chapter 18 summary
Through the Lord's guidance and their hard work, the ship is constructed. The family boards and are led to the Promised Land. We learn that Lehi and Sariah had two sons in the wilderness: Jacob and Joseph. On the ship, Nephi's brethren and the sons of Ishmael and their wives begin to "make merry." They are crude in their actions, dancing and speech. Nephi tries to correct them to righteousness. Of course, Laman and Lemuel take Nephi and bind him. The Liahona that guides Lehi's family's way to the Promised Land ceases to work because of their wickedness and lack of obedience to the Lord. A tempest threatens to drown them in the sea. After four days of tossing and turning, Laman and Lemuel finally repent and untie Nephi. Nephi takes the Liahona which begins to work again. The tempest ceases. Nephi guides the ship safely to the Promised Land. They work the land and find that it is well stocked and a blessed land for their inheritance.
stand-out scripture
18:9 And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not ban music or dancing. "Nephi says twice in verse 9 that his brethren and their wives fell into error when their dancing and singing led them 'to speak with much rudeness.' The word rude refers to being harsh, vulgar, or coarse. The Lord has stated that he approves of proper dancing and singing (Psalm 149:1-4). Note from these scriptures that dancing and singing are ways of praising the Lord. However, Satan can use music as a means of corruption and loss of the Spirit. That is why Church leaders caution us about the kinds of music we listen and respond to" (Book of Mormon Manual, 19).
I went to Seminary all four years of high school. Each week-day morning I would go to Seminary around 6:30am at the church nearest school. Though it was hard to get up early and sacrifice some sleep, it was a perfect way to start the day: learning the gospel and remembering I was a choice daughter of God. In my senior year, Sister Garns was our teacher. I just loved her and am still so grateful for the spirit she brought to Seminary. We talked about music one day, and how we each needed to take personal inventory of our music collections and decide if it brought the spirit into our lives or not. If not, she suggested we get rid of it. We were not forced. Many of my classmates brought music in the next day to throw away. So many "things surround us and impact us on a daily basis. Most of those things are not essential, in fact, they may be detrimental in keeping the spirit with us. All media that leads to "rudeness" or is vulgar is not worth our time.
I am amazed at how easy it is to fall into the trap of vulgar music. It sounds cool, everyone is singing it, but when you listen to the words and really grasp what it is saying, it's often a bit horrifying. Did I know I was singing about promiscuity? drugs? murder? alcohol? Did I realize how many swear words I pass over? Laman and Lemuel were common to this problem. Maybe they thought singing Lady Gaga was harmless. Maybe they thought it was cool to freak dance. The Children of Israel acted the same way when they constructed the golden calf. Music is catchy. Music is fun. It seems harmless. But vulgar music isn't. Like anything else that is not praiseworthy, it becomes desensitizing. I've had to personally try and remember: Does this song advocate things I know to be wrong? If the answer is yes. Then WHY SING IT? I need to turn it off.
chapter 19 summary
Upon arriving to the Promised Land, the Lord commands Nephi to make a new set of plates and begin recording. He does so. Nephi prophesies of Jesus Christ's sufferings and crucifixion and reminds us to cherish the scriptures and apply them and to remember the Lord. Nephi teaches/reads to his brethren the things contained in the scriptures (the brass plates taken from Laban/Jerusalem--essentially the books of Moses and the Mosaic Law--their heritage and culture.)
stand-out scripture
19:13-17 13 And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged 14 And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations. 15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers. 16 Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth. 17 Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed. by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.The Book of Mormon Student Manual:
"For centuries apostate Christianity used the crucifixion of Jesus as an excuse for persecuting the Jews. Occasionally people still say, “This long history of rejection is the punishment for what they did to Jesus.” In his quoting of Zenos in 1 Nephi 19:13–19, Nephi gave us some important insights into the Jews and their tragic history. There is no indication that because they are “scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel” (v. 13) this scourging is initiated by God. When the Lord’s people reject him, the judgments of God overtake them. Often this is the result of their unwillingness to turn to God for help, protection, or deliverance. People then become victims of their own wickedness.
Mormon made this insightful comment: “Behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed” (Mormon 4:5). Anyone who thinks that persecution of the Jews or other minority groups is pleasing to God is in deep need of repentance (see 2 Nephi 29:5).
Zenos pointed out that punishments came upon the Jews not just because they crucified the God of Israel, but because they turned their hearts aside, thus “rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel” (1 Nephi 19:13). Israel (not just the Jews) had turned their hearts from Jesus (who in his premortal state was Jehovah, the God of Israel) for centuries before he was crucified in Jerusalem. This is the root of Israel’s persecution and tragedy, from the fall of the ten tribes in 721 B.C. to the centuries of persecution of the Jews and the Lamanites. As Christ lamented, “How often would I have gathered thy children together, . . . and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). Nephi promises the same judgments for all who harden their hearts (see 1 Nephi 22:18–19).
Zenos promised that the moment Israel turns their hearts to the Holy One of Israel, the Lord will remember his covenants and will restore his people to power and favor. The significance of Zenos’s words lies not just in a commentary on the persecution of the Jews, but also in an invaluable warning for all who claim to be of Israel. Nephi understood this perfectly when he quoted Zenos (see v. 18–19).
I think it is interesting that Nephi includes in his plates, the ones that the Lord commanded him to only use to engrave the plain and precious truths of the gospel to instruct the people, verses 13-17. It tells us that Nephi was concerned the same judgments and the same wickedness would one day affect his people. He wanted to preserve Israel's example, their own history, to remind the people to always look to the Lord and keep his commandments.
We too, must look to the scriptures and remember. We must liken all scriptures to ourselves. Apply them. The Lord commanded Nephi to include certain things/events for a reason. We are that reason. The Lord knew we would need this guidance, need these examples. How grateful I am for Nephi's obedience and hard work in preserving the commandments of the Lord. How grateful I am for all prophets in the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon and our latter-day prophets for their willingness and faith to help me have, hold and understand the scriptures.
chapter 20 summary
Nephi quotes Isaiah 48 to the family. stand-out scripture
These verses are just so poetic to me, and filled with such great promise of blessings and peace if we just live righteously and keep the commandments. I read this chapter after finding out that an old friend would not be getting married in the temple. How my heart truly aches for her, because I know she will not be able to enter the temple and be sealed to her husband and posterity for time and all eternity. So many blessings lay in the temple, so much instruction is ours to have if we make the temple a priority. There is a seminary poster that reads "Aspire to a Higher" and the temple stands in the background. I hope and pray that she keeps the temple a goal, and that she and her husband can get there one day. They are good people and the Lord wants all His children to have the blessings of the temple.20:18-19 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. 19 Thy seed also had been as the sand; the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
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