3 Nephi 12:43-44

"And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy;
But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you."
3 Nephi 12:43-44


I have a hard time doing good to people that hate me.  Maybe it is human nature… but it is that part of human nature that we probably need to overcome.   This strikes me as a definite “higher law” today… people who lived this way would be calm in the face of anything.  No one could push their buttons and make them annoyed or angry.   People who live this way seem to me to be the epitome of true love: they love everyone.  They know that interactions and relationships aren’t about competition or conquest, and you can’t do *anything* to them that would make them stop loving you, and working for your good.  Sometimes people like this seem “gullible” or “easily used” or something… but I think, truly, that they have something that I need.  That calm, that strength… no matter what is happening to them personally, they can see the bigger picture and make the right choice anyway… despite all. … I think that is completely, utterly amazing.  I need to work on becoming one of those people.

3 Nephi 5:2-3

"And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken.
Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night."
3 Nephi 5:2-3


This is an interesting alternate perspective on the Christmas story… from the Nephites’ point of view. They had many signs to show them that Christ had been born, although they didn’t see him in person until years later.   What is interesting to me is that because of this (note the “therefore” in the second verse), they forsook their sins and served God “with all diligence.”  They knew Christ had come, and they did something about it.   Perhaps the Nephites’ perspective is similar to ours.   We didn’t witness the birth of Christ either… it happened in a far away land among another group of people.  And yet, it matters… it matters so much that we should forsake our sins and serve God with all diligence.  Not just a little diligence, mind you. ALL diligence. :)  …I think that means no slacking.
Today, let’s think about how much Christ matters in our lives… what impact the knowledge of Christ has had on each of us.  And after we think about that, and realize that we owe him all that we have and are… let’s do something about it.

Helaman 13:38

"But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head."
Helaman 13:38


The part of this verse that strikes me this morning is the part that says "ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain." ... I think that I have always read that part as a lead-in to the part about seeking happiness in doing iniquity, but today I noticed the "and" which (with the liberal semicolons throughout) seems to make it a separate statement. :)  I wonder how often we come across things that we want that we absolutely can't have... but we spend so much of our lives seeking them. Even simple things, like this or that job, or a little extra money, or a relationship with this or that person.   We decide what we want, and we go after it... isn't that the American way? ... but, it doesn't seem to be God's way.  God's way is where we find out what God wants for us, and we go after that.  We live the gospel and we pray for the Lord's will to be done in our lives, rather than our own.  And it seems that most of what God grants us seem to be those happy "coincidences," not the result of even the best-laid plans for conquest. :)  I'm not saying it is easy to want what God wants rather than what we want... but today, instead of going after this or that, let's ask God to lead us where he wants us to go.  It'll be an adventure. :)