I'm combining these two chapters since they flow together. You can read Chapter 11 HERE and Chapter 12 HERE
First off, I need to apologize for taking so long on moving on to Chapter 11 & 12. I've actually read and re-read and re-read again. I really needed to take these chapters in and figure out my feelings and questions on them before I posted. So here it goes.....
I'm actually pretty proud of myself on my personal interpretation on Lehi's dream. There were areas that I was missing, but for the most part I was right on. I'm mostly inspired to talk about the building. I was listening to a rap song on the radio today called Lollipop by Lil Wayne. Listening to this song makes me think about going clubbing. Going clubbing makes me think about drinking. Something about this music pulls me into almost missing something I rarely even did.
Do I think rap is evil? No. That is a type of music I've listened to for years, however, I think that rap stands for the building for me. I hope this is making sense. The devil works in some sneaky ways. I've actually been trying to keep soft hip hop (Mariah Carey, stuff like that) and I have a church CD that my cousin Jenna made me and I listen to that A LOT. I feel like that type of music keeps me on track with what I'm working towards.
My aunt Rayna is an active Mormon as well and she used to love to go dancing at clubs without drinking. She told me the other when we were talking about these chapters that she's always looked at clubs as "the building". We all have different things in our lives that can stand for the building. It's all the temptations out there to pull you into what going against the tree of life - the love of God.
Now I want to talk about how Nephi was getting visions of everything that would happen to Jesus. First question I have is.... he saw a vision of a virgin. How does one know that someone is a virgin? That just kindof struck me as funny, so if someone could leave a comment here and explain that one to me :)
Next questions... the fact that Nephi is getting visions of the future and they're exactly what happens. That must mean that God knows a lot about the future and that leads me to question free agency. We have the gift from God for the right to choose. We make our own choices. How can God know the future if we're the ones making the choices? Does he already know which choices we're going to make?
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2 comments:
Question #1 - The Spirit would have told him that she was a virgin. :-)
Agency questions: The Lord knows all things - past, present, and future. While he sees and knows these things we do not - we still need to choose for ourselve - he isn't telling us what to choose. I also think that he knows our hearts and desires, and he can tell what our choices will be.
Also there are certain things that need to happen for the progress of the gospel, etc. Let's say that Joe is ready to learn about the gospel and he has a friend - Rob. Rob feels prompted to share the gospel, but he doesn't. He chooses to set a bad example instead. Joe still wants to learn about the gospel - God isn't going to make Joe miss out because of the choices Rob makes. God knows that Joe will join the church so he prompts someone else to share the gospel. This someone else listens and shares the gospel. All along God knows that Joe will choose the gospel because He can see in his heart.
It is like with children - we know many times what will happen when they choose do something, yet we need to let them do it so that they can learn from the experience.
As far as the vision goes - The things Nephi saw were things that needed to happen in order for the gospel to progress - these events would of happened regardless of the choices people made - God would have prompted some one to do it until it got done.
Does that help answer some of the questions? Feel free to talk it out more with me if you need to - I hope I helped some.
It does help :) Thank you!
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