Become highly favored of the Lord. The prophet Nephi went through many afflictions, but he was able to thrive because he “[was] highly favored of the Lord in all [his] days.” Some might think that having the most powerful being favor us must be very hard to achieve. Afterall, it is the prophet Nephi we are trying to emulate here. Nephi’s story provides us with guidance on how we can gain the favor of the Lord.

One of the most quotable passage in the Book of Mormon is Nephi’s obedient response to his father’s request that he return to Jerusalem to obtain important records. He said, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded…”. On many occasions, Nephi was commanded to do something that seemed impossible to accomplish, but in all these occasions, the Lord provided a way for Nephi to accomplish the things that the Lord had commanded him.

But it was not a ‘walk in the park’ for Nephi. The Lord did not simply provide a way for him. Nephi had to exercise his faith first and then do what the Lord had asked of him. When Nephi and his brothers went back to Jerusalem to get the plates of brass, their first 2 attempts failed. His brothers wanted to give up, but Nephi, believing that God would provide a way for them to get the plates, went into the house of Laban and was successful in getting the plates for his family.

We learn from Nephi’s story that the Lord favors those who have faith in Him and seek to do His will, even during troublesome times when trials weigh our souls down. He favors those who seek the mysteries of God and desire to know His will. He favors those who roll up their sleeves and go about doing the Lord’s work. The Lord has promised, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him”. He further added, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love”.

Respond with Grace. In one of the wars recorded in the Book of Mormon, Moroni, an army commander, wrote to the Nephite governor, Pahoran, condemning him for not sending supplies and reinforcements to his armies who were in dire need. Moroni wrote this not knowing that Pahoran himself was in trouble and had been cast out by a rebellious faction of his own people.

Given Pahoran’s circumstances, he could have responded with anger but instead, he responded with consideration and grace, explaining his circumstances and reassuring Moroni that they were still fighting for the same cause.

During difficult times, we need to respond graciously and with forgiveness more than ever. Pahoran’s response to Moroni prevented two righteous men from becoming enemies and strengthened their relationship even more. We, too, can choose to respond with grace like Pahoran and seek to understand when we are misunderstood, to speak with compassion when we are spoken harshly of, to have patience when others are losing theirs, and to continue to love even when there is little left to love.

Difficult times can either bring us together or tear us apart. When the choice is placed before us, may we always choose the former.

Endure to the End. In the Book of Mormon, we read about the magnitude of difficulties that Lehi faced on their journey to the Promised Land—starvation, fatigue, his oldest sons’ rebellion, and accusations of being a visionary man who was leading his family to perish in the wilderness, among many others.  Lehi described his heartache and pain, describing his journey as the “days of [his] greatest sorrow”. Amidst the difficulties he faced, he could have easily turned away from God. Instead, he continued to trust in the Lord with such resolute faith and endured the challenges he faced to the end of his days.

We learn from Lehi’s experience that we can’t just sit and chill and wait for a happy ending. His life teaches us that endurance doesn’t simply mean to “hang in there” until the end of our lives. It means seeing our trials as God’s way to temper us in fire and try us in the waters of adversity to help us become as refined as fine steel.  It means growing our faith and striving to keep God’s commandments. It means “patient continuance in well doing”. It means desiring to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and acting upon that desire. It means trusting and relying upon His love and grace to sustain us through difficult times.

And when we have reached the end of our days, we may be able to echo what Lehi wrote shortly before his death, “The Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.”

Difficult times are inevitable. It is necessary for our refinement, but we have also been given guidance through the scriptures on how to face these challenges and thrive in the midst of them. The Book of Mormon is one of the many scriptures that God has prepared to guide us. May we turn to it to seek the Lord’s counsel not only during difficult times in our lives but every day as we seek to know His will.

The post What Can The Book Of Mormon Teach Us About Thriving In Difficult Times? appeared first on morefaith.ph.

In this blog, we’re featuring five of our favorite scripture verses on forgiveness from the Book of Mormon. We hope this will bring peace and hope to those who need it the most.

The Lord Wants Us To Repent and Be Forgiven

One Sunday, I decided to listen to Mindy Gledhill’s, “What Heaven Sees In You.” I have always found solace in that song — the line “if you have eyes to see what heaven sees in you” always reminds me of the potential the Lord sees in me. However, that particular Sunday morning, I realized one more thing — if the Lord can see the good I do, I’m sure He also sees the many times I succumb to weaknesses.

The great thing about the Lord’s Plan of Happiness is it allows us to make our own choices, and to make mistakes. As we accumulate unwise decisions along the way, sometimes we can start to feel that we’ve become a hopeless case — we feel like we can’t come back to the Lord anymore. And on top of that, Satan — the one who wants us to be miserable like unto himself — works so hard to make us feel as though there is no use in trying to change or return to the right path. Even though we know he’s wrong, Satan’s lies are sometimes easier to believe. Fortunately, the Book of Mormon is there to remind us of the Lord’s pure love for us and His great desire to see us back in the fold. Here are three powerful Book of Mormon verses that show forgiveness and love to those who made mistakes.

“His anger is not turned away but His hands are stretched out still” (2 Nephi 20:4)

This beautiful imagery from Isaiah is a thought-provoking representation of the Lord’s justice and the Lord’s mercy. Not only does this verse show the Lord’s great justice — our wrong choices will always have consequences — but it also exhibits the Lord’s great love and mercy for all of us.

This imagery is a message of hope — no matter how far we’ve walked away from Him, the Lord continually has His arms open for us. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine how overwhelming that is to know that the Lord has full confidence in our capacity to return to Him? He has hope that we can change. He has hope that one day, we can return and follow His ways again. This great love is more fully explained in a striking quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

“However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.”

“Be Converted That I May Heal You.” (3 Nephi 9:13)

There was a time in my life when I got so caught up with school work and activities that I began habitually missing my Institute classes. Every Saturday, I would look at my schedule, remember all the classes I had missed, and would justify that there was no sense going back to Institute class since I was going to fail anyway. Besides, I was ashamed to go back because I had been gone for more than a month.

However, my Institute teacher did not accept any of that. She approached me, showed me my actual standing in class, and offered to have make up classes with me. Because of my teacher’s encouragement, my feelings of failure and shame disappeared.

Whenever we sin, the adversary tries to tell us that there’s no use in repenting or turning back to the Lord because you will be punished anyway. He creates the false belief that the Lord sees no hope for us. Nothing is more distant from the truth. His invitation is always to help us, to heal us, and to bring us hope, peace, and happiness.

“But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven” (Moroni 6:8)

Although the Lord always extends an invitation to be perfect, He knows perfection doesn’t come now. As we live in this world, as we learn our lessons, we will make mistakes– not once, not twice, but many times. Thanks to the Savior’s atonement, if we seek for repentance with real intent and a sincere heart, we can continually ask for forgiveness and change.

The Book of Mormon does not only tell stories about those who were blessed because of their obedience; it also is a book that shows the great mercy of the Lord to those who have left and returned to the fold. So whenever Satan tries to convince you that repentance and forgiveness are no longer within your reach, gain strength from these verses and trust in the Lord’s great love for you.

“If he confess his sins before … me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also” (Mosiah 26:29)

It’s easy to feel weighed down by our past, isn’t it? We might wonder if we can truly be clean again. But this profound scripture from Mosiah 26:29 offers such a clear, comforting answer, straight from the Lord’s heart. It reminds us that when we genuinely confess our sins and truly repent with a sincere heart, not only are we asked to forgive others, but He promises He will forgive us also. What a powerful, loving assurance that His mercy is always there, waiting to heal and restore us!

“For, if ye forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (3 Nephi 13: 14-15)

This is a truth that truly hits home, isn’t it? The Savior’s words, so direct and powerful as He taught the Nephites, remind us of a profound spiritual law: our willingness to forgive others is deeply intertwined with our Heavenly Father’s willingness to forgive us. It’s not always easy to let go of hurt, to offer forgiveness, but this invitation shows us the pathway to incredible freedom and healing for our own souls. As we extend mercy, we open the door for His boundless mercy to flow into our lives.

Conclusion

So, dear friend, whenever those whispers of doubt creep in—telling you there’s no way back, no use in trying—remember the profound truths found within the pages of the Book of Mormon. This sacred record stands as a powerful testament to our Heavenly Father’s boundless love and mercy. It teaches us about the transformative power of repentance, inviting us to walk that divine path. Within its inspired words, we discover the endless willingness of God to grant forgiveness, a promise that brings such peace. Indeed, each precious scripture on forgiveness in the Book of Mormon echoes the same message: no matter how far we feel we’ve strayed, His arms are still stretched out. Embrace this journey of repentance and finding forgiveness, trust in His perfect love, and know that you are always, always welcome home.

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