Being filled by a tiny bite of bread and a few drops of water

Can you imagine how the Nephites felt when they received the sacred emblems of the Sacrament from the Savior Himself? Just hours before, each had stretched forth his or her hand to feel the wounds in His side and the craters in his hands and feet. Now, the Redeemer of the world was kneeling on the ground in front of them, blessing the pieces of bread that symbolize His own broken flesh they had just touched. They would see Him groan within Himself and weep to His Father in prayer. They had heard Him tell of how He drank the bitter cup and His will was swallowed up in the Father's. Now He offered them the sweet cup of wine so He could swallow their sins.

Modern-day vain repetitions

NOTE: This post is a bit different than most my posts. It's kind of a two-in-one. The first section talks about a study tip I have found useful in gleaning meaning from the scriptures. The second part is how I applied that tip recently and how it helped me change the way I pray. Enjoy!

The reachable God

What would it be like to see Christ? I've never seen Christ in this life. My guess is neither have you. I have often wondered what it would be like. Asking myself a lot of questions. The same questions Elder Klebingat asked us in General Conference a few years ago:What thoughts come to mind if you had a personal interview with your Savior one minute from now? Would sins, regrets, and shortcomings dominate your self-image, or would you simply experience joyful anticipation? Would you meet or avoid His gaze? Would you linger by the door or confidently walk up to Him?Those are tough, important questions. I don't know the answer, but I've always had a hunch.

Getting out of a thoughtless stupor

The thoughtless stupor It was 62 BC. The Nephites were locked in heated battle against the Lamanites (but really, more so against other Nephites who had rebelled). Unfortunately, although there were many miracles, the war overall was not going too well for the Nephites. Short on men, bereft of supplies, and low on confidence, the Nephites waited for the government to send them aid. But years passed, and little or no aid seemed to come. In fact, the government didn't even seem to be responding to communication anymore. Their situation was dire. Finally, in Alma 60 the indignant Captain Moroni wrote a scathing letter to the chief judge, condemning their inaction and demanding that the government send lifesaving aid to their soldiers. I had read that harsh letter from Moroni many times. But this last time, a few weeks ago, I had the unsettling feeling that Moroni was talking to me. Let me explain:

The whisper that shakes the earth

Nephi and Lehi were an amazingly powerful missionary brother duo. They preached "with such great power and authority" that they not only converted thousands of Lamanites but also a lot of hardened Nephite defectors. But this success also came with a lot of hardship. Like that one time they were tossed into prison and were about to be killed. But the Lord is always there for His missionaries. He shrouded the prison in darkness and spoke to the Lamanites in the prison directly, calling them to repent in a "mild," quiet voice. But this still, small voice still packed a punch:

Spiritual poison

Another war chapter post today. Enjoy! Historical Background It was 62-63 BC. Captain Moroni had received a letter from the evil Ammoron, offering to exchange prisoners. But Moroni rejected Ammoron's offer, deciding instead to try and take his prisoners back by force. He found some Lamanite descendants among his army and sent them to the Lamanite soldiers who were guarding the city where the Nephite prisoners were kept. This envoy, posing as escaped Lamanite prisoners, carried with them a large supply of especially strong Nephite wine. The guards quickly drank themselves into unconsciousness. When they awoke the next morning, the Nephites had armed all the prisoners within the city and surrounded the Lamanites without. Surrounded by their enemies and reeling from a massive hangover, "in these circumstances [the Lamanites] found that it was not expedient that they should fight with the Nephites."

Signs and Spiritual Eclipses

Tomorrow, many of us in the United States are going to be privileged to get a few extra minutes of afternoon shade. The moon is going to pass above us in such a way that its path will cast a shadow in a large swath of the country and temporarily bathe the land in darkness. It's going to be pretty neat. Coincidentally, I have reached the point in my personal study of the Book of Mormon where another amazing astronomical event occurred: the night without darkness and the appearance of the new star that were to be a sign unto the Nephites of the birth of the Savior of the World. This event was preceded by angelic ministrations, many more signs and wonders in heaven, and the appearance of a new star. And just in time, too! The Nephites were in a pretty dark place spiritually when this sign was given. They had largely rejected the Gospel and were actively plotting to kill all the believers the very night the sign was given. They needed a good wake-up call.

Many revelations daily

When is the last time you received revelation? The other night in my studies, I came across this verse:And in the seventy and ninth year there began to be much strife. But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they did put an end to their strife in that same year. -- Hel. 11:23That phrase, "many revelations daily" struck me. It reminded me of a story Elder Hales shared:

These are our days

I wrote about the prophet-missionary Nephi in my last two posts about unwearyingness and personal revelation. This week I want to continue to take his awesome story and highlight another important lesson for our lives. Having just returned from his mission to find his people incredibly wicked, he was understandably upset. Kneeling on his garden tower, he poured out his anguish to God:

Lessons on revelation from the five Nephite runners

Who were the Nephite runners? Remember that time the Nephite chief judge was murdered? No, I'm not talking about the murder of chief judge Pahoran. Or his brother Pacumeni. Or Cezoram. Or Cezoram's son. Or Lachoneus. I'm talking about Seezoram.