Day 3 - 1 Nephi 9-12

Spiritual Thought:

“I say that we need to teach our people to find their answers in the scriptures… But the unfortunate thing is that so many of us are not reading the scriptures.  We do not know what is in them, and therefore we speculate about the things that we ought to have found in the scriptures themselves.  I think that therein is one of our biggest dangers of today.”  (Harold B. Lee)

Daily Focus Scripture to mark and ponder:

1 Nephi 11:1 - “For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.”

Daily Questions:

Do I allow myself to have uninterrupted time to "ponder"?  When was the last time I was "unplugged" from technology, in order to be open to personal inspiration like Nephi? 

For Children:

Click here to LISTEN and watch the video, "If the Savior Stood Beside You."


Below are Personal Notes from Michele's study.  I remember that it took me the longest time to be
able to tell the difference between the large and small plates, since Nephi called them both after his

name.  One day when I was studying these verses, I started noticing a pattern.  I noticed that every
time the words "the plates or the other plates" was used, they were talking about the Large Plates.
And every time the words "these plates" was used, they were referring to the Small Plates. 
It was kind of an "Aha" experience for me. 

1 - LARGE PLATES OF NEPHI (I marked with a green highlighter)

          Also referred to as: 

a.     “the plates” (each time these words were written, I marked in green)

b.     “the other plates

What is on the Large Plates?

          Secular: (Kings wrote)

“…an account of the reign of the kings, and the wars and contentions… ” (1 Nephi 9:4)

“…the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers…” (1 Nephi 19:2)

“…and if my people desire to know…the history of my people…” (2^nd Nephi 5:33)

*********************************************

2 – SMALL PLATES OF NEPHI (I marked with a yellow highlighter)

          Also referred to as:

a.     “these plates” (each time these words were written, I marked in yellow)

What is on the SMALL Plates?

          Spiritual:  (Prophets wrote)

“……are for the more part of the ministry; (1 Nephi 9:4)

“…a more particular account…” (D&C 10:39)

“…that the ministry and prophecies, the more plain and precious parts should be written…” (1 Nephi 19:3)

“…these plates should be handed down from…one prophet to another…”(1 Nephi 19:3)

“…that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge…(1 Nephi 19:5)

References of Large and Small Plates:

a.     1 Nephi 9:1-6

b.    1 Nephi 19: 1-6

3. 2 Nephi 5:28-33 (30 yrs later) *see quote below

*2^nd Nephi 5:28 – “Nephi wrote his record on the small t 30 years after Lehi’s colony left Jerusalem and journeyed to the Promised Land.”  --Book of Mormon Student Manual – page 4

Okay now for our "BOMING" picture of the day - sent in by 13 year old Nolan Belnap.

Nolan writes:  "Here's a picture of me sitting in the Admiral's chair, dressed up as an Orion Space Pirate at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center where I volunteer.  I read today's chapters while on my breaks."

Good job everyone!  Keep up the reading!