The only reason I am posting this, is because it will get that Christmas post off the front page of my blog. 3 months after the fact. Bye-bye, Christmas. See you in 9 (months)!
I missed last week (couldn't get the internet to connect from my house on Sunday, and then I went to San Fransisco and wasn't exactly spending much time on the computer), so this is for two weeks' time.
(18) Jacob 5:73 This is the parable of the olive trees, specifically the part where they are grafting in the wild tree with the "tame one:" "they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof." We should not branch out further than that which our roots can support. Or, in other words, do not force yourself to take on more than that which you have strength to bear.
(19) Jacob 6:5 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would... cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you." I thought it interesting that one of the definitions of "cleave" is to "become emotionally attached to" something.
(20) Enos 1:3 "... the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart." This one I just linked to Mosiah 2:41 which says, "I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to theend they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."
(21) Omni 1:21 "Yeah, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him" I remember learning that your soul is your body and spirit combined, so to offer up your whole soul would be to offer up all that you physically and spiritually have.
(22) Mosiah 2:14 contains the description of what is, to me, a nearly perfect form of government. I'm not going to type it up here, but feel free toread it yourselfand see what you think!
(23) Mosiah 2:33 talks about everlasting punishment. I think that part of the reason this punishment is everlasting is because we can never pay back all of our blessings. As stated in a previous verse, we are indebted to our Heavenly Father from the very beginning, from the time that we are given our bodies until the end of time we are indebted to him. There is nothing that we can ever do to pay back this great debt, save that we serve Him. Yet even after doing this, we are blessed with even more, and so our debt becomes greater, thus bringing about an endless debt.
(24) Mosiah 3:15 "And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows he showed unto them, concerning his coming" Look at the dictionary definition of this word (a person or thing symbolizing or exemplifying the ideal or defining characteristics of something; a symbol or an emblem). Do you think that the people all noticed all the types that they were given? For example, do you think that the Israelites noticed when Moses and some of the things he did was given as a type? Do we notice the types in our own lives? For if God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then it stands to reason that the Lord still shows us many signs, wonders, shadows, and types to this day.
(25) Mosiah 3:19 "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." What exactly is a saint? I think this verse gives us some pretty good defining characteristics of sainthood. Read back over it again.
Dad, the cousin, and I went to San Francisco on Monday for my spring break. The flying was exciting, as stand-by always is. Also, it rained basically the whole time we were there, but it was still fun. Finally got a ride on the famous Trolley, but I have yet to have a really good meal in that city. Maybe next time?
Anyway, I am posting pictures on my other blog, so you'll have to go there to see them. Give it about an hour from the time this one posts until you go to look at them, though, because it might well take me that long to get them up.
Edit: Ok, so actually I decided that some of my pictures that I want to share just don't work for my other blog. Those ones I now present to you.
If you look really close, you can see the Oakland temple. Didn't have my zoom lens, so this is the best I could get.
Lombard Street!
The Cousin with Ghirardelli Square in the distance.
The making of chocolate in the Ghirardelli Square Ice Cream place. See also below.
"Dear Son,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am still alive. I am writing this slowly because I know that you can't read fast. You won't know the house when you come home, we've moved.
About your father, he has got a lovely new job. He has 500 men under him, he cuts grass at the cemetary. Your sister Mary had a baby this morning. I haven't hfound out yet whether it's a bou or a girl, so I don't know if you're an aunt or an uncle.
I went to the doctors on Thursday and your father came with me. The doctor put a small tube in my mouth and told me not to talk for 10 minutes. Your father offered to buy it from him.
Your uncle Patrick drowned last week in a vat of Irish whiskey at the Dublin brewery. Some of his workmates tried to save him, but he fought them off bravely. THey cremated him and it took 3 days to put the fire out.
It only rained twice this week, first for 3 days then for 4 days. We had a letter from the undertaker. he said if hte last payment on your grandmother's plot wasn't paid in 7 days, up she comes.
Your loving Mother
P.S. I was going to send you 5 poinds, but I have already sealed the envelope."
Alcatraz Island from the pier
The Giant Claw Game
The Cousin loves Spongebob. I don't understand, but there you go.
The Cousin in a cell in Alcatraz. Sad news: you can't just wonder your way into the hospital wing anymore! No Birdman's Bathtub for us this time around.
This week, I finished 2 Nephi fairly early on, and so we also get a few of my thoughts on Jacob. (For my own reference, my notes are now going to be numbered in accordance with the way they are numbered in my kindle, just so that it makes it easier for me to find where I've left off from the week before. I will still include the scripture reference.)
#9. 2 Nephi 30:5 "And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers." I think part of the restoration of all things is also restoring the descendants of Lehi as well as the Jews to the knowledge which their forefathers previously had.
#10. 2 Nephi 31:16 "...unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved." I am pretty sure that this is a no-brainer, but unless we actually follow the Savior's example, we are not really enduring to the end.
#11 2 Nephi 31:20 "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope..." What do you think it means to have a perfect brightness of hope? I suppose that part of enduring to the end is to have this kind of hope. I also think that, for hope to be perfect, it cannot be false or misplaced.
#12 Jacob 2:13 talks about riches and pride. Pride comes when we have more, have done more, or perceive ourselves as being more than another individual. The sin didn't come from getting riches; the sin came from seeking riches because of pride and a desire for being more than someone else.
#13. Jacob 2:19 "seek [riches] for the intent to do good" It is OK to seek riches as long as you first seek the Kingdom of God and as long as your intent is to better the lives of others and to do good, not for the benefit of yourself (your pride) only.
#14 Jacob 3:1 "Look unto God with firmness" The dictionary defines this as being solid and unyielding. If we are looking to God with firmness, then there is nothing that can distract us from him.
#15 Jacob 4:5 This verse discusses the account of Abraham and his sacrifice in the wilderness. Sacrifice brings us closer to God by giving us some sort of understanding of God's love. While we do not offer up animal sacrifices anymore, we are still commanded to sacrifice our time and all that we have to the Lord to bring us closer to Christ.
#16 Jacob 4:10 "seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand." I think it is OK to tell the Lord what we hope for, but it is more important that we inquire after His will.
#17 Jacob 4:14 "blindness came by looking beyond the mark..." What do you think this means and how does it apply to us? How does a person look beyond the mark?
For my English class this week I am required to watch Bedknobs and Broomsticks (well, there are actually 4 other movies I could have chosen, but I have had an itch to watch this one for a while, so it's a good excuse). I wanted to share my Favorite Part Ever with you:
