Small and Simple Things

2010-11-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

One of the things that has always amazed me is how important small and simple things are in our life. Little or simple things that mean so much such as to us like a phone call from a friend or a simple thank you. Thees things in our life bring happiness and joy. It is impossible for me to name how many small and simple things that happen every day that help me to keep going on this road of life. there are however a few simple things that are of such importance that it is good to continually remind our selves of just how important they are. One of the very most important things that we can do in our life is to pray daily to a loving father in heaven that is ready and willing to listen, the next is to read from the scriptures daily as often as possible because though the Scriptures heavenly father often speaks to us and helps us to learn and grow. One small and simple thing that I feel often we over look is the need to trust the Lord and his chosen servants, there is a story in the old testament that has taught me a lot about trust in the Lord and his Prophets. This is the Story of Namann of Syria.

Now Namann was a very powerful man, he was the captain of the host of Syria, he was some one who had a great deal of power and influence the only problem was he was a leper. In those days leprosy was something that took lives and was extremely bad so for some one of such great power this was very hard.

In Namans house there was a Jewish maiden that new of the power of the Lord and told them that there was a prophet in the land of Judea that could heal him of his Leprosy. So Namann as any one would I am sure decided that he probably could not be any worse off for giving it a shot. Namann and his whole big group of people leave Syria and travel to Judea to see if in deed in that land he could be heeled. When he shows up in the land the King of Jerusalem, scared out of his mind as I am sure I would be if the captain of the armies of one of the most powerful nations on earth sowed up to see me. Well the king could not heel him and becomes worried about it, but the Prophet Elisha knew that the lord could work many mighty miracles, Has the king send Namann to see him. When Namann shows up at the Prophets house he is expecting something big to happen with the whole thing. And then the Lord test Namanns faith, Elisha the Prophet does not even come out side of his house to talk to him and Namann gets a little bit mad that Elisha does not even come out to meet him, remember that Namann is pretty powerful and probably is accustomed to better treatment. Well the servant of Elisha tells Namann a message form the prophet to go and wash in the river Jordan seven times and he will be healed and that is all that he had to do to have the leprosy taken form him. Well Namann gets mad because of how simple it is and almost turns away and leaves altogether but thankfully for a wise servant that talks him into trying it, Namann goes and does as he was directed and is healed. So Namann almost lost his life because he let his pride get in the way and he thought himself better then washing in the river Jordan, that is shown in the picture above. (2 Kings 5: 1-14)

It was such a small thing that Namann was asked to do, something that was very easy and still he frowned on it and because he did so he almost lost his life None the less he did do it and lived, that is what we must do as well. Something in our day and time that the servants of God have counseled us to do is to read from the scriptures and to Pray often. This too is very similar to that of which Namann was asked to do something that at times can be hard to understand the reason why we are asked to do so and seems to simple to really do anything.

If we can however, be like Namann and give it a shot and not let our pride get in the way we will be saved not only physically but most importantly spiritually. What I mean is if we will give Pray and Scriptures study, a chance we can receive the extra strength that comes from doing so and receive the blessing's that that the Lord promises to those who are obedient. thees two things are very small and simple yet are so very important to us that we can not afford to not follow the advice to do the small and simple things that mean so much. So let us all Learn from the Scriptures that have been written to Help us to Learn and to grow and remember the story of Namann and the importance of Small and simple tings that mean so much.

Leaning form the Scriptures

2010-09-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Nephi and the Brass Plates
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_ne/3

1 Nephi 3:7
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. c

This has always been a favorite story of mine because I love how willing Nephi is to go and do every thing the Lord asks.
When Nephi's father Lehi tells his sons that he has just been told by the Lord to go and to get the brass plates from Laban in Jerusalem, Nephi's brothers complain and wine and really do not want to go back to get the plates from someone as powerful as Laban. Nephi on the other hand understood the importance of fallowing his father who who had received revelation from the Lord of the importance of having the scriptures which the brass plates were. Nephi and his brothers go to Jerusalem and try several ways to get to get plates from Laban but they had no success in fact they wanted to give up after Laban had tried to kill them. Nephi will not give up he had gained a testimony earlier that his father was speaking for God and he would not give up. so Nephi by himself goes back and ends up getting the plates of brass only as he relied upon the Lord to guide him what to do and were to go. because Nephi was persistent even though the hard times his whole family and posterity would be blessed by having the plates that contained the Scriptures.

So one of the lesson I have learned from this story is that no matter what if the Lord ask something of us directly or if a he asks though his prophets we should always be like Nephi and trust that the lord will bless us for our obedience and help us to to accomplish the thing that he has asked. Another thing that I love from this story is the the persistence to never give up and being patient . The things the Lord asks of us can be hard but he always has a reason for asking and giving commandments and it always leads to being happy.

Robert D. Hales, “Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 24–27

Sacred records bear testimony of the Savior and lead us to Him.

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=da200d034ceae010VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Scripture Stories

Small and Simple Things

Leaning form the Scriptures