The Lord Leads Us to a Better Land

2 Nephi 10:20 - "And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea."

Elder Heber C. Kimball - "Saints, rise up to the dignity of men and women in Christ Jesus, do right, learn to be men, learn to lay aside every bad practice, cease your drinking, and put away everything else that is evil. Let us be one; let us try and live so that all will be as one man, or one drop of water, and thus partake of each other's principles and attributes, and of the attributes of God, that angels may be our associates by night and by day."

Seek this Jesus - A Book of Mormon Daily Podcast invites you to discover the joy and guidance that comes from studying the Book of Mormon everyday. This podcast would hope to just be a supplement to your studies. 

For a free copy of the Book of Mormon, click here.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-book-of-mormon

For more information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to Speak This Peace. A daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

We all face moments when life feels disappointing, discouraging, or uncertain. Sometimes we feel like we are far from where we thought we would be. We may feel burdened by mistakes, weighed down by trials, or discouraged by how far we still have to go. In those moments it can be easy to think we have been forgotten or left behind. But the gospel teaches something very different. God is merciful. He has not cast us off, he is leading us somewhere better. Jacob had seen hardship, his family had left Jerusalem, crossed the wilderness, and travelled across the sea. They had lost their homeland and faced difficulty after difficulty. Yet Jacob reminded the people that even though they had been driven away from one land, the Lord had brought them to a better one. He wanted them to remember God, repent, and move forward with faith instead of despair. Second Ephi tense twenty. And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off. Nevertheless we have been driven out of the land of our inheritance, but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea. As we study this verse today, along with teachings from Elder Hebrew C. Kimball, we will consider what it means to trust that the Lord is leading us to a better land. One of the great truths in this verse is that God is merciful and has not cast us off. Jacob wanted the people to know that even though they had experienced loss, change, and hardship, they were still loved by God. They were still part of his plan. That truth matters for us because there are times when we may feel forgotten. We may look at our lives and focus on what has gone wrong. We may think about missed opportunities, bad choices, regrets or disappointments. We may compare ourselves to others and feel like we are falling behind. Jacob teaches us not to hang down our heads. That phrase suggests discouragement, shame, and hopelessness. Satan wants us to feel that way. He wants us to believe that our mistakes define us and that we are too far gone to return. But Jacob teaches the opposite, because God is merciful. We are not cast off. This does not mean sin does not matter. Jacob tells us to lay aside our sins. We cannot cling to sin and expect to feel peace, but repentance is not meant to make us feel hopeless. Repentance is meant to lift us, it means to help us move forward. Through Jesus Christ, we can put away the things that separate us from God and begin again. Stay trapped in guilt. He asks us to remember Him, trust Him, keep moving toward Him. He wants us to know that even when life is hard, He is still leading us. Jacob also teaches that sometimes God leads us from one place in order to bring us somewhere better. His people had lost the land of their inheritance. That must have felt painful. But Jacob reminded them that God had led them to a better land. That is often how the Lord works in our lives. We may lose something we wanted, a door may close, plans may change, something we expect may not happen. At first we may only see what we lost, but with time and faith, we may begin to see that God was leading us somewhere better than we could have imagined. Ultimately, Jacob's message points us toward the celestial kingdom. This world is not our final home. We are all on a journey. We are moving toward a promised land that is far greater than anything this world can offer. But we do not arrive there accidentally. We arrive there by remembering the Lord, turning away from sin and choosing to follow him. Elder Hebrew C Kimbell taught Saints, rise up to the dignity of men and women in Christ Jesus. Do right, learn to be men, learn to lay aside every bad practice, cease your drinking and put away everything else that is evil. Let us be one. Let us try and live so that all will be as one man or one drop of water, and thus partake of each other's principles and attributes, and of the attributes of God that angels may be our associates by night and by day. This teaching connects directly to Jacob's message. If we want to reach the better land God has prepared, we must be willing to lay aside bad practices and remove the things that pull us away from him. We cannot move toward Christ while continually to hold tightly to sin. Today many people are carrying heavy burdens. We may feel discouraged by the direction of the world, disappointed in ourselves or frustrated by how long change can take. We may even feel like we are wandering without progress. But Jacob's words remind us that we are not abandoned. God is still leading us even when the path is difficult. He is preparing us for something better. We can apply this teaching by asking ourselves a few honest questions. What sins or habits do we need to lay aside? What attitudes are causing us to hang down our heads? Are we spending more time focusing on what we have lost than on what God is preparing for us? We can also apply this doctrine by choosing gratitude. Jacob reminded the people that God had given them so great knowledge. We have also been given great knowledge. We know who Jesus Christ is. We know he lives. We know he can forgive us. We know this life has purpose. We know that the celestial kingdom is possible because of him. When we remember those truths, we stop seeing ourselves as lost people. We begin to see ourselves as covenant people, being led by God. We may not be where we want to be yet, but if we are following Christ, we are moving toward a better land. So here is today's challenge. Take a few minutes today to think about one thing you need to lay aside in order to come closer to Jesus Christ. It may be a sin, a bad habit, an attitude, or a source of discouragement. Pray for help to let it go. Then write down three ways the Lord has already been merciful to you and leading you towards something better. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. As we open the scriptures for ourselves, the Spirit will teach us things no podcast ever could. If you are exploring the truths of the Book of Mormon for the first time, you can receive a free copy using the link in the description found in every episode of Seek This Jesus. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you stay focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.