#becauseofhim 2 Nephi 25

Book of Mormon : 2 Nephi 25

 13 Behold, they will ^acrucify him; and after he is laid in a ^bsepulchre for the space of ^cthree days he shall ^drise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have ^eseen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.

 14 And behold it shall come to pass that after the ^aMessiah hath risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be ^bdestroyed again; for ^cwo unto them that fight against God and the people of his ^dchurch.

 

 

     Happy Easter Weekend!!  The Savior was crucified, but the great miracle is that He lives!  Because He lives my children and husband can also live again.  Because of the atonement my marriage can still go on today and on into the next life.  Because of Him, I am comforted through trial.  Because of Him I can find fulfillment and joy in this life.  I love Him.  He Lives!!

 

Watch this beautiful short video here:

Love,

    Becky joy

His Work and His Glory.

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 18

 19 And when they shall say unto you: Seek unto them that have ^afamiliar spirits, and unto ^bwizards that peep and mutter—^cshould not a people seek unto their God for the living to hear from the dead?

 20 To the ^alaw and to the testimony; and if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

 21 And they shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.

 22 And they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble, and ^adarkness, dimness of anguish, and shall be driven to darkness.

     I used to think when I was going through a trial that God sent that trial to me because He could see I needed that experience so I could grow.  I still believe He knows what experiences I need to grow, but I don't think anymore that He sends trials to me.  Instead He allows trials to enter my life so I can grow, and instead of placing the trial on me, He is instead helping me to get through it as I turn to Him.

     There have also been times in my life when He has blocked trials from my life.  These experiences are too personal to share too many details, but I will share how the Lord helped me.  I remember receiving priesthood blessings on two different occasions that told me the Lord wouldn't allow me to be tempted at that time.  Then when the trial came I would start to feel down and have negative thoughts which immediately were swiped away and replaced with peace.

     One of the times Satan began trying to tempt me, it felt as though someones finger touched the stress I felt and dissolved it into a trail of peace running through me.  

      I have learned through these experiences and other experiences where He did allow the trial and temptation to hit that He is not the one that I should be mad at if things don't go my way.  Instead He loves me and He is there to help me and bring peace and joy in my life.  He is there to ease my burdens. He is there to be my armor against Satan. He is there to hold my hand as I go through hard times, and He is there to not allow more than I can handle.  As long as I look to Him instead of to the World for guidance.

Moses 1:39

 39 For behold, this is my ^awork and my ^bglory—to bring to pass the ^cimmortality and ^deternal ^elife of man.

My cute family after church.  My daughter wouldn't look at the camera, siily girl.  I love them so much!

Love,

    Becky joy

Wo.

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 15

    Chapter 15 in 2 Nephi has a lot of "Wo"'s or in other words, has lots of warnings declared throughout the verses.  I thought I would list them:

WO:
*8 Wo unto them that join ^ahouse to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
   This scripture is referring to people who are unhappy with what they have because they are always looking at what others have and they want more, and so they take it from others.   The footnotes from this scripture warned against taking from others violently.  So when you take from others especially violently, then you will ultimately be alone.  

11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may ^afollow strong drink, that continue until night, and ^bwine inflame them!

   Strong drink ...aka coffee, tea, alcohol.  

 18 Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of ^avanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;

     Okay, I looked up cart rope and they are very strong ropes.  When we sin we are binding ourselves to Satan.  Here the Lord is warning against being vain and sinning because it binds us very strongly to Satan.

20 Wo unto them that ^acall ^bevil good, and good evil, that put ^cdarkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 21 Wo unto the ^awise in their own eyes and ^bprudent in their own sight!

 22 Wo unto the mighty to drink ^awine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;

 23 Who justify the wicked for ^areward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

But what is the outcome of turning away from the Lord's Woes (Warnings)? :

 24 Therefore, as the ^afire devoureth the ^bstubble, and the flame consumeth the ^cchaff, their ^droot shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and ^edespised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

     The most interesting part to this verse is when it says "their root shall be rottenness".  The roots of a plant serve to nourish and anchor the plant, as it reaches out and grabs nutrients and water from the earth.    Imagine your spirit now being like the root of your body.  When the spirit is not fed and anchored, the rest will die and fall.  The Lord doesn't want that to happen, that is why He sends warnings.  He  loves us.

This weekend we bought a car!!  Here we are introducing our black Vincent to our new silver Lucille.  My husband and I reflected a lot about how the we have been wanting a car for so long but every time we went shopping, the Lord always guided us not to buy the car.  If we would have bought a car the other times we looked we would have gone into farther debt than we already were.  Because we listened to the Lord's Wo, warning us not to get a car we were able to pay off our other debts and over time save up and buy a car this weekend with cash!!  My husband and I are so so so thankful we tuned to the Lord in this decision and that He takes care of us and prospers us in the.land.

Love,
     Becky joy

Isaiah saw our day.

     I have been doing some searching and studying about Isaiah.  I want to understand the words better and I can't do it alone.  One of the things I found was in order to understand Isaiah, you need to understand that Isaiah is mostly talking to and about the Covenant people in our day.  He is talking to and about Jesus Christ's Church which was restored to this earth through Joseph Smith, whom I blogged about here.  So in order to understand Isaiah better, you need to understand The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormon or LDS Church) and to understand the Covenants made by the members of this church.  It is also important to note, the members of the LDS church are descendants of  the house of Israel: Jacob, Abraham, Isaac. 
    He (Isaiah) also prophesies of the gathering of Israel.  The gathering of Israel has began and those of us who are members of the LDS Church have been found, gathered, and have received the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ so that we may also make Covenants and receive the blessings promised to our Fathers for us, but the gathering is not over.  It is just beginning, and this is also what Isaiah saw and prophesy's about!!

Book of Mormon:  2 Nephi 14

     So in 2 Nephi 13, Isaiah talks to the Covenant women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and let's them know what will happen if they are more obsessed with looks more than inner beauty.  Chapter 14 focuses more on the Latter Day Saint Women when they do focus on inner beauty instead of just their outward appearance.  

 1 ^aAnd in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our ^breproach.

      What happens when a woman gets married?  The woman takes om the name of the man and makes promises with that man to stay true to him.  Well in this scripture (verse 1) this is what the women are doing with the Lord.  When we make Covenants with our Savior, we promise to be true to those covenants and we take His name upon us.  

      For example, when I turned 8, I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I promised to take His name upon me and to pattern my life after the way He lived His.  

 2 In that day shall the ^abranch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the earth excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel.

     When we take His name upon us, we become pleasant people.

 3 And it shall come to pass, they that are ^aleft in Zion and remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem—

     So I read the footnote for "left" and it talked about how the Lord was going to come and destroy all the filthy parts of the House of Israel and all that would be left would be the beautiful parts, or in other words: wicked people would be destroyed and the righteous would be preserved and experience great joy in that day.  Then the righteous people who are left will be Holy people and will live that way for 1000 years.   

     To understand these words I have had to dig deep, but I am loving Isaiah more and more!!

Love,
    Becky joy

Search these things.

Book of Mormon; 2 Nephi 11

 2 And now I, Nephi, write ^amore of the words of ^bIsaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily ^csaw my ^dRedeemer, even as I have seen him.

     Tonight as I read and reread chapter 11 of 2nd Nephi, I find it interesting how important the words of Isaiah were to Nephi.  Today when anyone mentions Isaiah, everyone gets scared and confused, so why did Nephi like him so much?  
     I looked at the footnote for the word Isaiah in MY Book of Mormon and it lead me to the scripture 3 Nephi 23:1 which reads:
     1  And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.

     I am excited to search the words of Isaiah diligently!    I invite you to do it with me.  If Nephi thought he needed to be quoted so much and if the Redeemer appeared to him, his words, as confusing as they are, must be vital for me to have throughout my life.

Love,
    Becky joy

Atonement.

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi Chapter 9

4 For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God.

     Below are some questions answered about the Atonement, if you have been searching and want to know more, I invite you to ASK THE MISSIONARIES and request a FREE BOOK OF MORMON.
I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church on the Earth.  I know because the spirit has testified this to be true to me as I have studied the words in the scriptures.  I will also never forget the day I learned Joseph Smith was a true Prophet, the Holy Ghost spoke to my spirit like a fire one day while I was studying Joseph Smith's story.  I never doubted he was true but the spirit confirmed that truth to me.  I invite you to learn as well.  The spirit is real and I can feel him as a constant companion to me everyday.  He helps me as a Mother to know how to raise my little kiddies, I couldn't do it without Him. 
 

What does the Atonement satisfy in our lives?
*Bodies- Our bodies are going to die and our spirit will leave this world, but because of the Atonement, we will be resurrected and our spirit will once again reunite with our body which will be restored to a perfect form. 

*We can be saved from Eternal Unhappiness.

*Our Spirits can be saved from death.

*We can have Eternal joy.








*We can inherit the kingdom of God.





But notice how I say "we can", the Atonement is when Man comes to God and becomes one with him, if we don't come unto God then the Atonement cannot benefit us and now is the time to come unto Him, not tomorrow but today because we may run out of time. 

So how do we come unto God and partake of His Atonement??
6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

 8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

 9 And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

 10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.

 11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.

 12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.

 13 O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.

 14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.

 

 16 And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end.

 17 O the greatness and the justice of our God! For he executeth all his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled.

 18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.

 19 O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

 20 O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.

 21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

 22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.

 23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

 24 And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.

 

 

Love,

    Becky joy

My cute family studying the scriptures together.  We study the Book of Mormon every night as a family.

 

What if I told you that it's not just Abraham?

Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi Chapter 9

 1 And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the ^acovenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—

      Remember Abraham?  From Genesis and how the Lord promised him many great blessings if he kept Covenants (a covenant is a 2 way promise made between God and man) with the Lord??  Below are a bunch of scriptures from Genesis about the Covenant made with Abraham and if he would keep his Covenant  then God would bless him exceedingly!
     But you know what the best part is?  Read Genesis 12:3 below....all families are eligible to receive the same blessings promised to Abraham!!! When we are baptized and make Covenants with the Lord, we are adopted into the house of Israel and as we keep our covenants we are guiding ourselves into a position to receive myriads of blessings.

Old Testament: Genesis 12

 2 And I will make of thee a ^agreat ^bnation, and I will ^cbless thee, and make thy ^dname great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

 3 And I will ^abless them that bless thee, and ^bcurse him that^ccurseth thee: and in thee shall all ^dfamilies of the earth be^eblessed.

Genesis 15:5

 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and ^atell the ^bstars, if thou be able to ^cnumber them: and he said unto him, So shall thy ^dseed be.

Genesis 17

 1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord^aappeared to ^bAbram, and said unto him, I am the ^cAlmighty God; ^dwalk before me, and be thou ^eperfect.

 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be ^aAbraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

 6 And I will make thee exceeding ^afruitful, and I will make^bnations of thee, and ^ckings shall come out of thee.

 7 ^aAnd I will establish my ^bcovenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an ^ceverlasting covenant, to be a ^dGod unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

 8 And I will ^agive unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the ^blandwherein thou art a ^cstranger, all the ^dland of ^eCanaan, for an everlasting ^fpossession; and I will be their ^gGod.

 9 ¶And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

     Some pretty great blessings promised in these scriptures, right?  I will take ALL please and be happy to have my children benefit from them as well!

Love,

      Becky joy

Read about how I spent Valentine's day here.