This week was the dreaded Isaiah Chapters. Although I never made a huge deal about trying to read this part of 1 Nephi, I finally understand how awesome these versus of scripture are. There is one specific verse of scripture that I wanted to focus on today.
 In 1 Nephi 21: 15-16 reads, "For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yest will i not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon to palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."
This scripture was very powerful to me. When I think about how mothers abandon their children all the time, especially during history, and it make me sad. But Jesus points out that he was the ultimate forsaken one. He was abandoned and alone to suffer for our sins so he knows what its like to feel that way. Jesus Christ doesn't want us to feel that way though, which is why he has "graven" us on the palm of his hand. He will never forget us and that is why I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and his sacrifice.

"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me.

confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died."

This week, we talked about the Atonement. For me personally, I always get really emotional when I re-learn about the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for me. Sometimes we may ask ourselves why we needed Jesus Christ to atone for us. Sometimes it is hard to believe that an all powerful God couldn't except our repentance directly but after this week, I have a testimony that we needed a mediator.

In 2 Nephi 9: 7, it reads, "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."
 This scripture shows that we would crumble and fall without His guidance. I love when it says the Atonement is infinite because that makes me realize how lucky we are to always have His mercy and Grace. Without Jesus Christ, we would have been lost. God knew that if we didn't have someone to suffer through what we would suffer, then we wouldn't be able to turn to him for guidance and understanding. We can go to him cause he knows what we have gone through. And that is such a blessing.

So this week, my Book of Mormon class was by far one of the most mind blowing spiritual classes I have ever been in. These professors of religion really know what they are talking about. I gained a lot of insight throughout the class but there is one thing I would really like to talk about that specifically touched my heart. 

In 1 Nephi 8 in the Book of Mormon, we read about a vision which the prophet Lehi had. In this vision, he beheld the Tree of Life. He talks about seeing various things in this vision, but the thing I would like to focus on specifically is the rod of iron. In 1 Nephi 8: 19-20 it reads, "And I beheld a rod of iron and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, Which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large  and spacious field, as if it had been a world." 

Now it is important to note that the river ran right next to the rod of iron. This river was like unto the depths of hell. We as children of God may wonder why He would put the rod so close to that river. Did He want us to suffer? Did He hope we would fall in? The answer is, of course not. These are purely symbolic. God knows that we are all human. No one is perfect and it is because no one is perfect that God sent Jesus Christ to die for us. God knows that everyone will spend some time in that river, and he leaves the rod close enough that we can grab back onto the rod and continue on the strait and narrow. 

I would like to bare my testimony that God knows us and loves us, and he wants us to come back to him. I am grateful for that knowledge and I hope you all recognize and appreciate it as well.

Fast Sunday can be the best and worst day ever. As a Mormon, we are commanded to fast every first Sunday of the month. For me personally, I have done it only a few different times for different purposes. Now that I am attending BYU, I decided to make it a goal that I fast every fast Sunday, WITH A PURPOSE. My purpose this week was to gain a better testimony on fasting. I stumbled upon a scripture in Omni 1:27 in the Book of Mormon, which reads, "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power or his redemption. Yea, come unto him and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him and continue in fasting and praying , and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth, ye shall be saved."

This scripture really made me appreciate the sacrifices Jesus Christ has made for us and how little we have to do in return. The Lord doesn't ask much from us. This scripture is saying that as long as we offer ourselves unto him through prayer and fasting, we can be saved.What a great promise! I felt very spiritually fed this Sunday and am grateful that I gained a stronger testimony of fasting. Not to mention that my "break the fast" food was AMAZING! 

As a first post on my blog, I thought I would start by talking a little bit about myself and what I am here to gain. I am a freshman at Brigham Young University. As a student of this university, I am required to take religion classes. This semester I have chosen to go in depth on the Teachings and Doctrines of the Book of Mormon. For those of you who don't know, the book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. This blog will be my journey through a serious study of this book and I encourage whoever is reading it to take what I say into their hearts. Now while I will be posting my spiritual experiences, it wouldn't be a true representation of who I am without a little humor to it. So besides my spiritual experiences, I will be posting funny pictures to make you laugh. While I love and am devoted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I sometimes find that the people in the church do funny things. Why not laugh about it? So please enjoy my posts for the next semester and I hope and pray that you find joy and humor in my experiences.