A very curious, but encouraging thing.

Ok, I'm back. For now. The picture above is where I'm at on my new bike trip. Oswald West State Park, Washington. This is a beach for real men.

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I made a commitment to read the scriptures daily, which thing I have fallen down on recently. Do you ever do that? I hope so. Well, you know what I mean. Misery loves company. It's just refreshing to think that people I admire are not always perfect.

So.

I was reading this morning in 1 Nephi 9, again. I've read this many times and marked it, but today it had a special meaning.

Nephi says he was commanded by the Lord to make two sets of plates, one for the ministry of his people, and the other for the secular history of his people. He was not told why, but he trusted the Lord. He says in verses 5-6: "Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen."

In other words, "The Lord commanded me to make these plates and I don't know why. But HE knows why because He always prepares a way to accomplish all His works AND He has power to fulfill all His promises. So I'm going to do it."

The Lord's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Also, remember that Joseph Smith loaned out the 116 hand written pages of the initial translation of the gold plates to Martin Harris, after Harris had pestered him mercilessly for months about it. Then Martin Harris "lost" them. Joseph became nearly suicidal over this. The Lord reprimanded him severely, and we have a written record of that reprimand, written in Joseph's own hand. What false prophet writes a severe rebuke from God in his record for the world to read? Certainly Warren Jeffs never does. Certain David Koresh never did. Certainly Jim Jones never did. And so forth.

Then in 1 Nephi 19:3, the Lord gives Nephi a glimpse of the "wise purpose" for making these extra plates. "And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord."

Now he knows that they are for instructing his people in the ministry and prophecies of Jesus Christ, and still more wise purposes which are still not known to Nephi.

Then in Jacob, Nephi dies. In chapter 4:1-4, Jacob says it's difficult to write on plates, but he does it because it will give their descendants and also their enemies a taste of who they were and that they loved the Savior and looked forward to his coming far in their future. AND ALSO so that they would not look with contempt on Adam and Eve but rather with thanksgiving and joy on them. Virtually the entire Christian world hates Adam and Eve and blames them for "screwing up" the paradise that God gave them.

I say, that if these two people were capable of entirely messing up God's plan for his children, then that god is pathetic.

Adam and Eve did exactly what they were instructed to do and I love them for it. They sacrificed their own initial happiness and joy in order to keep the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth. And we should all look with joy and thanksgiving on them for allowing us to have the same opportunities as they got: to be free to choose our own paths.

But Jacob also says that the purpose of their writing these records was to pass the knowledge, testimony, and history down to future generations. Nephi did not know this, not even until his death.

THIS is why the Lord commanded Nephi to make TWO separate sets of plates, despite the difficulty of doing it. So that, in the far future, when Joseph Smith would carelessly let go of the hand written "Book of Lehi", the material in those pages/plates would still be available for publishing to the world.

God is in charge.

So next time you wonder why it's important to do something or even to do it twice, think about all the people in your future who need to hear your knowledge, testimony, and history. I wish more of my ancestors had written.