into their hearts Helaman 6:15-41

Helaman 6:15-41

As children of God we have a

different perspective about our journey here on earth. As children of God we recognize the importance of understanding our bodies, our hopes, our dreams, and our hearts. As a mother to six beautiful and wonderful children I am aware of how important it is to protect what enters the hearts of my children. I have always taken my job as protector seriously. Sometimes it causes others to think of me as a pain, but this is my job. I did not bring these souls to earth for vanity or to allow them happenstance. I brought them here as a God given mission to help each one of them reach their full pot

ential, to help each one of them understand their heritage, their gifts, their perspective and their bodies. This would be one reason why I blog. I want to keep my children's hearts close to God. I want them to hear my testimony. I want them to know that my life has been a testimony of many things.

How do we protect o

ur hearts? There are so many diverse ways in which a heart can be led away from our God. There are many good educational forums that teach us of our bodies, our psyches,( a link to something I was reading today on autism), and our professions. But how many teach us to remember the spirit that dwells within us? Where can we turn when our soul is in need of comfort? To whom did God give the job of teachin

g, of comforting, of loving and of nurturing. Mothers. And to where should mother's find their strength?

Who do we co-create with? God.

Each of my children express themselves with unique strengths. When my MathMom was growing up she had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and reading. To this day, I turn to her for suggestions on books that will broaden my thoughts. Two books she suggested have changed the course of my life: Outliers and The five Love Languages My LacrosseSon always enjoyed his friendships and social gatherings. His desire and ability to serve others and bring people together has been showcased in his leadership within the Utah Lacrosse community both as a coach and now as a member of the Board of Directors. He has a unique gift with understanding what motivates people. As my LanguageLady grew her love of music translated to language and she has been able to use to help so many learn both a better way of life and how to teach others a better way. Her passion for family and communication was recently very much appreciated when she created and inspired our own family blog where we share memories, experiences, and bonding. My CrossCountryChic's love for biology (particularly the ocean) has kept our family enjoying the outdoors and always exploring nature. I have fond memories of her exploring our family rose garden and tiptoeing through the tulips. Her vivacity and curiosity for life is contagious and her ability to comfort and HELP others in need is a gift from God took her to Guatemala. I always appreciate her ability to bring joy and relaxation to our home. Our GolfGirl perspective on life has taught us about life. Her trials from an early age bonded her a deeper understanding of what is important. She has a great gift for art that she has yet to develop. I have seen it in her love of color, of animals, and her desire to be close to the part of life that brings us all together as a race, self-expression. My GuitarGuy has a love for people and musical art that helps our home-life thrive. We are enjoying watching him grow gracefully into his teenage years.

As I read these verses today, I was reminded of how I have worked so tiressly to protect the hearts of my family. As we face each of the struggles that life brings our way, we must each inventory our own talents and shortcomings. As we enjoy blessings we must each remember to give our hearts thanks to the God of our Earth and soul who has seen fit to bestow them on us. When we allow our hearts to center upon other sources of direction, strength, and information, we find that we begin to lose the power of Spirit that can come from no other source than God and his creations.

Words and Phrases

vs 16 the people began to grow exceedingly wicked - I.E. they begin to forget their spiritual roots, their voice of reason, their desires to serve and listen to others. They forgot to comfort, encourage and build one another up.

vs 17 riches... stirred up to anger... hearts on the riches... I go back to my quote

When one discovers the true meaning of contentment, they let go of the need for contention.There is a fine line between contentment and contention.

vs 20 there were robbers among them - when a family, a society discovers there are robbers among them, it is a clear sign that something is wrong. Something has not been taught, something is being taught that leads the hearts away from that which is good and right. In my own family I have seen this. I have (like the Lamanites) used everymeans in my power to teach the truth so that the robbers would be no more.

vs 21 stir up the hearts - when a heart is stirred up.. who can calm it but the truth and peace of righteousness. Hearts that are stirred up lead to robbers, murders, secret societies, plundering, stealing

vs 28 hearts of the people - here we understand that in order to get into the hearts of the people you must first find passage into "their hearts" of one person, one family. When we do not follow our Savior, we learn to follow another, voice, path, piper, ? It is the responsibility of parents to teach their children as the Savior teaches us.

vs 31 he got ahold of the hearts - God does not get ahold of our hearts, he expects us to give him our hearts. He expects us to yield to his call and come to him. Only Satan will take our hearts and lead us to addictive behaviors, to wickedness that traps and snares us, to the point where we no longer respect, teach or understand the commandments of God. Rather we turn our hearts to idols that give nothing, bring nothing, and promise nothing but mayhem.

vs 32 not many years - Why does it take such a short time for families to fall into wickedness? Why are we blinded so easily to what we hold dear to our hearts? Why do we fail to listen to God? There are so many ways families can be lead astray. Children bring home the new "fad" from school, parents watch the new "show", etc...

vs 35 And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw - When the spirit withdraws from our lives, we are left to our own strength, intelligence and devices. When the spirit withdraws we discover we are no better than the common man who lives each day in vanity. (see Ecclesiastes) We are not sent here to earth for vanity. There is a higher purpose. All mothers know this because at that time of birth, when they look into the eyes of their newly delivered spirit, an eternal spark ignites within us, and we know we are here for divine reasons.

vs 37. hunt the band of robbers - in my own life the band of robbers that came to steal my children's hearts came not in a physical band of people, but rather in the form of a video addiction. It led to the changed behaviors of family members. It led to the downward spiral of our family's self esteem. It has been one year since I have banned the use of video games and their insidious influence in our home. The year has seen a great rejoicing as we have hopefully "utterly destroyed" the Gadianton Robbers from within the walls of our home.

What do you allow into your hearts? Will I always have place for God in my heart?

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.

a fruit "most sweet"

1 Nephi 8

I love fruit. Apples, bananas, peaches, oranges, mangos, etc. I love the sweetness of taste upon my tongue. And I like how this metaphor helps remind me of the sweetness of the Lord's word and love. The Lord's fruit is whiter than any known white, it is sweeter beyond the sweetest Georgia peach, and it is purer than any fruit we could taste. It brings peace, but mostly it brings joy.

Why would anyone not want it?

(Words and phrases)

large and spacious field (vs. 9) - A look at the guide tells us this represents the world. I also thought of it as choice (a large and spacious choice). So big that you become lost. So many choices that you don't know which will make you happy.

desirable to make one happy (vs. 10) - desire. Here it is again. It seems that is what it is all about. If we would desire the fruit of this tree, we would find happiness.

partake of the fruit (vs. 11) - I wonder if I saw a tree in the middle of a field, would my curiosity get the best of me to the point that I would partake? As I consider that this fruit is a metaphor for spiritual truth, do I partake of it daily? Do I seek to cultivate and grow this fruit so that it is within my grasp? With so many choices before us, sometimes I might have a hard time finding this fruit.

But then... it was most sweet... (Something I would not soon forget) and it was white to exceed all whiteness. The only way I couldn't see it is if I were not looking for it. Whiteness always stands out.

great joy (vs. 12) How do I feel when I help someone in need? How do I feel when I overcome a bad habit? How do I feel when someone lets me know that I have done something really good and have helped them? How do I feel when I am in the presence of goodness, when I practice reverence and respect? I feel great joy. To do these things is to partake of the fruit of the tree of life. To give service to things that bring life and goodness, and hope and help others find this both in themselves in other gifts from God, is to receive JOY.

Lehi went through all of this when he learned to listen to the prophets in Jerusalem. He felt the JOY of the truth surge through him as he partook of God's word by putting God's word to practice. He prayed. Then a pillar of fire came and he received knowledge and revelation. God's love manifest itself unto him. He knew that the JOY he felt from listening to the prophets was different from the gladness he felt when he listened to and adhered to worldly philosophy. He knew that God's love brought joy. He wanted his family to have this same kind of joy.

desirable above all other fruits (vs. 12) - What could be the most desirable fruit of all the earth? What could bring such Joy and elation to your entire being that you want not to keep it to yourself but to share it? What is white above all other whiteness? What is pure above all other pureness? What brings our families together like nothing else? What teaches us to desire only those things that will help us continue to desire goodness? What is living so that all else that touches it finds renewed life? What is rooted so deeply into the soil of goodness and love that it's fruit brings us eternal nutrition? How do we learn to desire this fruit? By partaking.

I cast my eyes round about (vs. 13) I often forget to look around and see what is about me. I think that we all need to learn to be observant (especially in our dreams) It is something that you can work on. When you dream, if you make a conscious effort to remember to be more observant in your dream, you will notice things that you didn't before. What is important here is that in looking around, Lehi shows us what is important to him, his family. He is looking for his family. While looking he noticed the filthy river of water.

they knew not whither they should go (vs. 14) I know that there are many times in my life when I just don't know where to go or what to do? When I have a plan, when I have a goal, I know what to do and where to go? I think it is important for all of us to decide whither we should go? To God? To family? To goodness? The important thing here is that if we don't make a conscious choice, we end up making a choice we may not be happy with. Lehi's family needed leadership. He recognized this and was taking his leadership from the Lord. If we take a cue from Lehi, then we realize that it is not enough to eat, sleep, drink and die. For most of us we want a source of eternal happiness and this comes through knowing that we have not only had family, but also that we have loved, taught, and guided family to find Joy.

I beckoned unto them (vs. 15) I beckon each day to my family. I beckon each day to myself. When we beckon we encourage with word and gesture. We rally in their behalf and tell them to come and enjoy all that is good and loving. We beckon with our eyes, our hearts, our words, our hands, and our voices.

We help them understand the importance of knowing God's word and of living it by not only partaking of His Word (fruit) but also through sharing it.

If ye have choice

1 Nephi 7

When I read this "if ye have choice" I wondered why Nephi didn't say, "ye have choice"?

If... What keeps us from having choice? What keeps us from using the choice that God has given us? The answer is choice!

When we choose righteously we always have and give choice. When we choose selfishly we always take and loose choice.

As I read this story (another pattern of choice) I saw how choice is given and choice is taken away and how we can overcome those who seek to take away our choice.

(Words and Phrases)

I would that ye might know (vs 1) - I am glad that he chose to tell me. I am glad that I might know. If Nephi hadn't chosen to tell us about how they retrieved Ismael, what might we have "supposed"? This simple phrase helps us remember that knowledge is important in helping make good choices.

they were desirous to return (vs 7)- Many times we make a choice and then we vacillate. It appears that Laman and Lemuel were not to upset about the idea of returning to Jerusalem to retrieve a wife, but once they had what the wanted, they began to question the Lord's commandments again. How often am I desirous to return to my old ways? How often do I receive what the Lord has given unto me as a blessing and I want to forget from whence it came?

what great things the Lord hath done? (vs 11)- I am reminded of how often I forget the blessings the Lord has given me. It takes daily concentration and prayer for me to remember how God has blessed my family and my life. I wish that I could use pattern every time the children or members of the family have a difficult time. I wish I could remember the great things before I complain or choose to rebel.

able to do all things according to His will (vs 12) - So If God is able to do all things according to his will and I align my will with His will, then I should be able to do all things? Wow? But how do you do that? How do you fix yourself so that you aren't distracted, or tempted, or "carried away"? How do I align myself with God's will? Well I guess the first thing to do is to know God's will, and to learn it.

if ye have choice (vs 15) - There are many choices we make that take away our choices. I want to make choices that give more choices. It's like the Jeanie in the Bottle telling me you have three choices, but I know that if I am wise, good choices will lead to more choices.

I may not be able to ask directly for an extra choice, but I can learn to ask questions that will lead me to experiences that will allow me to ask for extra choices. . So many of us are led to believe that we only have three choices. And when we choose selfishly we do limit our choices.

Take the case of the Goose who laid golden eggs. As long as the farmer cared for and nurtured the goose, they had plenty of golden eggs. But when the farmer became selfish and wanted all the gold for himself, he killed the goose thinking he would receive the source of the golden eggs and thus become impossibly wealthy. What he did not see is that it was his goodness, and selflessness toward the goose that brought him golden eggs.

they did bind me with cords. (vs16) Bad choices tend to do this. Bad choices bind us. Bad choices seek to take away our choice. Bad choices lead to anger. Bad choices seek their own.

I wonder what bad choices I make that bind me? How do I evaluate my choices?

strength that I may burst these bands (vs 17) - When we find ourselves living with those that seek to take away our choice, or who seek to bind us to their ways, we have an option of praying to the Lord so that he may free us. The key here is that Nephi had the strength of faith because of his obedience. An employer at work, a bad marriage, a toxic friendship, all would be grounds for asking for help in "bursting the bands that bind". Other things that bind would be our own choices that have led to addiction. Only now we are repentive and we need help to become free from these habits.

when I had said these words - (vs 18) I think it is amazing that Nephi only had to speak the words and the Lord granted it. Such was Nephi's belief and faith in himself and in the Lord's power which surged through him. I have born testimony and know the power of words. Words have great power when they are backed by belief and faith.

pray unto God for forgiveness (vs 21) - I am amazed that as men we want to worship men. We set men up as our idols. (sports figures, political leaders, church leaders) and we tend to forget the message and focus on the messenger. Nephi says.. fine I forgive you, but don't forget to talk to God. Make sure He has forgiven you and that all is right with God. I am human. I make mistakes. But I also have the power to do great things when I have God on my side. When I do these things be sure to not forget that it is because of my practices of faith, it is because I have allowed God to work through me. It is because of God. I pray that I will always pray unto God for forgiveness and give thanks for my blessings.

I am grateful that I have choice to make choice and to then to rejoice in my choice.

These Plates of Brass (1 Nephi 5: 10-22)

1 Nephi 5: 10-22

These plates of brass

I attended a fast and testament meeting that was unusual in that the majority of the testimonies revolved around how the scriptures and in particular the Book of Mormon (these brass plates) had changed their lives. I wrote down several of the comments. As we think about these brass plates, I think we can learn to appreciate all that the Lord had in store for those who follow his spirit (1 Nephi 4) and find learn the dealings of that God (chpt2).

Testimonies witnessed they receive: a daily dose, a testimony of the Bible, true evidence, a greater glimpse, a purpose, a time to reflect, strength, help during turbulent times, gratitude, an anchor, an uplift, faith in the Savior, blessings, the gift of the Holy Ghost, deep insights into our lives, a personal compass, answers to prayers, witness to an unchanging God, miracles, the spiritual way, knowledge, Peace, and communication with God.

(Words and Phrases)

after he gave thanks ..took the records.. did search them. (vs.10) - I give thanks each morning for food, for a safe night, and then as a family we search the scriptures. It's not enough to read the scriptures. I need to search them. I need to look for what I need that day in order to navigate my choices.

I have a theory that if we listen to our body, it will let us know what nutrients we need and we will want to eat certain foods. I think the scriptures are much the same way. If we will read them, the parts that are important to our spiritual nutrition will jump out at us and we can find wholeness. I hope that I can teach my children to not just read the scriptures, but to search them for all that they need to learn.

Herein lies the difference in just feeding a child and teaching a child how to feed themselves. We can take our children to church. We can read to them from God's Holy Word, but if we haven't taught them to search God's word for what they need, have we really taught them to fish?

five books of Moses (vs.11) What are the five books of Moses? I don't know? Something to think about and study later on? What do we know about these books? They contain an account:

1. of the creation (v11)

2. of Adam and Eve (v11)

3. a record of the Jews through to Zedekiah (v12)

4. the prophecies (v13) beginning - Zedekiah?

5. Jeremiah the prophet (v13)

6. a genealogy (v 13)

7. an account of Joseph (son of Jacob) how he was preserved when they were led out of captivity

from the beginning (v12) - this struck me.. could it mean (from the beginning of when the written word began?) Or is it possible that there was another race of men that actually began with the creation? We know from science that man was here long before his written record was. I really don't believe that there is a problem with science and religion. I believe the problem lies in communication of language, and there is much we don't know. It jumped out at me.

he was filled with the spirit (vs. 17) - Lehi read the brass plates and was filled with the spirit. Many people testified yesterday of how they read "the brass plates" and how they were filled with the spirit (see above). Is it possible for me to read the scriptures and be filled with the spirit also?

he began to prophesy (vs. 17).... he told what would become of the plates....Why do we think that we cannot prophesy concerning our own situation? What is revelation if it is not prophesy? When I read, pray and study God's word, I believe he will open our lives unto us and show us the pathways we have chosen. He will help us to see where we are headed good and bad. Here's the catch. Nephi knew what was in the plates as he read them with his father Lehi. Would what he saw come to pass if he had not written about it? We wouldn't know about it. His written word wouldn't have power to sway our thoughts, emotions, and spirits.

It is one thing to prophesy and keep it in your heart. I believe it is much more powerful to prophesy and write it for all the world to see.

He prophesized:

1. Plates should go forth unto all nations.... it’s happening as we speak.

2. to all kindreds, tongues and people of his seed.... (all nationalities genetically connected)

3. never perish...

4. would never be dimmed by time. These words are words of wisdom that guide the soul.

they were desirable... of great worth. (vs. 21) What is of great worth to me? When I think of all the things I own, it is the things that bring me closer to my children that are of great worth and desirable. If there is anything that can do this, I will seek it out.

it was wisdom that we should carry them with us (vs. 22)- I have to wonder how I use wisdom to carry God's word with me each day? I wonder... I can carry God's word with me or be as those in Jerusalem and be carried away? I wonder do I even remember to pick them up some days? What if Lehi had forgotten them? What if he hadn't gone back for them? What if it was all of men? Would all of this have lasted (never to perish)? Would it have dimmed with time?

What of the other great works? How do they dim with time? I listened to a commentary to "To Kill a Mockingbird". This great classic is beginning to waiver in popularity among university professors and students who have begun to say that its message is dated and no longer applies to them. I thought it all a very interesting conversation.

Still... I wonder what determines what we carry with us each day? If we were to backpack, we would be sure to carry with us essential physical food. Spiritually we all need to be reminded and carry with us essential spiritual food so that when life is hard, when we lose our way, when we exhaust ourselves and need encouragement, and when we struggle with decisions, we will have the wisdom within us to help us make choices that will bring comfort, peace and understanding.

I have found that "these plates of brass", although metal and of great weight, lighten my load each day. They lift me up, teach me of an easier way and give me perspective that keeps me forever in the brightness of His love.

"Even In A Dream" 1 Nephi 2:1-12

1 Nephi 2

I dream. I know that everyone does not dream, or at least remember what we dream. It has been explained to me that we all dream. It is a biological fact. So I wonder, why do some of us not remember? What keeps us separated from our sub-consciousness that we can not remember anything that happened to us while we sleep? I wonder if it might be our desires?

Desires it seems set our goals, our schedules, our tasks, our "to do" list, our priorities. Desires it seems become the barometer for our consciousness. Speaking from my own personal experience, I have noted that when I am driven to accomplish, when life has taken hold of me and has caused me to focus more on earthly success, I dream less. Or, I don't remember my dreams. I don't have time. I have too much to do. Too much else crowding out my subconscious mind.

Lehi dreamed. When Nephi described his father's reasoning for leaving Jerusalem, Nephi said it was because of a dream. Lamen and Lemuel, however called it "vain imaginations of his heart."

What is the difference? What did Lamen and Lemuel value that caused them to see their father's leadership in such a negative connotations? What did Nephi value that helped him see it as "direction from God?"

Phrases and Words

(these are my comments on phrases of words that jump out at me)

even in a dream (vs 1, 2)

thou hast been faithful (vs2) - We know. In our hearts, we know when we do good. We know also when we do wrong. The difference lies in how we react to each. When we do right, we are apt to continue doing right. Similarly when we do wrong we are apt to continue. The difference is that doing right relies upon our convictions. Doing wrong relies upon the lowest common denominator that we associate with. Our convictions are closely related to our desires.

When I read this phrase "thou hast been faithful" I realize that the Lord does honor his covenants with us. When we are faithful we are promised protection, guidance, and acceptance. If Lehi had loved anything more than goodness, obedience, or the understanding of God's higher purpose it wouldn't have worked. He would have second guessed himself and not followed through. God would not have honored his convenants.

Herein lies the beauty of this story. How do you know its the Lord in your dreams? How do you know the Lord? You know! We all know goodness. It's not always what we know, sometimes its what we love most.

What is a dream? Is it something we aspire to? Is it something we gain grater insight from? Is it something we find ourselves in? Dreams uniquely are our own. Like our relationships with faith, with God, with our own conscience. Dreams help us find our path. When we do or see evil, our dreams warn us. When we hope for and see good, our dreams guide us.

600 B.C. (vs 4) - I wonder what else took place in 600 B.C. At this time in history the calendar works backward. So the century is from 600 B.C - 501 B.C. So as we move closer toward the birth of Christ we are counting down in years. Lehi leaves Jerusalem around 600 B.C. and in about 587 (13 years) Nebuchadnezzar II captures Jerusalem. He carries away it's people to Babylon or various other cities within the Neo Babylonian Empire. This empire was also called Chaldean.

land of his inheritance (vs 4)- family, hills, dales, familiar places, memories, friends, acquaintances, anything that would make you feel connected to society and feel like you had a life. What was so wrong in Jerusalem that Lehi lost all feelings of being connected with everything he had grown accustomed to in his life?

gold, silver, precious things - Jerusalem had become prosperous because of trad with other nations. This trade led to the great diversity and the watering down of their religious beliefs. It really comes back to what do we desire most in life? Prosperity or Joy? What was truly valuable to him?

he came down ... into the wilderness (v5) - Lehi left civilization, a better way of life, to go into the wilderness. He came down out of Jerusalem, out of Judaea. Why would Lehi leave the safety of his homeland? Why would he leave the security of friendships? My guess is that he would leave only if he recognized they were no longer safe. Was there imminent danger? Yes, for his life. What happens to those who spread bad karma? It comes back to them. Would you want to be in the same place with someone who you know is going to get their bad karma returned to them? He was seeking for a better way. But why did he believe he would find it in the wilderness? In the Bible the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until they had left behind all of the bad karma of the Egyptians. It was the Lord's way of helping them learn to rely upon Him for guidance. In the wilderness they could not turn to others for help, they had to figure things out. If they were to survive, they had to have faith in God. Also. God had commanded him. He did not necessarily know why, but he knew God and he know that all good comes from God.

he pitched his tent (vs5) This seemingly simple phrase hold more meaning than one might think. To pitch a tent means more than to put up a tent. It means to set it up and fix it into a definite position. When we camp I know the position of my tent is crucial to how well I sleep. Lehi pitched (purposefully set and fixed) his tent in a valley, by a river. Here he had water to bathe, to drink, to wash, to cook with. Here in a valley he was protected from the dessert storms, the wind the weather and the harshness of the wilderness.

He set up protection, he stopped and rested and what was the first thing he did?

built an altar (vs7) First things first. 1. Built an altar 2. made an offering 3. gave thanks. This really made be think.

Could I have given thanks? Would I have murmured? 3 days out it would have been easy to turn back. How do I react to the change the Lord brings into my life?

fountain (vs 9) - When I think of a fountain I think of downtown Cleveland where there is a burst of water that pours out of a statue. A fountain really means "source". Webster says it is a "source of desirable quality". When Lehi says to his son that he wishes that he would always run to the source of righteousness, he is asking that his son will always desire to bring forth good.

foolish imaginations (vs 11) This is a well known phrase. As I think about Lehi I am reminded that Nephi called his father's beliefs a dream. Lamen and Lemuel however, now that they are three days out in the wilderness and the excitement of the adventure has died down, call it "foolish imaginations of his heart". This is really a defining moment for everyone. When we are faced with challenges that will take us from our comfort zone, our way of life, our addictions, our routines, what do we call the "word of the Lord" (vs 3)? Is it a dream? A desire to live righteously? Is it vain imaginations that don't know reality from fantasy?

In the end there is no one answer. To those who have their hearts set upon the "real" world, the earthly riches, the comforts of this world, it is vain imaginations. Why? Because if you can't see anything more than what is in front of you, if you can't see the spiritual world that your conscience possesses then it is all in vain. But to those that believe in the dream, To those who have the ability to let their conscious mind live and breath and not be silenced by all of the demands of a capitalistic society, then dreams are real. Why? Because dreams represent the true spiritual nature of our being.

Like I said at the beginning. We know. We know truth when we see it. If we don't then we should listen more carefully. God brings goodness. God brings light. God brings hope and safety and security. These are things that Lehi left Jerusalem for. Jerusalem had lost its way and they had killed the prophets who would help them find their conscience.

When one's conscience dies so does his dream... When one's conscience dies it is replaced with desires for wealth, and fame and strength and power.

As a mother of a large family, I have to believe that Lehi felt the need to leave Jerusalem because he felt the weight of his parental responsibilities slipping away. The first thing he does three days out is to pull his children aside and tell them how much he loves them. What a beautiful statement"... "Oh that you might always be running toward the source of all goodness." Oh that I love you so much that all I ever wanted for you was to run to the God and see of his goodness.

I hope that I will run to God daily. I hope that I will run to the source so that I will not be carried away or lost in the wilderness of life. How do I teach my children to do this? How do I teach them to understand God's love for us? How do I teach them that we are not unlike Lehi in our journeys, in our ability to listen to the prophets, in our ability to find direction within our dreams of righteousness. I think I teach them by doing what Lehi did, letting God's love direct me, "even in a dream".