Seems like I'm too busy to blog, but that can't be.

Maybe I'm just too used to being bored.

Today I was off and went and saw two houses. One I saw with the owner Thursday. They are members of a ward here. The realtor officially showed me the house today. I like it a lot. But it's all in the timing and price.

The other house is cheaper, but much smaller, too, with some things I didn't like. Probably skip it.

I went to eat sushi for lunch. I walk in and the guy says, "Hey, boss, you're back!" Yeah, as in the fifth time in two weeks. I love that place. They are Mexicans speaking Spanish making the best sushi I've ever had, playing reggae and eurotrance on the speakers. I love America!

I also did laundry. At least the whites. And I worked out while the clothes were in. Ain't my life exciting? So my total is up to 3,34o miles from the house. On the map I'm in Varmy, NV. Truck rest stop and mining service outpost.

Now I'm blogging and listening to Scotland the Brave.

Just a bit ago I read 1 Nephi 3 looking for types of Christ. At first it was a challenge and then I started to see them. I don't think I'm stretching the analogies too much. I try to keep them simple and not see past the mark.

But here's what I found. Not all types, but perhaps some observations thrown in.

Verse 4
Lehi went to his oldest son first, to give the chance to rise to the challenge. Then to his second oldest. Both failed the test up front. Then he went to Nephi.

Verse 5
Laman and Lemuel said it was a hard thing their father required of them. Didn't Lucifer say the same thing in the councils in heaven before the world was? "It's too hard! You'll all fail!"

Verse 6
But we all obeyed and kept our first estate and were blessed by God for coming here.

Verse 7
Nephi said he knew the Lord always prepared a way for us to keep his commandments. He did this through the Savior. He commanded us to come here to earth, and even prepared the fall of man through Adam and Eve (bless their noble souls) so that we could learn by our own experience to treasure the good over the evil.

Verse 9
They took their tents on the three day return trip. I wonder, Kurt, did they take hammers, too?

Shut up.

Verse 11-13
Cast lots. It fell on Laman. One more chance for him to rise to the challenge and meet his birthright. And he DID try. He really did. Give him credit for that.

Verse 14-15
"WE" were exceedingly sorrowful. Even Nephi was distressed over this. Now what? What do we do now? Well, look at Doctrine and Covenants 128:22. Don't lose hope. Always look forward to the next thing. Laugh in the face of death, destruction, and delays. Laugh. The Lord will bless you for it. Just chuckle and get up and go on to the next option.

Verse 16
Next option: our money. Oh, yeah. Dad left all that money. Let's BUY the scriptures and our genealogy back! Good idea! There is a always a reason the Lord commands us to do things. He knows what the next step is and what we will need.

Verses 17-18
What good are riches in the wilderness when food and fuel is all you need? You can't eat gold. It's worthless.

Verse 19-20
If the Lord told you to get up and walk away, with your family and food storage and limited personal belongings, what would you take? Your scriptures and family history? You'd better.

Verse 21
Personal observation: Nephi did not quote stories. He related them "after this manner of language". Don't ever complain that MY stories get better with age. I tell them after the manner in which they originally happened. Danny and Duane.

Verse 22-27
We We We us us us. They cooperated. They worked together as a team, even Laman and Lemuel. To a point at least. But to their credit, L and L DID take all that gold, silver, artwork, carpets, and such with the intent to sacrifice them to get the records. God bless them for that.

Verse 25
Laban is a type of Satan. He lusted after the boys property and sought with all his might to possess it. In the same way, Satan lusts after our bodies and seeks with all his might to possess them. He even promised, impotently, that he would do just this. And God placed enmity between his "seed" or followers and that of Eve, that is Christ and us, so that we could crush Satan's head, as it were, through Christ. He has no power over us if we flee from him and his wickedness.

Verse 26
They are a type of Joseph of Egypt, in leaving behind their property and seeking safety and obedience.

Verse 27
Even as they fled and sought refuge in a cave, don't we do the same when we flee the world and seek refuge in Zion?

Verse 28
Laman is the leader. Lemuel is probably hating himself now for always doing what Laman said, instead of just being his own man. What a wuss.

Verse 29
Even as Laman and Lemuel beat their little brothers for their righteousness, so did the Jews and Romans beat the Savior for his.

Verse 29-31
Even after a personal visit by an angel, they refused to believe. This is why Jesus said that seeing would not bring belief, but belief brings seeing. We are often like Laman and Lemuel and even Thomas, who would not believe unless Jesus showed himself to him.

After the many witnesses given of him and our many spiritual experiences which have brought us close to him and proved his love for us, how can we doubt and be disobedient?

God bless us everyone.

Thank you for you prayers. Our house is doing much better than I thought it would. In fact, it's as if an angel came to me and said, "You have prayed and you have asked others to pray for this and the Lord has blessed you. How can you doubt? Man up and quit carrying around that hammer and just look for the rocks the Lord has provided you along your way."