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9 - 15 Mar - Learn With Joy and Not With Sorrow - Jacob 1 - 4

Jacob 1 - That We Might Persuade Them to Come Unto Christ I'm taking an online economics class right now, which prompted me to think of the definition of economics in the context of the scriptures. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. In the case of Nephi and his successor Jacob, the plates upon which they engraved their record was a scarce resource. They were costly to make and difficult to engrave, and instilling a tradition of passing them through generations was surely cumbersome.  Recognizing the great importance of spiritual things and the challenge of maintaining records, Nephi instructed Jacob to prioritize religious instruction saying, " if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people" (Jacob 1:4).   This priority was not only reflecte...
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2 Nephi 32 - The Tongue of Angels


"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do" (2 Nephi 32:2-3). 

 In the most basic sense, whenever we speak under the influence of the Holy Ghost we are speaking with the "tongue of angels." Nephi ask rhetorically, "how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?" (2 Nephi 32:2). But taking it a step further, consider what angels do: Angels are messengers that appear to God's servants to instruct and prophesy (1 Nephi 11-14, Luke 1:11, Luke 1:28). They bear messages of comfort like, "Fear not" (Luke 1:13, Luke 2:10, Matthew 25:8, Acts 27:23-24). Angels abide with God and sing praises to Him (Luke 2:17). Angels intervene to correct unrighteous behavior (1 Nephi 3:29, Mosiah 27:11). Angels are the servants of God, and when we speak with the tongue of angels, we seek to speak His words and advance His work. 

 Religious scholar Joseph Spencer observed a correlation between the language Nephi uses in this chapter and Isaiah's vision of God. The key point is that the angels were in the presence of God. "Ultimately Nephi invites all his readers to find the way to enter into the presence of the Lord and to participate in the divine council as one of the “angels.” Joseph Spencer refers to this as “angelicization,” but since the “angels” or the hosts are divinities sometimes called “gods” and “sons of God” in the Old Testament, the common scholarly term “deification” could apply. Latter-day Saints typically call this exaltation" (Spencer). Speaking with the tongue of angels could be a reference to communing with God symbolically in the temple, or literally as we prepare for life with Him again as exalted beings. 

 And lastly, I can't NOT say something about one of my favorite verses in the Book of Mormon: "I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul" (2 Nephi 32:9).

 I have often prayed for direction in making major decisions in my life. Where to go to school, what career to pursue, who to marry, etc. And I have received answers to these prayers and am grateful that God is interested in my daily life and is willing to guide me. But this verse reframes the purpose of prayer and reminds me that it is not so much about receiving specific instructions on what to do. Instead of agonizing over whether the decisions I'm making are "right," constant prayer ensures that wherever I go, whatever I do, whatever happens to me, it will be for the "welfare of my soul" if I remain in tune with my Heavenly Father. Even our sins, mistakes, and missteps are instructive and will bless our lives if we are deeply connected to our Heavenly Father and communicate with Him through prayer. 

Application Questions:

 What can you learn about speaking with the "tongue of angels" from the scriptures? When angels visit mortals, what do they do and say? 

 When you interact with your family, friends, colleagues, and strangers, how can you speak with the "tongues of angels?" 

Consider the worst things that you have done or that have happened to you in your life. How can more fervent prayer ensure these experiences enrich and bless your life?

 Image Credit: Mormon Tabernacle Choir

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