I have moved on to read the Doctrine and Covenants...hoping to understand more fully the truths found in there. Even with switching over to the D&C I have started my Book of Mormon study over. I have found that my day is not quite put together unless I read out of the Book of Mormon. I have studied other scriptures for intense periods of time and have found great truths and hidden treasures--but at the end of the day something was missing... THE BOOK OF MORMON! OH Oh I love the Book and know that it is true! It has changed my life and continues to change my life.
1 Nephi 4:1 had a profound impact on me this week.
And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?
Nephi and his brothers have already tried to get the brass plates twice from Laban. First time, Laman went and asked for them... Laban tried to kill him. Then all the brothers went into their house and gathered all their gold/silver and everything precious. They tried to trade all that they had for the brass plates. Laban lusted after their riches and sent his servants out to kill Nephi and his brothers so he could obtain their riches. It was all left behind as they fled for their lives. Laman and Lemuel were not so happy after loosing all their family's goods so they picked up a rod and started hitting Nephi and Sam. An angel of the Lord stopped them and reprimanded them for their actions. The Angel left and Laman and Lemuel start to murmuer again about how are they going to get the plates.
Verse one is the very next comment from Nehpi to his brothers.
So for me--what "Labans" am I facing? An addiction, a bad habit, a faith stopper, or a bad situation. Whatever MY Laban is--the Lord is mightier then it!RAIN STOPPED
The picture above was just taken last month while I was on a business trip in Park City. There were two different events that spanned the length of the whole week. I saw many amazing miracles! Some so deeply effected me that I had to go into the hotel guest bathroom and weep because I was so overwhelmed. Within two days, two dear friends reminded me of the power of prayer--all we need do is ask.
Patti had a karaoke night planned for all of our Leadership consultants. The hotel had this little restaurant that if we used the outside area, we would have room enough to eat dinner and then have some fun karaoke.
In running around making sure different areas were set up, I lost track of Patti so I went up to the restaurant. I looked outside to a very heavy wet rainstorm. I walked into the restaurant...in order to fit without being too squished, we needed to use the patio of the restaurant...but with all the rain, that just wasn't going to happen.
As I walked out of the restaurant looking at all the falling rain, I silently prayed asked Heavenly Father to stop the rain so that Patti's planned evening would not be ruined. I asked that by some miracle that not only did the rain need to stop, but it needed to come off quickly from the roof so that we didn't have people having to step out on the patio with drops falling on their heads.
I felt as if it was just me and Heavenly Father on the mountain.
I walked outside the hotel onto a platform covered by an awning. I had a full view of the mountain side before me. And there--I watched as literally the blanket of heavy rain pulled across the sky starting from the right and moving left. I walked as I watched the blanket of rain sweep across the mountainside. By the time I had walked to the edge of the awning, the rain had completely stopped. I stepped out in the clearing trying to see if there was any mist still in the air... there was none! I did not feel one drop!
From inside I heard someone yell something about a rainbow... so I walked down the walk way I saw the view in the picture above. I could not take the smile off my face as I knew it was just a "there you go" for Patti from Heavenly Father. A waiter boy came out to where I was to admire the rainbow. He commented how cool the weather had just been and I turned to him and told him he just witnessed a miracle from God.
I walked up the steps (3 mins or so after the rain storm had moved) and looked at the patio of the restaurant. The drips in this picture 
were the only drips I saw come off of the roof!!
I ran to go find Patti and tell her of what God just did for her. I finally found her downstairs and as I spewed out the miracle she mentioned that she had already moved the karaoke to an inside room in the Hotel. She said it was wonderful that the rain had stopped but we couldn't make people sit on a wet patio. I felt that it was just a test of all of our faith and I wanted to protest with her that it would be okay, but the moment was already intensely busy, so I held my peace and thanked Heavenly Father for stopping the rain and for sending the rainbow for Patti. We went up stairs and gathered for dinner. This was right after the rain storm-- and with the 20 mins we took getting ready for dinner--here are the pictures we took of us eating out on the patio--it was completely dry!
(Boys will be boys! :D)Now what is so significant with this whole thing--we had a Laban before us! THE RAIN. God was mightier then the rain. And even though he stopped the rain and everything could have worked out in the restaurant, another way was made available in a different room to do the karaoke...which ended up being a blessing because we were pretty crazy with our karaoke night! ha ha. But what if our Laban is not the rain? What if it is a boy/girl/money/credit card bill/death of a loved one/lack of employment/family member? HE IS MIGHTIER THAN ALL OUR LABANS.
This is not to say that every time we pray for the "rain" to stop, the Lord stops it! There is an awesome song that talks about praying for the rain to stop, and mad when it doesn't, but we didn't know all those praying for it to rain. Our Father in Heaven is merciful and he loves us, and longs to bless us and show forth his might before our Labans! Whatever Labans we are facing! That day he had a blessing waiting to stop the rain. What if we hadn't asked?
Prayer- Bible dictionary-
Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.Conditional on our asking for them. What blessings are we missing out out merely because we just don't ask!?
Now, His will WILL be done! I believe if we have the faith to ask, and God does have an opinion on whatever, He will let us know. And that way we go about doing His will! And if it is His will for us to go forward and use the brains he has granted us to have, then that is great too! We move forward! But if there are blessings along the way, I for one want to be praying and asking for them!
He is mightier than Laban.
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