BYU (Brigham Young University) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.
In this series (see below), students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the Book of Mormon in the form of letters to someone they know. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures.
In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to speak to all of us of the relevance, power and beauty of the Book of Mormon, a second witness of Jesus Christ and complement to the Bible. The Book of Mormon includes the religious history of a group of Israelites who settled in ancient America. (The names they use are those of prophets who taught the Book of Mormon peoples to look forward to the coming of Christ—Nephi, Lehi, Alma, Helaman, and other unfamiliar names. We hope those names will become more familiar to you as you read their inspiring words and feel the relevance and divinity of their messages through these letters.)
Let us know if you’d like to receive your own digital copy of the Book of Mormon, and/or if these messages encourage and assist you spiritually as well.
Mormonism: Why Fear When God Is on Your Side?
Letter to My Family
Hey family!!
I love you all and miss you so so much! I have been thinking of you and praying for you everyday! I am so grateful to have you in my life and hope you know that I could not have been blessed with a better family! I hope you have all had an awesome week and wanted to send on some sweet treasures and thoughts from my Book of Mormon class.
We are studying in the book of Helaman and one of my all time favorite versus is Helaman 5:12 which says:
And now, my sons [or daughters], remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (emphasis added)
This is not only a message from Helaman to his sons, Nephi and Lehi, but it is also a message for us! Although the scriptures were written thousands of years ago, they are for US in THIS day! Notice that it doesn’t say, IF Satan tries to hit you with his storms…it says WHEN he does! There is no doubt that Satan will attack us and so it is our responsibility to BE READY!!
This scriptures promises IF we are built upon Christ, we CANNOT fall! Another great thought the Spirit let me have was when I read Helaman 7:6–7. These scriptures describe the sorrow and agony of Nephi because of the wickedness of the people and he wishes he could have lived in the past. How many times have we wished we could have lived in another time period? Yes, our world is becoming increasingly darker and more wicked, but ask yourselves this question: “Why fear when God is on your side?” Move forward with FAITH, not backward with fear. Faith and fear cannot coexist at the same time.
I know that God’s plan is perfect and we are here NOW for a reason! We have a great work to do—step up to the call as divine sons and daughters of the Almighty God to build His kingdom and stand valiantly on the Lord’s side of the line. Family, I love you!! Thanks for being who you are! Keep loving each other and striving to put the Savior first. I promise that as you center your life on the Savior, everything will fall into place.
Love for eternity,
Your daughter, granddaughter, sister, and friend,
Aubrey
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