#bofm365 Day 8 - 1 Nephi 7:1-15

"How is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." - 1 Nephi 7:12

#bofm365 Day 2 - 1 Nephi 1:16 - 2:15

Today's reading is 1 Nephi 1:16 - 2:1.

The stage is set for Lehi's departure from Jerusalem:

1 For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life. 

2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. 

3 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.

All that follows is because of Lehi's obedience to the Lord, and we will see in a few more chapters that Nephi has the same dedication to following the commandments.

#bofm365 Day 1 - 1 Nephi 1:1-15

It's a new year and a new opportunity to read the Book of Mormon!  My plan is to share the daily reading that is necessary to complete the entire book over the course of a year.  Because there are 530 pages in the Book of Mormon, and 365 days in the year, it works out to about a page and a half each day, so the reading isn't too tough.

The first reading selection is 1 Nephi 1:1-15.

I also plan to share thoughts and insights and resources based on the day's reading.  My intent is mostly to help me stay focused for the year and gain a deeper understanding of the Book of Mormon, and hopefully there is something along the way that will benefit someone else.

The very first verse of the Book of Mormon sets the stage for Nephi's story - he shares his love and appreciation for his parents and bears his testimony:

I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. (1 Nephi 1:1)

One of the nice new helps that has been provided this year by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a series of videos portraying the events told in the book.  They were initially released starting September 2019 in a weekly format, telling the stories and actions in chronological order.  The first one covers 1 Nephi Chapters 1 and 2.

The Witness: Martin Harris - Elder Oaks, Apr 1999

The Witness: Martin Harris

by Dallin H. Oaks

April 1999 General Conference

"What do we learn from the example of Martin Harris? (1) Witnesses are important, and the testimony of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon is impressive and reliable. (2) Happiness and spiritual progress lie in following the leaders of the Church. (3) There is hope for each of us, even if we have sinned and strayed from a favored position."

The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It? - October 2017

The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?

by Russell M. Nelson

October 2017 General Conference

"The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere. It teaches what it really means to be born again. From the Book of Mormon we learn about the gathering of scattered Israel. We know why we are here on earth. These and other truths are more powerfully and persuasively taught in the Book of Mormon than in any other book. The full power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Book of Mormon. Period."

A Testimony of the Book of Mormon - October 1999

A Testimony of the Book of Mormon

by Russell M. Nelson

October 1999 General Conference

President Nelson issued a challenge in October at General Conference during the Women's Session to invite all of the sisters to read the Book of Mormon by the end of 2018.  I decided that even though I wasn't a sister, I could still take the invitation and try and reach the challenge - well today I did it!  I finished the last part of Ether and all of Moroni today and was able to meet my goal!  It feels good and it was the fastest I have read the Book of Mormon in a long time!

In this talk given in 1999, then Elder Nelson encourages us:

When you read the Book of Mormon, concentrate on the principal figure in the book—from its first chapter to the last—the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.

He points out that the Book of Mormon truly serves as a testament of Jesus Christ and His divine role, and contains the fullness of the gospel.  I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and love to read the sermons and teachings it contains.  Recently, I have started reading it with a greater eye on the concept of "grace" and have found that many of the chapters that may have sounded somewhat "harsh" in the past (Alma 5 for example) now sound so much more comforting with the idea of us truly relying on the Savior's grace in all we do.