Flooding My Life with the Book of Mormon

By David Alan Armstrong

This book is a compilation of selected verses from the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Accompanying each verse is a thought and comment to expound on the meaning and significance of the scripture to the author. This book is not intended as a doctrinal dissertation but a collection of inspirational messages of hope, comfort, faith, strength, and grace. The fullness of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Book of Mormon. The author has highlighted only a few verses that reflected the depth and richness of the Doctrine of Christ and the glorious principles of His gospel. The Book of Mormon is the keystone of the religion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The hope for this book is that it will inspire both those who are completely familiar with the Book of Mormon and those who perhaps have never opened its pages. The selected verses will feel like old friends to those who have studied this volume of scripture, and the accompanying commentary may spur new thoughts and different perspectives. To those not yet acquainted with the Book of Mormon, these passages may serve as an introduction to the vastness of truths contained in this book of revelation. In any case, the author desires to share his love of the Book of Mormon, his testimony of its truthfulness and authenticity, and his love of the Savior and Redeemer of the world, Jesus Christ, who is the central figure in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Alan Armstrong
• Release date: Jun 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224455614

David Alan Armstrong

David Alan Armstrong lives with his wife in his adopted home town of Kaysville, Utah, after having grown up in Southern California. His three children and five grandchildren are spread around the U.S. He has degrees in Education from Brigham Young University and the University of Southern California. He retired from a forty-year career in the Information Technology industry as a programmer, analyst, project manager just one week before the COVID-19 pandemic. He spends his time now caring for his disabled wife, keeping up the house and yard, playing guitar and piano, coordinating a caregiver support group, helping his neighbors, actively serving in his congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and writing.

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Introduction: Flood the Earth—One Drop at a Time

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In 1988 President Ezra Taft Benson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked the members of the church to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon. He said at the October General Conference of the church: The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord has given. In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold me accountable if I do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way.

Recall that in 1988 the Internet was in its infancy. The World Wide Web had not yet made its appearance. Smartphones were not yet invented. How far I have come in the technology that President Benson envisioned for flooding the earth!

The commandment to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon has never been rescinded. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I needed to do more with the technological gifts at my disposal to keep this commandment, so I started my Flood the Earth blog in 2016. I was not so naive as to think that I was going to flood the Internet with the Book of Mormon. I just wanted to add my drop. As the old saying goes, if I each add a drop, pretty soon we'll have an ocean.

I finished my blog in 2019, meaning I had made my first pass through the Book of Mormon, having posted 774 verses with comments and pictures–my 774 favorite verses, out of 6,604 possible choices. That is a lot of favorites. The pictures I posted were to add color and interest to my blog, and at least a few provided emotion and context to the accompanying verses. My comments came from my notes during personal scripture study over several years. The real heart of my blog, however, was neither the pictures nor my comments, but the verses themselves, the Word of God as written by ancient prophets and translated through God’s power by a modern-day prophet. I had simply put a few drops of God’s Word in the digital ocean in the hope that someone who needed a spiritual boost might stumble on just the right verse to brighten a bad day or lift a heavy heart.

Therefore, as I prepared my posts, I looked for passages that expressed hope and grace embodied in my Lord Jesus Christ. And I found them! Over and over again! Hundreds of them. I realized as never before how profoundly and thoroughly saturated the Book of Mormon is with messages of Christian love and encouragement and good news. Jesus permeates that book, and as I came to see the love Christ has for me, my heart became permeated with Him. I always knew Heavenly Father loved me, but I learned through this experience that Jesus loves me–really loves me.

Another fact that was confirmed to me over and over again was who the true author of the Book of Mormon is. More times than I can count, as I came to a particularly moving or uplifting or impactful verse of scripture, I asked myself: Could a twenty-three-year-old farm boy have written that? Did this profoundly rich expression of faith and hope germinate in the uneducated, nearly illiterate mind of a country bumpkin? I’ll grant that even a blind squirrel can find an acorn occasionally. But over and over again? Verse after verse? Statement after statement? Doctrine upon doctrine? Harmonized, consistent, true and uncompromising? Could any man write a book better than the Bible? Only one Author has both the knowledge and the right to produce such a book. Ancient prophets may have inscribed symbols on gold plates, Joseph Smith may have spoken the English interpretation, and Olivery Cowdry may have put the words on paper, but only God himself could have written that book. I witnessed that glorious truth repeatedly, and give it as my testimony to this day.

While I wanted to bless and inspire others with what I had found in the Book of Mormon, mostly I posted my blog for myself. I wrote about, posted about, and pondered about the Word of God virtually every day two for nearly two and a half years. The experience changed me. While I was gratified and often surprised by the comments and the likes my posts received, I was transformed by the Holy Ghost. My love for the scriptures deepened and widened. My heart expanded. The Spirit seemed to speak more clearly and directly to me, especially when I was immersed in the day’s writing. I was grateful every day for the opportunity to share my love for the Book of Mormon and for how the sharing penetrated my soul. When I posted my Farewell article to my followers at the close of the blog, it was like saying goodbye to an old friend.

Nevertheless, I don’t let old friends just slip away. A truly good friend is never far from my heart. I realized my thirst to share was not satisfied with a few hundred posts on the Web. Drops of digital moisture evaporate quickly on the ever-shifting sands of the Internet. I wanted my personal drop to continue to live. I wanted to ensure that my posterity would taste the Living Water that had nourished, and continues to nourish, my soul. The scriptures are an infinite well of inspiration from which I can dip endlessly. I had pulled up only a thimble full, but it was good and satisfying, and I wanted to put it into a form that would last longer than the brief flash of the World Wide Web.

Therefore, this book came about. I have selected my favorite favorites, the most hopeful and joyful and transformative passages, the ones that resonated most for me and sparked my deepest reverence and worship.

I offer this as my gift. I am simply regifting what has been given to me. I give it to my children and their children, that they would remember my love for them, for the Book of Mormon, and for my Savior. I give it to my friends and neighbors who have loved me, teachers who have taught me, leaders who have inspired me, ministers who have succored me. I give it to strangers who may stumble upon this little volume while searching for something uplifting, empowering, faith-promoting, and testimony-building. When I have drunk from the same cup of Living Water, I will be strangers no more.

The soul of this volume is the Living Word of God extracted from the pages of the Book of Mormon. It is from His Word and the Holy Ghost that I draw divine, revealed truth. My comments are purely my own interpretations and meditations and in no way represent official doctrine or statements of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If my little essays are helpful to the reader, I am happy; if not, I’m content that the reader drew comfort and joy from the true words quoted directly from the Book of Mormon.

So drink with me; immerse yourself with me; taste the droplets until they become a stream, and then a river, and then an ocean in my life. My mother used to say a person could drown in a teaspoon of water. If I all bring my teaspoons to the fountain, the Word of God can become a sea to cover the earth.

Hope

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Engraven

1 Nephi 21:15-16

For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Nephi quoted the words of Isaiah because they were full of hope and comfort. God could not forget me any more than a new mother can forget her baby. Each time the resurrected Savior looks at the marks in the palms of His hands, He remembers me because He took the stripes for my guilt with those nails.

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No One Left Out

1 Nephi 22:28

But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent.

More messages of hope: No one has to be left out of God's kingdom if they will repent.

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So Easily Beset

2 Nephi 4:18

I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

Beset means to trouble or threaten persistently. Sin is a constant problem for as long as I am mortal. Paul says that sin is in his very flesh. Though his mind wants to obey God, his body rebels constantly. (See Hebrews 12:1, Romans 7:21.) If Paul and Nephi struggled with sin, how can I expect to escape unscathed? Not unscathed, but redeemed and healed through Christ. Though Nephi seems to be down on himself at the moment, he is about to remind me of the glorious hope of Christ.

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Simply Because He Loves Us

2 Nephi 8:21-22

Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, and not with wine: thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.

The Lord gives Israel and all of me the promise of hope. The message of hope from Jehovah to Isaiah’s people was that their sore afflictions were coming to an end. Having wrung out the bitter dregs of disobedience and stubborn pride, they would be given another chance.

God constantly calls for me to come to Him, humble myself, give up my rebellion, bury my pride, and rely on His mercy. Every time I turn to Him in sincerity, He welcomes me back and gives me another chance. He does not expect me to be perfect, but He expects me to always be striving for perfection.

When I stumble, He helps me up and encourages me to keep going. When I refuse His help, He lets me suffer through the consequences of my foolish pride and enmity. When I come to myself and turn to Him, I find Him standing right where I left Him with outstretched arms.

The omnipotent Jehovah, the majestic Messiah, the loving Christ is my Savior, my Redeemer, my Advocate with the Father. He stretches out His wounded palms and pleads with my Father to give me one more chance for His sake. Not that I deserve another chance, but He mercifully offers it anyway, simply because He loves us.

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Cause to Rejoice

2 Nephi 9:3

Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

Prophecies are given to bring me hope. Even prophecies of doom are accompanied by promises of hope, mercy, and restoration. When I understand the Lord's plan of salvation and his great love for all his children, I have much cause to rejoice. God does not bring me sorrow. I do that to myself. He always offers hope and good things if I can endure the trials.

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I Will Not Lose

Mosiah 7:18

And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when I shall no longer be in subjection to my enemies, notwithstanding my many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.

This is the glad message of Christ and the atonement to all people. I should all lift up my heads and rejoice, for Christ's deliverance is near. Through the atonement He will free me from my sins and the enemy of my souls. Yet I still have an effectual struggle before me, for I must repent and resist temptation. But if I make the effort, I will not lose.

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Many Will Be Saved

Alma 9:17

And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name.

I can all have hope. If I call upon God in sincere repentance, He will have mercy on me.No one is beyond His mercy if I am willing to try.

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The Yoke of Repentance

Alma 14:6

And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds, which he had caused among the people by his lying words; and his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.

I am all guilty. But I do not have to be torn apart by guilt if I repent and look to Christ. Zeezrom did not yet have faith in Christ, and so he had no hope. To be guilty without hope of redemption is the very definition of hell.

I do not have to live in hell, however. The atonement of Christ removes guilt. He unhitches the harrow I drag behind me everywhere I go that keeps churning up the soil of my wicked past.

I have all surely sinned, but I don’t have to keep reliving those sins. I do not have to turn them over and over in my mind, keeping them fresh and fertile to spawn yet more sin. Christ replaces the harrow with a yoke, which He is willing to share with me.The harrow of guilt is heavy, but His yoke of repentance is light (see Matt 11:3).

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One Day More

Alma 26:1

And now, these are the words of Ammon to his brethren, which say thus: My brothers and my brethren, behold I say unto you, how great reason have I to rejoice; for could I have supposed when I started from the land of Zarahemla that God would have granted unto me such great blessings?

Oh, that I could say every day, How great reason have I to rejoice! Each day should be a reason to rejoice. Even in my afflictions I should rejoice that God has given me one more day to try, one more day to learn, one more day to trust him, one more day to be faithful.

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Storms of the World

Alma 26:6-7

Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them. But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.

These are words that can and should be said of me who are converted in my hearts unto Christ. He will not let me be beaten down, scattered, and destroyed. He will gather me in and protect me.I need not fear the storms of the world, for Christ has overcome the world.

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The Reward of Patience

Alma 34:41

But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.

Hope is the antidote of despair. Afflictions may seem to fill my life and consume my days and threaten to overwhelm me.But they are never permanent. God is always at the end of the tunnel. What afflictions teach me is patience. I will need patience in the celestial kingdom because I will have imperfect children to deal with for a very long time. This life is where I begin to learn the lessons of patience. The reward of patience is hope.

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He Will Act with Integrity

Alma 37:17

For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto my fathers.

The scriptures record God's fulfilling of promises to previous generations and dispensations, and thus provide me with hope. For God is the same yesterday, today, and always. Because He has kept and honored covenants with previous people, I can have confidence He will act with integrity towards us.

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Peace

Helaman 5:47

Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.

Faith in Christ brings peace. I cannot be distraught by the calamities of the world if I believe Christ has overcome the world. I cannot despair of life if I believe Jesus is the Life. My life cannot seem too dark if I believe Jesus is the Light. Despite the trials, Christ has promised to not leave me comfortless.

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Priesthood of Hope

Helaman 8:18

Yea, and behold I say unto you, that Abraham not only knew of these things, but there were many before the days of Abraham who were called by the order of God; yea, even after the order of his Son; and this that it should be shown unto the people, a great many thousand years before his coming, that even redemption should come unto them.

The existence of the restored priesthood is proof that salvation is achievable. Why would God grant men authority to perform saving ordinances if salvation were not obtainable? Why would He grant men power to heal illness and afflictions if I just die and rot in the grave? Why would He give me the temple if exaltation in the celestial kingdom is out of reach? The very fact that I have the priesthood is a sign of hope from God.

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Clasped in the Arms of Jesus

Mormon 5:11

For I know that such will sorrow for the calamity of the house of Israel; yea, they will sorrow for the destruction of this people; they will sorrow that this people had not repented that they might have been clasped in the arms of Jesus.

Because the Nephites willingly and intentionally turned away from Christ, He could do nothing for them. He cannot embrace those who do not want to be embraced. I do not understand why anyone would not want to be clasped in the arms of Jesus. To be warm and safe in His arms is the most comforting experience I can imagine. I make lots of mistakes and fail constantly to live up to the life I know I should live, but I repent when I realize my mistakes. And so I have hope in Christ.

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None Are Lost

Mormon 9:6

O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus,that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day.

Even the most rebellious, wicked and unbelieving can turn around. Right up to the last day, they can come to themselves and seek the Lord. The pure miracle of Christ's Atonement is that it can make even the worst of sinners spotless, pure, white, and thoroughly clean. I do not have to appear before my Father stained with my sins. Christ holds out boundless hope for everyone. No one is lost who will come to him and have faith in him.

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No Other Way

Mormon 9:21

Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

If I want power from God, I begin with belief in Christ, as evidenced by my submitting to the first principles and ordinances of His gospel, which are faith and repentance, followed by baptism and the conferring of the Holy Ghost by one holding the proper authority.

I must trust with my whole heart and soul in Christ. He holds my very salvation and eternal life in His hands. When I trust Him, I do not try to wrestle my salvation away from Him as if I can save myself. No, I do not doubt in the least that He can and will redeem us.

With that trust and faith in Christ, I go to the Father in His name and ask for the help I need to strengthen and increase my faith. I ask Him to change my hearts and minds from the squalor of the natural man to the humility of a disciple of Christ. Such a prayer will God always, always answer.

And His answer will be a miracle, for it is only by the miracle of Christ's Atonement that a sinner can be washed clean and spotless.

God excludes no one from the promise of hope in this formula, to the ends of the earth and the end of time. Everyone can receive His grace. If I do not, it is only because I exclude myself by trying to get it some other way than how God has prescribed. He has the right to set the conditions by which I come to Him. I have the choice to accept or reject those conditions. I do not, however, have the right to override the consequences of my choices.

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At Least Trying

Ether 11:8

And the people began to repent of their iniquity; and inasmuch as they did the Lord did have mercy on them.

Even a people doomed to destruction and in the death throes of their final struggles can repent and find mercy. Surely those of me who are at least trying to live righteously will receive mercy as well.

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Hope of my Faith

Ether 12:4

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

Belief in God leads to faith, which leads to hope. The hope of my faith is to return to God and live with Him forever. Such hope becomes an anchor that holds me fast to God.

If I want to live with Him in the better world to come, would I not want to do all I can in this life to draw close to Him? Would I not want to be like Him in every way I can, my mortal limitations notwithstanding? If so, then I would surely want to do His works, which are, of course, good works.

If I am going to be comfortable in His presence, I must learn to do what He does, think what He thinks, and want what He wants. I do good things as a natural outcome of acquiring godly attributes. I do good works not so others think I am great but so they realize God is great.

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Inseparable

Moroni 7:40

And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

Genuine faith spawns hope. If I have faith in the Savior's atonement, then I must have hope that He will redeem and justify me.Put another way, if I lack hope, I must lack faith. The two are inseparable.

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Work Is Done

Moroni 7:41

And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

Think of it! Is this not hope indeed to think that Christ can take sinners like me and prepare me for eternal life? That which I could never do on my own, He can do for me.It is free, and it is sure. His work is done. There is no chance of failure on His part. Only I can fail to take advantage of the proffered gift.

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Inescapable

Moroni 7:42

Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

Faith leads inevitably to hope. Without faith I cannot have hope. With faith, hope is inescapable. How could I have abiding faith in Christ and not have an abiding hope in forgiveness, redemption, resurrection, and exaltation? Such a paradox would be illogical and unsustainable.

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He Always Remembers You

Moroni 10:23

And Christ truly said unto my fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me.

Do you ever feel like you’re not good enough? That no matter what you do, you just don't measure up to be the best parent, coworker, sibling, or daughter or son you can be?

When you feel like insecurities are overwhelming you, President Eyring has the perfect, but sometimes overlooked, solution that will inspire confidence:

If you will let your heart be drawn to the Savior, to always remember Him, and to my Heavenly Father in prayer, you will have put on spiritual armor. You will be protected against pride because you will know that any success comes not from your human powers. And you will be protected against the thoughts which come rushing in upon me that I am too weak, too inexperienced, too unworthy to do what I am called of God to do to serve and help save His children. I can have come into my heart the reassurance recorded in this verse. There is another sure promise. It is this: Whether or not you choose to keep your covenant to always remember Him, He always remembers you.

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Our One True Hope

Moroni 10:33

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

Here is hope! Moroni's final words are of hope. I can hope to be spotless and holy and acceptable to God because Christ has ransomed me and paid my price. God can be merciful because of Christ, which fills both the Father and the Son with joy. Their joy is my one true hope.

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Grace

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Christ Does All the Work

1 Nephi 1:14-15

And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

This is the doctrine of Christ and the gospel of hope. Christ will ultimately save those who come to Him and follow Him and believe in Him. Though I deserve to perish forever in outer darkness, Christ will snatch me from my deserved fate and rescue me from my sins and shortcomings and bring me into His presence. I do not trust in myself, but I trust in Him who is mighty to save. He saves me from eternal death, not because I have earned it, but simply because He loves me.Christ's sole purpose in His magnificent life is to bring God's children into immortality and eternal life with Him. He has done, and will do, everything in His infinite power to accomplish His goal. All I have to do is choose to let Him do it for me.I just have to choose Christ and stop fighting Him, and He will set the Atonement to work in my life, pour out His spirit upon me, teach me and tutor me, refine me through challenges and trials, and then bring me home. He does all the work, and I just have to submit, do my best, and be grateful.

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Gifts from God

1 Nephi 16:11

And it came to pass that I did gather together whatsoever things I should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of my provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and I did take seed of every kind that I might carry into the wilderness.

Nephi knew from where his blessings came. Though he had gathered the provisions, he testified they were gifts from God. No matter how hard I work, the results of my efforts are always gifts from God.

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Bountiful

1 Nephi 17:6

And it came to pass that I did pitch my tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding I had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that I cannot write them all, I were exceedingly rejoiced when I came to the seashore; and I called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.

Bountiful was a stopping place, but not a destination. The family's journey was not done, but God provided a place for them to rest and prepare for the next challenge. I may find myself at a temporary resting place during my mortal journey. I never arrive in this life, but God gives me opportunities from time to time to rest and catch my breath before plunging into the next part of my journey. I should use these times well but not expect them to last.

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Reaching the Promised Land

1 Nephi 17:14

Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did