86-87 2 Ne 16:1-17:25

I love the symbolism in chapter 16 verses 6-7. The live coal taken from the altar must represent Christ, and when put to Isaiah's lips, his sin is purged and his iniquity is taken away. What a beautiful piece of symbolism for the atonement. Christ is the live coal and he can purge our hearts and minds.

84-85 2 Ne 14:3-15:30

I love verses 5 and 6 of chapter 14, "a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night...there shall be a tabernacle...a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain." This is the umbrella of the gospel. It reminds me of the Travelers Insurance commercials with the giant red umbrella protecting the people everywhere they go. It won't matter what falls from the sky the redeemer of israel will be there to guide and protect us.

82-83 2 Ne 12:13-14:2

It seems apparent to me that one of Isaiah's main concerns with the house of Israel is pride. "The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low." Pride is the great stumbling block of zion. It comes in many different shapes and forms. The best way to overcome it is by cultivating charity. Charity will conquer pride at the last day.

80-81 2 Ne 10:23-12:12

The word reconcile really stuck out to me in verse 24. I looked up one of the definitions and it reads, "to reestablish a close relationship, as in a marriage." I liked the thought that we are coming back to the Lord, he wants us to come back and is reaching out to us despite all of our faults and sins. Then, once we reestablish that bond, we still know that it is soley upon the merit and grace of the savior that we are saved.

78-79 2 Ne 10:1-22

Verse 19 made me feel so grateful for the country that we live in and the rights that we enjoy. I hope we can all take a part in our county's issues so we make sure that we always worship him who gave this land to us.

76-77 2 Ne 9:34-54

"Do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy...feast upon that which perisheth not." All things are spiritual and if we can become spiritually minded we will have life eternal. If we can go throughout each day and say that our activities were spiritual, and that we were investing our time in spiritual things we will have the spirit with us, and we will conquer the carnal mind and spiritual death.

74-75 2 Ne 9:15-33

"He knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it." Understanding that our Father in Heaven knows everything is a key component of faith. If we really believe that he knows all things, we know we can ask him anything and he will be able to help us find the answer. We need not think that we are learned and wise and that we don't need his counsel. We need every tid bit of light and knowledge that we can get. He will light the way for our uncertain future, because he knows the way, he knows the future, he knows all. We must "hearken unto the counsels of God."

72-73 2 Ne 8:24-9:14

Can we really imagine the magnitude of the gift of immortality? What would it be like to be immortal, to live forever, free from bodily pain and stress? It is amazing to think that Christ has given us this free gift. We will all overcome physical death, and we all have the opportunity to overcome spiritual death through faith, repentance, and covenant keeping. How glorious it will be to not only enjoy the priceless gift of immortality, but to joy in the presence of God and eternal lives. "O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster...death and hell."

70-71 2 Ne 7:5-8:23

I really feel as I read Isaiah that one of his most important messages to us is that the Lord is on our side. Many times he writes, "the Lord God will help me...the Lord is near...the Lord God will help me...the Lord shall comfort Zion...the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people." The Lord loves us so much, he will protect, guide, and help us in all of our endeavors.

68-69 2 Ne 6:6-7:4

The Lord tells us, "yea, to whom have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves." The Lord won't ever write us off, he will always try to draw near unto us, it is our pride that keeps us from the Lord.

66-67 2 Ne. 5:15-6:5

A positive, faithfilled, and optimistic people is an industrious people. Nephi taught his people to labor with their hands. They built buildings, grew crops, mined ore, etc. They were very active and doing. The lamanites were the opposite. They were an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety. Being hard working and industrious is living "after the the manner of happiness."

64-65 2 Ne 4:24-5:14

I love how Nephi lets us into his thoughts and feelings of his heart in his psalm. What a deep soul he has. What courage, faith, love, and humility he poseses. I need to rejoice more in my God and not let the adversary get me down. "Awake my soul...rejoice, O my heart."

62-63 2Ne. 3:22-4:23

Nephi's soul delights in the scriptures. It is something refreshing to him, he craves it, because he knows it gives him knowledge and power. I am beginning to feel that way little bit more. Reading and studying isn't so much a chore as it is something that I look forward to each day. I think the more we read and ponder the scriptures, the more we will want to do it. It is like a snowball and inertia; once it gets going, it is hard to stop. Let us delight in the scriptures!

60-61 2 Ne 3:1-21

I love the faith of Joseph in Egypt and the example that he sets for us by showing us that we too can obtain our own personal promises from God. "great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph...and he obtained a promise of the Lord...for this promise, which I have obtained of the Lord...behold, I am sure of the fulfilling of this promise." What a relationship that Joseph had with our Father in Heaven. It is a beautiful example of how we also can obtain promises from God through our faithfullness and righteousness. The Lord can make specific promises to us through many mediums. Patriarchal and Priesthood blessings are great ways to know what promises the Lord has in store for us. He will also make promises to us as we read, pray, and meditate. These promises and covenants that we make are just as binding as the covenants and promises that we make in the temple. I hope that we can all obtain personal promises from the Lord and live accordingly to witness the fulfillment of those covenants.

58-59 2 Ne. 2:12-30

The Lord created things to act and things to be acted upon. In verse 26 the Lord tells us that we are to act for ourselves and to not be acted upon. When we keep the commandments and are in tune with the spirit, we are free forever, and able to act for ourselves. When we are disobedient, we become things that are acted upon and we lose our freedom to choose because of the affixed punishment that binds us down. In todays world we are surrounded by things that act upon us. We live in a world of instant gratification and sensory overload. We need to take the time to step back and look at the things in our lives that are inhibiting us from being "agents unto ourselves," to do good by our own free will. I find myself watching too many sporting events (being acted upon) instead of playing sports (acting). I watch too many movies instead of reading a good book and developing my cognition and imagination. I spend too much time texting and social networking instead of speaking face to face, or going to lunch with someone and developing personal skills. There is a great talk by Elder Bednar called "Things as they really are," that gives more examples of how we are acted upon in todays world and what we can do to become actors in this life.

56-57 2 Ne. 1:25-2:11

This is one of the great discourses on the Atonement of all time. I need to study more and more about the centerpiece of the gospel. I then need to exercise my faith in what I learn by repenting and keeping the commandments. I want to write down in my journal everyday how I saw the Atonement work in my life, or in the life of another.

54-55 2 Ne. 1:6-24

Lehi loved all of his children so much. I think sometimes we forget how much he really cared for and loved his two oldest sons. He was there when they were born, I am sure he threw them up in the air, gave them rides on his shoulders, fed them, helped Sariah with the poopy linens, etc. He wants them to be saved every bit as much as he does Nephi and Sam. He pleads and trembles with all the love of a tender parent for them. With this great love, Lehi demonstrates yet again his immense faith in the Lord when he says, "but behold, his will be done; for his ways are righteousness forever." We dont know the eternal fate of Laman and Lemuel, only the Lord does, and like Lehi, we must work and pray and leave it in the Lord's hands for His will to be done.

52-53 1 Ne. 22:17-2 Ne. 1:5

Verse 28 of chapter 22 really put a neat picture in my mind. "Behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel..." I imagined such a diverse celestial kingdom. The gospel is rolling forth to all the world. We are so blessed to live in these times, where we can witness and participate in the gathering of the 12 tribes of Israel. There are faithful brothers and sisters all over the world and we can bring them to safety.

50-51 1 Ne 22:1-16

"The time speedily cometh that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men." (vs 15) He will have no more power over us because of our righteousness. This passage made me reflect upon the channels that Satan uses to gain power over us. I need to be ever more careful of the music that I listen to, the t.v. that I watch, the books I read, and the language I use. If I can block him out from those channels, I will be well on my way to halting his influence in my life, and being more receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

48-49 1 Ne. 20:21-21:26

The Lord will deliver His covenant people. He will deliver us from the hands of the mighty and the terrible. (vs25) He will never forget us, we are engraven on the palms of his hands. He will fight our battles for us. What a great partner to make a covenant with. We must do our part, however small it is, and then Christ steps in and liberates us from all our sins,shortcomings, and ailments. The Atonement is the only source of true happiness and peace.

46-47 1 Ne. 19:18-20:20

Of all the prophets to quote to persuade us to believe in Christ, Nephi chose Isaiah. The Savior also counseled us to study the words of Isaiah. It must be very important. Isaiah is starting to make more and more sense. I am thinking in images as I read his writings and it produces some great thought and feelings. I loved verse 18 of chapter 20 and the images of waves and a river. Peace will flow into our lives just as a river constantly flows and never stops. The waves of the sea never stop crashing into the shore they always come, consistent and unceasing. Such will be our peace and our righteousness as we keep the commandments of the Lord. "That we may always have His spirit to be with us."

44-45 1 Ne. 19:3-17

I love verse 9 and the phrase, "and he suffereth it...and he suffereth it...and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men." He was patient through the scourging, the smiting, and the spitting. We can all show forth a little more long-suffering. I will remember the phrase, "suffereth it."

42-43 1 Ne. 18:7-19:2

I was just really reminded in these pages of the dangers of pride and comfort. When life seems to be smooth sailing, when the Lord has placed the wind at our back and things are going our way, we seem to forget who is blowing the wind. We somehow think that it is by our expertise and merit that life is great. Like Laman and Lemuel, we "forget by what power (we) had been brought thither." We must be like Nephi and look unto our God and praise him all the day long. When the wind is driving us forth towards the promised land, let us remember to whom the winds and the waves are subject.

40-41 1 Ne. 17:42-18:6

Verse 50 is one of my all time favorite passages. "If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them." What great faith Nephi had in the Lord and confidence in himself that he literally knew that he could accomplish anything that the Lord wanted him to do. That faith is only possible when our will and desires are in alignment with the will of God. All that Nephi desired was for his brothers and family to be saved. His soul was rent with anguish and his heart was pained because of them. God's work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. That is what Nephi wanted. His soul was filled with the love of God, and with that love, his will was aligned with God's will. When our will and the will of God are the same, faith has endless power, unto the changing of water to earth, etc. Godlike love unlocks the true potential of faith.

38-39 1 Ne.17:19-41

We spend most of our lives in "the wilderness." Laman and Lemuel looked at their time in the wilderness as pure suffering. They thought the only way that they could have been happy was to enjoy their possesions in Jerusalem.(vs 21) They felt that the 8 years in the wilderness was a waste of time. They found no joy in the journey, no progression in adversity, and no strength in their reliance on the Lord. Rarely do we ever "arrive" at our destination. We don't grow all that much by sitting on the shores of the promised land. It is in the wilderness and on the open seas that the Lord can train us and mold us. If we are going to spend a lot of time in the wilderness, then why not enjoy it and become strong by it.

36-37 1 Ne. 16:36-17:18

I am amazed by the love that fills Nephi's heart. His brothers want to kill him, and he continues to try and be near them and teach them. If someone wanted to kill me, I would be out of town. He really understands the Savior's counsel to, "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you." Not just in word, but in deed.

34-35 1 Ne. 16:7-35

Lehi and his family must have been on the verge of death because of starvation for Lehi to have murmured against the Lord. We can understand what a tragic blow it was for the family to have no way to kill food because of the broken bow. Not even this could deter Nephi from exercizing faith in the Lord. He made a bow, and this is my favorite part, he made a single arrow, one arrow! Now that is faith. He knew that the Lord only needed to see Nephi's faith and confidence, and the Lord would provide the rest. Take the first step, be positive, find a way, and the Lord will grant us His divine grace. Even when there is only one arrow left in our quiver, the Lord will help us make the most of our effort.

32-33 1 Ne. 15:19-16:6

Humility is the key to unlock the blessings of heaven. When we are humble, we are teachable, and when we can be taught we can continue to learn and progress eternally. Instead of being offended or sad (like Laman and Lemuel) when we receive counsel and correction, let us be willing and able to change and grow. We should look at it as an opportunity to grow, not as a devaluation of our self worth. Looking for ways to improve ourselves will never be a "hard thing" to do, but will be something to look forward to.

30-31 1 Ne. 14:24-15:18

Laman and Lemuel didnt even have the faith to ask the Lord for understanding of Lehi's vision. They were waiting for the Lord to give them a sign and make it known unto them. The Lord is almost always willing to give us what we ask for, if we only ask him in faith, believing thay we will receive, and if we are diligent in keeping the commandments. We can know the truth of all things through the prayer of faith.

28-29 1 Ne. 14:3-23

Our numbers may be few at the last days, but we will be upon all the face of the earth. The power of the Lamb will descend upon us and if the Lord is with us, who can be against us? The Lord will fulfill his covenants and promises to us!

26-27 1 Ne. 13: 30- 14:2

I have always loved verse 37. It gives me so much joy, peace, and motivation to bring forth Zion. This time the word "mountains" stuck out to me and I put temples in its place and I loved the image that it produced in my mind. How beautiful we will look as we serve in the temples in these latter days redeeming our dead and ourselves.

24-25 1 Ne. 13:1-29

When the Book of the Lamb of God (Bible) first came forth it contained the covenants of the Lord. The great and abominable church took away "many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord." I thought about the covenants that we have made with the Lord and the power it gives us to come off conquerer against Satan. Satan cannot harm a covenant keeping people. That is why he wanted those covenants removed from the Bible, so he could cause an exceedingly great many gentiles to stumble. Thanks to the Restoration and the Book of Mormon, we can once again make and keep covenants with the Lord, and use that power from on high to combat the forces of evil.

22-23 1 Ne. Chapter 12

Speaking of the Nephite Zion, the angel declares, "they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in His blood." Forgiveness, cleansing, and sanctification come by faith in the Savior. Repentance is a gift for the faithful. What an opportunity to be cleansed! Take the leap of faith, confess and forsake and our garments will be made white, our souls will be made whole through Him. Christ paid the ultimate price for our souls, He just asks us to have the faith to be close to Him. Repentance takes a lot of faith. Take the action, take the leap, be made clean.

20-21 1 Ne. 11:9-36

I love the chapters of Nephi's vision! The tree is the love of God, and the love of God is the Son of God. Christ's love is the sweetest embrace we will ever feel. If we hold fast to the word of God, it will lead us directly to that joy of joys. The Book of Mormon, Bible, D & C, and words of living prophets are the key to tasting of that most delicious fruit. Let us enjoy holding fast to the rod!

18-19 1 Ne. 10:10-11:8

The Holy Ghost is the revealer of all truth, and gives great power to preach and receive revelation. I will be pondering the next few days upon the phrase, "by the power of the Holy Ghost." It is repeated three or four times in these pages. We receive it by faith on the Son of God, and it will unfold the mysteries of God to us.

When Nephi is caught up in the spirit, this is a summary of their dialog (vs. 2-6); "What do you desire nephi? To see what my father saw. Do you believe? You know that I believe. You will see what you have desired." The spirit obviously knew that Nephi believed, but it shows us the pattern of faith. Nephi could only see if he believed. It is believe then see, not see to believe.

16-17 1Ne. 8:31- 10:9

Nephi didn't know why the Lord commanded him to make the small plates. Mormon didn't know why the Lord commanded him to include the small plates with his golden record. Both these prophets knew however that the Lord has all wisdom, and knoweth all things and thus they were obedient to the Lords commands. Sure enough, some 2400 years later we all knew why the Lord commanded them to do what they did (116 lost pages). We are reading these very pages that Nephi wrote. Let us all be obedient to whatever the Lord commands.

14-15

Two things really stood out to me in my study today. First, was the word "loud" in verse 15. Lehi called to his family with a loud voice. I felt the sense of urgency and excitement that a father and husband would have to beckon his family to the tree of life. It was like he had found gold at the end of a rainbow, like finding treasure on the beach. The news was so glorious that he yelled and screamed at the top of his lungs for his family to join him. I also thought the phrase "cast their eyes about" in verse 25 was interesting. We must stay focused on the prize and be not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Sometimes we lose focus on why we do the things we do. It is o.k. to cast our eyes round about like Lehi does in verse 26, as long as we do it with the right intentions. Lehi had confidence and purpose in his gaze and thus was not ashamed.

12-13

Man was not meant to be alone...what can I say more! I loved this short statement in verse 13, "and ye shall know at some future period that the word of the Lord shall be fulfilled...." The Lord always comes through with His promises.

10-11

I felt the power of faith that can be found in a strong marriage. Sariah was having a tough time believing in the safe return of her sons. Lehi was able to comfort Sariah with his faith and patience and confidence in the promises of the Lord. When the storms and trials in life come, it is wonderful to have someone to lean on to boost our faith and give us a renewed vision of the Lord's promises. Lehi had seen a vision, he knew it and could not be shaken from it.

8-9

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. We can have faith and confidence in ourselves only in and through the Lord. Nephi understood this when he said, "Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us..." I found Nephi's thought process interesting as well. The spirit speaks to him in verses 12 and 13. Then in verses 14-17 Nephi shows us his stream of thoughts and he then comes to the conclusion to obey the spirit's prompting to slay Laban. I'm sure that Nephi wrestled with this for quite a while as he stood in the darkness that night by Laban's house. I think we need to ponder more upon the promptings that we receive. It will allow us to receive more light and knowledge than we would have otherwise gained. As we ponder upon the promptings of the spirit more "packets," as Elder Scott calls it, of revelation and inspiration will fill our hearts and minds. We will have a stronger conviction of what we are doing is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

6-7

"Go and Do," is the slogan of the faithful. Nephi is not your one try and die kind of guy. If we asked Nephi to accomplish something, he would get it done no matter what. If one door closes to him, he will try another, and if that one doesn't open then he will come through the window. For every door that closes, a window is open for the faithful. He is so "faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord." That phrase is repeated 3 times in these two pages. Being faithful means seeing something through to the end, and not giving up when there is an obstacle in our way. May we be faithful husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children, friends, and disciples.

Pages 4-5

The first thing Lehi did when they pitched their tents in the wilderness, was build an altar and make an offering and give thanks unto God. It reminds me of President Monson's call to have an attitude of gratitude. Nephi follows the pattern of faith development that Alma lays out in Alma 32. He had "great desires" to be nearer to God and know more of Him. He planted a seed. Then he nourished it by "crying unto the Lord." This was his proactive role in the faith building process. Then the Lord softened his heart and visited him, much like Alma explained that the seed would enlarge the soul and be delicious and enlighten the understanding. The Lord tells Nephi, "blessed art thou because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart." Faith is acting upon our great desires and after we act, the Lord will give us a confirmation.

1 Nephi pages 1-3

In the first verse of chapter 1 the word "nevertheless" really sticks out to me. Through all the afflictions and trials Nephi was always faithful to the Lord and never doubted. When tough times come I want to say, "nevertheless, I will follow the Lord." Lehi's readiness to act and be obedient to the Lord's commands impresses me as well. When the Lord commanded him to preach, he preached. When he was commanded to depart, he departed. When the Lord commands, Do It!

Title page and Introduction

The faith of Moroni and Mormon and all the other prophets amazes me. They knew that the plates would come forth at some future date. One purpose of the book is to help us remember the covenants that the Lord hasmade with us. A faithful people is a covenant people. I love the challenge given in the second to last paragraph of the introduction, to read, ponder, ask, and then pursue. These are words of action and faith. If we really ask in faith, we are ready to pursue the answer that is given us.

Here we go!

Hi everyone, it is Danny Summerhays here, and I am really excited to begin reading this incredible miracle that we call the Book of Mormon with all of you. I love this quote from President Benson. I know there is power in this book. I will be reading and posting on the title page and introduction tomorrow, Jan. 10.