyclical. I start reading a passage of scripture; I ponder what the verse means and pray for inspiration. I then ponder and pray to know if I have captured all the Lord wants me to do. Often more impressions come with increased understanding of doctrine. I have found that pattern to be a good way to learn from the scriptures."

Question of the day (337): The brother of Jared asked the Lord questions concerning air, steering the boat and light. What were the different ways the Lord answered his prayers and what are ways the Lord answers your prayers? 

So this example falls in line well with what we learned from Elder Scott, that if we work for it the Lord will give us more. First the Lord gives Moriancumer the exact solution to getting air.  Then he makes it tough by asking Moriancumer how he will get the light ('figure this one out yourself'). But he follows it with 'the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth', this is how they will be directed or steered towards the promised land. So the Brother of Jared received two direct answers and one invitation.  The invitation is to make him sweat a little, to work for the answer, and an answer will come. Not just a simple yes or no answer, but action on the Lords part, and even more important the completion of faith and the institution of knowledge. He will no longer just have GREAT faith in the Lord, he will see and know that the Lord lives. 

Day 335 Today's reading: Ether 1:1-43

Question of the day: What principles can we learn from the way the brother of Jared prayed and the way the Lord answered his prayers?

1. There was counseling with Jared.
2. There were specific questions.
3. TboJ definitely "cried" unto the Lord. There was feeling and concern.
4. The was consistent effort over time. (The Lord said these blessing were because, "this long time ye have cried unto me".
5. Clearly there is faith both with Jared and tboJ that the Lord will answer their prayers.
6. I also make the assumption that the Holy Ghost prompted them to know what to pray for. 

Coriantumr at the End - Ether 15

Battle after battle, and Coriantumr tries a couple of times to reverse the inevitable, with no success.  His time to choose was when Ether first warned him about the destruction of his people.  Prophecy fulfilled.

The part that stuck in my head today after I was done listening to this chapter were the words of Ether. He is told to go and talk to Coriantumr, and then he goes.  He puts the plates where they will be found by the people of Limhi.  At last he says, I don't know if I'm going to be translated or stay here to wander by myself.  He knew it was a possibility.  I wonder what happened.  Either way he said it didn't matter.

In talking with a friend today I asked him about whether the ability to see Jesus in this life was for prophets only. He spoke with confidence that that opportunity was open to all.  I agree, and I have a long way to go before my consistency will prove me worthy to be in His presence.

Coriantumr's Warning - Ether 13

Ether is told to go and prophecy unto Coriantumr that if his people don't repent he will watch them all be killed.  He doesn't repent.  Ether spends his time in hiding.  I wonder if he had family and what happened to them.

Mormon Comments on Faith - Ether 12

A favorite chapter for sure.  We have read in the last few chapters how the people and especially the kings go from righteous to wicked and now have remained more or less wicked.  But we now come to a prophet - Ether, who is going to witness the end of his people.  He prophecies to them that they need to repent or be destroyed.  One of the great points here is that this people began with a prophet who was so righteous - the Brother of Jared.  And the people will now come to a close Ether, another great prophet, witnessing the fulfillment of the prophecies.

Mormon takes some time here to tell us what he learned about weaknesses and faith.  He starts by saying that he is concerned about not being able to reach more people because they don't write better, or more like Jared and his brother.  Then the Lord says that the fools will regret their mocking and that the Lord gives us weaknesses to help us to be humble. Weaknesses can be made strengths and I hope to be one who can turn to the Lord to better understand my weaknesses and grow from them.

Cycles of Wicked Kings - Ether 11

Not sure what else to say other than we cycle through wicked kings and finally we end with learning of Ether coming on to the scene to preach repentance to the people.

Cycles of Jaredite Wickedness and Righteousness - Ether 10

In this chapter is another long list of Jaredite leaders, some are righteous and some are wicked.  In one particular case we read of a leader who does right by the people but lives wickedly.  I find it interesting that that distinction is made.  I feel gratitude for the righteous leaders and sadness for the wicked ones.  Their kingdoms seem to cycle just like our individual lives do if we do not do all we can to protect against the temptations of the evil one. 

Jaredites' Leadership - Ether 9

It gets a little boring to follow the genealogy of the leadership of the Jaredite people.  But there do emerge patterns out of what we read.  Simply put when there is righteous leadership the people prosper.  When there is wicked leadership the people become wicked quickly and those that use wicked practices to gain leadership or power die by that same wickedness and don't end up with what they really wanted.

I was pleased to read about Emer.  It says that he saw the Son of Righteousness.  Did he see him because of his role as leader of the people?  I'm feeling more like it was just a matter of his righteousness and that we all have that same potential if we live righteously to receive that personal visitation as a witness of our relationship with him and that our calling and election can be made sure.

Divisions in the Kingdom - Ether 7

Jared's People Praise the Lord - Ether 6

Jared and his people are brought through the ocean by 8 large barges, lit by the stones the Lord touched.  When they arrived they were filled with gratitude and praised the Lord and they sang.  They used music to praise and to worship.  I think we as a people often forget that we should do the same.   Hopefully the use of sacred music will help us to be more filled with gratitude, the spirit, and reverence even in our homes.

The people want a king, Jared and his Brother recognize right away the pitfalls of such a plan.  We see it elsewhere in the Book of Mormon and we know that the end result is exactly what Jared predicts - captivity.  Jared's sons and nephews are all wise enough to not want the role of ruler unto themselves.  I wonder if Orihah realized that if he didn't take the job that there might be others who would choose to be king and do very poorly in the calling.  It looks as though he will reign in righteousness and that's a good thing.

Instructions to Joseph Smith - Ether 5

Could you imagine being in the middle of translating the scriptures and finding a chapter like this?  Would you not act on it?  Joseph Smith had this kind of faith and understanding that he was able to read a chapter like this and know that he needed to inquire of the Lord how he should proceed. And then he did exactly how he was instructed.  Three men were selected and they were able to pray and receive the marvelous vision of the plates, to hold them and heft them and to be instructed by an angel.  But these men knew from reading the book that it was true already.  The spirit had borne witness to them.  This, over seeing the angel was their greatest witness.  They did take this experience and document it and used it as their testimony to the world that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God. 

Moroni Seals the Book of Ether - Ether 4

Moroni is commanded to write of the experiences of the brother of Jared and told to seal them up until the time that the people on the earth should have faith like his.  I'm always thinking in the back of my head, what proof do I have that man on earth today can be shown the Savior of the World in the flesh.  Is this a real principle? I truly believe it is.  From the writings of Joseph Smith, to the writings of Nephi, Jacob, Isaiah, the brother of Jared and Moroni.  In our day there are many that have faith sufficient that they have seen the Lord Jesus Christ.  I truly belie this.  It is that time when the Book of Mormon has been brought forth because their is faith sufficient to sustain such a miracle.