Sweet vs Bitter

So, if the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil was "delicious to the taste and very desirable," then the tree of life's fruit is necessarily bitter...

The Tree of life fruit is bitter without the knowledge, experience, memories of trials and children and successes and joys that necessarily come with life! With those aspects of life, though, the taste of the bitter fruit will be delicious and joyful to eat!

Fruit of knowledge of good and evil is delicious to the taste like milk is to a newborn but good from the tree of life is like a gourmet meal... hardly bitter, but to a baby, it would be overwhelming and not be something you’d try again—in fact, a baby would spit it out!

JPS

There is no try? Sure?

Nephi says, in 1 Nephi 17:15, that:

Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence.

I will go and do... do, or do not, there is no TRY! Yet, Elder Holland says that we are blessed just for trying--kind of like how 'desiring' is the first step of Faith (Alma 32), and Nephi just said that he strove to keep the commandments; if we can only just desire, we will be blessed and out of that desire can come miracles (through faith...).

JPS

Do you see His hand in your life?

Reading 1 Nephi 17:13 "And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led." makes me come to a conclusion:

Seems that those few already acknowledging the Lord, His council, His blessings, and His strength, will already recognize His hand in everything and those who don’t will see His hand in nothing!

Or am I wrong?

JPS

Two spindles on the Liahona in the Book of Mormon

In the forst book of the Book of Mormon (not the lost book of Lehi...), in the 16th chapter, verse 10, we read of the Liahona having one spindle was for the personal compass (telling them which direction they're going/need to go) and the other spindle?

A compass (cardinal directions)?

Remember how Nephi will say, phrases like, “traveling in a South/Southeast direction”… (vs. 13)? Without a compass for cardinal directions, Nephi/Lehi would only be able to say that they followed the directions on the compass or not—no comparing directions to where the family traveled (see vs 16, "And we did follow the didections of the ball, which led us on the more feetile parts of the wilderness.").

JPS

A Woman’s Virtue

What is it that can bring a woman to give-up and willingly abandon that which is most sacred to her--her virtue? Is it power? Greed? No! It is a need of acceptance and desire for love and to be loved! It is man who so easily and casually can abuse woman without a second thought—or even with the second thought feeling that they must or else they will fall into obscurity—as to what they are doing and what they, themselves, will end-up paying for in the end...

So, Nephi isn't saying, "Look, there were women doing bad things, but, look how bad the men are that are using women like gold and silver... like fine-twined-linen! Look how man thinks of women as a commodity or as a "thing" to be traded for and bought and sold! Look how depraved the men are in that abominable church" Are men or even I different from them? How?

The virtue and chastity of women are important--maybe the most important of all--but, I think God is using this type of language to say that men need to be protecting women's virtue but saying it in a way that makes men think it must be women's fault (like it's their choice alone that has brought them into prostitution)... He must be terribly disappointed in the choices of some women, but even more so in the men who are charged with their protection and care, right? How are we, the saints of God or members of His church, treating women similarly--like second-class citizens or even commodities?

JPS

What do you do when you just don’t feel like writing or that there is anything worthy to write about?

Pray. Then just start writing, even if you meed to scrap what first cokes out--just start writing!

JPS

In which ways is the Book of Mormon comparable to the Bible?

• they both testify of the divinity of Christ and of God the Father and the Holy Ghost bears testimony of them.

• they both testify of the reality and veracity of the apostles and prophets—of Christ’s priesthood, granting God’s power and authority to man on the Earth!

• they both testify of the church of Jesus Christ.

• both reiterate over and over of God’s dealings with His covenant people and how His Son appears to them and teaches them His Gospel.

• both show how men will be destroyed when they refuse to follow God’s commandments.

• both show God’s promises to His people and the blessings He gives to the obedient.

• both show God the Father’s and His Son’s love given to His children.

• “. . . It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.“ (Intro)

JPS

All Things in Common

After Jesus Christ visits the Nephites & the Lamanites in the Americas, after rising Himself from the dead, we read in the Book of Mormon that (4 Nephi 1:3): And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. In other words, everyone was still studying and choosing a job and becoming a professional or artisan or laborer, but what they did with their “increase” was to live the Law of Consecration! In other words, there were no poor among them, but all shared and shared alike! When there are poor among us, in some ways, they are not free... not free to make all the choices they would make if they weren’t poor, like, whether or not to go to school, whether or not to buy that (and how large of a car/house to buy), what sort of clothes to wear, how many children to have, who to be friends with, what neighborhood to live in, how much to pay in tithing&offerings, and how much to give back to the bishop in consecration... Wealth inherently creates distinctions, leading to disparities in opportunity, lifestyle, power, and social class, which can drive people apart. Pride is created and add pride to any disparity, distinction, lifestyle, social class, or distinction of power and you have enmity between those two people or between man and god. Righteousness is the great leveler and money is the ultimate separator! Think of it, becaise we soom will be living it! JPS

Teachable & Moldable

In the sermon on the mount amd the sermon at the temple (in the Book of Mormon), we read bascally the exact same sermon of Jesus Christ. In those verses, we read about the qualifications for those that will inherit the Celestial Kingdom and that all those that inherit the Celestial Kingdom will & must be meek! Everyone who doesn’t or can’t inherit the Earth, must not be reachable/penitent (to repent is to change and those who change must be reachable), as they won’t bow before God or be baptized. Therefore, only those who are baptized will inherit the Celestial Kingdom and therefore, only the meek will inherit the Earth (Celestialized!)! JPS

Are we our own judges?

The Book of Alma, chapter 40, verse seven, says: These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil. And, It looks, like, from this verse, that the only souls who are going to be their own judges are going to be those who have chosen righteousness--those who choose wickedness are consigned to torment and have no part in their own judgment; they are consigned to a judgment that is chosen for them—only Celestial Bodies judge themselves... So, you're your own judge, and you're righteous, so you have the mind of Christ, so who is going to be your judge? Christ--"Christ in se" or Christ's judgement coming through you... Whosoever is righteous can walk wherever they want WITHIN the path and be saved (see vs 8)... some choose to walk on the path of exaltation, others won't, but walking on the path will take you to the Celestial Kingdom! Once you're in the Celestial Kingdom and have been resurrected with a Celestial Body, then, except for an exalted body, couldn't you choose a different path? Remember, though, that there is no marrying after the resurrection… JPS