1 Nephi chapter 2
2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.
3 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.
4 And it came to pass that he *departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.
The Lord has placed the Book of Mormon and the personal journals of many lives that are meant to touch our lives in countless ways over and over again. The First book of Nephi has been saved in a very soft part of my heart, one I never thought I'd have to make room for.
What I have come to learn in this life is that every single human being is unique..I mean REALLY unique! So different from every one other person that we ALL become that ONE in MILLION. to something. We all win a "prize" "lottery" "award" "opportunity"
"In the beloved children’s story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the mysterious candy maker Willy Wonka hides a golden ticket in five of his candy bars and announces that whoever finds one of the tickets wins a tour of his factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.
Written on each golden ticket is this message: “Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this Golden Ticket … ! Tremendous things are in store for you! Many wonderful surprises await you! … Mystic and marvelous surprises … will … delight, … astonish, and perplex you.”3
In this classic children’s story, people all over the world desperately yearn to find a golden ticket. Some feel that their entire future happiness depends on whether or not a golden ticket falls into their hands. In their anxiousness, people begin to forget the simple joy they used to find in a candy bar. The candy bar itself becomes an utter disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket.
So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket—the ticket that they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about."
But what if everyone got a golden ticket...EXCEPT for YOU
"One woman wanted more than anything else to marry a righteous priesthood holder in the temple and be a mother and a wife. She had dreamed about this all her life, and oh, what a wonderful mother and loving wife she would be. Her home would be filled with loving-kindness. Never a bitter word would be spoken. The food would never burn. And her children, instead of hanging out with their friends, would prefer to spend their evenings and weekends with Mom and Dad.
This was her golden ticket. It was the one thing upon which she felt her whole existence depended. It was the one thing in all the world for which she most desperately yearned.
But it never happened. And, as the years went on, she became more and more withdrawn, bitter, and even angry. She could not understand why God would not grant her this righteous desire.
She worked as an elementary school teacher, and being around children all day long simply reminded her that her golden ticket had never appeared. As the years passed she became more disappointed and withdrawn. People didn’t like being around her and avoided her whenever they could. She even took her frustration out on the children at school. She found herself losing her temper, and she swung between fits of anger and desperate loneliness.
The tragedy of this story is that this dear woman, in all her disappointment about her golden ticket, failed to notice the blessings she did have. She did not have children in her home, but she was surrounded by them in her classroom. She was not blessed with a family, but the Lord had given her an opportunity few people have—the chance to influence for good the lives of hundreds of children and families as a teacher."
"The lesson here is that if we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us...don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life."
The Lord never never NEVER looks past you. He cannot and will NEVER lose sight of you..therefore He could never forget you. Most importantly, He loves you.
He has one golden ticket..you receive when you discover your true identity.
“The Ugly Duckling,” a mother duck discovers that one of her newly hatched chicks is unusually large and very ugly. The other ducklings, however, cannot leave the ugly child alone. They punish him mercilessly, pecking at him and teasing him and making him miserable. Finally, the ugly duckling decides it would be better for everyone if he left his family, and he runs away. Then one day he sees flying overhead a flock of majestic birds. Oh, what glorious and happy creatures! The ugly duckling longs to fly with them. And so he takes flight and follows them to a beautiful lake where they settle onto the water.
As he lands, the ugly duckling looks into the water and sees the reflection of a magnificent swan, the ugly duckling realizes that the reflection is his own! And at last he has discovered who he really is."
"There will always be voices telling you that you are foolish to believe that you are swans, insisting you are but ugly ducklings and that you can’t expect to become anything else.
But you know better. Because of the revealed word of a merciful God, you have seen your true reflection in the water and you have felt the eternal glory of that divine spirit within you. You are no ordinary beings, my beloved young friends all around the world. You are glorious and eternal."
Who am I?
I AM A DAUGHTER of our Heavenly Father, who loves me, and I love Him. I WILL “STAND as a witness of God at ALL times and in ALL things, and in all places” as I strive to live the Young Women values, which are:
Faith • Divine Nature • Individual Worth • Knowledge • Choice and Accountability • Good Works • Integrity • and Virtue
I BELIEVE as i come to accept and act upon these values, I WILL BE PREPARED to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.
I KNOW who I am. And if I am not me who else will be? Everyone else has their own "me" to be. I have the golden ticket..that is more like a golden seed..a seed that I have planted stating who i am. It grows on my faith and obedience. Constant nourishment is vital. A light shines and brightens with every care and nurture. And it is easier to be seen when shared.
I am pretty convinced Nephi had this golden ticket...golden seed when he had to just get up and move. He knew who he was. The Lord said "Fear not, I am with thee." Nephi's testimony was strong in his faith in himself and in the Lord. He left his home town, his friends, his belongings, his home, and went blindsided to the wilderness. From experience i KNOW it was hard.. But because the Lord confirmed he would be okay He went and I will go.
The right thing to do and the easiest thing to do are not usually the same thing.. He never said it would be way though..He said it would be worth it. I humbly bare this as my testimony in the name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
["The Reflection in the Water" & "Forget Me Not"
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf ]
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