Now the joy of (Tova) was so great even that (she) was full; yea, (she) was swallowed up in the joy of (her) God, even to the exhausting of (her) strength; ...
Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.
2 Nephi 4 is one of my favorite chapters about Nephi. Because in that chapter, it really seems like Nephi just opens up his soul and pours his heart out on the "paper" (it was plates of metal back then).
In chapter 3, his father Lehi dies. Soon after that his brothers and brothers-in-law plan to kill Nephi, his family, and his other supporters. His brothers are planning this!!
That is Nephi's life when chapter 4 begins. He just lost his dad, they're in a strange land, and his own brothers want him dead.
When the chapter starts Nephi cries unto God. But not about his trials. He begs God to take away his sins and his weaknesses. That's one thing I love about Nephi; when he is in a tough situation he's not afraid to tough it out.
One of my favorite quotes is this... "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your power. Pray for power equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle." (~Phillips Brooks)
Then Nephi says "19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. 21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh."
After he's asked for forgiveness, God gives it to him. The rest of the chapter is a beautiful prayer of praise to God.
Nephi spends three verses lamenting his sins very sincerely, but then he spends fifteen verses praising the source of his redemption.
Then comes chapter 5, verse 2: But behold, (my brothers') anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.
Nothing changed! His dad was still dead, he was still in a new country, and his brothers were still trying to kill him!
But now he had peace. He had God on his side, and he knew it. He'd received forgiveness and felt God's love. And God had given him the strength to continue on.
Nick Vujicic is another inspirational man. Here is one of his messages:
I was recently in a Sunday School class, and we were discussing Christ's plan to 'become as a little child.' A lot of concerns were brought up.
"Well, I don't want to be hurt." "What ever happened to standing up for yourself?" etc.
I had a question: since when did being like a child mean opening yourself to the bad things of this world and saying "Here I am, hurt me!"
When do children do that? Most of my little siblings do the opposite.
Me: "Get off of that fence!" Little Sister: "You're not in charge of me!"
1 Corinthians 14 says, "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." (1 Cor 14:20) In other words, be children in manners of the soul-- be teachable, humble, excited, ready for fun. The Savior also said, "Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children..." (D&C 29:47)
But it doesn't mean we want to stay in diapers all of our lives. Nor do we need to sit there and be hurt.
Children are also very willing to love and forgive. There's a story from "The Book of Virtues" (an awesome collection of stories and poems) about two little girls who get into a fight. Their mothers come out and see them and start railing at each other. Then the fathers, uncles, cousins, and neighbor's acquaintances come out and they all start arguing. Meanwhile, the two little girls helped each other up and started playing again. An old woman pointed the girls out to the mob, who were all touched by the quick forgiveness the girls had shown.
So for me, when Christ says, "Become as Little Children" I don't think, "oh no, now I need to eat creamed spinach and sweet potatoes for the rest of my life as I am hurt on all sides by people."
Through the scriptures and teachings of latter-day prophets I know that I need to be child-like by being open-minded and willing to love.
Here is a song I heard by John Michael Montgomery:
"Little Girl"
"I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us." ~Charles Dickens.
I know that as we become like little children we come closer to God and His Son, and we can gain eternal life (Matt 18:3)
D&C 76:22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the atestimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he blives!
23 For we asaw him, even on the bright hand of cGod; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the dOnly Begotten of the Father—
24 That by ahim, and through him, and of him, the bworlds are and were created, and the cinhabitants thereof are begotten dsons and daughters unto God.
He is Risen; John the Beloved's Witness of the Resurrection
There are many more, of course. If you go to this page, each Conference there has been something about Him and His Sacrifice. After all, this is His Church :).
Luke 1 26 And in the sixth month the aangel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a avirgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among awomen.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, aFear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name aJesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the aSon of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the bthrone of his father cDavid:
33 And he shall areign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no bend.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I aknow not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The aHoly Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall
be called the bSon of God.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Matt 1
18 ¶aNow the bbirth of Jesus Christ was con this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick aexample, bwas minded to cput her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a adream, saying, Joseph, thou son of bDavid, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the cHoly Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his anamebJesus: for he shall csave his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 aBehold, a bvirgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his cnamedEmmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his awife:
Luke 2
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all athe world should be btaxed.
2 (And this ataxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called aBethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his aespoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her afirstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the binn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the aglory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you agood tidings of great bjoy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is aborn this day in the city of David a bSaviour, which is Christ the cLord.
12 And this shall be a asign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 aGlory to God in the highest, and on earth bpeace, good will toward men.
15 And
it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known
unto us.
16 And they came with ahaste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard itawondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and aponderedthem in her heart.
20 And
the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things
that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the acircumcising of the child, his name was called bJesus, which was so cnamed of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her apurification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the awomb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of aturtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 And
he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in
the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A alightbto lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is aset for the bfall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword shall apierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36 And there was one Anna, a aprophetess,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age,
and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with afastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for aredemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
Matt 3
1 Now when Jesus was aborn in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 aAnd when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he bdemanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou aBethlehem, in the land of bJuda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a cGovernor, that shall drule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When
they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they
saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the
young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 ¶And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary
his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened
their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and afrankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a adream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And
when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to
Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his
mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word:
for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of aEgypt have I called my son.
16 ¶Then Herod, when he saw that he was amocked of the wise men, bwas exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and cslew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the dcoasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by aJeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In aRama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great bmourning, Rachel weeping for her cchildren, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 ¶But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a adream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the aland of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the aroom of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a bdream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called aNazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was bspoken by the prophets, He shall be called a cNazarene.
