I’ll admit, 1 Nephi 14 is kind of scary.
Nephi sees a vision of the devil doing all he can to destroy the saints of God. And what’s even scarier, is we are living in that day, and witnessing the increasing evil all around us!
But the overarching message in this chapter is that THE LORD’S COVENANT PEOPLE NEED NOT FEAR. God has PROMISED that He will give us power to withstand the evils of our day.
How do we get that power from Him?
Both of these quotes refer to different ways we can access God’s power.
On the left, it said the covenant people are “armed with righteousness” and “added power”? Where does that happen? In the temple of God. As we make and keep our covenants with Him, we are given HIS POWER (see D&C 109:22).
On the right, notice that Elder Anderson said the saints will be given compensatory power of REVELATION and SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
It is not a coincidence that our Prophet has asked us to seek for added spiritual power in BOTH of these ways.
In his April 2018 General Conference talk, President Nelson warned, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost” (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives).
And then in the October 2018 General Conference, he warned: “...the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater...If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples” (Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints).
Can we honestly say that we have followed his counsel in 2018? Have we sought for more personal revelation in our lives? Have we been worshipping regularly in the temple?
And as a result, have we felt his added power more in our lives?
If we have, we can TESTIFY to our families that we are seeing the prophecy in 1 Nephi 14 played out.
We are in the battle that Nephi’s vision tells about. It is OUR story today. And as verse 14 says, we are “armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” because we are making covenants with Him in His holy temple, and seeking revelation and spiritual gifts.
Isn't that such an empowering thought?
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