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Note that what you quoted is older wording and the Church leadership wouldn't phrase it that way these days. The Atonement is not a sentient entity or a process or anything else capable of doing something. Jesus Christ does it all - he atoned for us - the Atonement is what he did, what he went through. Jesus Christ saves. We build faith in Christ, that Christ, because of his atonement, has the power and right to save us. This is flat-out false. Scriptures clearly teach that without Christ, we would be subject to the devil forever. He redeems us. We cannot save ourselves. As for how one sin can condemn a person to eternal torment - it's a flaw. An un-repaired flaw (and we can't repair our own flaws) will get worse, guaranteed - if you don't believe it, just sit outside your house for a century without repairing anything and see what happens. In the words of Nibley (Approaching Zion, Chapter 2 "What is Zion? A Distant View"): Not gonna comment on the rest, but everywhere you write about "the Atonement" doing something, replace "the Atonement" with "Jesus Christ" and you'll have a clearer view.

2 Nephi 6 v2: "...I have spoken unto you exceedingly many things." In our day, Jacob would have been a High Counselor or maybe a Stake President. (Historically, Stake High Counselors get teased a lot for giving long, boring talks that put people to sleep. Obviously, whether this is true will depend on the individuals.) v3: Before you can teach, you have to learn, so study the word of God so that He can make use of you. Be on the Lord's side - however bad things get, life is better there. 2 Nephi 7 Don't know what to add. 2 Nephi 8 v7+: The Lord's law should be in your heart and you should not fear men - the Lord is more powerful and true. Remember him and his blessings. Repent. Be humble. Don't afflict others, cuz it's not gonna be pleasant for those who do...

I just created next week's thread for 2 Nephi 10 - 2 Nephi 28:

Please see the Book of Mormon Reading Group thread for details (and discussion of 1 Nephi 1 - 5). Our goal is to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. I'll make a new post before each Monday so that it's ready to go - weeks go from Monday to Sunday for our purposes. This week's schedule: Date Read Through Day of Week Sep 25 2 Nephi 11 Monday Sep 26 2 Nephi 15 Tuesday Sep 27 2 Nephi 19 Wednesday Sep 28 2 Nephi 23 Thursday Sep 29 2 Nephi 25 Friday Sep 30 2 Nephi 26 Saturday Oct 1 2 Nephi 28 Sunday Last Week: Book of Mormon Reading Group: 18 Sep - 24 Sep 2023 (1 Nephi 19 - 2 Nephi 9) Thread Index

You can get the entire set of "Collected Works of Hugh Nibley" - 19 volumes in Deseret Book's eBook format for a mere $857.991 (less than 9¢ / page). If you do, I'd say start with any of them. I haven't read them all, but of those I have, I like everything I've read, but especially: Approaching Zion Old Testament and Related Studies The World and the Prophets Lehi in the Desert 1 Based on a random sampling, the set is more expensive by far than if you bought the individual volumes. Apparently Deseret Book have stolen Amazon's "volume discount" pricing algorithm...

Where does it say that? For all we know, they were already married when they joined Lehi's group. In fact, in 1 Nephi 7:6, it says: "...and the two sons of Ishmael and their families..." - the sons were already married.

2 Nephi 4 v2: While we may wish we had these prophecies from the brass plates, it seems clear to me that the Lord gives to each dispensation and generation the prophecies which they most need. Lehi's descendants needed to know what Joseph prophesied regarding them. We don't need that (apparently). Similarly, there are things we have that they apparently didn't need. v15-16: Can we say we feel the same way Nephi did about the scriptures? Do we do as he did? v19+: Trust God, remember his blessings to you, continually plead for his help, learn from him. Let God's goodness motivate you to make better choices. Repent. v33: "Wilt thou make my path straight before me!" This is the only time I remember this phrase being used this way. Usually, it's "...Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." (The original, in Isaiah, makes more sense to me: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." and Alma's: "Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight") v35: Don't ask "amiss". 2 Nephi 5 When the parents are gone, the children get up to no good... v6: What sisters? This is the first (and only?) mention of Nephi having sisters. Are these the wives of his brothers or did Lehi have daughters that everyone forgot to mention until now? (We have no idea whether Sariah is alive or dead at this point.) v11+: The Lord blesses your efforts, not so much your procrastination or intent to do it tomorrow... v25: Perhaps our first reaction to "scourges" should be to remember God and repent... v27: The "manner of happiness" is hard work and obeying God (per previous verses). v30: When the Lord asks you to do something that seems redundant, do it anyway! v34: Even if it takes 10 years to complete...

Sort of like Who's on first? ETA: And there are four Josephs - it said Joseph Smith would be named after his father.

2 Nephi 3 @Jamie123, we believe that the writings mentioned in v12 and the "sticks" mentioned in the linked Ezekiel 37:15-20, represent the Bible (stick of Judah) and Book of Mormon (stick of Joseph). (And yes, also, the gathering of Israel back into one as mentioned in subsequent verses in Ezekiel 37.) When I was a teenager, it was common for some, especially missionaries, to refer to their scriptures as "sticks". Thoughts... Learning your family history can bring greater meaning into your life. v23: we are blessed through covenants others made. v25: learn from those with more experience. v20 and 21 "...the simpleness of their words." and "...and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith..." remind me of this exchange in Ether 12: The meek won't go looking for things to mock (take advantage of another's weakness) in the Book of Mormon, especially in the way the authors worded things. We generally interpret this portion of Ether 12 as saying that the Lord can take my weakness and make it my strength, but I think this exchange and Moroni's concern show that it also means that the Lord can take something one person did in their weakness and make it a strength for another person who is acting with faith in Christ.

At first, I believe, it was because "the Jews" crucified Christ. Whether any given person still uses that as a reason I couldn't begin to guess.

Yes, the scheduling to make full use of the building was always difficult: 9am-noon stinks for families trying to get a bunch of kids ready and for those who eat lunch early. 11:00 to 2:00 stinks for anyone who eats something called "lunch" 1:00 to 4:00 stinks for anyone who suffers from the post-lunch coma (personally, I like this the best as I can have a leisurely morning and so some study for the lessons before Church so it's all fresh in my mind - without waking up at 4am). In my building, the two family wards rotate the two early slots and the Young Single Adults permanently get the afternoon slots because apparently YSAs just won't come to church if it starts before noon...

2 Nephi 1 v1+: Sometimes, the Lord's blessings may look to us like hardship. And sometimes, it's up to us whether those blessings are all they could be, or whether they remain a hardship. Perception is a powerful thing. v7: "...for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes..." Even curses from the Lord are for our benefit - to help us turn to him. v11: reminds me of the parable of the talent - the one who hid his talent rather than making good use of it had the talent taken away and given to another. Seems this is how the Lord works and it scales from individual or nation - do the will of God or someone else will be brought in and receive what you have been wasting. v20: The Nephite Promise (but the promise made continually to Israel in the Old Testament). Some seem to think this is what some these days call "the prosperity gospel", and certainly we can see that when the people were righteous they prospered in material things (as a society), but look at the wording: obey and prosper or disobey and be cut off from God's presence. Being cut off from God's presence is the opposite of "prosper", which suggests that "prosper" really means "to enjoy God's presence". I think any societal material prosperity is just a natural consequence of being honest, generous, compassionate, and hard working. That is not, per se, what God is promising. God is promising his presence, so that you can become honest, generous, compassionate, hard working, etc. Lehi uses some good symbolism throughout this chapter. v30: Zoram's character as described here makes it easier to understand how and why he could just leave with Nephi and the others (without going back for anything - if he had anything). Such a person probably disliked working for a man of Laban's character, but he probably had little choice in the matter. 2 Nephi 2 v3: Jacob is redeemed not through his own righteousness (which must have been significant given what we learn later), but through the righteousness of Christ. (As is true for all of us.) v7: Have a broken heart and a contrite spirit! v8: We have an obligation to share the gospel! v11: I wonder if despite this being addressed to Jacob, it's really a secret lesson intended for Laman, et al. (Ah, yes, v14: "And now, my sons...") Repent! v25: Do Adam a favor and choose joy. v26: We are free because of Christ's Atonement - without it, we would not be free. I think this chapter speaks of both free will (the ability to act) and agency (responsibility for our choices, choosing whether to represent our Savior or our selfish self: "29 ...the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell..." (Interesting wording here - Satan's power over us comes from our own selfishness.))

3. Instead of three meetings every Sunday, we now have two meetings every Sunday and the second hour alternates: Sunday School (on the first and third Sundays) Priesthood / Relief Society / Young Women (on the second and fourth Sundays) Fifth Sundays are used however the bishop decides (or how he is instructed by the Stake President or even Area Presidency, at times) Sacrament meeting is 10 minutes shorter. In my experience, they don't pack in more, they just fill the allotted time. 2. In theory, members should be studying more at home and teaching their children (where applicable), as well as finding their own ways to observe the Sabbath. Obviously, how that works out will vary by individual and family. The timing of the changes was such that those who embraced the plan were prepared for worship at home when COVID-19 hit. 4. I think there's only more meat if the participants bring more meat. In other words, it's up to the individual speakers and teachers how the time is filled, as well as class members (for the second hour). 5. Personally, I would love going back to the three hours and even more - especially for Sunday School and Relief Society - we have great discussions in my classes and always have to end before we've covered everything we had to say. But I'm probably in an extreme minority. For families, they have plenty to do at home together. Those of us who are single would have to find other ways to continue the discussion... (Like, say, ThirdHour.org... ) 1. In theory, if one has embraced the Come, Follow Me program of study, then one has improved one's personal study of the gospel. If one has embraced the Church's ministering program, then one has improved one's practice of living the gospel. For those with families who participate in these together (as appropriate), their family bonds ought to be stronger. Those who have heeded prophetic counsel from the same time as these changes should be learning to (better) hear the Spirit for themselves and should be stronger spiritually for it - deepening their conversion. Obviously, all this will vary from person to person and family to family.

Well, I work for myself, and I am awake, so... Oh, but I'm not a company, so, um, I guess not.

1 Nephi 21 Chapter 22 explains this one. (Though I had no trouble understanding it. If you do, Jamie, don't hesitate to ask.) Chapter 22 I think the main take-away from this on a personal level is simply to remain faithful (which includes doing our part to spread Christ's gospel and to lift others) and trust in the Lord's power and promises. This chapter covers an awful lot of time - essentially from before Christ's mortal ministry to the Millennium.

Just a reminder that this week's chapters (1 Nephi 19 - 2 Nephi 9) are in another thread:

Heaven knows who's wrong. The first article @Just_A_Guy linked includes what they are saying is the full text of an official statement from the Church - I have not gone to independently verify that - presumably it would be on the Newsroom site... Tim Ballard is accused of sexual harassment. The articles say he was also using a psychic who claimed to be channeling Nephi (yes, that Nephi) to guide Ballard where to go to rescue children. The Church statement says he never had permission to use President Ballard's name, nor the Church's (and yet he has done so - there seems no doubt about this part). Seems like there was another accusation, but I've forgotten it already.

FWIW (direct quote from Church statement): "and activity regarded as morally unacceptable" could be anything - including unauthorized use of names for personal promotion, use of a "psychic" (if he did that, any sane person will think the guy's nuts), the accused sexual harassment (if it was done), or any number of other behaviors whether done as part of his work or not.

In essence, the article takes God out of it and turns it into something pretty mundane.

1 Nephi 19 v1-2: More hints at the lost 116 pages, also, an explanation of why the story has fewer details than we might want. v7: If a prophet of God thinks that something is of great worth and I can't see it, I should probably figure out how to see it rather than ignoring it or throwing it out. v10: @Jamie123, Zenock, Neum, and Zenos are not Book of Mormon prophets but were prophets to Israel (or perhaps the Jews). Presumably their prophecies were on the brass plates. We don't know when they prophesied. Zenos's prophecy indicates that the Lord had revealed the signs of Christ's death that would be experienced on "the isles of the sea" long enough before Lehi's time that the info was on the brass plates. It seems sort of obvious to me why some in the old world wouldn't want to recover Zenos' prophecies. v20: This and similar verses both about family and nation, and the depth of love and concern Nephi had for them make me think that the following scripture really is long fulfilled - modern man generally, myself included, doesn't seem to experience the depth of feeling being described: v23: Reading Isaiah should convince you to believe in Christ. Finding similarities between scripture and your own life is to your benefit and (v24) should bring you hope. Chapter 20 (Isaiah 48) v1-2: It's not enough to claim belief, you must obey God in truth. v3+, esp v5: God gives us good reason to believe in him. v10 (and answering @askandanswer's comment): It's not necessarily that God chose to afflict them - see the footnotes - rather, they were in affliction (enslaved by the Egyptians) and God chose them and led them out of captivity rather than leave them there. If you wish to remain unchosen, you will remain in captivity. Also: "How Firm a Foundation" v11: Clear reference to Satan who wanted God's glory all to himself. v18+: The Lord keeps his covenants and blesses his people. But the wicked will find no peace. (So don't be wicked. )

@askandanswer, we are starting a new thread every week, on Mondays - so starting with Chapter 19, comments belong in this thread: ETA: I'm creating each a few days before, so that they're already there for anyone who gets ahead on the reading - and before your Monday.

Just tripped over a clip from a BYU Devotional ("Remember Lot's Wife", Jan 2009) by E. Holland wherein he compares Lot's wife to Laman and Lemuel, speculating that perhaps she was longing for whatever "precious things" Sodom and Gomorrah had offered (my re-wording). Good summary: "In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future."

Personally, I think they were just cowards. Sometimes, they believed (or given no option but to believe) and so went along. The rest of the time, they were afraid to be wrong, so they stayed. Once they were far enough out, they had no safe way to get back. Sure, Laman wanted the birthright and Lemuel was clearly his ally, but mostly, he was a coward, I think. Now Klaw is threatening to slay me unless I bow to his wishes...

At the least, he would have to have seen the differences between his ships and whatever ships he'd encountered - perhaps he'd been as far as the Mediterranean with his Father. Some have theorized that they kept to the coasts as long as possible, perhaps even stopping for supplies. I imagine it was tedious - hence the revelry... (At the moment, Klaw is bored and threatening to revel. Or rebel. Or something. I'll have to go entertain him soon...) Yes. I think most folks believe they went East and landed on the west coast of South America.

But with a little effort, you can make shows that will offend everyone!