The list that I made, and things I've posted on haven't really been from recent scripture study, they are just things that I have studied before, and I like to share them because I remember them.
The whole point of the blog was to share my daily scripture study with everyone though.
Right now I haven't really nailed down where I want to read. Neil and I read the BoM every night, so I feel like I have that covered a little, and then lately I've been bopping around from all the other books.
Two nights ago I decided to focus on The Acts because I would love to read that book from start to finish.
While reading the 2nd chapter I stumbled upon two things that I have seen before and wanted to share (I say stumbled and seen before because I read from new scriptures at night time in a hope that I will pull out a scripture marker and fill them up like the scriptures I &heart.)
The first thought goes along with the plan of salvation and focuses on the quote from David in there.
David Speaking:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in ahell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see bcorruption.
And apostle speaking:
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
When I first thought this I was like what? David went/is in hell? How is that? I know David did some terrible things, but he also wrote a ton of the Old Testament, and didn't he get his act together in the end?
I started looking at this fabulous huge plastic bookmark of the Plan of Salvation (a little like this one but mine has scriptures references all over it). I can't figure out my scanner, so scanning it doesn't work, but it looks a little like this one.
(Borrowed from this site http://mormon2catholic.wordpress.com/2006/05/).
This picture best describes the thought that this invokes. Bad people are going to go to Hell for the things that they did wrong. But, the judgement will come, and then they will be sent to their kingdom. Which if I wanted to continue this I could jump to the D&C and follow up with what it says about who goes to where, and it completely makes sense.(I did this in my little Journey's notebook and it was the coolest list). I'm afraid that this hasn't made a ton of sense, but does it? People who have done bad will go to Hell, but not stay there. Only sons of perdition get cast off forever. Making sense?
Anyway, I also got another one of my favorite tidbits from this chapter.
I need a better name than the "enemy" because that's a terrible name for him (suggestions?) Anyway, I'll call him Regis for now. Many of my chat's with Regis went like this, which if I had my Journey's notebook, this is written down in there,
Things Liz and Regis agree on
1. (I can't remember).
And then he would always write this down.
2. We can't rely on feelings because we both "feel" we are right, but we both disagree.
That was his reason for always saying that I couldn't just say that I had a testimony and knew this was the true gospel of Christ because I had felt the Spirit confirm it to me. (I never agreed to it. At that point the pen and pad of paper would be chucked and the discussion would disappear).
I always turned to this scripture to try to confirm that my point was right, that I could have a testimony because I felt the Spirit. (Still from Acts 2) Can you see what I emphasized?
38 Then Peter asaid unto them, bRepent, and be cbaptized every one of you in the dname of Jesus Christ for the eremission of sins, and ye shall receive thefgift of the gHoly Ghost.
Can you see what I emphasized? They were pricked in their hearts, meaning that they felt the Spirit. It doesn't say, they listened to all the apostles had to say and it made sense in their brains, so they decided to be baptized.
See what I mean, they didn't rely on reason to decide to join the church. (Same here, even though I've studied it enough to have "reason").
I think I'll save this for later, but this post will lead into a post about being Convinced vs. Converted.
So summation, I fear a little because I have sinned and really don't want to go to Hell even for a little bit, and I also have a testimony because I have felt the Spirit, but I also know that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true because I've studied it.
Good night!
Wow! Seriously, you need to teach me how to do that. I don't think my brain works that way.
ReplyDeleteGeez, I hope I'm not commenting too much on your blog, let me know if I am. But I've got two things to mention on this one.
ReplyDelete1. The whole "Plan of Salvation" has always been a point of confusion to me. I don't know why it needs to be so complicated. In my world I simplify it similar to what you put here: good people go to heaven, bad people go to hell (or as Cake said, "Sheep go to heaven. Goats go to hell.").
2. I completely agree that feelings matter! People can talk themselves into doing terrible things and call it 'logical' or believe strange things because of someone's compelling argument, but in the end if it doesn't jive inside it shouldn't fly. I'll take it a step further and suggest that things that feel right also tend to work out in your brain. They might not fly in the sense that there is empirical evidence to support such feelings, but they shouldn't go against things you've learned before.
Along that same line of thought, sometimes I think people make the whole heaven/hell situation so complicated is that they're trying to justify behavior they feel is wrong, but did anyway. I'd go further into it, but I might put my foot in my mouth. Plus I think my own version of heaven and hell might seem sacrilegious to some. Anyways, love you and your scripture thoughts.