2 Nephi 3:13

In chapter 3 alone, it says the word "deliver" 3 times.
This was an epic deliverance chapter.
In verse 13, I learned something really beautiful today. 
Sometimes deliverance comes in a different form. 
We will not always be led out of our hard times by the hand of the Lord. Sometimes He enables us to pull  ourselves out of those hard times. As we turn our weaknesses over to Him, they will be transformed into strengths, and before you know it, we will be pulling ourselves out of the fire. What a beautiful thought! But we must remember who enabled us to do so: the Lord is always our deliverer, the source of freedom from bondage. 


With all that I am going through right now, with all that we are faced with daily, I think the Lord must be preparing us for something truly great. I feel His hand in my life, crafting me, shaping me into a better person, a better disciple, even though at times that requires a bit of cutting down. As we endure these tribulations and turn to God for guidance, our weaknesses are becoming strengths. We are literally being fortified through every set back we have, every heart break, every disappointment. The Lord is building us up by first cutting us down. Elder Christofferson said it best in his April 2011 conference address. 

"The very experience of enduring chastening can refine us for greater spiritual privileges." -D. Todd Christofferson

You know how I feel about studying Conference talks...so, you know what's coming next :)

 If you get the chance, I definitely would re-read this talk! It is one of my favorites. 

So just remember:

13 And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.

2 Nephi 1:5-7

 5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a ^aland of promise, a land which is ^bchoice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath ^ccovenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath^dcovenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be ^eled out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.

 6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall ^anone come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

 7 Wherefore, this ^aland is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of ^bliberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound ^ccursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

Sitting in the library, having one of those days.

Not really sure of myself or much of anything for that matter.

The tears are too close to the surface, and I may very well break down at any moment. 

But then, I pull up LDS.org and commence my daily study. 

[sigh of relief]

What a beautiful thing to have buckets of joy poured on you through only a few verses of the scriptures. 

I am literally crying in the library right now; sitting here, alone, perfectly at peace with my current predicaments. When I read those verses, it's like everything melts away, and the stunning imagery of the promised land consumes me, and brings me such joy. I cannot even fathom the elation one would feel, being led by the hand of the Lord into the promised land, yet I like to imagine. And then, just like that, I am delivered once again from the bondage of my self-woe. I am so grateful for the scriptures. They really are the word of God. They can bring such joy into our lives, such relief. I hope you are all having a lovely day, and if you weren't before...I hope it just got a little bit better. 
The Lord loves us. So very much. Isn't that enough?
I think so. 

  

1 Nephi 22:20

I just couldn't resist...

In today's reading, Nephi talks about Moses and the great leader that he was.
And so I, being the musical theater fanatic that I am, couldn't help but play this song over and over in my head as I was reading.
It is a little dramatic, I understand, but what powerful lyrics:


Hear our call
Deliver us
Lord of all
Remember us, here in this burning sand
Deliver us
There's a land you promised us
Deliver us
Out of bondage and
Deleiver us to the promised land...

 20 And the Lord will surely ^aprepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A^bprophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be ^ccut off from among the people.

The Prophet he refers to is the Holy One of Israel, even Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to not only hear the words of the Lord but to heed them. 

General Conference is fast approaching, which means yet another opportunity to receive counsel directly from the Lord. I am so excited for Conference, I can't wait! Honestly, how blessed are we to have a living Prophet on the earth?! I love President Monson, I sustain him wholeheartedly, and I know that He is God's messenger on the earth. 

We can start preparing now! I have already started a list of trials and questions in my life that I could use some deliverance from and some answers to. This is a system that really works for me, and I would recommend finding out what works best for you, what system will be the most beneficial in your Conference experience.

Already have ideas? Please share! 

Leave any thoughts or suggestions in the conveniently placed thought box below :)

1 Nephi 21:14-16

If you ever have a spare moment this week, and you find yourself in need of a boost, I would highly recommend a general conference talk I encountered in my studies today. Given by Loren C. Dunn in April of 1974 entitled "Hanging On," a beautifully eloquent talk on the reason for trials in our lives. He talks about our Father's love for us, and how everything stems from that infinite, all reaching love. He shares a scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants: “And again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls."

We must endure. We must keep perspective and know that all tribulation will pass; that He will come quickly to deliver us.

As I was reading in first Nephi today, I was touched by the following verses.

14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not. 15 For can a ^awoman forget her sucking child, that she should not have ^bcompassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may ^cforget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the ^apalms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Through the atonement, through the piercings in His hands, we are literally engraved in His palms. The Lord will never forsake us. He is so mindful of us, it is unreal! He knows each one of us better than we know ourselves, better than we could ever imagine. Every heartache, every joy, every moment of bliss, every moment of disappointment, every laugh, every doubt -- He knows.  

So next time you feel like crying, just remember...He knows. 

He comes quickly to the aid of the righteous, so ask for Him.

Let His grace, His sweet deliverance into your life. 

1 Nephi 17:23

23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake unto them, saying: Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the ^aEgyptians if they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord?

Today as I was studying, I came across this verse. The word "deliverance" isn't even used here, but that is exactly what is being discussed. Nephi understands that the children of Israel would not have been delivered from bondage without "hearkening unto the words of the Lord." I see in this verse a great tip that is highly applicable in our own lives. When we hearken to the words of the Lord and are open to receive His guidance and counsel, we will be delivered. 

He will always come to our rescue. He is always there for us. 

Because He will always love us. 

Always. 

So today, be mindful of this verse. Think about whatever trial, whatever doubt, whatever hardship you might be facing, and take it to the Lord. Let Him deliver you today. 

welcome.

The birth of a blog is a beautiful thing. With it is a new canvas ready to be painted with personal thoughts, feelings, and lovely discoveries. This blog in particular is here for the discussion of the Book of Mormon. I am here to record my experience this semester as I study this inspiring book, with particular focus on the theme of deliverance: deliverance from sin, trials, and darkness. Why deliverance? Well, the Book of Mormon is jam-packed with patterns of bondage and captivity, freedom and deliverance. Time and time again, we are shown that the Lord always delivers the righteous. He is always there, ever-present in our lives with arms outstretched, waiting, just waiting for us to grasp them. I pray that as I post about my daily scripture study, and as you post your thoughts and feelings, that this might be a place to be uplifted, to be touched, and to gain a better understanding of our Heavenly Father's role in our lives.

So...
Welcome to the blog!
A daily dose of deliverance.