Jesus Christ --> Atonement Through - Day 4

 John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

I believe this is a reference to Moses and the children of Israel receiving mana from heaven while in the wilderness. Life does feel like the wilderness sometimes and we need the Savior to help bring us home.

John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

How does He know the Father so well? How do we come to know Him and His Father to that depth?

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

Here we are asked to believe in Him, not even to know Him as well as He knows the Father. How do we strengthen faith and belief?

Day 293 Today's reading: 3 Nephi 9:1-22 // Matthew 22:1-23

1. What thoughts do others in my family have about 3 Nephi 9?
2. 3 Ne 9:15 Jesus as the creator of the earth has all power over it, he can change it however and whenever he wants. Whereas, satan does not have this power. Not sure why that is really relevant but I thought about it, especially as it is in the temple, "I reign from..."
3. 3 Ne 9:15 If I ever have faith to move a mountain it will only ever be under Jesus' power, permission, and tutelage.
4. 3 Ne 9:20 The law of Moses is done away and Jesus teaches that the new sacrifice that is required is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. This is what is needed from us to worship fully on the Sabbath. 
5. 3 Ne 9:22 We are to approach the Savior as little children, I read this just as Hannah woke up came out of her room and climbed onto my lap without a word. I don't know fully what she thought or felt but it helped me imagine the warmth and comfort of submissively entering the Savior's embrace.

Question of the day: What do you think it means to offer a sacrifice of “a broken heart and a contrite spirit”? What blessings does the Savior promise to those who come unto Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit?

Matthew 22:1-23
The wedding story has always interested me. I have wondered how closely the traditions mentioned in the parable were exactly like what we read. I always picture one of our wedding receptions and somebody dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and them getting bound hand and foot and taken from the reception. As I write this I realize it is probably a little more like how we do not allow those that don't have a recommend into the temple. 

Day 170 Today's reading: Alma 18:24-19:11

Question of the day: How do common beliefs help us share the gospel?

Ammon was able to build upon the idea of a Great Spirit and show that with a few simple corrections they were actually referring to the same God.

I love the faith of King Lamoni's wife.

D&C 84: Here we have the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. I've always felt like I didn't know where the Oath and Covenant ended. The beginning is always with verse 33, but should it end at 38? or 39? or 40? or somewhere else?

Day 163 Today's reading: Alma 14:23-15:4

Question of the day: How does your faith in Christ give you strength?

Faith in Christ I believe gives us different kinds of strength at different times according to our needs. Remember Nephi has broken through bonds at times, but been held back at others. Alma and Amulek were given power to break through the bonds at what may have been their physically weakest moment. They may even have been close to death for lack of food and water.  

More common in my life, is that when I am faced with great challenges, the Lord will give me power to accomplish them. But I have to turn to Him first, and I always need to return thanks unto Him afterwards, after the thing has been accomplished. 

D&C 76: Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon teach about the degrees of glory.  I prefer the celestial glory, thank you.

Day 152 Today's reading: Alma 9:19-34

Question of the day: How can we keep from being "a hard-hearted and a stiffnecked people"?

I think the answer to this question is very simple. Alma was teaching about Jesus Christ, and his coming. We must realize that he is real, that we can and must have faith in Him. We need to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost. As we then labor to keep the commandments, or in other words endure to the end, the only way to do this is to be humble and receive help from God. This humility is the opposite of being hard-hearted, stiffnecked, or prideful. 

D&C 64: The Lord warns his people to repent and confess their sins before Him. He also tells them that to not enforce the laws God has given them would be an offense. He tells them to forgive one another. 

Day 129 Today's reading: Mosiah 26:14-39

Question of the day: Who are the Lord's sheep?

I was thinking about the Lord's comment to Alma about how great faith he had in changing, repenting, and preaching because of what Abinadi "alone" taught him. Then the Lord commends the people for believing in Alma's word "alone". The Lord is pleased when there is greater faith, and there are greater blessings to accompany. 

D&C 42: Verse 68 remind me that the Lord always wants us to bring our questions to Him and he will answer them.

Day 127 Today's reading: 24:16 - 25:14

Question of the day: How can we lift our voices to praise God?

Alma is delivered out of bondage, much like Limhi was, BUT Alma's deliverance was more miraculous than Limhi's. I have to assume that Alma's people were more righteous and had greater faith. The submitted to the will of the Lord while in bondage, continued to pray and trust in God, and then rejoiced or praised God in their deliverance.

D&C 42. 

Day 110 Today's reading: Mosiah 12:1-16

Question of the day: Why do you think King Noah and his priests chose not to listen to Abinidi's warnings?

I did think about this question today. Especially as Abinadi was presented to King Noah again and they rehearsed his prophecies. 1. I think they had changed the laws enough that what Abinadi was doing was contrary to their laws, they could not speak ill of their king no matter what he did. 2. They hadn't suffered any losses to the Lamanites sufficient to suspect that things could go terribly wrong. By the buildings going up and the overall financial health of the nation they thought they were doing well and were strong enough to not have to deal with any threat they couldn't handle. 3. If they acknowledged Abinadi as having the truth or being right, they would have to give up new traditions that were addictive, riotous living, drinking, they didn't want to do this. 4. They were past feeling. There was no Spirit influenced worship among them, they did not trust God anymore as they once had.

D&C 20: A description of how we trust God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. 

Day 106 Today's reading: Mosiah 9:1-19

Question of the day: How can you relate this story of Zeniff and his people to our own lives?

The way I related this passage may be a little different than others. I looked at certain passages, especially v. 17 and thought that the battles I fight are different than Zeniff's but the process of 1. preparation (gave them weapons and showed them how to use them), 2. Crying unto the Lord, both he and his people. 3. Having faith in God through remembering past experiences when the Lord had delivered others (and possibly even times in their own lives).  These three steps seem relevant when I feel overwhelmed with life. We there are so many difficult challenges before me and I really want to give up because I feel I'm in the battle alone. That is when I need to consider these three steps and how I can try to implement them in my life. 

D&C: I'm starting into section 18 and this is really about people and salvation and proclaiming the gospel.  It seems a strong recap of what we have learned from the previous revelations given to the Whitmers. It is the work of the Apostles being described. I just read last night more about when Jesus sent those he called in His time to go and preach the gospel. 

Day 105 Prophet, seer, and revelator Today's reading: 8:1-21

Question of the day: What does it mean to you to sustain President Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator?

Ammon's faith and even his awareness of who his prophet is should build faith for all of us.

D&C: What would it be like to be close enough to a prophet, like Joseph Smith or Mosiah, to receive counsel through them from the Lord?

Day 88 Today's reading: Enos 1:11-27

Question of the day: Have you ever prayed for an enemy?

I can't think of a time when I really have prayed for an enemy. Who is my enemy? Is it anyone for whom I have unfavorable feelings towards?

I am just as impressed in this passage with Enos' faith, and his belief that he can have whatsoever blessing he desires of the Lord. There isn't here, but elsewhere, the caveat that it must align with the will of the Lord. 

Day 361 Today's reading: Moroni 7:35-48

Question of the day: Why do you think meekness and lowliness of heart are necessary in order to have faith and hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

Meekness and lowliness are a good and interesting attributes to consider as we study faith, hope and charity.  These three are discussed together quite often and I appreciate that Moroni wants us to understand what it takes to approach faith and hope and then ultimately charity.

Before I began reading this passage, I knew that most of it was about charity and it reminded me of the passage at the beginning of the Book of Mormon from Nephi.  It is when in his vision he is learning about the fruit. He learns that it is the "love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men." In a discussion with a friend. I thought about how I have viewed this love or charity as being directional, God's love toward us and our love towards Him. My friends suggestion was that God's love was greater than that it was more like the radiance of the sun and we merely approach or brush up against it. I'm sure there is more to learn and understand about this, but as I think of my greatest spiritual moments they do always feel like intense love from Father. It is a feeling I long to feel more often.

In verse 48, we are invited to pray to have charity. It made me think that I would like to search the scriptures to know what else have we been asked to 'pray' for in the Book of Mormon. 

Day 333 Today's reading: Mormon 9:1-21

Question of the day: What experiences have you had that confirm that God is still a God of miracles?

God answers my prayers, even about small things, frequently. And then I usually have a spiritual feeling to remind me that God heard my prayers and they were answered and I should be grateful. When I express that gratitude in prayer the blessings continue to flow and faith is increased.