Flooding My Life with the Book of Mormon 2.0

2 Nephi 3:5 Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; A promise is God's half of a covenant. I make the covenant, and God makes the promise. My covenants are always based on faithfulness, but God's promises are sure. Or rather, His promises are also based on my faithfulness. God's promises never fail, but if I fail in keeping my covenants, God may withdraw His promises.

1 Nephi 20:1 Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel , and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, or out of the waters of baptism, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, yet they swear not in truth nor in righteousness. The ancient Hebrews identified with the name of Israel. The name was a unifying characteristic. When God wanted to call His people together, He could simply call for Israel, and every Israelite knew they were included. King Benjamin gave his righteous people a new name by which they should be called, namely, Jesus Christ. We likewise take upon us the name of Christ through baptism, the sacrament, and in the temple. This is the name by which we should be known.  We keep our individual names, just as the Israelites and Benjamin's people kept their individual names. But when God calls for Christians, we should recognize that name and know that we are included. 

1 Nephi 14:14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. This verse makes two points about the Lord's "covenant people." 1. Our covenants rather than our lineage determine whether we are the Lord's people. We become the children of Christ through making and keeping covenants. 2. Nephi saw the power of God come upon the covenant keepers. God wants to give His covenant keepers great power to perform His work. His power is manifested all around us. We will encounter His power, however, only if we are engaged in His work and not our own. If I want power, I must inquire what impossible thing God wants me to do and then do that thing in faith and diligence. 

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.