Book of Mormon Monday

Scripture of the Day:

Mosiah 8:16-18

16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

  17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

  18 Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.

Historical Background:

Here is the summary from the Chapter Heading-

Ammon teaches the people of Limhi—He learns of the twenty-four Jaredite plates—Ancient records can be translated by seers—The gift of seership exceeds all others. About 121 B.C.

The people of Limhi had separated themselves from the main body of the Nephites and had been given land to use by the Lamanites.  After years of success and adversity, the people of Limhi were sought out by a group of the Nephites led by Ammon.  They were living in adversity and these verses are some of the teachings of Ammon.

Gospel Principles Outlined:

1) God gives power to man to do His will.

2) Prophets are seers and revelators.

3) Men in those positions have great power given them of God.

4) Prophets teach the people by "bringing hidden things to light."

5) The calling of prophets allows God to work great miracles amongst His children.

What I Learned Today:

Prophets provide a way of bringing truth to the children of God in a way that nothing else could provide.  It is very important for us to focus on gaining a testimony of the great power that comes through prophets and then trust in that testimony to follow the things that we are taught by the prophet.  This is not and must not be blind obedience.  We do not follow the prophet blindly; we follow the prophet because he has consistently led us to increased happiness and joy in this life.  We can trust that.

Things I Will Implement:

I will review the teachings of the prophet from the most recent General Conference and look for ways that I can follow the prophet in order to bring greater power and understanding into my life.