The True Treasure

~1 Nephi 5: 21~

"And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children."

Quick Backstory: These records are the five books of Moses in the bible. 

They tell the creation of the Earth and Adam and Eve.

When Nephi and Lehi and the whole gang went to the wilderness, they were commanded to go back to Jerusalem, in order to get one of the copies of the brass plates, which compared to modern day copies, there were very few. And they only had one place to go ask. And it was Laban. And he was evil and would not give them up. Long story short: Nephi slayed Laban because God told him to. They got the plates and made it safely back into their parents arms waiting for them in the wilderness.

(La Bretagne, France, 2012, Rocks by the Ocean)

We, often, take for granted the things we have before us. 

One of those things, are the scriptures. I don't know about you, but I truly question if I would really travel so far back to a city which was filled with people who wanted to lynch me, and then face terrors and killers, give up all my gold and money, in order to get my scriptures. 

But the truth is, Nephi did it. 

He did it with his faithful Brother who doesn't get much acknowledgment Sam, and also with his other two murmuring, complaining, bad attitude brothers, Laman and Lemuel. 

He risked his LIFE for these plates. And why? So that he could live the rest of his life preserving the commandments, and making it possible for his children to have the commandments too. 

This may be a cynical way to look at it. But it my mind, this is what Nephi did:

He almost died, lost all his riches, got the plates, so that the rest of his life, he would have the responsibility and knowledge of following tons of the rules the Lord have given, and then have his kids have all the rules too.

Honestly, it's crazy. It would be like if we had the option to lose God's commandments of the Word of Wisdom, or the law chastity, or anything else, how many of you, would work so hard to get all those commandments back, and how many of you would take the high road, and easily get away with not having those rules any more. 

Nephi said this "They were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us" 

When was the last time that you thought of all our commandments and rules as members of this church desirable? When was the last time you thought that these commandments are of such great worth unto us? And when was the last time that you did all you could, in order to search these scriptures diligently in order to receive that worth they have?

I think I want to ask myself those questions every day. 

These rules for Nephi, they were desirable. They have great worth.

Our rules we have now, not only protect us, but they help us. They are desirable, and although we may not feel it now, they are of great worth unto us. 

Do you realize it uses the word "unto". 

That doesn't mean that our scriptures are automatically worth a lot. Or that our lives will change if we read them. 

Unto is a word of choice. We have the choice of the scriptures being of great worth. We have the choice of following the commandments of the Lord. The Lord can bring anything and everything unto us, all for our greatest good. But if we don't allow it to work in our lives, and we don't constantly work on ourselves, then these beautiful, wonderful, scriptures and commandments, are of very little worth in our lives. 

If you want to have a life worth so much,

then search the scriptures, and you will find it brings much more meaning.

Today, Tomorrow, and Every day to come.