Helaman 5

I have been a little distracted lately, but really no excuse.  I have had lots of things while reading that I think "Oh! I should write that on the blog" but it gets to be more and more and so I'm just going to do the last thing I read and took notes on that I thought I should put on here.

Helaman 5 -

Such a good chapter.  Here are some things specific from the chapter I found as I really tried to dissect and focus on parts of the chapter (as well as get the entire chapter idea)

*Verse 2 starts out and tells of a very scary and all too similar events....
2 For as their laws and their governments were established by the ^avoice of the people, and they who ^bchose evil were ^cmorenumerous than they who chose good, therefore they were^dripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.

Hmm.... there are many times today that I think, "Oh great....it seems like the righteous and moral ways of doing things are so far gone that we are just 'ripening for destruction.'  I'm glad there are still lots of people that nod and say "good for you" when they find out you're married, only have been with one other person, are staying home to raise kids, don't drink or smoke, etc.  Especially at the drs offices here, I get "no really...any time in your life.....oh ok good for you."  It IS possible even though lots of people think it's not and it's "okay" to do all those things.

*Verse 6 & 7
This verse talks a lot about names and remembering those that you are named after. I do have written in my scriptures to remember Grandpap, especially since he was a first generation LDS member.  I really enjoyed looking through the book Grandma Creek sent and finding out that Grandpap searched for over 3 years to find the right church.  And especially living out in the county, I'm sure this was a feat. It wasn't just walking from one church corner to another in town.....I'm thinkin he really had to search.  And once he found it, He knew.  So I try to think about verse 7 that says "I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you..."  I want Grandpap to be proud of his posterity and have my name reflect goodness.  Hopefully, if there are future generations that hold my name, they can do the same and I will be someone good to look to for an example.

*Verse 12
Of course lots of people know this verse that talks about "the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation."  This is true. I thought of two songs while I was reading it and wrote them in.  First, for obvious reason, How Firm a Foundation. I love that hymn and how it's upbeat and the words.  Once you really look at the words of hymns, it means a lot more.
But I thought a lot about the 'simple' song Wise Man and the Foolish Man in the Primary book. The kids in my ward sang that for their primary sacrament meeting portion (and I got to see it like, every week since I'm the chorister) but they would sing it so absolute. And actually, the hand motions got me.  Mostly when he "house on the sand washed away."  I'm not too keen on water, so the thought of being washed away in a flood of water and drowning is about the worse thing ever for me to imagine.  And so really, I want my foundation to be strong so I don't get swept away in the flood.  Just like today (oh here comes the analogy, look Mom you did so well to teach us analogies).  We have so many worldly things that can take our attention and "wash us away" from the things that are good and weaken our foundation.  But if we stay firm in our faith and rely on Christ as our center and focus on Him, the storm can rage, but we can be protected. Such a comforting thought, especially since I worry so much about the world that Bronson will live in someday.  Are you kidding me? How can it get worse? Killing little kids in schools? No right and wrong? Everyone is 'entitled' to everything? Ugh....but I know it will only get worse and the only way to handle it is with the help of the gospel.

*Verse 24
So background, Lehi and Nephi are out preaching and get thrown in jail. Then there's fire around them.  But they aren't burned (vs 23).  
I actually got a lot out of the next verse "And when they saw that they were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it burned them not, their hearts did take courage."

So, I might be wrong, but here is what I kinda got out of that verse. It might be just me and I don't doubt that Lehi and Nephi were faithful and awesome in every way, but I kinda got a little reminder that they were people too.  They had normal human traits.  Because, um hello? There's fire all around you. Your first reaction - fear, right? I'm sure they were surprised and had a moment of fear.  However, they knew they were doing what was right and they did have the faith and the knowledge of how Heavenly Father works miracles, so after they saw that they weren't going to be burned, they took courage and were ready for the next part to come. They were ready to show the people the power of God.
We can do this everyday.  Of course there are lots of moments of fear that come in the blink of an eye, but we must step back and (hopefully) see that we aren't getting burned up and are finished, but we can keep going and have faith and take courage and know that Heavenly Father is behind us.

*Verse 30 & 46 - Voice of the Spirit
The Holy Ghost speaks to the people and "it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness" (vs 30)
"a pleasant voice" (vs 46)  
I liked the adjectives used.  It makes me think about what to listen for. Sadly, I'm not very good at listening to the Spirit.  I know I get too distracted in things of the world and can't hear because I'm listening for something like thunder to totally catch my attention. But the Spirit doesn't work like that. We have to be centered on Christ and have the attention to detail and be paying attention for that quiet voice of "perfect mildness" with a "pleasant voice."  I know I need to do better to listen and want to. A good reminder.

*Verses 23 & 45 - Fire
Fire is mentioned in these verses and two very different ways.
First, fire is mentioned in 23 talking about them being surrounded by fire.  It goes on to mention that the Lamanites couldn't touch them because of the fire and also scared them and made them pay attention. In verse 26, Lehi and Nephi tell them to not be scared because it was a "marvelous thing" to show them they couldn't hurt them and the power of God was with them.  Then it goes on that there's a mini earthquake, darkness and then the voice is heard. It takes this huge act of fire and their fear for them to pay attention.
Then in verse 45, it talks about the Spirit entering the Lamanites hearts "and they were filled as if with fire."
So it took fire of two kinds to get their attention and make them understand. First the like actual fire that gets them to stop being dumb and pay attention and then the feeling of the spirit which testifies 'with fire' to tell them it was true and they needed to repent.

In the end, there are Lamanites that believe and try to teach other non-believing Lamanites. So there was good that came from this experience.


*So....I really enjoyed this chapter and I understood and followed the teachings and actual events that happened with Nephi and Lehi (goal) and loved that there was a range of things for me to think about (goal) from the voice of the Spirit, to being faithful and having a firm foundation in todays crappy world, to thinking of how the we are taught in so many ways.