2 Nephi 1- Thou Knowest the Greatness of God .

G- Gratitude 
R- Respect 
E- Extol 
A- Action- Ask. 
T- Thought -Teach

I believe that the goodness of God exists within each one of us. I remember my grandmother teaching me to love all, and look for the good in everyone. All of my life I have tried to live by this credo.  I believe when we look for the good in others we discover the possibility of "knowing the greatness of God." (v 2) I have learned to use this acronym in both prayer and when I interact with others. When I encounter new people, situations, or try new talents, I try using this acronym as a guide. I believe I will find it not only offers a recipe for "great" success but also helps make me aware of God's greatness that exists in all who love him and revere life as his sacred gift.






G is for Gratitude
Gratitude is such an amazing blessing. When we truly weigh our lives where does our true joy come from?  In starting all of our prayers, conversations, personal interactions and encounters with gratitude, I believe we can never go wrong.
Once I started a new conversation with a stranger by saying, "It is such a blessing to meet you. I am very glad that our paths have crossed." Both of us were so refreshed by the power that gratitude brought to the meeting that we forgot to be stymied by the awkwardness of the moment.

All cultures practice gratitude:  Thank you. Gracious. Malo, Wer danken dir, Tak, Merci, Kansha Shimasu,

God shows us his gratitude by granting us freedoms and filling our hearts with his peace. 

R is for Respect 
My grandfather taught me the importance of shaking hands with those we meet, looking them in the eye and calling them by name. Once when I was working with a sales clerk, I said, "Thank you Doreen." She looked pleasantly surprised and a bit quizzical before she realized I merely had read her name-tag. When we use a person's name, show gracious body language, or pay attention to another human being by looking them in the eye, we are practicing respect for all that they have to offer us. We are saying. "I don't know it all. I need your help. You are important."

God shows his respect by listening to our prayer. If we will do the same, we might be surprised to hear his spirit speak to our hearts. I love nature and have often awed at how God shows us respect through the mere consistency of his actions.  The sun never fails us. The flowers always bring beauty. Each of his creations show their respect for him by fulfilling the measure of their creation.

E is for Extol - 

After greeting them with gratitude and respect, extolling others for their virtues is one way to help create a sincere and loving atmosphere. When others know that you have taken the time to consider their talents and their abilities, their likes, they are more likely to listen to you.

The scriptures teach me how how to praise my God. Prayer also teaches me how to praise. When I listen, I always hear his love and esteem for me. God extols our goodness, our talents, and all that is good in us. He wants only for us to find empowerment through his love. 

A is for Action through Asking 

After giving gratitude, respect and praise, it's perfectly appropriate to ask for what we might have need of. Most of our interactions with others is based on the exchange of business, ideas, direction, love, emotion. etc. James taught, "If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not."James 1:5

God will ask us to help him help others. Jacob was told "and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God." It is through service to those in need that the Lord's work is accomplished. 
Lehi taught that God will when asked, "consecrate our afflictions for our gain." (v.2)
The word "ask" appears in the scriptures 209 times. We need not suffer alone. 

T is for Teaching through thought. 

Now we are on firm ground for conducting "great" business. It is time to listen for the thought that teaches us, or to offer a thought that might give guidance. This is where the conversation begins.
I like to think of it like playing a round of ping pong. If you are doing all the pinging... (talking). there is little exchange happening. Take a breath and let God get a word in.
My son says I talk too much. My brother had a nick name for me..."...." that basically said the same. I do have a need to express myself, but I am working at letting the exchange of teachable thoughts work their way back and forth through a conversation. :)

Greatness comes to those who learn how to treat others well. God is great for many reasons... and in this chapter Lehi's young son, Jacob is being reminded that he, as Lehi's "firstborn in tribulation", and as his "firstborn in the wilderness," has known "the greatness of God." Lehi said that Jacob "beheld the glory of God in his youth," (v 4) and that "thy soul shall be blessed."(v.5)

I have been privy to many miraculous events in my life. I have known God's love, mercy, guidance and blessings. And where I could choose from a plethora of such accounts I believe the most potent account of God's greatness comes when I put his example, his love, his mercy, his gratitude, his respect for me to task. Truly God's greatest gift was his plan that allows me to grow and learn and understand the magnitude of his love for me. The greatest lesson of God's greatness comes when I emulate his actions toward me and try to live his example, as best I can.

God teaches us through others, through revelation, through scripture study, through example, through his "grace and truth" (v. 6) . 

Have ye inquired of the Lord? Ask.

1 Nephi 15

Ask God.

A Saturday Poem about Asking…

“I bargained with Life (God) for a penny,
And Life (God) would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.

“For Life (God) is just an employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

“I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life(God),
Life (God) would have willingly paid.”

What do I want from life? What do I want from God? If I take this poem and substitute God for the word life, how does it change my perspective about God?

As I read 1 Nephi 15, I was struck with how Nephi’s brethren were left with a “scanty store” with regards to their knowledge and love of God. Why was that? Nephi was astounded with their questions and their disbelief. They didn’t understand so much of what Lehi spoke to them. He asked them, “Have ye inquired of the Lord?”

God truly is the source of all knowledge and the use of his knowledge brings us wisdom. God truly wants to bless us with “any wage asked” for. His love has already “willingly paid” for our sins. We need only to ask.

Words and Phrases

(Vs 2) disputing one with another – Without God in my life or in my family, there will always be disputations. Nephi helps us to understand that God gives man inspiration and understanding so that they might then learn to help themselves.

(Vs. 3) hard to be understood – I have often read and seen many things in my life that are hard to understand. I learned a long time ago to take it to God. The world’s perspective is one of selfish consumerism. (If it’s not good for the economy it’s held in little esteem.) God’s perspective is about taking care of the one (me) and then letting the one go forth and take care of others. (Financial rewards are a by-product; they are not the means to the ends). In my life, I have trusted in the “arm of the flesh”. It led me a dark place where there was little or no faith. As I began to exercise my faith, I learned that as much as the world thinks it knows, without God to inspire and to direct the growth of our intelligence, there will always be things that are “hard to understand.”

When I was little, my father told me of how the Holy Ghost removes a cloud of confusion from our mind and opens up our thought process to help us clearly see God’s words and actions. It is by the power of the Holy Ghost that we find understanding. I believe the Holy Ghost helps us to bridge the gap of understanding and help our spirit find growth.

(Vs 4) hardness of hearts – What does it mean to have a hard heart? I think it means to close your mind and your ears and your eyes to new ideas. I think it means to not allow the Holy Ghost to warm your heart to others and to let true principles into your life.

(Vs. 7) we cannot understand the words – Words are important to understand. Words carry our language, our culture, and our hidden meanings. Word spoken with the power of the Holy Ghost brings us truth and carries us toward God. It is important to understand words, for they bridge the gap of intelligence between me and whoever I am communicate. When someone speaks to me and I do not understand their words (bad connection, meaning, etc) I ask.

We had a funny exchange last night at the table… not irreverent but funny. (I have to tell).

We were eating dinner and my GolfGuy (dad) and my Guitar Guy (son) were talking about various things, friends, food etc. So my Golfguy says to Guitarguy.. “The amount of peas and fruit you eat in one day could really affect your digestion.” GuitarGuy laughed as if to say. Okay sure. But then Golfguy said, “And your digestion is also affected by how much you masticate your food.” Guitarguy’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he began to laugh and laugh. We could tell, however (by his laugh) that he didn’t understand the meaning of his father’s intentions. Without saying a word, I got up and found a dictionary. When he read the meaning of the word mastication, his laughter changed from an incredulous roar to one of an embarrassed snicker. We all had fun…

It is important to understand the words. If you don’t understand, we should do as Nephi suggested and “inquire of the Lord”. (Vs. 8)

(Vs. 9) the Lord maketh no such thing known - When I have felt this way (that the heavens are closed) I know it is time for me to reevaluate my attitude, my actions, and my prayers. Why is the heaven closed to me? Have I been disrespectful? Have I not headed the H.Ghost’s promptings? Have I hardened my heart? It is easy to read this verse and dismiss it. It is easy to get caught in a bout of self-righteous pride and say that of course Lamen and Lemuel didn’t get it. They didn’t try. I believe there are times in my life and all of our lives when we don’t’ get it. There are times when we all play the role of Lamen and Lemuel. We can never say that we are always a Nephi.

(Vs. 11). Remember – What? The things the Lord has said.

1. I need to soften my heart (not harden it) 2. Ask in Faith 3. Believe that I will receive (the key to the poem is believing) 4. Keep the commandments with diligence 5. Patiently wait for them to be made known to me.

Ask and ye shall receive. Knock and the Door shall be opened. There is a famous painting of Jesus standing in front of a door. There is no handle on his side of the door. If the door is going to be opened it must be from my side. If I am to receive the blessings, he has set it up so that I must ask for these blessings.

What do I ask for?

In order to know what to ask for, I have to allow the Holy Ghost in my life. In the four standard works of the scriptures the word “ask “ can be found over 202 times. When you also include the word inquire, it is there over 230 times. I think God wants us to learn to ask… for help, for understanding, for enlightenment, for blessings, for help, for patience, for guidance, for friendship, for whatever we stand in need of. He wants us to ask and when we have received we can give back to others that need.

I don’t want to find myself at the end of my life “only to learn, dismayed”, that I did not “look unto the Lord as I ought”(Vs 3). I will always learn to ask.

Desire : What desireth thou?

1 Nephi 11:1-22

Desire

All of us have desire. The question is what do we desire? How does what we desire affect our belief in God? What is the connection between what we desire, what we believe and what we know? How does this relate to our family?

(Words and Phrases)

ponder in mine heart (vs. 1)- Nephi desired to know what his father knew. He believed all that his father expounded to him concerning "the dream". He took his desire, added it to his belief and began to "ponder in his heart". He meditated, prayed, and thought deeply about all that he had been told. He loved his father and he recognized the love of God within his father and within his father's words.

DESIRE + BELIEF+ (PONDERING) = KNOWLEDGE

what desireth thou? (vs. 2) Over fifty years ago, my father had a desire to know God. The dark and dreary world had left him in dire circumstances, and he recognized that he needed God's love in his life. My grandmother had taught him of God. He believed in God. He took this belief coupled it with his desire and he asked God. He received his "vision" (answer) that opened up a new way of life for my father. As he followed that answer and learned to listen to the gift of the Holy Ghost, this particular desire changed his life.

His desire changed my life. I (like Nephi) desire to know all that my father knows, to believe the scriptures as he understands them, and to learn with the same power of the Holy Ghost that radiates so beautifully from his voice, his words, and his life.

He set a path for me, for my children, for his family. He set a path filled with the joy of God's love (vs. 22) when his desire spurred his belief to ponder a greater gift.

"thou shalt behold" the thing which thou desireth (vs. 6) God loves us. He has promised us if we will ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, he will manifest the truth of his love unto us. Nephi asked and he will receive (the next 4 chapters )of God's truth.

We all have our own personal "visions" of truth that are connected to our desires. Weather the truth we seek is of a spiritual, scientific, personal or political nature, it does not matter. God knows all things. He can help us discover what we seek.

I think that Nephi's formula has been used and known by many great men (not just prophets).

I think of the Wright Brothers and their desire to fly. They desired to fly + they believed they could fly + they pondered (studied) how they could fly + they asked God and all of their errors to help them learn the rules of flight + then they listened to the answers that came both in the whisperings of their minds, the experience and science of their experiments, and the power of their belief.

desire + believe+ ask+ study(ponder) + listen = success and learning of knowledge

Be careful what you pray for. Know your desires. Know your beliefs. Know your God.

to know the interpretation (vs. 11) - We don't always get what we are taught the first time. After Nephi saw the "tree of life" he said "I believe it is precious above all" (vs. 9) Nephi understood that what he saw was special. He knew what it did to his soul. But he also understood that he didn't understand.

When the angel asked a second time what he desired, he said to know what it means? The tree of life as we learn in vs. 22 represents the "love of God". This is why before explaining this to Nephi he took time to show Nephi the birth of Christ through his virgin mother Mary.

It is a great gift to understand that the love of God is "most desirable above all things".

I believe that when we desire... to have the love of God.... as the foremost desire in our life... everything else falls into place.

the most joyous to the soul (vs 22)-

When I was a young girl my father taught me of his beliefs. He taught me of his conversion and how God opened up "his mind" and took away the clouds of disbelief. He taught me how to read the scriptures and liken them to myself. He taught me to write things of great importance and to let God's love flow through me. He shared with me how the Holy Ghost inspired him, giving him hope and new ideas to help him solve his problems.

As I grew the desire to do and experience all that I have seen my father experiences grew in me. Like Nephi I recognized the love of God within my father's words. I desired to not only accept his belief as his belief but to make it my own.

Today I have a testimony of God's love. His love has carried me.....Because I desired to know. Because I believed in God.... because I pondered.... and studied... and put it to the test. I experimented with God's word and learned not only of God's love for me, but of its truth.

Life is rich with good things to know. There are many things in life that we can desire. God will answer all of our prayers and help us learn to desire for the good and wise things.

If we desire to become a doctor we set our life on a course to become a doctor believing that one day we will be a doctor. If we (like the Wright Brothers) have a desire to fly (or whatever has not yet been done) we need only to believe, to study, to ponder, and to ask for truth.

As great as the mysteries are amidst the fields of science, there is no greater mystery than to personally discover the Joy of God's love as it opens up our personal vision to a life filled with righteous desire.