Applying Ancient Scriptures to our Daily Life: Nephi, Setting the Standard for Receiving Answers

At Institute the other night our topic was on honesty and some how that got turned to Nephi and him being commanded to get the Brass Plates from Laban. If you don't know the story it goes a little something like this (short version of course).

Nephi's family had left Jerusalem and were many days travel away from there when he was asked to go with his 2 older brothers Laman and Lemuel as well as Samuel his younger brother back to Jerusalem and get the plates from Laban who was a wicked ruler of Jerusalem.

Nephi and his brothers tried first by asking, nicely, for the plates. Next they presented him with their families riches that were left when they had to flee Jerusalem. In both attempts Laban cast them out from before them and sent his guards after them.

It was at this point that Laman and Lemuel began to get extremely upset with Nephi and Samuel and began to beat them. At this time an angel appeared to Laman and Lemuel rebuking them and commanding them to go back to Jerusalem and that Laban would be given to them in a way that they would be able to get the plates from him.

Yet Laman and Lemuel did not want to and once again began to complain about how hard a task it might be. So, Nephi decided he would go by himself to receive the plates (who needs older brothers? KIDDING) telling them that when promised of the Lord he will provide a way.

Once again Nephi returned to the city of Jerusalem, this time alone, and before long he came upon a drunken Laban too far gone to even stand without assistance, but he was alone. Seeing this event and his sword by his side he was prompted to kill him by his own sword. He questioned that prompting never having been commanded to do something this intense before.

So that is the story, here are the thoughts I gained from this: Nephi did question the commandement, but does that mean it was a BAD thing to do? I think not for one of two reasons.

1-Nephi wanted to make sure this was a prompting of the Lord and not a prompting coming from Satan. Satan's powers are real and while the feeling we get can be different imagine how he would have felt later had he not ensured it was the right thing to do. Perhaps Satan would have come back to him later saying that he was unworthy of many things because he killed a man and the Lord never would have wanted that. He got the reassurance up front ensuring it was the right thing to do.

2-Nephi paved the way for the rest of us to know what we need to do to receive answers from the Lord. Nephi was given a commandment and while he knew that the Lord would provide a way, he did not know how that would come. When presented with a drunken Laban and prompted to kill him he probably felt that this was the answer to his prayers on HOW he would get the plates. He then asked for a confirmation from the Lord and after receiving his answer he then carried out the task.

Just like Nephi of old we are often faced with hard tasks that we know need to be overcome. We will ponder and meditate on different possibilities we can use to overcome our trials. When we have come to a decision about which way we see best to handle our situation we present that decision to the Lord, just as Nephi did before killing Laban. We then receive an answer and are expected to either act upon this decision or re-think the possibilities if we received a negative answer.

Done, Tired and Spent

Alright, so I've had it, I'm tired of school, done with stupid people and their lack of integrity and I've spent my last minute wasted on them!

I never thought I'd be saying this but I'm tired of school. I don't care anymore; my dream job is mine to have with or without this stupid degree, why waste the money when I don't need it???

I've got 87 days left before I fly out back to Germany, I want to go home, turn off the lights and not wake up until that day comes.

Setting the Standards for ASU Students

Last night was the first football game for ASU of the season and of course I had to make Steph experience it with me!!! After all, we did buy season tickets!!!



So in we went at about 6:30 and we sat on the upper most deck, it was fun, it was really breezy up there but in a good way because of the humidity. At 6:30 there was NOBODY there, by 7 the place was packed and people were standing in every nook and cranny they could find! That was slightly annoying when you were wanting to sit down but there were people standing that close to you.



So the game started a little late; about 15 mins, but as I stood there looking around this stadium that I hadn't seen for 3 years it amazed me; really it did. First of all, the stadium was EMPTY. What else is to be expected with ASU playing ISU? But what I was more amazed by is that Kush stadium STILL has the number 42 plastered on a banner in EVERY corner of the field. The number 42 was retired after Pat Tillman died while serving with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan.



**Unfortunately I didn't take a camera and I can't find pictures of it online**

So this got me to thinking, Tillman had a lot of values I respect; he was honest, he was sometimes blunt, I would say he was patriotic, courageous, sincere, hard working, respectful, loving and loyal. Can you imagine what would happen if ASU adopted these charecteristics as their own and tried to make ASU more like Pat. His number is the corner of the field. Why not make his personality and values the corner stone for ASU standards?


The time came for the national anthem to be played, I know I go to a liberal school, but the last time I checked it was still in the US. So why are we having people sitting throughout the anthem, talking and even screaming profanities. Towards the end of the song people started singing, but in a way that I found to still be disrespectful.

Alright, so I just moved from a military base where at the beginning of a movie you are to stand for the playing of the national anthem; maybe that's why I'm a bit biased and maybe that's why I'm expecting people to shut up, stand up and listen. You dont' have to put your hand on your heart, but whether you are from my country or not, be respectful nit-wits!


Can you imagine what would happen to ASU if they began taking the above characteristics serious. If they had a school FULL of Tillmans! Our school would NOT be the party school, school known for kids getting drunk the night before just to see if they can pass a test hung over. No longer known for our student body president being kicked out for making pornos and no longer being known for the most disrespectful fans.


Yes, there were some shadda calls made last night by the stripes, but does that still give you a right to start screaming profanities at the top of your lungs about what you want to do to that one ref? I don't think it does.


A group of students we were standing in front of were actually kind of cool they were all just laughing and what not, until the scandelous girls showed up and the first couple sentences out of their mouth included, when are we going to leave so I can get drunk? Or I want a shot!!! Seriously guys? why come to the game then? Sit at home and watch it, drink yourself silly, gain that beer belly, get alcohol poisoning and if we're lucky, get caught for underage drinking!!!


The game was good, Sparky had a LOT of pushups to do last night as we beat ISU 50-3. Congrats to us, we beat a not even ranked school that is nowhere near being in our conference. But, if we play like we did last night against our conference teams we will get beat! PUMMELED!!


Our QB was running around with nowhere to go, maybe the Oline's fault, but be smart with the ball, know when you need to throw it away!


We had one receiver who was dropping passes left and right, WILLIAMS! That cannot happen, against better schools they will exploit that, pick on you and cause turn overs.


But it was a good first game, boring at times but still good. After each TD or FG Sparky got up on his board and crank out pushups. Poor Sparky! You need to do it like the students do in the stands; grab a girl and throw her in the air the number of times representing the score. Until the cop comes up screaming PUT THE GIRL DOWN! Oh what a line for the night!


So yes, it was a good game, sure do wish I could fix the problems of ASU but I can't, that's up to Crow!!


I probably will be going to a lot more games this year after buying the season tickets I will get my moneys worth, Steph and I are going to pretty much camp out for the UofA game to make sure we get down near the 30 yard line and right on the front.


Oh yeah, ASU has these two guys who go to every game, they are maroon and gold man, dress in maroon and gold spandex, can't see their faces, well, Steph and I decided they look lonely and need some women in their lives... now we just have to figure out HOW to do it ;)

Gamer, finally a movie that is real to our lives today

So I feel compelled to comment on this new release movie I just heard about, "Gamer". The movie stars Gerard Butler, Ludacris and Michael Hall.

This movie is set in the future and from what I can read up on it is about obviously a gaming system that puts human on human playing to another level. The thing that is relevant I think is that much like the ways of today and entertainment at our finger tips it IS controlling; so how fitting is it that in this movie once you begin playing you are not allowed to leave until you essentially BEAT the game...

The game is addicting, you enjoy the game again until they rope you in so that you can't leave.

SERIOUSLY??? Has there ever been a more desperate cry for help when it comes to how much we can no longer find suitable forms of entertainment outside of gaming? How much we've allowed society to deem it OK when we come across 'gamers' who essentially live their life through games whether on the computer or through gaming consoles; either of which can access the internet allowing them to converse with others hundreds of miles away. Is it any wonder why the children of today are obese or are unable to socialize in a respectable manner?

Entertainment, slowly but surely taking over our lives and our ability to live as HUMANE humans, instead of hethans...

You may think you ain't country...

Alright, so, I joined my sister on Monday night for a little FHE at Tempe which included free pizza... FREE FOOD? What? I'm there!

Well, oops, it was also a dance thingy; whatever. So here's my thing with Arizona and mainly East valley girls and guys. The little time I've spent around them, so many of them hate claiming their country roots. Oh no, they want to be urbanized and they want to reject the country music for Lil' Wayne (who by the way is ugly, have you ever seen him?) or some other Hip Hop/RnB artist... seriously guys???

Let me tell you why I have a problem with this... Why is it then that I went to this dance on Monday night to hear them playing country music galore... Ok, so it was a church dance, little music outside of country has a harmony that is within church standards for dance. But please believe for EVERY song that was played (other than slow songs) I saw EVERYONE on the dance floor doing a line dance for it... And you think you ain't country!
At first I was thinking, oh wow, are they doing the electric slide to a country song? No, they weren't, it was heel toe, dosey doe, c'mon baby let's go, kinda stuff. hop hop hop backwards, kick kick kick kick kick and turn. Clap step two three, clap step two three; shuffle forward with the hand doing a roping movement... WHAT?

I was baffled. So go ahead, tell me, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler girls, that you ain't country; I'll play a song and if you can do the line dance to it, I don't want to hear that you ain't! Embrace it, there is nothing wrong with it.

That's right, I've got my country roots too, but I can't do any other line dances out of the Cha-cha slide and the Electric...