The Power of Studying the Scriptures

Yesterday I taught the first lesson for my new primary class – a combination of some of the former kids plus two new ones. The class was SO much easier to teach without some of the older boys there (I called them “hoodlums”).

We covered the scriptures and what they mean.

One of the scriptures that came to mind as I was preparing the lesson (during the 2nd half of Sacrament meeting unfortunately) was 1 Nephi 15:23-25:

23And they said unto me: What meaneth the ^arod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?

24And I said unto them that it was the ^aword of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would ^bhold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the ^ctemptations and the fiery ^ddarts of the ^eadversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

25Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give ^aheed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the ^bfaculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.

This scripture had a powerful affect on me in college when I took the Scripture Study class. But unfortunately I haven’t applied it on a day to day basis enough.

I feel strongly that as I study the scriptures at the first of the day, things seem to go better for me across the board:

• Spiritually
• In Business
• My Confidence
• My power to resist temptations
• The Holy Ghost being there to remind me that I shouldn’t go down certain paths

The main question is this:

What do I need to do to make scripture study the FIRST thing I do every morning without fail, without forgetting, and without justifying why I don’t have time?

As I look at the above scripture cross references, these things stick out:

In reference to “hold”: Prov. 4:13 – Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

In reference to “temptations”: 1 Nephi 8:23 – And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.

In reference to “darts”: D&C 3:8 – Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.

In reference to “heed”: D&C 84:43-47  –

43And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give ^adiligent ^bheed to the words of eternal life.

44For you shall ^alive by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.

45For the ^aword of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is ^blight, and whatsoever is light is ^cSpirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

46And the ^aSpirit giveth ^blight to ^cevery man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

47And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit ^acometh unto God, even the Father.

This last scripture reference is such a clear equation for life:

• Give diligent heed to the words of eternal life (the scriptures) >
• Live by every word of God >
• Word of God is Truth >
• Truth is Light >
• Light is the Spirit of Jesus Christ >
• The Spirit giveth light to every man >
• The Spirit enlighteneth and gives direction >
• As I hearken to the Spirit, I will come unto God.

This reminds me of the scripture in D&C 82:10:

I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

What does it mean to be “bound”?

• Proverbs 97:10: Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
• Proverbs 12:2: A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
• D&C 130:21: And when we obtain any ^ablessing from God, it is by ^bobedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Finally, I’m reminded of the answer I received to my prayer and question about what to do with my job and the situation I found myself in. I received this answer at the temple (2 Nephi 10:20-25):

20 And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been ^adriven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a ^bbetter land, for the Lord has made the sea our ^cpath, and we are upon an ^disle of the sea.
21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the ^aisles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.
22 For behold, the Lord God has ^aled away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.
23 Therefore, ^acheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are ^bfree to ^cact for yourselves—to ^dchoose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.
24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^areconcile yourselves to the ^bwill of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the ^cgrace of God that ye are ^dsaved.
25 Wherefore, may God ^araise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the ^batonement, that ye may be received into the ^ceternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise him through grace divine. Amen. (bold added for emphasis)

What amazing answers!

I MUST reconcile myself to the will of God. And I know the will of God includes:

• diligent scripture study in the morning,
• meditation,
• and prayer.
• I know it includes “early to bed, early to rise”;
• and I know it includes serving my family.
• I also know it includes finalizing my making amends for Step 9

I’m grateful for today’s study.

One day at a time with no regrets!

Hasta manana!

Nate

p.s. I will be setting specific goals for Jan. and the new year shortly.