Hello Sweet Daughter of mine
I can't believe it is August!! It is
strange because it feels like we have been in school for so long (even
though it has only been a couple of weeks) but it just doesn't feel like
it has been very long since you left. It is hard
to believe that most of the world doesn't start school for a few more
weeks.
This week I saw something in 1st Nephi that I
guess I saw but never really focused on. That chapter is about how
Lehi takes his family, leaves everything behind, and heads to the
wilderness because of what the Lord had taught him
in a dream. In verse 12 we read about Laman and Lemuel first murmuring
but we tend to skip over the reason they murmur. It says it is because
they knew not the dealings of God. I look at my own life and the times
when I struggle the most and complain to
the Lord the most is usually when I can't see why things are happening
around me. I forget that just because I can't see doesn't mean that the
Lord can't see. If I can trust Him and come to know how what His plan
is for me it takes the sting out of the struggle.
In Verse 16 we find out that Nephi had to go to the Lord to get his
heart softened (which means he probably had a hard heart about it at
first). Rather than complaining like his brothers it just said that he
had a great desire to know the mysteries of God
(mysteries in the scriptures are usually a direct way of saying
revelation). Because he turned to God he learned the dealings of God
and was able to keep from complaining. What I thought was interesting
was in the first verse of chapter 3 it says that he
went from receiving revelation directly to the tent of his father where
he is told they need to go and get the plates. We always focus on 1
Nephi 3:7, but Nephi only has that attitude because of the experience he
has just had with the Lord. I think that
is why the Lord doesn't send them to get the plates until they are
quite a ways away. Nephi wouldn't have been ready yet.
I suppose that is a long way of saying to
make sure you are always keeping the channels of communication open to
Heavenly Father. The Lord will not trust us with what He needs done if
we are not ready. He will give us the experiences
we need to get ready, but what we do with those experiences is up to
us. Nephi and Laman and Lemuel all have the same experiences, they just
choose to respond to them differently. If we keep turning to the Lord
we will always find peace. It doesn't mean
our struggles go away (Laman and Lemuel continue to go through the same
struggles as Nephi) but we will find peace even through the struggles.
I love you sweet girl. I am so proud of you and we love your letters so much. They are always inspiring!!!!
Love,
Dad
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