A Book of Mormon Synopsis: The Small Plates

The Book of Mormon is a record of a people that lived in the Americas between 600BC and 400AD as well as their origins, lives and religion. The record, written on gold plates, was given to Joseph Smith and he was given the ability to translate it from the original language, reformed Egyptian.

The Book of Mormon starts with a title page and introduction to familiarize the reader with the book's purpose and history. As the title page states, the Book of Mormon was written as a witness and testament that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God and that He manifests Himself unto all nations. The final paragraphs of the introduction contains an invitation to read the book and a promise that if one will read it, ponder over the words, and pray to God, asking if the book is true, then an answer will be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. After this invitation, the testimonies of the eight witnesses, the three witnesses and Joseph Smith are given.

The book then begins. Its format is similar to the Bible, in that there are individual books within the greater book and these are divided into chapters and verses. The first book was written by a man named Nephi living in Jerusalem around 600BC and is taken from a record mentioned in the book called the Small Plates of Nephi. The small plates were like a journal that Nephi kept and was passed on in the family for generations. In it, he and others recorded prophecies, teachings and "a few of the things which [they] considered to be most precious." (Jacob 1:2) Nephi made other plates, the large plates, on which he wrote the daily goings-on of his people. That book was passed down from king to king and was eventually abridged by a prophet named Mormon. That abridgement comprises most of the Book of Mormon. The first part, however, is taken directly from the small plates.

Nephi tells the story of his father, Lehi, and his vision. Much the same way that Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were called to be prophets, Lehi sees a vision of God, learns of His gospel and is sent among the people to warn them of their wickedness and the impeding doom of the city. Predictably, he is rejected by the people and threats are made on his life (Jeremiah is probably in prison at this time) so the Lord commands him to take his family and absquatulate into the desert. Nephi records their experiences, trials and the things they learn about Christ and His gospel as they travel eight years through the desert from Jerusalem to an unknown point on the Arabian coast where they build a boat, according the Lord's directions, and cross the ocean to the promised land.

Some time after arriving, Lehi gives his dying words to his children and grandchildren and passes away. It didn't take long for Nephi's oldest brothers, Laman and Lemuel, to try and kill Nephi. They had been complaining, rebelling and plotting Nephi's death since they left Jerusalem because they did not believe that Lehi had a vision nor did they believe in God all that much. Nephi took his wife, kids and anyone else who would listen away from Laman's group so they could live peacefully and worship God. From that time until the very end of the book, the two main groups are referred to as Nephites and Lamanites.

Nephi spends the rest of his book writing down a few of his thoughts and feelings, but mostly prophecies and teachings and many words of the prophet Isaiah. Nephi then passes the metal plates he used to write on, to his brother Jacob and dies. Jacob continues to write and records a few of his sermons to the people and passes them to his son, Enos. The tradition continues for several generations, each of them writing a little until one man, who had no children, passes the plates on to the king, a righteous man named Benjamin. By this time, over 450 years had passed since Lehi and his family had left Jerusalem.

During the time that this record was kept, the Nephites and Lamanites fought against each other and had several wars. At one point, the Nephite king, Mosiah, was warned by the Lord to leave their lands and go north. He took as many people with him as would listen and left their city to find a new place to live. Mosiah was led by the Lord and found an entire city of people called Zarahemla. Their history is largely unknown except that they were originally led by Mulek out of Jerusalem when Babylon invaded Jerusalem in 585 BC. The two groups merged and Mosiah, followed by his son Benjamin, became their king. That marks the end of the small plates.

The most remarkable thing about these writings is how much Nephi and his descendants knew about the coming Messiah. Nephi was shown the birth of Jesus in a vision and understood the miraculous power of the atonement. He writes, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins" (2 Nephi 2:26). We share this book with you, and with the whole world for the same purpose. Please take the opportunity to read it for yourself.

Jesus the Christ

Among Christ's titles is "Alpha and Omega," signifying the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. His influence can be felt from one end of eternity to the other, as well as all along the way. Every aspect of Mormonism focuses on Him; we revere Him as our God, our Creator, our Brother, and our King.

"In the Beginning...
...was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)

Jesus, like all of us, existed before birth. He was an important figure in our premortal family as the birthright, first-begotten Son of the Father, and our eldest and wisest brother. As our leader, He championed the causes of justice, mercy and free will. He was appointed to be our Savior. We had faith in Him. We followed Him willingly and loved Him.

Under the Father's direction, Jesus created the heavens and the earth. He made them beautiful and fruitful. But it wasn't just an art project; earth was to be a testing ground for all God's children. Jesus said, "We will prove them herewith to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;" (Abraham 3:25)

And command them, He did. Jesus is identified in the Old Testament as Jehovah, the great "I Am." He told Noah to build an ark; He spoke to Moses face to face; it was His presence that rested upon the tabernacle of Israel within a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Over the centuries, He spoke to Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lehi, Nephi, and many other noble prophets of Israel.

Their messages (which were always His message) were invariably teachings of repentance, obedience, and foretelling of the coming Messiah, who would one day deliver them.

"And the Word was made flesh...
...and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. He came unto his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:14, 11)

Mary, a virgin maiden from Nazareth became miraculously pregnant: an angel appeared to her and said, "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." (Luke 1:31) When He was born in Bethlehem, He became the only begotten Son of God in the flesh. From His mother, he inherited mortality; from His Father, he received power over death.

At the age of thirty, He began His ministry. Jesus was a profound teacher, a miracle worker, and the only perfect, whole man to walk the earth. Not only did He avoid sin in all its forms, but He exhibited all virtues in completeness, providing us with the best example to follow. His love for His Father and for others was perfect and pure. Although He was popular among common folks, He upset the status quo of the reigning religious leaders, and they opted to eliminate Him. They submitted Him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate to be executed.

He knew His execution was imminent, but something weightier was on His mind: the souls of all people. He had been chosen by the Father to be the sacrificial lamb -- to atone for the sins of mankind. He prayed long and hard in the garden of Gethsemane that fateful night. At first He hesitated, pleading for some other way, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done." (Luke 22:42)

The consequences of sin are death and suffering. Jesus suffered in Gethsemane, then died by crucifixion on Calvary the following day.

But the sins were not His; they were ours.

Why did He do it? Jesus later spoke these words to the prophet Joseph Smith:

"For behold, I, God have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." (Doctrine & Covenants 19:16,18-19).

"He is not here, but is risen"
(Luke 23:6).

On the third day after His death, before He was even fully interred in his tomb, Jesus arose (Mark 16:1-2). He showed His fully-perfected physical body to Mary and to His disciples; they saw the nail prints in his hands and feet and knew it was the Lord. His ministry continued another forty days, long enough to more fully establish His Church with the apostles. Then "he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9).

Why didn't He stick around? For one thing, He had another pressing matter. He had earlier told His apostles, "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16).

We have record of at least one group of His "other sheep" in the Book of Mormon. He was met by the Nephites and Lamanites with celebration and enthusiasm (3 Nephi 11). We are certain He visited other groups, but we have not yet received records of these visits.

Jesus has remained alive in an immortal and perfect physical body ever since. He showed himself to Stephen, Saul, John, Mormon, Moroni, and many others, including the pious fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith. He has promised, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8).

As in ancient times, the prophets dispense the Savior's message to the world, including a witness "that He lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God;" (Doctrine & Covenants 76:22-23).

"The Lord himself shall descend...
...from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

We still await the Savior's triumphant second coming. He will reveal himself to everyone altogether then, and the graves of the righteous will open for their turn at resurrection.

We will all recognize Him as King (some with dismay or anxiety), "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:11-12). He will reign personally for a thousand years; then, the wicked will finally be resurrected, and each of us who has lived in this world will receive our final judgment from Jesus the Christ.

And what better judge could we ask for? Jesus knows us best, having been among us from the very beginning. He created the world and even walked among us in mortality. He felt our pains and afflictions and temptations and death itself; all so He would know how to relieve us (see Alma 7:11-12). He is our righteous leader and king. We can have faith in Him. We can love Him with all our hearts.

Missions of the Church

As a teenager, one of the things we were taught over and over was that the Church had a three-fold mission: Perfect the Saints, Proclaim the Gospel, Redeem the Dead. This is the basis of all of the programs, lessons, ordinances, callings and everythingness of the Church.

As I taught the gospel in Russia, however, I understood better that these weren't three separate entities that we were supposed to divide our time and attention between. These are all part of the main mission of the church:
Bringing people to Christ. This is the ultimate goal of Christ's church, and it applies to every person on the face of the earth.


Perfecting the Saints is the broad label given to all of the ordinances and activities of the Church. It comes from Christ's directive both in Matthew and in the Book of Mormon to "Be ye therefore perfect, [even as I] or your Father in Heaven is perfect." In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believers and members of the Church are called "Saints". Yes, just everyday people in the grocery store are Saints. In this context, Saints are those who are following Christ's teachings and trying very hard to live as He has asked them to live. Perfecting the Saints is no easy task, and here are some of the ways that Saints work on perfecting themselves:

• Sincerely praying and studying the word of God.
• Attending the temple to make covenants with God.
• Attending weekly church meetings
  
• Volunteering to serve in any number of "callings" in their congregation. From the leader of the congregation right down to the person collecting lesson manuals after class, everyone is donating their time, energy and talents to serve the Lord and each other. We don't have a paid clergy.
• Striving to have strong families through Family Home Evening, family prayer, family vacations, family meals, family reunions, and just generally supporting and loving each other in the family.
• Living the commandments as found here, here and here.

We truly believe that in doing what Christ has asked us to do, we draw nearer to Him and as we are closer to Him, we are more perfect. That's what this life is all about.

Proclaim the Gospel addresses the next group of people who need to come to Christ--those who aren't already members of His church. The LDS church has thousands of missionaries all over the world, teaching Christ's doctrines to cossacks, Buddhists, ninjas and pygmies, and everyone else in between. Every single person on this earth is invited to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him. This aspect of Church activities is very much tied in with the first mission of perfecting the saints, because when a person is baptized into the church, they are one step closer to Christ.


Redeeming the Dead strikes people as one of the most bizarre of our doctrines. We do temple work for our deceased ancestors so that they can choose to accept the ordinances in the spirit world (if they wish to--our ordinances are not binding on them if they don't want them). But in the context of bringing every single person to Christ, this practice fits perfectly. The church was restored on the earth in 1830, 1750 years after Christ's church and its authority disappeared from the earth. There were a lot of people in those 1750 years, and they are each, individually important to Christ. He atoned for them too, and if they are to benefit from His sacrifice, they need to do what He's asked them to do to be admitted into His church (baptism by immersion, followed by higher ordinances and covenants). He asks members of His church to reach out to those who have passed on as well as to the living.

So that sums up all of the Church's activities and programs. Christ wants us all to come unto Him and be perfected in Him. For members of the church, that involves living His commandments and serving others. Some of that service is directed at helping other people join His church to also come unto Him and be perfected in Him--living and dead.

Question Box: Why Temple Marriage?

Q: Why do you have to get married in the temple? Besides the ordinances that are performed, do you really think God will only allow people who were married in the temple, to stay married in heaven and no one else?



This is an excellent question. We do believe that you must be married and sealed in the temple of the Lord for the marriage to continue after this life. Having said that, I realize that we are not the only people on this earth who love their families and desire to be with them forever. We believe that the family is divinely organized. It is the fundamental unit of society. Therefore, it is no wonder to me that each of us desires to be with our families and loved ones forever.


Because marriage is ordained of God, the ordinance must be performed by His authority, and in His way for it to be eternal. In that way it is just like baptism, the receiving of the gift of the Holy Ghost, or any other ordinance of God. In talking with the Hebrews about the priesthood, Paul said, "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron" Hebrews 5:4. (See Leviticus 8 for a description of how Aaron received the priesthood.) Merely wishing for your marriage to last after this life will not make it so.

There are priesthood holders today who are authorized to seal husbands and wives for all time and eternity. They perform these ordinances in temples, which are the most holy places of worship on the earth. (See the article, "Why Mormons" for a better explanation of how this priesthood was restored to the earth.) Even members of the LDS church must live clean, worthy lives to enter the House of the Lord, and then those who are sealed together must keep the covenants they have made in order to have their families forever.


With this understanding, it may be easier for others to see why Mormons are so anxious to spread the gospel throughout the earth. We know that God loves all people and desires all to have eternal happiness. That is why we are willing to go on missions and take every opportunity possible to share our testimonies, so that we can help as many people as possible enjoy these blessings of God.

Now, you may ask about all those who never had an opportunity to go to the temple to be sealed. Are they just denied? No. Through the Lord's loving grace and mercy, He makes eternal marriage possible for everyone who has not had these opportunities during their mortal lives. It is through vicarious work for the dead. This means that in holy temples we may perform ordinances for the dead, including baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, sealing a husband and wife in marriage, and other essential ordinances for our salvation and eternal happiness.


Vicarious work for the dead is not new with the restoration of the Church through Joseph Smith. The Apostle Paul spoke about baptisms for the dead in his epistle to the Corinthian members who were questioning if there really was going to be a resurrection. As part of his response he stated, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29). Truly this work is a sign of the true church of Christ on the earth.


For me, the principle of eternal marriage is one of the sweetest of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope that everyone, everywhere would rejoice in knowing that they can be together with their loved ones forever and that God has revealed how to accomplish it. I hope that you and all people would seek to have this blessing in their lives.

Book of Mormon Stories: The Iron Rod

Lehi, the first prophet in the Book of Mormon, was warned by the Lord that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed and was told to leave into the wilderness. While in the wilderness, Lehi had a peculiar dream.

In his dream, Lehi found himself in a dark and dreary wilderness and saw a man in a white robe standing in front of him. The man told Lehi to follow him but Lehi was soon lost and he traveled for many hours. No doubt being tired and afraid of not knowing where to go, Lehi prayed. No sooner had he prayed, when we saw that he was in a large and spacious field and he saw a tree whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. He saw that the tree and its fruit were white and the taste of the fruit was sweet and gave him great joy.

The joy and sweetness of the fruit gave him the desire to share with those he loved most: his family. As he looked around, he saw that a river ran by the tree. He soon saw his wife and youngest two sons, Nephi and Sam, far off, and that they too seemed to be lost. Lehi called to them and they came and also ate the fruit. Wanting his older two sons, Laman and Lemuel, to be there too, he looked farther up the river. When he saw them, he called out to them, but they would not come.

Alongside the river, an iron rod stretched from the tree off into the distance by where the river began. That large field now seemed to be as large as a world, and it was filled with countless people that were trying to get to the tree. A mist then covered the whole area so that the people could not see. Many wandered off and were lost but others held the iron rod in their hands and followed it to the tree. Some of those who made it to the tree, ate the fruit but then looked around and were ashamed. Lehi looked for the cause of this shame and saw a large building that looked like it was floating in the air. The people in that building were all dressed very nicely and were pointing fingers and mocking those by the tree.Lehi watched and saw people get lost in the mist and others drown in the river; many followed the iron rod to the tree and the rest found their way to the large building to join the others in mocking and putting down those by the tree.

The meaning of this dream may not be immediately clear to everyone. It wasn't to Lehi's son, Nephi, but Nephi had enough faith that God would answer his prayers, so he took his questions to the Lord in prayer. In response to that prayer, Nephi also had a vision, where he saw the meaning of the dream and of Jesus Christ's mission on earth and His love and gospel. He learned that the tree represents the love of God for us. That iron rod that led to the tree was the word of God, given through His prophets and that if we held onto those words, we would find the love of God and receive joy because of it. The people in the dream are each one of us, trying to find our way through the mists of temptations. Many people fail to grasp the words of the Lord and get lost or drown in the filthy waters that represented that "awful hell that separates the wicked from the tree of life." The large building that held those that opposed God represented the wisdom and pride of the world. Nephi saw its destruction and "the fall thereof was exceedingly great."
Lehi's dream can be found in 1 Nephi 8 and Nephi's vision in 1 Nephi 11. Nephi sees much more than this and I invite everyone to read about it in chapters 12 - 14. In 1 Nephi 15, Nephi explains the meaning of the dream to his older brothers, Laman and Lemuel.

Question Box: Temples

Q. What and how do you learn at the temple?

A. The temple in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most sacred and holy edifice that we have. The ordinance of baptism is essential to entering the kingdom of God; however it is the mere departure point or gate to a life of learning. As a member of our church grows in knowledge, they are encouraged to prepare themselves to attend the temple to be taught even more.

First, I want to discuss the question, “how do we learn at the temple?” God has always used symbolism to teach his children. For instance, Jesus taught in parables (symbolic stories), partly so that a wide range of people who were all at different stages of learning and understanding could be taught at once. This is no different in the temple. Virtually all teaching in the temple is accomplished in a symbolic way. For instance, have you ever wondered why the LDS temples are usually set on a hill, where they can be viewed easily, and are lit up at night? This is a symbol of the light of the Gospel that will eventually fill the whole earth. Or why is there a gold statute of an angel sounding a trumpet on the highest spire? This is a symbol that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has once more been restored to the earth and will be sounded to all nations. Or how about the exterior of the Salt Lake temple? On the lower level there are stars, the next level the moon and higher yet, the sun. This symbolizes the kingdoms of heaven, but also how we acquire more light and truth as we progress. These are three small examples of things we can learn from the outside of the temple.

To learn effectively in the temple one needs to come to the temple in humility, being willing to be taught. We attend the temple as often as we can, because each time we are able to understand better what God is trying to teach us. In essence, the way we learn in the temple is the same way we learn in life, step by step and line upon line, receiving more knowledge, as we are able to understand it.

At this point I want to comment on why the members of our church who have attended the temple do not talk openly about what occurs in the temple. First, these places and what takes place in them is sacred and there is no reason to flaunt before the world that which is sacred. I doubt that Moses said everything that he learned on Mount Sinai. After all, he was up there for forty days, certainly all he learned wasn’t the Ten Commandments. I know that many are curious about what takes place here, but mere curiosity and interest does not qualify a person for receiving this knowledge from God. God imparts knowledge only when we are ready to receive it. Thus, we hold things back and shield them from the world. Not because we are ashamed of them, but because our knowledge is sacred. I will say though, that nothing occurs that would be offensive to anyone.

To address the question of what does one learn in the temple I will say this, within these sacred buildings we are taught more fully the plan of salvation and how we, as God’s children, can receive all of the blessings that He wants to give us. More specifically we learn about the nature of God, the relationship between God and man, the creation of the earth and man, the fall of Adam and Eve, and the role that Jesus Christ plays in our salvation.

I do wish to inform you that before a temple of the LDS church is dedicated for use, it is opened to the public for tours—anyone, including those not of our faith can walk through on a guided tour. If there is one in your area being constructed, please take this opportunity to go on a tour, to see and feel for yourself the grandeur and awesomeness (proper usage of the word) of these buildings. Here is a link that shows the temples in operation and those that are currently being constructed. From this site you can find out when the open house for a particular temple will be. The Draper Utah temple will be having an open house from January 15-March 14, 2009.

Thanks for your inquiry.

Mormon Dating Question

Q. Why do you have to be 16 to date?

Great question. And you can be sure it's one I asked myself many a time as a 15-year-old buck surrounded by a veritable plethora of charming young ladies.

This Mormon standard is spelled out in "For the Strength of Youth," which is a booklet of principles and morals that the youth of the church are expected to live by. In the section on dating it says, "Do not date until you are at least 16 years old. Dating before then can lead to immorality, limit the number of other young people you meet, and deprive you of experiences that will help you choose an eternal partner."

A former prophet of the church, President Gordon B. Hinckley, also remarked on this topic when he said, "The Lord has made us attractive one to another for a great purpose. But this very attraction becomes as a powder keg unless it is kept under control. . . . It is for this reason that the Church counsels against early dating" (read the amazing talk in its entirety here).

So there you have it. It's the age that the leaders of the Church have set under inspiration from God. Their reasons for doing this are given in the above two statements. I see the whole thing as similar to the age requirement to be baptized. You have to be at least 8-years-old to be baptized and, while there doesn't seem to be anything particularly special about the age of 8, Heavenly Father knew that setting that age as the standard would be in our best interest.

Plus, how are you going to pick up a date anyway before you have your drivers license? Take it from me, two people on one bike is painful. But then again, it might be a nice sneaky way to get close (uncomfortably close) to that special someone... At any rate, just wait to date and, believe me, it'll work out great.

Question Box: What if a married couple does not want children?

Q. What if a married couple does not want children?

Before I get into that, I'd like to reiterate a bit why Mormons do have children and the importance that is placed on the family.

As is stated in The Family: A Proclamation to the World: "We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force." I think that speaks for itself: Mormons believe that it is God's will that we have children.

Children are a blessing. They are such a source of joy. Parenting is, by no means an easy task. And when my toddlers are screaming and fighting each other while the baby's crying to be fed and dinner's on the stove and the phone is ringing, I would say that no high-powered CEO has higher stress levels! But it is a challenge with wondrously rich rewards. Children help teach us humility and selflessness. In teaching our children to come to Christ, we become more sure of our own testimonies. I don't mean this patronizingly, but if you don't have children of your own, I don't think you can truly understand the profound depth of the emotion of looking into your newborn's face and seeing that first smile or hearing your sweet, innocent toddler come tell you "I love you". Seeing your children making good decisions and knowing that you're doing an okay job raising them is so fulfilling and rewarding. I have to be honest, I don't really understand why anyone wouldn't want these blessings.

However, it takes all types and not everyone in the world is like me. Variety truly is the spice of life and there are those who don't wish to have children. For some, it may be an issue of feeling inadequate and being intimidated by the idea of parenting. For others it may just be wanting to sacrifice the time and money that raising children requires. I don't know all the reasons why but I know that children will bless your life. I know that God will help those who feel inadequate rise to the task. I would never suggest that a couple have children when they're not prepared for parenting to some degree, even if most of that preparation is simply the desire to be good parents. Remember that God can change a heart that is willing to submit to His will. He can prepare a couple for parenting and foster in them a desire to be good parents just as He can work other miracles.

A couple who doesn't want children will not be scorned in the Church. Everyone is entitled to their choices. The choice to have children and how many to have are ultimately decisions solely between the couple and God. But remember, it is God's will that we multiply and fill the earth. And those who, for selfish reasons, do not desire to have children would do well to remember the rich man who came to Christ and was told to sacrifice all his riches: Christ requires sacrifice and selflessness of those who would call themselves His followers. I would encourage couples to remember this, and pray for the Lord's direction and guidance in this personal matter. He will help you sacrifice and come to Him.

Indeed, I think that part of the blessing parenting affords is a closer relationship with the Lord as we learn to rely on His guidance and direction to bring our children up in righteousness. We also come to understand to some minute degree His position as Father of us all.

A New Years' Resolution

About this time of year, many people get excited about the new year. A new year can be a new beginning and an excellent point to check life's milestones, past goals and access one's personal situation in life. It doesn't necessarily take a new year to do this, but it seems like a good time to start anew. Coming up on this new year, I have heard and listened to a few people talk about their resolutions and others (in church for example) speak about how best to go about fulfilling those resolutions because, let's face it, everyone has had goals that were never completed and that were eventually discarded. This year, I'm thinking about a new approach.

Whether it is dieting, taking up a new hobby, catching up on reading or starting an exercising routine, change can be difficult. Getting into the habit can be the hardest part and discouragement can often take place soon after beginning and possibly soon before ending for good.

But how about this for a new years' resolution: a surrendering of one's will completely and wholly to the Lord. That's a worthy goal, is it not? It goes along with Christ's injunction, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25) Should we find ourselves lost in the cause of Christ, our will being given to Him, we will find our life, that is, eternal life. No doubt He has our best interests in mind and would not lead us astray, why not follow Him?

More practically, however, we find ourselves less able to follow through with this than often we would like. Why is that? What prevents us from keeping in line with His teachings? Often, I find myself thoroughly dedicated at one moment, but then find my resolve slipping and my condition back to what is once was. Yes there are temptations but ought not we to be able to overcome such?

There are a few reasons for this, and I'd like to address one in particular. I have found in my own life, that even though my desire to improve is pure and my resolve strong, there are weaknesses because I am not thorough enough and there is usually something else in which I allow myself indulgence. How can I receive full strength from the Lord in breaking a bad habit when I willfully allow myself to continue in other habits. Maybe those habits aren't even so bad. A bit of impatience toward a stranger. A little dishonesty. Or even just a few hours wasted in front of a TV or computer, time that could be spent being more productive. Moreover, the pride in me says that I can do these things and nothing bad will come of it because they are so small and insignificant. The temptation to keep doing these things is there while I make an attempt with my new resolution and I am weakened because my will is divided. My new years' resolution then is to be undivided.

If you want to apply this principle in your life, go ahead! The way is clear for anyone to do so. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we have taken on a covenant, or a promise with God, that we will be willing to take upon ourselves Christ's name, keep His commandments and always remember Him. There is no division or conditions in those words. Submit our will to take upon His name, keep the commandments, always remember Him. That is my goal this year and I invite everyone to do the same. Really and truly apply the phrase, "What Would Jesus Do?" in your life. Is it a sacrifice? Indeed it is. But it is worth every bit.