Over the past twenty years of teaching the Book of Mormon I’ve found that many people get confused in the storyline about the book of Omni. We know what happened to Nephi, and Jacob was his brother. But by the time we get to King Benjamin, many of us aren’t quite sure why Benjamin is in the land of Zarahemla, Limhi is in the land of Nephi and how they both relate to Mosiah1, Mosiah2, Zeniff, Noah, Abinadi and Alma1. My hope is to give a clear summary of the Book of Mormon storyline from Omni through Mosiah 25.
When the small plates of Nephi were passed on to Jacob, he dubbed them “the plates of Jacob.” This naming practice may help explain why the lost 116 pages were
Faithfully Creative Life is hectic, there's no doubt about that. But that doesn't mean you can't create something daily and develop a lasting ...
Many of the illustrations I saw for the beginning of first Nephi were cluttered with a series of illustrations representing a range of things happening throughout the book. I decided to sprinkle those illustrations throughout the book, and instead begin with some thoughtful journaling. I've read The Book of Mormon many times throughout my life. Never before have I seen so clearly the parallel between the life of Moses and the life of Nephi. When Nephi likened the scriptures to himself, he did so in big, life-altering ways. Page 1 (1 Nephi 1:1, 4) It struck me that Nephi's life parallels the exodus of the children of Israel. I highlighted much of the first verse of chapter 1, and in the margins I wrote an excerpt from the Ten Commandments: "Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee," (Exodus 20:12). In verse four, it mentions "many prophets." Contemporaries of Lehi included Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. These prophets are warning the people to repent or their city will be destroyed. the Bible, The Book of Mormon, and history all testify that this came to pass. But it didn't come to pass until after the Lord gave the people a chance to repent. In the margin, I wrote: "Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets," (Amos 3:7). Page 2 (1 Nephi 1 continued) Lehi himself is a prophet. On the second page, it describes him being overcome with the Spirit and seeing a vision, which included seeing One above the luster of the sun at noon-day. I chose to draw a simple sun in the corner (outlined with brown Micron pen, then orange Mildliner highlighter. I filled in with yellow and orange colored pencil). This image didn't scan to its best advantage. There is more color in person. The quote I wrote in the margin reads: "In the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost," (Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives," Ensign, May 2018). Page 3 (1 Nephi 1:20) Lehi the prophet, after testifying to the Jews, has his life threatened. Immediately after reporting this, Nephi records, "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." The phrase "tender mercies of the Lord," reminded me of the talk "The Tender Mercies of the Lord," by Elder David A. Bednar (Ensign, May 2005). My margin quote reads: "I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us." Page 4 (1 Nephi 2, Into the Wilderness) Can you imagine how quickly Lehi's family packed up and left their home when the Lord told them to? I don't think you get a revelation that your life is in danger and then sit at home for a few months making sure you leave your house in order. As a side note, Hugh Nibley, in his classic book Lehi in the Desert, makes a scholarly argument that Lehi wasn't a soft city-boy on his first camping trip, but an expert on caravan travel. (Think of modern businessman: who doesn't know how to travel?) Among many other evidences, when Lehi sends his sons back to the city for things he forgot, it isn't for practical things like matches and rope (okay, I know matches are a modern invention. You get the idea). He sends them back for the brass plates. Lehi's family was able to escape the city quickly and effectively in part because they already had the supplies needed (like Nephi's steel bow) to survive in the wilderness (see the section titled "Lehi and the Arabs," within Lehi in the Desert & The World of the Jaredites: Collector's Edition, Bookcraft c. 1952, 1980). The "map" at the top of the page with the valley of Lemuel and river of Laman illustrated is not my original idea. I saw something similar on Pinterest that had come from Mormishmom on Instagram, and loved it so much that I borrowed it and made it my own. After traveling three days into the wilderness, Lehi builds an altar of stones to offer thanks to God. It amazes me that in these circumstances: mocked by others and fleeing for his life, Lehi wants to stop and give his thanks. If he can see God's mercies in the middle of his trials then shouldn't I? In case you didn't know, the Dead Sea Scrolls state that sacrifices were not to be offered outside of Jerusalem within a three days' journey. Assuming, for the sake of interpreting Lehi's actions, that this part of the scrolls offers us something lost from the Old Testament, then we see that Lehi was diligent in keeping all the commandments of the Lord, even when the only people watching were his own family. In the margin, I wrote: "Have we not reason to be filled with gratitude regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves?" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Grateful in Any Circumstances," Ensign, May 2014). The stones of the altar are outlined with gray Mildliner highlighter, and the flames are outlined with orange and yellow Mildliner highlighters. I used colored pencils to fill-in. At the top of the page, I outlined the valley and mountains with brown Micron pen (if I did it again, it would be with a gray marker). The river is blue Mildliner highlighter, the mountains are gray Mildliner highlighter. Then I filled in with gray and green colored pencil. Page 5 (1 Nephi 2:7) Nephi, whose life has just been shaken by an unexpected family move and the critical comments of his older brothers, prays to the Lord and receives his own witness of his prophet father's words. In verse 17, which I highlighted in blue, Nephi shares his testimony with his brother Sam. I began reading this in July 2019, when we were in the middle of New Testament study for Sunday school, so I wrote a New Testament scripture in the margins" "When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren," (Jesus to Simon Peter, The Last Supper, Luke 22:32). I almost wish I had stopped there, but at the time I felt like verse 22, where Nephi is told that he will be a ruler and teacher over his brothers, deserved another scripture, so I wrote: "God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers . . . thou wast chosen before thou wast born," (Abraham 3:23). Page 6 (1 Nephi 3:7: Go and Do) One of the most famous scriptures of The Book of Mormon (only partially because it's near the beginning) is Nephi's faith-filled reply to his 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 commanders them." Then Nephi and his brothers journey back to Jerusalem, where Laman tries to get the plates. I always find it interesting that God gives Laman, the firstborn of his father, so many chances to prove himself. As a wonderful January 2019 Ensign article, "Developing the Faith to Reap," (from a BYU devotional by Elder Wilford W. Andersen), points out, Laman had the faith to try. It was enough faith to make a first attempt, then give up when that first attempt was thwarted. But Nephi here has faith to do: if the first attempt was thwarted, we just need to try again. Do any of us, after a failed first effort, decide that something just "wasn't meant to be," and abandon any further attempts? In the margin I wrote: Laman: I will go and try Nephi: I will go and do as a reminder of how to have faith like Nephi's. Page 7 (Laman and Lemuel beat Nephi and Sam) After one failed attempt, Laman wants to give up. At Nephi's persuasion, they make a second attempt. That one fails as well. After running for their lives from the servants of Laban, the brothers take refuge in a cave, where Laman takes out his fear and anger on his younger brothers by beating them with a rod. Having the future leader of a nation escape the wicked Laban with his life, the Lord isn't about to let his brother beat him to death, and sends an angel to intervene. In the margin I wrote: "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city," Proverbs 16:32. In 1 Nephi 4:2, Nephi encourages his brothers by saying, "let us be strong like unto Moses." In small print, I wrote, "Nephi likens Moses to his family--When he lived this, he might not have known he would be in our scriptures. Later he tells us to liken the scriptures to ourselves." Page 8 (The death of Laban) So far Nephi has referred to the Ten Commandments, begun a family exodus from his homeland, and encouraged his brothers to be strong like Moses. There is one part of Moses' life that Nephi didn't expect to emulate: killing a wicked man. That's right. Young Moses fought with an Egyptian and had to flee his country when the man died. It is interesting that in Exodus 21 (you know, right after the Ten Commandments are given), it gives an often-overlooked loophole: "And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee," (Exodus 21:13). As Book of Mormon Central points out, in the article "Was Nephi's Slaying of Laban Legal?" this is exactly what happens to Nephi in this chapter: in verse 6 mentions "not knowing beforehand the things which I should do" (in other words, this wasn't premeditated. In verse 11, we are told that "the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands." Nephi follows the Spirit, kills Laban, collects the brass plates, then flees to the land the Lord has prepared for him. In other words, Nephi wasn't breaking any commandments when he killed Laban. Mind blown. Page 9 (1 Nephi 4:34) Nephi promises Laban's servant Zoram that if he joins his father's household, he will be a freeman like unto them. Zoram wisely chooses to join their family. The alternative? Becoming a suspect when his master's death is discovered. In that awkward situation, he may have been tempted to give away information that would have endangered Lehi's family. In verse 34, Nephi encourages Zoram, saying, "Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing: and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? In the margin I wrote (pardon my weak lettering): "Commandments make weak men strong," (Dallin H. Oaks, "The Blessings of Commandments, BYU Devotional, September 10, 1974). Page 10 (Sariah's Story) It took Lehi's family three days to travel to their campsite in the wilderness. Can you just imagine Sariah counting down each day as she imagines how soon she can safely expect her sons home? She probably didn't think they were old enough to go on that long of a journey unaccompanied. Filled with anxiety in their absence, and as the day she had hoped and expected their return has passed, Sariah lets her doubts get the better of her fears and complains to her prophet-husband, accusing him of leading the family to its death. While this chapter doesn't typically cast Sariah in the most favorable light, it is the best example of a successful marriage we see throughout The Book of Mormon. Why? Because every earthly marriage is made up of two imperfect people. It's how we we react to those imperfections that can make some marriages so heavenly. Lehi replies to her worries and with perfect gentleness, validating her accusations with a touch of self-abasement: "I know that I am a visionary man; for it I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren." He goes on to comfort her worries by building her faith in the good yet to come, "I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again into the wilderness," (1 Nephi 5:4-5). In the margin, I drew a picture of (a rather youthful-looking) Sariah, as I imagine her watching and waiting for her sons to return safely from their dangerous journey. I wrote my own thoughts: "Sariah left behind her house her gold, her silver and her precious things." [this is said of Lehi, so I infer that it is also true of his wife] "She gave up everything to accompany her family into the wilderness. Like Abraham, whose greatest trial was being asked to sacrifice his precious son, Sariah's greatest trial is when she believes her sons are lost." Pages 11-13 I highlighted many things on the next few pages, but nothing has made it into my margins yet. I hope you enjoyed my thoughts and journaling from 1 Nephi 1-7. Next week covers a lot fewer pages (phew! This week was a lot of work!). Stop by again to see my Tree of Life illustration, or follow my board, "Book of Mormon Journaling" on Pinterest. I'll be sure to pin my illustrations after I blog them.
FREE LDS Scripture Doodles The Book of Mormon Come Follow Me Format. I will add pages weekly until the whole year is complete. These provide a summary of the chapters in an easy to remember doodle format. When you color and fill in the sheets, it helps you remember the content of the message. Build a book of all of these for a great reference guide to the Book of Mormon! So far this download has these doodle sheets: Table of Contents page Plan of Salvation drawing Blank Conference sheets Binder cover sheet 10. 2 Nephi 31-33 11. Jacob 1-4 12. Jacob 5-7 13. Enos- Words of Mormon 14. Conference week 15. CFM Easter week 16. Mosiah 1-3 17. Mosiah 4-6 18. Mosiah 7-10 plus Map for Mosiah Chapters 7-24 19. Mosiah 11-17 20. Mosiah 18-24 21. Mosiah 25-28 22. Mosiah 29 - Alma 4 23. Alma 5-7 I numbered the folders as weeks of the year going along with the Come Follow Me Format. Someday I will go back and add the first nine weeks to make the whole year complete. Share it with your friends! Print out the blanks and fill them in with your family. Great for binders: punch holes in sheets, and have each family member fill in and color to make it their own. All ages love them! Enjoy learning the scriptures with doodles with your family! ~ Melanie
Holding fast to the rod entails the prayerful, consistent, & earnest use of the holy scriptures as a source of revealed truth & as a reliable guide for the journey to Jesus Christ — B…
Book of Mormon map along with a wall map are available for down loading in color and The Book of Mormon geography is also available at Alpha Publishing.
First Nephi ends peacefully, with Nephi explaining the scriptures to his brothers. Second Nephi begins with Lehi announcing the destruction of Jerusalem as something that has happened. Then we have the counsel and blessings of Lehi to his posterity, which continues part of the way into chapter four. The rest of chapter four is known as the Psalm of Nephi. In chapter five the Nephites flee from the Lamanites and build a temple. In chapter 1:5-9, Lehi prophesies about the future of the promised land. Ezra Taft Benson quoted 3 Nephi 21:4 (which I've written in blue) and then expounded it with what I wrote in red: "'For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth,' (3 Nephi 21:4). America, the land of liberty, was to be the Lord's latter-day base of operations for his restored church," ("Our Divine Constitution," President Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1987). On the next page, I wrote 2 Nephi 1:23: "Awake my sons; put on the armor of righteousness." The sunrise/candelabra is not my favorite element in my scriptures, but once I added a shield and sword, it became less of a focal point. In chapter 2, Lehi is speaking to his son Jacob. It is so sweet that he calls him his firstborn in the wilderness. In Biblical times (and Lehi, culturally speaking, is a Biblical-type prophet), being the firstborn was an honor and a responsibility. In 2 Nephi 2:8, Lehi tells his son that "no flesh can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah." In the margins, I wrote Alma's testimony (to his son Shiblon) of the same: "There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ" (Alma 38:9). One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Nephi 2:25, "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." There was a time when my children were little that, if we were too tired to get out the scriptures, I would recite this verse to them at bedtime. In the next verse, Lehi explains that the Messiah comes to redeem the children of men from the fall. In the margins, I quoted from near the end of "The Living Christ:" "He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come." In chapter 3, Lehi speaks to his youngest son, Joseph. He tells his son about the Joseph who was sold into Egypt, as well as the Joseph who would be raised up in the latter-days. In the margins I included a quote from Genesis about our first Joseph: "The Lord was with Joseph and shewed him mercy . . . and that which he did the Lord made it to prosper" (Genesis 39:21, 23). On the next page (2 Nephi 3:12) Lehi quoted Joseph about the writings of his posterity and Judah's posterity growing together in the latter-days. In the margin I wrote: "Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: and join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand" (Ezekiel 37:16-17). After I wrote the quote, I drew a scroll around it. Chapter 4 begins with Lehi speaking to the sons and daughters of Laman and Lemuel. He tells that that "if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it" (2 Nephi 4:5). In the margin I wrote: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). The rest of chapter 4 is commonly called the Psalm of Nephi, by scholars who have compared the pattern of the writing with traditional Psalms in the Bible (which were written before Lehi left Jerusalem, and therefore could theoretically have been included on the brass plates). In small print beside the verses, I wrote the breakdown of the psalm: Invocation: 16-17; Complaint: 17-19; Confession of trust: 20-30; Petition: 31-33; Vow of Praise: 34-35. In the margins I wrote portions of Nephi's beautiful words: "Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard" (2 Nephi 4:16). "Upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. Why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow? "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul" (2 Nephi 4:25, 26, 28). In chapter 5, the Nephites have separated from the Lamanites. Nephi teaches his people how to work with wood and metal (remember, the Lord taught him how to build a ship). Then he constructs a temple "after the manner of the temple of Solomon." My artistic interpretation of these two verses (2 Nephi 5:15-16) was a temple with architecture like Solomon's, but built out of wood and metal, using Nephi's special skills. This reminds me a bit of President Hinckley's small temples. Those were scaled down, but still holy places. If it isn't obvious, I relied heavily on a straight-edge to outline the temple. It is outlined with gray Mildliner highlighter (though a gray Crayola fine-tip marker might be similar). The planks and wood grain are done with a sharpened colored pencil (black, I think). On the next page, I put a scripture in the margin: "We lived after the manner of happiness," (2 Nephi 5:26). What were your favorite verses this week? For more posts, browse my blog or visit my Pinterest board Book of Mormon Journaling (it's organized!).
Guidebooks that are designed to help every age fall in love with the Book of Mormon. Aligns with the Come Follow Me schedule.
Book of Mormon Posters || Come Follow Me || Poster Prints || Kids Activity Each poster is formatted as 18x24s, 11x17s and 8.5x11s and 3x5s (to fit in your BOMs!) In preparing for the new year and a new year of Come Follow Me, use these Book of Mormon posters to print out, and color with your family! Print them all out at once, or print them out once at a time as you approach new books! Perfect for youth groups, primary classes, families, activity day groups, etc. Some smaller books are combined, so that each poster looks full! 1st Nephi 2nd Nephi Jacob & Enos Jarom, Omni & Words of Mormon Mosiah Alma Helaman 3rd Nephi 4th Nephi Mormon Ether Moroni Each poster includes notable doctrine, prominent characters, current events, notable storylines, authors, when the book was written, and how many chapters and pages. ******************************************************************************* Files are instant downloads. These are digital products - NO printed product will be sent. Please read over all of these carefully, because these files are instant downloads, there are NO RETURNS! Thank you for understanding.
1 Nephi Chapter 18 Layout I have a new template called "My Personal Study" and it is for your chapters scripture journals. Here is an example of it that I used in my own journal: "My Personal Study Of" template has the following categories: Quick plot summary- You describe what is going on in the chapter Word research- these are definitions or quotes that explain what a word means People and Locations- anytime a person or place is mentioned in the chapter I list them in this area and see what they have taught me Topics/ Gospel principles that need to be explored- these are topics mentioned in the chapters such as forgiveness, prayer, recognizing the spirit, obedience, commandments, etc. I list what I learned about that topic. Additional Scriptures and/or footnotes I looked up Where it asks for other journal's page reference, it wants you to list any other journal where that particular topic is mentioned. Each of my journals has a volume number. My Chapters is Volume 1 and my Topics is Volume 2. Then each page has a page number in the corner. So I can easily list where to find something with the marking (volume:page number). So under this category, all these topics start out with the number 2, because they can all be found in more length in my second volume journal which is my topics journal. Then the following numbers are page numbers. Ex: in the picture of "Enduring Well" the other journal reference is listed as 2:101-102. That tells me that if I want to read more about what I learned about the topic Enduring Well, I would need to go to pages 101-102 of my Volume 2 journal. Does that make sense? You can purchase this template individually or as part of a set in the Chapters Kit. Both are available for immediate download in our store. FREEBIE ALERT: As part of my layout for 1 Nephi Chapter 18 I doodled a little picture representing the symbolism because I am a very visual learner and it helps it make more sense to me. After I finished the doodle I colored it in with my watercolor colored pencils. It was so much fun to me. I guess I just love to color. I figured since I made it for myself I might as well put it on here for anyone else that might want it. You can download the doodled black and white page to color and use as a quick glue in insert for your journal or Book of Mormon for FREE here. Note* I learned all this symbolism from the book, The Book of Mormon Made Easier by David J. Ridges. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to One of a Kind Gifts here!
Save when you buy the multi-pack! You get these 4 margin art/ tip-ins in one purchase: 2 Nephi 4:28 2 Nephi 5:27 2 Nephi 9:21 2 Nephi 10:23 Perfect for you to add some color and art to your Book of Mormon study. Each scripture art comes in three sizes, perfect for the Book of Mormon you are using for you study (The Line Upon Line journaling Book of Mormon, the journaling Book of Mormon available though Deseret Book and Seagull Book, or the standard blue cover Book of Mormon) The scripture also comes in two different formats. One, in solid black to make it easy to trace directly onto your scripture page. Another, in light gray allowing you to color directly onto your print and then attach it to your scripture page. Includes 3 pages of instructions and photos on how to use the printable. * Downloads are available instantly! * Each file is high resolution and can be printed at home * Download once, print as many times as you want for personal and church use. *Download available upon purchase. Download is a zip file containing all the print size files. ****************************** TERMS OF USE ***************************** You may download and print these files for personal and church use. You may NOT sale items made using these files. You may NOT distribute these files to others. You may NOT use these files to create other downloads that you will sell or provide for free. Copyright for the "Book of Mormon" is Intellectual Reserve, Inc. The products offered by Written Upon the Heart are made and provided by Written Upon the Heart. They are not provided, approved, nor endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or opinions expressed (or implied) are solely those of Written Upon the Heart and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Guidebooks that are designed to help every age fall in love with the Book of Mormon. Aligns with the Come Follow Me schedule.
Many of the illustrations I saw for the beginning of first Nephi were cluttered with a series of illustrations representing a range of things happening throughout the book. I decided to sprinkle those illustrations throughout the book, and instead begin with some thoughtful journaling. I've read The Book of Mormon many times throughout my life. Never before have I seen so clearly the parallel between the life of Moses and the life of Nephi. When Nephi likened the scriptures to himself, he did so in big, life-altering ways. Page 1 (1 Nephi 1:1, 4) It struck me that Nephi's life parallels the exodus of the children of Israel. I highlighted much of the first verse of chapter 1, and in the margins I wrote an excerpt from the Ten Commandments: "Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee," (Exodus 20:12). In verse four, it mentions "many prophets." Contemporaries of Lehi included Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. These prophets are warning the people to repent or their city will be destroyed. the Bible, The Book of Mormon, and history all testify that this came to pass. But it didn't come to pass until after the Lord gave the people a chance to repent. In the margin, I wrote: "Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets," (Amos 3:7). Page 2 (1 Nephi 1 continued) Lehi himself is a prophet. On the second page, it describes him being overcome with the Spirit and seeing a vision, which included seeing One above the luster of the sun at noon-day. I chose to draw a simple sun in the corner (outlined with brown Micron pen, then orange Mildliner highlighter. I filled in with yellow and orange colored pencil). This image didn't scan to its best advantage. There is more color in person. The quote I wrote in the margin reads: "In the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost," (Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives," Ensign, May 2018). Page 3 (1 Nephi 1:20) Lehi the prophet, after testifying to the Jews, has his life threatened. Immediately after reporting this, Nephi records, "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." The phrase "tender mercies of the Lord," reminded me of the talk "The Tender Mercies of the Lord," by Elder David A. Bednar (Ensign, May 2005). My margin quote reads: "I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us." Page 4 (1 Nephi 2, Into the Wilderness) Can you imagine how quickly Lehi's family packed up and left their home when the Lord told them to? I don't think you get a revelation that your life is in danger and then sit at home for a few months making sure you leave your house in order. As a side note, Hugh Nibley, in his classic book Lehi in the Desert, makes a scholarly argument that Lehi wasn't a soft city-boy on his first camping trip, but an expert on caravan travel. (Think of modern businessman: who doesn't know how to travel?) Among many other evidences, when Lehi sends his sons back to the city for things he forgot, it isn't for practical things like matches and rope (okay, I know matches are a modern invention. You get the idea). He sends them back for the brass plates. Lehi's family was able to escape the city quickly and effectively in part because they already had the supplies needed (like Nephi's steel bow) to survive in the wilderness (see the section titled "Lehi and the Arabs," within Lehi in the Desert & The World of the Jaredites: Collector's Edition, Bookcraft c. 1952, 1980). The "map" at the top of the page with the valley of Lemuel and river of Laman illustrated is not my original idea. I saw something similar on Pinterest that had come from Mormishmom on Instagram, and loved it so much that I borrowed it and made it my own. After traveling three days into the wilderness, Lehi builds an altar of stones to offer thanks to God. It amazes me that in these circumstances: mocked by others and fleeing for his life, Lehi wants to stop and give his thanks. If he can see God's mercies in the middle of his trials then shouldn't I? In case you didn't know, the Dead Sea Scrolls state that sacrifices were not to be offered outside of Jerusalem within a three days' journey. Assuming, for the sake of interpreting Lehi's actions, that this part of the scrolls offers us something lost from the Old Testament, then we see that Lehi was diligent in keeping all the commandments of the Lord, even when the only people watching were his own family. In the margin, I wrote: "Have we not reason to be filled with gratitude regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves?" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Grateful in Any Circumstances," Ensign, May 2014). The stones of the altar are outlined with gray Mildliner highlighter, and the flames are outlined with orange and yellow Mildliner highlighters. I used colored pencils to fill-in. At the top of the page, I outlined the valley and mountains with brown Micron pen (if I did it again, it would be with a gray marker). The river is blue Mildliner highlighter, the mountains are gray Mildliner highlighter. Then I filled in with gray and green colored pencil. Page 5 (1 Nephi 2:7) Nephi, whose life has just been shaken by an unexpected family move and the critical comments of his older brothers, prays to the Lord and receives his own witness of his prophet father's words. In verse 17, which I highlighted in blue, Nephi shares his testimony with his brother Sam. I began reading this in July 2019, when we were in the middle of New Testament study for Sunday school, so I wrote a New Testament scripture in the margins" "When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren," (Jesus to Simon Peter, The Last Supper, Luke 22:32). I almost wish I had stopped there, but at the time I felt like verse 22, where Nephi is told that he will be a ruler and teacher over his brothers, deserved another scripture, so I wrote: "God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers . . . thou wast chosen before thou wast born," (Abraham 3:23). Page 6 (1 Nephi 3:7: Go and Do) One of the most famous scriptures of The Book of Mormon (only partially because it's near the beginning) is Nephi's faith-filled reply to his 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 commanders them." Then Nephi and his brothers journey back to Jerusalem, where Laman tries to get the plates. I always find it interesting that God gives Laman, the firstborn of his father, so many chances to prove himself. As a wonderful January 2019 Ensign article, "Developing the Faith to Reap," (from a BYU devotional by Elder Wilford W. Andersen), points out, Laman had the faith to try. It was enough faith to make a first attempt, then give up when that first attempt was thwarted. But Nephi here has faith to do: if the first attempt was thwarted, we just need to try again. Do any of us, after a failed first effort, decide that something just "wasn't meant to be," and abandon any further attempts? In the margin I wrote: Laman: I will go and try Nephi: I will go and do as a reminder of how to have faith like Nephi's. Page 7 (Laman and Lemuel beat Nephi and Sam) After one failed attempt, Laman wants to give up. At Nephi's persuasion, they make a second attempt. That one fails as well. After running for their lives from the servants of Laban, the brothers take refuge in a cave, where Laman takes out his fear and anger on his younger brothers by beating them with a rod. Having the future leader of a nation escape the wicked Laban with his life, the Lord isn't about to let his brother beat him to death, and sends an angel to intervene. In the margin I wrote: "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city," Proverbs 16:32. In 1 Nephi 4:2, Nephi encourages his brothers by saying, "let us be strong like unto Moses." In small print, I wrote, "Nephi likens Moses to his family--When he lived this, he might not have known he would be in our scriptures. Later he tells us to liken the scriptures to ourselves." Page 8 (The death of Laban) So far Nephi has referred to the Ten Commandments, begun a family exodus from his homeland, and encouraged his brothers to be strong like Moses. There is one part of Moses' life that Nephi didn't expect to emulate: killing a wicked man. That's right. Young Moses fought with an Egyptian and had to flee his country when the man died. It is interesting that in Exodus 21 (you know, right after the Ten Commandments are given), it gives an often-overlooked loophole: "And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee," (Exodus 21:13). As Book of Mormon Central points out, in the article "Was Nephi's Slaying of Laban Legal?" this is exactly what happens to Nephi in this chapter: in verse 6 mentions "not knowing beforehand the things which I should do" (in other words, this wasn't premeditated. In verse 11, we are told that "the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands." Nephi follows the Spirit, kills Laban, collects the brass plates, then flees to the land the Lord has prepared for him. In other words, Nephi wasn't breaking any commandments when he killed Laban. Mind blown. Page 9 (1 Nephi 4:34) Nephi promises Laban's servant Zoram that if he joins his father's household, he will be a freeman like unto them. Zoram wisely chooses to join their family. The alternative? Becoming a suspect when his master's death is discovered. In that awkward situation, he may have been tempted to give away information that would have endangered Lehi's family. In verse 34, Nephi encourages Zoram, saying, "Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing: and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? In the margin I wrote (pardon my weak lettering): "Commandments make weak men strong," (Dallin H. Oaks, "The Blessings of Commandments, BYU Devotional, September 10, 1974). Page 10 (Sariah's Story) It took Lehi's family three days to travel to their campsite in the wilderness. Can you just imagine Sariah counting down each day as she imagines how soon she can safely expect her sons home? She probably didn't think they were old enough to go on that long of a journey unaccompanied. Filled with anxiety in their absence, and as the day she had hoped and expected their return has passed, Sariah lets her doubts get the better of her fears and complains to her prophet-husband, accusing him of leading the family to its death. While this chapter doesn't typically cast Sariah in the most favorable light, it is the best example of a successful marriage we see throughout The Book of Mormon. Why? Because every earthly marriage is made up of two imperfect people. It's how we we react to those imperfections that can make some marriages so heavenly. Lehi replies to her worries and with perfect gentleness, validating her accusations with a touch of self-abasement: "I know that I am a visionary man; for it I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren." He goes on to comfort her worries by building her faith in the good yet to come, "I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again into the wilderness," (1 Nephi 5:4-5). In the margin, I drew a picture of (a rather youthful-looking) Sariah, as I imagine her watching and waiting for her sons to return safely from their dangerous journey. I wrote my own thoughts: "Sariah left behind her house her gold, her silver and her precious things." [this is said of Lehi, so I infer that it is also true of his wife] "She gave up everything to accompany her family into the wilderness. Like Abraham, whose greatest trial was being asked to sacrifice his precious son, Sariah's greatest trial is when she believes her sons are lost." Pages 11-13 I highlighted many things on the next few pages, but nothing has made it into my margins yet. I hope you enjoyed my thoughts and journaling from 1 Nephi 1-7. Next week covers a lot fewer pages (phew! This week was a lot of work!). Stop by again to see my Tree of Life illustration, or follow my board, "Book of Mormon Journaling" on Pinterest. I'll be sure to pin my illustrations after I blog them.
This list was obtained from a blog post over at Gently Hew Stone. The first impression I got was to scrutinize the list but it appears that these were very wisely chosen. I did something similar back in the mission field where I created a pamphlet that summarized each book in the Book of Mormon.
Chapter 26 of 2 Nephi begins with a prophesy of when Christ will show himself to the Nephites. This feels very pertinent to us, as we loo...
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I am a huge fan of all of the Bible Journaling going on all over Pinterest. I love the idea of adding artwork to the sacred scriptures to show how important they are to me and how much I treasure them. Plus it makes studying them really REALLY fun to me. I am LDS and so a lot of my studying is from the Bible, and als
After two weeks spent in dreams and visions, we are now back to the adventuring chapters of 1 Nephi! This week I have a lot of journaling to share. The density is partly due to the fact that I started my journal in 2019 before the 2020 schedule was made public. I had no way of knowing that all the beauty of these seven chapters was going to be squeezed into one week. In 1 Nephi 16:7, Nephi, his brothers, and Zoram all marry daughters of Ishmael. Speaking of "tender mercies of the Lord" (1 Nephi 1:20), nothing is more touching to me than that the Lord remembered Zoram. He was the outsider. The odd one out. Was it a coincidence that Ishmael had five daughters instead of four? The Lord knew his plan from the beginning. He remembered Zoram. In the margin beside the marriage verse, I wrote: "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart," (D&C 42:22). On the same page (1 Nephi 16:10) is where the Liahona is discovered (fun fact-the word Liahona isn't used until the book of Alma). In the same margin, I wrote this perfect quote from Elder David A. Bednar: "As we each press forward along the pathway of life, we receive direction from the Holy Ghost just as Lehi was directed through the Liahona" (Elder David A. Bednar, "That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us," April 2006 Conference). I do recommend looking at more of the talk. There were a lot of other things he said about the symbolism and purpose of the Liahona. Still in chapter 16 (verses 14-32) we have the adventure of the broken bow. As with every other challenge they faced, Laman and Lemuel murmured. So does the rest of the family. For once, even Lehi starts murmuring. Nephi, however, gets industrious and makes a bow. It isn't a fine steel bow like the one he has been using for their journey through the wilderness so far, but he has faith enough to make one and then respectfully ask his father where he should go to obtain food. Everyone repents, Nephi gets dinner with a homemade bow, and everyone rejoices. In the margins I wrote two quotes: "No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse," (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Tongue of Angels," Ensign, May 2007). "Have . . . the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitable come but also to make a second effort, should such be required," (President Thomas S. Monson, "Living the Abundant Life," Ensign, January 2012). [My apologies for not including a link. That one article in won't pull up for me today]. On the next page, as Lehi's family continues their travels, I traced/drew Daniel H. Ludlow's map of Lehi's travels in Arabia as it is printed (and adapted) in the Book of Mormon Student Manual: In chapter 17, I really struggled to choose just one quote. And failed. Here are three. In verse 7, the Lord tells Nephi to "Arise, and get thee into the mountain," so I wrote: "Let us go up to the mountain of the LORD," (Isaiah 2:3) [I just added more Isaiah to the Book of Mormon. This is funny] Back up to 17: 5, and we have the description of the Arabian Bountiful, which was named because of its much fruit and wild honey. I traced a hexagon stencil to get a honeycomb, and wrote: "The judgments of the LORD are . . . sweeter also than honey and honeycomb," (Psalms 19:9-10). In 1 Nephi 17:8, Nephi is commanded to build a ship. "Sometimes we need to make a bow and arrow before revelation comes as to where we should search for food. Sometimes we need to make tools before revelations come as to how to build a ship" (Elder Dale G. Renlund, "Abound with Blessings," Ensign, May 2019). Before Laman and Lemuel help with the family work project of building a ship, they whine, murmur, and doubt. Nephi gives them a spiritual pep-talk, where he again likens his family unto Moses and the children of Israel who also wandered in the wilderness. In 1 Nephi 17:30, Nephi reminds his brothers how the Lord led them (the children of Israel) through the wilderness by day and was their light by night. In the margin, I drew a simple Edison bulb (I suggest penciling this in before tracing it in pen) and wrote: "The LORD is my light and my salvation," (Psalms 27:1). Back up to 1 Nephi 17:21, where Laman and Lemuel were still whining. Among their arguments is this amusing verse: "Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy." Come on boys. Don't you know stuff doesn't equal happiness? I wrote: "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God," (Psalms 146:5). Believe it or not, this was the page where I almost abandoned my Book of Mormon journaling. Why? Because I wrote that quote on the wrong page. In pen. I was devastated. Thank heaven I kept going. There are so many beautiful things I would have missed if I had given up over one (or five) mistakes I made in pen. Pretty sure there's a life lesson here. In 1 Nephi 18:3, Nephi mentions going into the mountain often to pray. In the scriptures, mountains often symbolize temples, but I already had a temple quote in the last chapter, so I went with a prayer quote from Psalms (lots of Psalms this week!): "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray," (Psalms 55:17). I used colored pencil for the sunrise/sunset (yellow, orange, red, purple, and blue) and outlined the stars and sun in a brown Micron pen. Use the side of a sharpened colored pencil, not the tip, for the soft gradation of color, and overlap your colors slightly. On the next page, also in 1 Nephi 18, I went to a lot of effort to draw a rather mediocre looking ship with Mildliner highlighters and colored pencil. The one thing I like about the drawing is the lightning. I drew it with a yellow Mildliner highlighter, and left a little white space around it when I was coloring the sky gray. Skipping ahead to page 46 (1 Nephi 19:18-21) Nephi remembers the prophets of old. In verse 18, he shares his reason for writing the record he has been writing (to "persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer). In the margin I wrote: "Having prophets is a sign of God's love for us," (Ulisses Soares, "Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit," Ensign, May 2018). On the next page is my second case of wrong-page scripture quotes (more mistakes in pen!). I'll address them in the order they were intended. 1 Nephi 20:10 quotes Isaiah, saying, "I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." I love this reminder that we are of great worth even in our trials. I don't know about you, but I tend to feel better about myself when I am "successful" in my plans and projects. I don't usually feel as good about myself on those days (or weeks, or months) when it seems that everything is going wrong. Often when everything around me is going wrong, I feel like somehow it's my fault. I'm failing. But here in this beautiful verse from Isaiah, we are reminded that the Lord sees our worth even in the "furnace of affliction." In the margin, I wrote a lengthy quote from Zechariah: "I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say: It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God" (Zechariah 13:9). I had a lot of fun with the next page. And, no, I'm not pretending that Lehi's family wandered through a caricature of a desert in the American southwest when they were busy in Arabia. I just felt like drawing some cartoonish cacti. It isn't meant to be taken seriously. In the margin I combined parts of 1 Nephi 20:21 and 21:10 (I love how it reads like a Psalm!): "They thirsted not: he led them through the deserts . . . neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them." I used colored pencil for my desert: a light tan in the foreground, brown on the mountain, blue in the sky, green for the tall cactus, and blue-green for the round cactus. Both cacti were given stripes with green Mildliner highlighter (though Crayola green marker would be pretty similar). I outlined the sun and mountains with brown Micron pen, and both cacti in the foreground with green Micron pen, adding prickly bits with a v-shaped mark. And, yes, I traced the circle for the sun. A penny would work in a pinch, but I'm pretty sure I used a circle stencil. 1 Nephi 21:16 is one of the most poignant, heart-tugging verses of all: "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands . . ." In my wrong-page margin, I wrote: "What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends," (Zechariah 13:6). Then it bothered me having a blank margin on the "correct" page blank (not sure why. I have other blank pages in 1 Nephi), so I wrote what Christ will say in a future day on the Mount of Olives: "Then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet? Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God," (D&C 45:52). In 1 Nephi 22:2 we step out of Isaiah quotations and back into Nephi's world. Nephi has just finished reading two chapters from Isaiah, and his brothers, understandably, ask what they meant. Nephi prefaces his explanation by reaffirming that these were revelations given to the prophets. In the margin I wrote: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets," (Amos 3:7). I traced a banner stencil and key with a bullet journal stencil. On the next page I traced another banner and a circle (for the world). 1 Nephi 22:9 includes the promise to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." In the margin I wrote: "The Lord Himself prophesied that before His return, the gospel would be preached in all the world 'to recover His people, which are of the house of Israel,'" (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "Preparing for the Lord's Return," Ensign, May 2019. See JS Matthew 1:31 and D&C 39:11). Near the end of his book, Nephi brings in a lovely sheep metaphor, "And he gatherers his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture," (1 Nephi 22:25). This reminded me of Psalm 23 (which might have been on the brass plates as David predated Nephi). In the margin, I wrote the first four verses: "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He taketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leaders me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leaders me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," (Psalm 23:1-4). Did you choose different quotes for 1 Nephi 16-22? Please share in the comments section below. For more posts, browse my blog or visit my Pinterest board Book of Mormon Journaling (it's organized!).
Color in the books as you track your study progress. This is available as a free digital download, or you can purchase it as an 8.5 X 11 sticker. It goes great inside our Book of Mormon Scripture Journal.
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The Book of Mormon is such a powerful tool in our journey to return to live with our Father in Heaven. The Book of Mormon has been give...
After last week’s action packed pages, this week is a nice breather. Probably the most memorable vision in the entire Book of Mormon, the vision of the tree of life lends itself well toward illustration (partly because it is so easy to leave out the multitudes of people—they’re the hardest to draw). The Tree of Life In my margin, I wrote excerpts from Psalm 51. Yes. Psalm 51. I had considered writing a symbolism summary in the sidebar. It's an obvious choice. Then I thought, “What’s the point?” You see, Lehi’s Dream was a childhood favorite of mine, so I memorized what the various parts meant a quarter century ago. I don’t need a study aid for that. Then I read “Why Did Lehi Quote from a Psalm of Repentance in His Dream” from Book of Mormon Central. I’m not going to repeat everything they pointed out in their article, but there are some striking similarities between Psalm 51 and some of Lehi’s vision. And it was new to me. Psalm 51:1 (Compare with 1 Nephi 8:8) Have mercy on me according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:7-8;12 (Compare 1 Nephi 8:11-12) Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Psalm 51:13 (Compare 1 Nephi 8:14-18) Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners will be converted unto thee. At the end of the path, under the tree, I wrote: “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come," “The Living Christ.” The tree trunk was outlined with gray Mildliner highlighter, then filled with colored pencil. The iron rod might have been gray highlighter. Or maybe it's just colored pencil. I don't remember. The tree leaves are a mixed-media combination of green and blue-green Mildliner highlighter and several shades of green colored pencil. I spent too much energy on those leaves. For the white fruit, I used an orange Mildliner highlighter to draw the outline. The path and most of the grass is colored pencil. The tops of the hills are blue-green Mildliner. And I refuse to comment on the great and spacious embarrassment on the other page. On page 16, where Lehi finishes his vision, I wrote this spot-on quote: “The vision of the tree of life shows us how the effects of casualness can lead us away from the covenant path,” Becky Craven, “Careful versus Casual,” Ensign, May 2019. I used a banner stencil at the top of the page with a black Micron pen, then green colored pencil and the text is green Micron. Page 17, 1 Nephi 10:3 In chapter ten, Lehi continues to live up to his title “visionary man” as he jumps straight from the tree of life into prophesies of the Jews and of Christ. In verse three he says the captured Jews would return to Jerusalem in “the own due time of the Lord.” In the margin I wrote: "Strong faith in the Savior is submissively accepting of His will and timing in our lives-even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted,” Elder David A. Bednar, “Accepting the Lord’s Will and Timing,” Ensign, August 2016. I used brown Micron pen and a star stencil and filled with yellow colored pencil. The moon (which was originally going to be a clock) used a circle stencil (once for the outline, then shifted right to make the crescent) and gray Mildliner highlighter. The light side of the moon is also colored very lightly with a black colored pencil. The sky is alternating blue and purple colored pencil (use the side of the lead, not the tip, when coloring a wide area). If you want to keep getting great ideas, stop by again, or follow my Pinterest board Book of Mormon Journaling. I'll be sure to pin as I post!
These Personal Progress booklets are perfect for personal scripture study at Girl's Camp! Give some booklets to the girls and let them have individual study time and then come together and discuss what they learned.
After two weeks spent in dreams and visions, we are now back to the adventuring chapters of 1 Nephi! This week I have a lot of journaling to share. The density is partly due to the fact that I started my journal in 2019 before the 2020 schedule was made public. I had no way of knowing that all the beauty of these seven chapters was going to be squeezed into one week. In 1 Nephi 16:7, Nephi, his brothers, and Zoram all marry daughters of Ishmael. Speaking of "tender mercies of the Lord" (1 Nephi 1:20), nothing is more touching to me than that the Lord remembered Zoram. He was the outsider. The odd one out. Was it a coincidence that Ishmael had five daughters instead of four? The Lord knew his plan from the beginning. He remembered Zoram. In the margin beside the marriage verse, I wrote: "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart," (D&C 42:22). On the same page (1 Nephi 16:10) is where the Liahona is discovered (fun fact-the word Liahona isn't used until the book of Alma). In the same margin, I wrote this perfect quote from Elder David A. Bednar: "As we each press forward along the pathway of life, we receive direction from the Holy Ghost just as Lehi was directed through the Liahona" (Elder David A. Bednar, "That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us," April 2006 Conference). I do recommend looking at more of the talk. There were a lot of other things he said about the symbolism and purpose of the Liahona. Still in chapter 16 (verses 14-32) we have the adventure of the broken bow. As with every other challenge they faced, Laman and Lemuel murmured. So does the rest of the family. For once, even Lehi starts murmuring. Nephi, however, gets industrious and makes a bow. It isn't a fine steel bow like the one he has been using for their journey through the wilderness so far, but he has faith enough to make one and then respectfully ask his father where he should go to obtain food. Everyone repents, Nephi gets dinner with a homemade bow, and everyone rejoices. In the margins I wrote two quotes: "No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse," (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Tongue of Angels," Ensign, May 2007). "Have . . . the courage not only to face the challenges that inevitable come but also to make a second effort, should such be required," (President Thomas S. Monson, "Living the Abundant Life," Ensign, January 2012). [My apologies for not including a link. That one article in won't pull up for me today]. On the next page, as Lehi's family continues their travels, I traced/drew Daniel H. Ludlow's map of Lehi's travels in Arabia as it is printed (and adapted) in the Book of Mormon Student Manual: In chapter 17, I really struggled to choose just one quote. And failed. Here are three. In verse 7, the Lord tells Nephi to "Arise, and get thee into the mountain," so I wrote: "Let us go up to the mountain of the LORD," (Isaiah 2:3) [I just added more Isaiah to the Book of Mormon. This is funny] Back up to 17: 5, and we have the description of the Arabian Bountiful, which was named because of its much fruit and wild honey. I traced a hexagon stencil to get a honeycomb, and wrote: "The judgments of the LORD are . . . sweeter also than honey and honeycomb," (Psalms 19:9-10). In 1 Nephi 17:8, Nephi is commanded to build a ship. "Sometimes we need to make a bow and arrow before revelation comes as to where we should search for food. Sometimes we need to make tools before revelations come as to how to build a ship" (Elder Dale G. Renlund, "Abound with Blessings," Ensign, May 2019). Before Laman and Lemuel help with the family work project of building a ship, they whine, murmur, and doubt. Nephi gives them a spiritual pep-talk, where he again likens his family unto Moses and the children of Israel who also wandered in the wilderness. In 1 Nephi 17:30, Nephi reminds his brothers how the Lord led them (the children of Israel) through the wilderness by day and was their light by night. In the margin, I drew a simple Edison bulb (I suggest penciling this in before tracing it in pen) and wrote: "The LORD is my light and my salvation," (Psalms 27:1). Back up to 1 Nephi 17:21, where Laman and Lemuel were still whining. Among their arguments is this amusing verse: "Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy." Come on boys. Don't you know stuff doesn't equal happiness? I wrote: "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God," (Psalms 146:5). Believe it or not, this was the page where I almost abandoned my Book of Mormon journaling. Why? Because I wrote that quote on the wrong page. In pen. I was devastated. Thank heaven I kept going. There are so many beautiful things I would have missed if I had given up over one (or five) mistakes I made in pen. Pretty sure there's a life lesson here. In 1 Nephi 18:3, Nephi mentions going into the mountain often to pray. In the scriptures, mountains often symbolize temples, but I already had a temple quote in the last chapter, so I went with a prayer quote from Psalms (lots of Psalms this week!): "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray," (Psalms 55:17). I used colored pencil for the sunrise/sunset (yellow, orange, red, purple, and blue) and outlined the stars and sun in a brown Micron pen. Use the side of a sharpened colored pencil, not the tip, for the soft gradation of color, and overlap your colors slightly. On the next page, also in 1 Nephi 18, I went to a lot of effort to draw a rather mediocre looking ship with Mildliner highlighters and colored pencil. The one thing I like about the drawing is the lightning. I drew it with a yellow Mildliner highlighter, and left a little white space around it when I was coloring the sky gray. Skipping ahead to page 46 (1 Nephi 19:18-21) Nephi remembers the prophets of old. In verse 18, he shares his reason for writing the record he has been writing (to "persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer). In the margin I wrote: "Having prophets is a sign of God's love for us," (Ulisses Soares, "Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit," Ensign, May 2018). On the next page is my second case of wrong-page scripture quotes (more mistakes in pen!). I'll address them in the order they were intended. 1 Nephi 20:10 quotes Isaiah, saying, "I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." I love this reminder that we are of great worth even in our trials. I don't know about you, but I tend to feel better about myself when I am "successful" in my plans and projects. I don't usually feel as good about myself on those days (or weeks, or months) when it seems that everything is going wrong. Often when everything around me is going wrong, I feel like somehow it's my fault. I'm failing. But here in this beautiful verse from Isaiah, we are reminded that the Lord sees our worth even in the "furnace of affliction." In the margin, I wrote a lengthy quote from Zechariah: "I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say: It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God" (Zechariah 13:9). I had a lot of fun with the next page. And, no, I'm not pretending that Lehi's family wandered through a caricature of a desert in the American southwest when they were busy in Arabia. I just felt like drawing some cartoonish cacti. It isn't meant to be taken seriously. In the margin I combined parts of 1 Nephi 20:21 and 21:10 (I love how it reads like a Psalm!): "They thirsted not: he led them through the deserts . . . neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them." I used colored pencil for my desert: a light tan in the foreground, brown on the mountain, blue in the sky, green for the tall cactus, and blue-green for the round cactus. Both cacti were given stripes with green Mildliner highlighter (though Crayola green marker would be pretty similar). I outlined the sun and mountains with brown Micron pen, and both cacti in the foreground with green Micron pen, adding prickly bits with a v-shaped mark. And, yes, I traced the circle for the sun. A penny would work in a pinch, but I'm pretty sure I used a circle stencil. 1 Nephi 21:16 is one of the most poignant, heart-tugging verses of all: "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands . . ." In my wrong-page margin, I wrote: "What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends," (Zechariah 13:6). Then it bothered me having a blank margin on the "correct" page blank (not sure why. I have other blank pages in 1 Nephi), so I wrote what Christ will say in a future day on the Mount of Olives: "Then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet? Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God," (D&C 45:52). In 1 Nephi 22:2 we step out of Isaiah quotations and back into Nephi's world. Nephi has just finished reading two chapters from Isaiah, and his brothers, understandably, ask what they meant. Nephi prefaces his explanation by reaffirming that these were revelations given to the prophets. In the margin I wrote: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets," (Amos 3:7). I traced a banner stencil and key with a bullet journal stencil. On the next page I traced another banner and a circle (for the world). 1 Nephi 22:9 includes the promise to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." In the margin I wrote: "The Lord Himself prophesied that before His return, the gospel would be preached in all the world 'to recover His people, which are of the house of Israel,'" (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "Preparing for the Lord's Return," Ensign, May 2019. See JS Matthew 1:31 and D&C 39:11). Near the end of his book, Nephi brings in a lovely sheep metaphor, "And he gatherers his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture," (1 Nephi 22:25). This reminded me of Psalm 23 (which might have been on the brass plates as David predated Nephi). In the margin, I wrote the first four verses: "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He taketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leaders me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leaders me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," (Psalm 23:1-4). Did you choose different quotes for 1 Nephi 16-22? Please share in the comments section below. 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Here is my first process video I have ever made. This video will walk you through how I made this image in my scriptures using the "I'll Never Desert You" freebie traceable and some watercolors. This also includes how to fix major mess-ups like smudging. So you can replicate this in your own regular or large scriptures
Book of Mormon Central Art Contest 2017 This year's art contest featured artists from all over the world and of all ages, both amateur and professional. It was difficult to go through the hard work of all these artists and select the winning pieces, but we are pleased to announce the winner of this year's Book of Mormon Art Contest. First Place The Keystone by Christian Joel Loor Pino Christian is a freelance illustrator living in Ecuador. This piece interweaves some of the key events and symbols represented in the Book of Mormon.
