Flooding My Life with the Book of Mormon 2.0

2 Nephi 2:26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. Satan cannot force me to do anything I do not choose to do, and God will not force me. I am not an object, not a pawn on a great chessboard that God and Satan manipulate. Satan cannot push me into hell, and God will not push me into heaven. I choose.  Now, sometimes I choose to do nothing, and let the current take me where it will. Because in this world Satan's currents are broader and swifter than God's, if I become complacent, it's usually the devil's riptide that sweeps me into deep water. But even then, it was my first choice that put me in harm's way.  Choosing to get out of the ri...

2 Nephi 1:7 Wherefore, this land 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 liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever. Essential to living the gospel to its fullest is political and social liberty. We must be free to choose. To be denied the right or opportunity to choose the true path is tyranny.  On the other hand, to be forced into the covenant path is also tyranny. Neither situation is acceptable to God.  In either case, God cannot hold us accountable if we cannot freely choose to follow Him. We see examples of both kinds of tyranny in the world today. The Muslim extremists want to force everyone to join their religion, while communist regimes deny God and refuse...

2 Nephi 1:3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem. An example of God's mercy was His warning to Lehi to flee. His mercies are always just enough to have a positive effect without violating agency. He did not forcibly change the hearts of the Jews to accept Lehi's preaching. He did not force Lehi to leave his home. He merely gave Lehi a warning that his life was in danger. He left it up to Lehi to decide to heed the warning, decide what to pack, and when to leave. Lehi retained his agency to obey, just as the Jews retained their agency to rebel. God's mercy was giving Lehi the opportunity to escape and save himself and his family.

1 Nephi 17:16 And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock. God never does for me what I can do for myself. Lehi could not have made the Liahona, so the Lord made it for him. Nephi, however, had the skills to make his own tools. God could just as easily have dropped a hammer and saw into Nephi's lap as He dropped the Liahona in front of Lehi's tent, but He allowed Nephi to exercise his skills and solve as much of the problem as he could on his own. God likewise expects me to use my intelligence, ingenuity, and talents to solve as many of my problems as I can on my own. He knows every problem, trial, and challenge I face. He does not leave me alone or ignore me. His objective is not to solve every problem and provide me with a smooth and effortless path through life. The real problem He has to solve is how to bring me back to Him better, stronger, more patient and loving, and more like Christ, so that I am fully prepared to enter His ki...

1 Nephi 17:8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters. It was Nephi's ship, but God used it to carry the people to the promised land. God could have simply picked them up and transported them across the ocean, just as he carried Nephi to the top of the mountain. But He wanted them to participate in their own salvation.  Thus, he says,  "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" ( Philippians 2:12 ). He expects me to do all I can with my agency and the power and gifts He has given me. Not that what I do is essential to Him, but it is essential to me to gain experience and help others along the way. Had Nephi not built the boat, his brothers would not have had the experiences they had with the power of God and the many calls to repentance during the building and on the water.  Nevertheless, it was not the boat that enabled Lehi...

1 Nephi 8:21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. The Lord lays the path before me, but He does not make me enter it. He puts it in plain view, but I choose whether to walk it.  Many ignore the path as they live their lives. They may even stumble onto it by accident, but just keep going in another direction. Others search for the path but have a hard time finding it in the broad expanse of the world.  Nevertheless, God's path is always open and in plain sight, and the Lord has sent an army of messengers into the world to guide the sincere seekers to it. Some may have to search harder than others, but all can find it. Elder J. Golden Kimball reportedly said that he may not follow the covenant path perfectly, but he tries to cut across it as often as possible.

1 Nephi 8:20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world. What President Nelson has called the "covenant path" is always designated by the scriptures as the "strait and narrow path." Strait is a synonym for narrow, but the prophets in the scriptures are not being redundant. Strait also means strict. So the path is strict and narrow. No deviations are allowed. We are either on the path, or we are not. It leaves no room for lateral movement. Faith in Christ, repentance, and baptism are the only ways to enter the path. Making and keeping covenants and keeping the commandments of the gospel are the only ways to stay on the path. A step to either side is a step off the path and into trouble. On the other hand, while the path is strait and narrow, it is endless in its length. It provides no restrict...

1 Nephi 8:15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto [Laman and Lemuel]; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit. Is it not the wish of every parent in the Church to have their children follow in their footsteps, gain their own testimonies, build their own faith, and come with them unto Christ? We beckon, call, teach, admonish, and try to set the example. But as Lehi learned, we cannot coerce. Our children must ultimately choose their own path, and we must learn to live with it.

1 Nephi 3:18 For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land. The willful, rebellious Jews rejected the warnings God sent them through His prophets. The Jews didn't want to change. They wanted God to bless them in their stubborn, sinful ways. They wanted the blessings without the prerequisite obedience. They were condemned to destruction because of their misuse of agency. It always comes down to agency. We must beware how we treat the words of the living prophets in our day.