"a marvelous work is about to come forth..."

What do you do when you desire something? Or, another question to ask yourself is, how do you know that someone is really interested in helping you?

I have pondered these questions recently and feel that I can respond easily. I know that when I really want something I will push as hard as I can until I get it. I try my best to be patient and persistent, and most importantly to trust in God. I have found that often I am blessed by receiving that thing that I most wanted because I put forth a great amount of effort.

I also know that when I am really interested in helping someone I act very differently than when I don't care as much. I will make time in my schedule to do something with them or for them. I will think of them throughout the day. I will talk to others about them and show genuine concern for them. I will attend the events they are involved in. I will help them in whatever way I can.

So, why are these questions important and how do they relate to the Doctrine and Covenants? In Section 4:1, Christ states that "a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men," referring to the Book of Mormon. It is one thing to note that He is excited and informing us of the magnitude of this powerful book, but I want to focus on what He asks us to do with it.

One thing that Christ asks us to do is to serve Him with all of our "heart, might, mind and strength". He also says, "if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work." This brings me back to the first question. What do you do when you desire something? If we have a desire to serve God, how do we prove that desire? Often I wonder, am I acting with as much vigor to obtain the rewards from the desire I have to serve God as I do in the other things I desire in life? Just a thought.

The next thing that sticks out to me is how often Christ mentions sharing the gospel after talking about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. My second questions relates here because if we really have the same concern for helping Christ as we do in helping others, I believe we would be much more anxiously sharing the gospel with others. I am guilty of this as much as the next person. The Book of Mormon has blessed me tremendously! It brings me a sure understanding of truth. It helps me feel peace when I need the comfort of the Holy Spirit. I find answers to my prayers and the questions of my soul. I learn more of the relationship we can have with our Father in Heaven. I improve my understanding of Jesus Christ's role as my Redeemer and Friend. The list continues...

I know that the Book of Mormon is true because of the way it has blessed me in my life. I want to help God share this blessing with the rest of the world in the same way I'd help a good friend in any task he/she asks me to. I commit to do better to "thrust in my sickle with all my might" and help to build the kingdom of God on the earth. I am just one, but one voice can still be heard.

One Hundred and Sixteen Pages LOST!!!

There are a few things that I find interesting about the experiences Joseph Smith had in the event of losing the first translated portion of the gold plates. After praying multiple times about Martin Harris's request to take the first 116 pages of manuscript home to show his wife, Joseph did not receive a direct answer of "no" and allowed him to take them. The Lord was not pleased with Joseph's decision and rebuked him. An account of this rebuke is recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, chapter 3.
I appreciate this chapter because it show Joseph Smith in the early stages of his ministry. He was persuaded by the requests of man and caved when persistent effort was made to disobey his previous revelation. He made a mistake and the Lord chastises him by saying, "you should not have feared man more than God". I think this principle applies to each of us today. How often do we "set at naught the counsels of God" and follow the ways of the world? How often do we seek to please man rather than the Great Creator, our God? I have a testimony that God allows us to make mistakes so that we can learn from them. Here is a perfect example of a mistake that Joseph made where he was able to learn the importance of following the counsel of God before any other person. I believe this had a great impact on him in preparing him for the remainder of his church leadership. He knew from this point on that he could not disregard what had been said by God. No matter what anyone else desired, if it did not align with the dictates of God, their request was not going to be satisfied. I desire to apply this to me life. I know that when I do all I can to follow Heavenly Fathers counsel given to me, I am exceedingly happier than when I give in to the demands of others.
Another interesting point that I discovered in my reading was the fact that after the manuscript had been lost, those who had taken it were making adjustments to the text. Isn't it interesting that they were altering it when they claimed not to believe? Deep inside their hearts they must have known that Joseph would be able to translate the text exactly the same way he had previously. The purpose behind their alterations was to prove to the people that he did not have the power to translate ancient texts. Obviously, they knew he could do it again, or they wouldn't change it. Satan is so sneaky in manipulating the minds of people. The most interesting part is that those who are manipulated have no idea that they are being so irrational and illogical. I find that in our day Satan is still twisting the mindset of others by leading them to fight against the truth by showing that they believe the truth. I encourage those who read this to seek for further examples of this happening today.
I know that Jesus Christ lives today! I know that he always prepares a way to redeem us from our mistakes and the mistakes of others. For that, I am so grateful. The Church of Jesus Christ is the only true church of God on the earth! I know that God knows what is best for each of His children and He will inspire us to make wise choices throughout our lives. It is by satisfying His requests that we will be most happy in this life.