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."