Dear God (Helaman10: 6-19)

Helaman 10: 6-19

Dear God..

(to understand a prophet I went to the counsel of the living prophets)

I read your scripture today and I did not understand it. I tried to but it seems to be beyond anything that I can comprehend. I could never imagine that you would trust me enough to give me so much power as you did Nephi. I could never imagine that I could smite the earth with famine or that I would want to? I understand the need to discipline and to help those I love through "tough love" by being strict, firm and strong, but I don't believe I could ever be a Nephi.

But wait. Nephi was a prophet. He spoke with you often and you spoke with him. You and he had a great understanding of one another. I don't believe I could ever find anything in these scriptures that would liken me to them? Could I?

Words and Phrases

vs 6 thou art Nephi and I am God..... I see two seperate beings here. I see a God and a follower of God, a son of God, a true believer, a disciple. A prophet made so pure by his faith that he was able to earn the trust of God.

vs 7 I give unto you power... When has God ever given me power? I am a mother. I have been given God's power to co create and raise souls unto joy. I am a woman and I have been given the power to heal and to love those in need of loving. I am a daughter and I have been given the power to see the vision of my father's faith. I am a sister and I have been given the power to build up and love the siblings of my youth. I am a Saint of God and I have been given the power to help others understand his love, his faith and his path.

vs 7 I give unto you power..to seal.. I am the maker of hearts and I can seal my heart to God's by my faith. I can seal my love to my family by my actions. I can seal my acts of kindness to those in need of his love.

Helaman 10:7 whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven

Joseph Smith

“The doctrine or sealing power of Elijah is as follows: If you have power to seal on earth and in heaven, then we should be wise. The first thing you do, go and seal on earth your sons and daughters unto yourself, and yourself unto your fathers in eternal glory, and go ahead, and not go back, but use a little wisdom, and seal all you can, and when you get to heaven tell your Father that what you seal on earth should be sealed in heaven, according to his promise. I will walk through the gate of heaven and claim what I seal, and those that follow me and my counsel.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 340)

Boyd K. Packer

“That sacred sealing power is with the Church now. Nothing is regarded with more sacred contemplation by those who know the significance of this authority. Nothing is more closely held. There are relatively few men who have been delegated this sealing power upon the earth at any given time—in each temple are brethren who have been given the sealing power. No one can get it except from the prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“A clear statement follows regarding the sealing power as binding on all that we do for the living and the dead.

“’Whenever the fulness of the gospel is on earth, the Lord has agents to whom he gives power to bind on earth and seal eternally in the heavens (Matt. 16:19; Matt. 18:18; Hel. 10:3-10; D&C 132:46-49.)

“’All things that are not sealed by this power have an end when men are dead. Unless a baptism has this enduring seal, it will not admit a person to the celestial kingdom; unless an eternal marriage covenant is sealed by this authority, it will not take the participating parties to an exaltation in the highest heaven within the celestial world.

“’All things gain enduring force and validity because of the sealing power. So comprehensive is this power that it embraces ordinances performed for the living and the dead, seals the children on earth up to their fathers who went before, and forms the enduring patriarchal chain that will exist eternally among exalted beings’ (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966, p. 683).

“In the Church we hold sufficient authority to perform all of the ordinances necessary to redeem and to exalt the whole human family. And, because we have the keys to the sealing power, what we bind in proper order here will be bound in heaven. Those keys—the keys to seal and bind on earth, and have it bound in heaven—represent the consummate gift from our God. With that authority we can baptize and bless, we can endow and seal, and the Lord will honor our commitments.” (Ensign, Feb. 1995, p. 32)

vs 16 he was taken by the spirit .. did Nephi die. Was he translated? Does anyone know the meaning of this verse? I do not know. What is more perplexing is when it is read in conjuction with ...

Helaman 10:16 he was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them

Bruce R. McConkie

“Other prophets had been and would be transported bodily from place to place by the power of the Spirit. Ezekiel was lifted up and carried by the Spirit. (Ezek. 8:2-3.) Nephi ‘was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceeding high mountain,’ upon which he ‘never had before’ set his ‘foot.’ (1 Ne. 11:1.) Mary herself ‘was carried away in the Spirit’ at the time of the conception of Jesus. (1 Ne. 11:19-21.) Nephi the son of Helaman ‘was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst’ of those who sought to imprison him, and thus ‘he did go forth in the Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God.’ (Hel. 10:16-17.) After Philip baptized the eunuch, ‘the Spirit of the Lord caught [him] away,’ and he was carried to Azotus. (Acts 8:39-40.) It is not an unheard-of thing for the Lord, by the power of the Spirit, to transport mortals from place to place…” (The Mortal Messiah¸ p. 413)

vs 17 he did go forth in the spirit-

vs 18 there began to be contentions-

Richard G. Scott

"The Book of Mormon then teaches a most impressive lesson concerning how we can learn truth: ‘And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him’ (Helaman 10:2). As is characteristically the case, that pondering opened a channel of communication that brought additional understanding and truth to Nephi. In this particular instance, because of Nephi’s valiant testimony it allowed the Lord to confer upon him the sealing power. He later used that power to bring many of the Nephites and Lamanites to repentance and salvation.” (Heroes From The Book of Mormon, p. 152)

Gordon B. Hinckley

We all do a lot of studying, but most of us don’t do much meditation. We don’t take time to think. I’d like to suggest that next fast day . . . everybody in this hall set aside an hour or two. Sit by yourself. Go in the bedroom and lock the door. Go out in the yard under a tree. Go in your study if you have one and shut the door, and think about yourself and your worthiness. Read from this great book [Book of Mormon]…There’s a great word that’s used, ‘ponder.’

“’Ponder.’ What do we mean by ‘ponder’? Well, I think it simply means kind of quietly thinking things through. Ponder what you have read. Ponder your life. Are you worthy, are you living the commandments…?” (Church News, 01/06/96)