Book of Mormon Forum: General Conference Link-up

As promised, today is our Book of Mormon Forum link-up.  If you have written a post recently bearing testimony of this sacred book of scripture, please link-up your post below or feel free to read and comment on what others have shared.  

Those of us in the Forum have decided to blog about references made to The Book of Mormon in the last General Conference.

I am so hungry for General Conference.  It's been a long five months, and I am ready to be spiritually fed anew.  

The picture above shows this new study method that I'm starting this time around.  Since a group of friends and I get together every week to study the words of the prophets at General Conference Book Club, I have for a long time wanted a way to keep track of what each Prophet and Apostle speaks about over time.

I have found the perfect way!  By using these General Conference Tabs (free printable here or here), I now have a journal where I can record my favorite bits of wisdom expounded by our leaders over multiple conference sessions.  I will most likely use this journal in my personal study, instead of during my original viewing of Conference. 

Four weeks until General Conference.  I am counting down the days!

Now here's my contribution to The Book of Mormon Forum:

For some reason, the story that stood out the most to me last General Conference was in Elder Larry Echo Hawk's talk "Come Unto Me, Oh Ye House of Israel."  It doesn't go into a ton of doctrine presented in The Book of Mormon.  Instead, it bears a poignant testimony of standing by our testimonies of this great book.

Elder Hawk said: I volunteered for service in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Soon after my arrival in Quantico, Virginia, for basic training, I found myself standing at attention in front of my barrack’s bunk along with 54 other Marine Corps recruits. I met my drill instructor, a battle-hardened veteran, when he kicked open the door to the barracks and entered while screaming words laced with profanity.

After this terrifying introduction, he started at one end of the barracks and confronted each recruit with questions. Without exception, the drill instructor methodically found something about each recruit to ridicule with loud, vulgar language. Down the row he came, with each marine shouting back his answer as commanded: “Yes” or “No, Sergeant Instructor.” I could not see exactly what he was doing, because we had been ordered to stand at attention with our eyes looking straight ahead. When it was my turn, I could tell he grabbed my duffel bag and emptied the contents onto my mattress behind me. He looked through my belongings, then walked back to face me. I braced myself for his attack. In his hand was my Book of Mormon. I expected that he would yell at me; instead, he moved close to me and whispered, “Are you a Mormon?”

As commanded, I yelled, “Yes, Sergeant Instructor.”

Again I expected the worst. Instead, he paused and raised his hand that held my Book of Mormon and in a very quiet voice said, “Do you believe in this book?”

Again I shouted, “Yes, Sergeant Instructor.”

At this point I was sure he would scream disparaging words about Mormons and the Book of Mormon, but he just stood there in silence. After a moment he walked back to my bunk and carefully laid down my Book of Mormon. He then proceeded to walk by me without stopping and went on to ridicule and disparage with profane language all remaining recruits.

I have often wondered why that tough Marine Corps sergeant spared me that day. But I am grateful I was able to say without hesitation, “Yes, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” and “Yes, I know the Book of Mormon is true.” This testimony is a precious gift given to me through the Holy Ghost with the help of two missionaries and a priests quorum adviser.

I also have a testimony of this beautiful, true testament of Jesus Christ.  And I hope to stand by it as years pass, that through our faithfulness, we can help bring to pass the promised blessings contained therein.

This blends nicely with my other favorite talk from the last General Conference, by Elder Christofferson "Trial of Your Faith."  In the context of his talk, this excerpt from The Book of Mormon took on a slightly different meaning for me:

 6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that ^afaith is things which are^bhoped for and ^cnot seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no ^dwitness until after the ^etrial of your faith.

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The Book of Mormon in General Conference

  <center> <a href="http://beinglds.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="The Book of Mormon Forum" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6OeB0Jo9C6clBn9Rilc7cgxHF2a3vVNzn_GAkKlT6OLhiwogQcZNr1ztJHj0f53NCxCHk2mNtIpuLsL30MoSGwgpfRTglqSWDwDu_ENv_4Cjms2Dhd2Hj9gU3Rlaae0k9LfLCtfVd1s/s800/book-of-mormon-forum-150.png"/></a></center> Okey, dokey.  It's been a while since our last Book of Mormon Forum, where bloggers like you and me write about The Book of Mormon and why we like it, and then link our posts up for others to read.
Are you ready for our next topic?
Next Monday, March 11th, we will be blogging about our favorite Book of Mormon references from the last General Conference.
For instance, in his talk Can Ye Feel So Now, Elder Quentin L. Cook asks us to seriously consider the question originally asked by Alma the Younger in The Book of Mormon: "If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
If you'd like to participate, get to reading and writing, and then join us this Monday.   Want to join the Book of Mormon Forum? Email me: jocelyn.christensen@gmail.com

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Living Prophets & The Book of Mormon Link-up

Yesterday, I was asked to give a report  in my ward about my experience giving away 30 copies of The Book of Mormon in 30 days last October.  We were getting revved up during our review of our ward mission plan.

Earlier last week, I was given the words that I should share while during my regular scripture study.  In Doctrine and Covenants Section 33, we read three important words about missionary work that the Lord repeats three times in the same chapter.

"Open your mouths..."

"Open your mouths..."

"Open your mouths..."

There are promises linked to that command...and the Lord also give us clues about where the power to do this will come from:  studying the Book of Mormon, which will give us "the power of the Spirit" that quickeneth all things.  It is the book that has been brought forth to gather the Lord's elect in from the four corners of the earth.  We are also instructed to "be faithful, praying always, having [the lamps of your testimony] trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom--[who is Jesus Christ]."

I've been thinking about a few things lately, as the voices of the world have gotten louder, annoyingly so, in the ear of my conscious self.  A few weeks ago, I was reading so much negative stuff online about the church that it was starting to wear on me.  I found it fairly paralyzing.  I found that the negative and dark feelings I felt after reading that stuff was causing me to slow down, and I did not like that one bit.

I found myself craving to hear more of the words of our living prophets.  I desperately wanted to hear what they have to say about all of this.  I feel like they have been warning us about this for some time now, so I should have been prepared.  But it still is not exactly easy.

HOWEVER, when we keep our eyes focused on the Savior, our hearts set on our personal mission here on earth, and our ears tuned to the words of his chosen prophets, it is easier to not get tripped up by the sideshows of our modern day.  

My buddy, MMM says it really well in his post "Famacide: It's all the Rage."  I encourage you to read it and let his advice settle into your mind.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we stand by The Book of Mormon.  We follow the advice of living Prophets.  We rejoice in modern revelation.  And we look forward to the day when the Savior, Jesus Christ, will return to the earth.  At that day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ.  


Until then, we will walk by faith, we will open our mouths, we will follow the living prophets.

 

For anyone reading this who is curious about what our church's leaders teach, you can tune in and listen to our General Conference of the church this Saturday and Sunday either online or on BYU-TV.  You can also see what people are saying during General Conference on Twitter at #LDSConf or #TwitterStake.

Now, enjoy more posts about the Book of Mormon and Living Prophets:

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Happiness in Troubled Times: a Book of Mormon Truth

obedient.  brave.  strong.

These are the kinds of attributes that one is encouraged to develop by reading about the prophets of The Book of Mormon.  And I am so glad that my kids are growing up with this sacred text as the basis for their life-education.

Words are important to me.  Actions are too.  But words, the kind that we think and read and say are so important.  My son asked my husband before bed last night if he could ask him questions...a nightly ritual really.  He said yes.  "Even about bad words, daddy?"  Yes.

So Guy proceeded to ask Steve about bad words he had heard and wanted to know what they meant.

The world is full of bad words.  The Book of Mormon (and other scriptures) are full of good words.  These words are God's words to his children.  We are so lucky to have them, and the more that we make room in our lives for them, the more power we have to become brave, obedient, and strong.


I had an online acquaintance recently complain to me that he felt The Book of Mormon was full of unnecessary violence.  There is violence in the book, just as there is in the Bible, because we live in a violent world, and both books chronicle a portion of the history of the world.  But unnecessary?  Nah.  The lessons taught by the war chapters are very necessary.


I read the following in Bad Guys of the Book of Mormon by Dennis Gaunt tonight.  He says:


"The war chapters are filled with lesson after lesson for us today...One of the best lessons in all the war chapters was one I found tucked away inside a couple of small verses, which was easy to overlook.  In the course of detailing all the bloodshed and wickedness of that time period--which so closely resembles our own war-filled society--Mormon pauses to make this observation: "And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times...But behold there never was a happier time among all the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni" (Alma 50:22, 23)."


I think that understanding that happiness is possible in the middle of difficult circumstances might be one of the most important lesson we can learn.


"Elder Robert D. Hales said, "The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ brings great comfort in stressful times of mortality.  It brings light where there is darkness and a calming influence where there is turmoil.  It gives eternal hope where there is  mortal despair.  It is more than just beautiful doctrine.  It is reality."


"No matter how bad our world might seem at times...our personal righteousness can still bring us happiness and joy.  Elder Richard G. Scott said, "Despite pockets of evil, the world overall is majestically beautiful, filled with many good and sincere people.  God has provided a way to live in this world and not be contaminated by the degrading pressures evil agents spread throughout it.  You can live a virtuous, productive, righteous life by following the plan of protection created by your Father in Heaven: His plan of happiness."  We can still choose to be obedient to the Lord, even if most people around us refuse to do so.  No matter how out of control our world feels, we still have control over our agency, and we can choose to be happy in the middle of troubled times."

Thanks in advance to everyone who comments and links-up this week.  Please leave a comment on this post when you do so, and you will be entered to win this three-print set of Book of Mormon heroes from the Etsy shop Peuxican Designs.  (Check out her blog too.)  You can also enter by commenting on the posts that are linked up and sharing the link-up on your blog.  Grab the code below and just leave a comment on this post telling me what you've done to be entered.  I will announce the winner on Friday.

 

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Family Tree Giveaway & Link-up

Here's some GOOD NEWS for a Monday morning! :)


One of you faithful readers WILL WIN this custom family tree in digital format from

Shabby Ladybug on Etsy!

As you know, I'm hosting a link-up for The Book of Mormon Forum this week.

Everyone who links-up a post or comments on a post in the link-up this week will be entered to win.  Also, all followers of this blog will be entered to win.

To ENTER: Simply leave a comment on this post telling me if you:

a.  FOLLOW my blog on Google Friend Connect (see sidebar)

b.  LINKED-UP a post about The Book of Mormon below

c.  COMMENTED on any of the Book of Mormon posts in the link-up
(You can enter on this one multiple times...)

Please leave a comment on THIS POST for each entry.


I've copied the link-up below to  make it easier for you to link-up and comment!


(Or you can GO HERE TO LINK-UP.)


Have a great Monday!

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Bad Guys of The Book of Mormon

This book is dangerous, I tell you!

When my Mom told me about this book, I ordered it immediately.  When it arrived in the mail, I opened the box and lifted the book out backward.

This is what I read:  "Your enemy is smart.  You can be smarter."


(I like it already...continue...)

"Warning!  This book contains information about a deadly enemy's top secret plans of world domination and total destruction.  Your mission--should you choose to accept it--is to learn what the enemy is planning as well as what his weaknesses are so that you will be prepared to defeat him."

Seriously, sign me UP!

Admittedly, I am a slow reader, and I get distracted EASILY in my home.


HOWEVER:  I am loving this book.


It's full of thrilling tales from The Book of Mormon and words of wisdom from our prophets.

Now last week, MMM asked us to find the moral in his story about a blind man who directed his seeing cab driver through the streets of San Francisco, safely back to his home.

In the second chapter of Bad Guys of The Book of Mormon, in discussing the "great and spacious building" in Lehi's Dream, the author quotes Elder Packer as saying:

"At your baptism and confirmation, you took hold of the iron rod.  But you are never safe.  It is after you have partaken of the fruit that your test will come...

"The mist of darkness will cover you at times so much that you will not be able to see your way even a short distance ahead.  You will not be able to see clearly.  But with the gift of the Holy Ghost, you can feel your way ahead through life. Grasp the iron rod, and do not let go."

How does this relate to a blind man finding his way home through the busy and winding streets of San Fran?  Each one of us walks this life with uncertainties.  There are things that happen in our lives that cast a mist of darkness to cloud up the way, making it difficult for us to see the way home or to see anything at all very clearly.  

Instead of groping around in the darkness, if we receive the Holy Ghost, he will help us to "see" through the mists that blind us, so that we can return home safely.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God.  It is the "iron rod" to which we must grasp and never let go.  It teaches us about the "good guys" in life and the "bad guys."  But most importantly, it teaches us about Jesus Christ and about the tactics that Satan uses to separate us from the Lord and from his love, which is manifest to us in the Atonement of his Only Begotten Son.  By reading The Book of Mormon and abiding by its teachings, we can see past the cares of this world and find the path back to our heavenly home.

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Christmas in the Book of Mormon Link-up

As a THANK YOU for participating in this special Christmas-themed
Book of Mormon Blog Hop, you will be entered to win one of these three
fabulous prizes!!


To enter, do any of the following:
1.  Link-up your posts about Christmas and The Book of Mormon.
2.  Share this link-up on your blog or on Facebook.
3. Comment on this post.

You could win this Nativity Vinyl Set from Carolina Vinyl Arts on Etsy




or a $25 gift card from Amor Decor & More




or this Simple Wooden Nativity Set by Suzi's Shoppe

Thank you to these wonderful Etsy shops for donating these beautiful prizes!
Please visit their shops and patronize them!


I will announce the winners on Friday.

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Book of Mormon Forum Blog Hop

Yes, that's Guy drawing a picture of my tombstone..."Josalin"!
We  just love spooky sidewalk  chalk art around here!

My "firstborn in the wilderness" turns six years old today.  That means that I have been a Mother for six amazing years.  It has been quite the ride!  I will never be able to forget the moment that I first caught a glimpse of my son's face.  It was so familiar to me.  It was like looking in the mirror.  It was indeed love at first sight.  It was like crush at first sight really.  I was giddy with love for him.

That love has only grown and matured and deepened as I have seen his beautiful qualities manifest themselves in his approach to life.  He is very much like Nephi, in my mind...straight as an arrow, stalwart, honorable, courageous, and charismatic.  He was born to lead, born to hold the priesthood, born to be compassionate to his fellowmen.  (I am pretty sure that he was also born to play baseball, but that is an entirely different post.)  

I am so proud to be his mother, and honored to be given the task of helping him to fulfill his mission here on earth.  The Book of Mormon has helped me to become a better mother, to better appreciate the importance of being a Mother and a woman in God's eternal plan.  It has helped me to become a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ, and a more charitable person.

The theme and purpose of my blog is to bring my children to Jesus Christ.  2 Nephi 25:26 says, "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."

I have said before that I write in order to share my testimony and my faith with my friends, but really my core purpose in writing this blog is to share the truths about Jesus Christ with my children.  I hope that my friends will also benefit from what I write here, but it is most important to me that my children have a record of what we believe and what I have worked so hard to teach them in their formative years.

I hope that when they meet up with challenges in life, they will look back at these posts and find strength in the testimonies that are shared here...testimonies that I share ALWAYS with them in mind.  I hope that they will also have a good chuckle when they see the antics they pulled...like drawing dear-old-mom's grave marker on the driveway!  What a blessing it is to be a part of a family...

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Just like that...

Yesterday, I gave away my last two copies of the Book of Mormon to complete my personal challenge to give away 30 copies of the Book of Mormon in 30 days.  

It all started with a conversation about Twilight, actually.  Some friends of mine were talking about it, so I waited for my chance to chime in (read brag about) the fact that my S-I-L Renae was college roommates with the author of those books.  Stephenie Meyer even named one of the characters after Renae, although I think it's spelled differently in the books.  Where did they go to school?  BYU.  And yes, the author of Twilight is a Mormon.  My friend's eyes got kinda big on that one.

This lead my friend to open up about questions she had about the church, and revealing her connection to it.  When she indicated that she always wanted to know more about our beliefs, I was only too happy to hand her the gift bag with an Ensign and Book of Mormon in it that I had in my car.  I was very happy to share a Book of Mormon with this friend, and I did not see it coming at all.  The Lord can truly use anything to bring his children to him...even through kooky stories about vampires.  (And no this is not an endorsement of Twilight, so I'd better not get any nasty-grams about vamps on this one!)

Anyway, I took the final copy of the Book of Mormon to another good friend of mine who had messaged me on FB saying she was going through a little rough patch.  I ran over to her house in the rain, and our kids played while we had our own Mommy play date.  It was fun, and I was happy to see my final two copies go to such beloved friends.

And then...just like that...I was finished.  I shared 30 copies of The Book of Mormon with 30 friends in 30 days!  Wow.  I wish I could relate to you every amazing way that the spirit lead me this month, but I'm afraid I can't.  Just know that he did.

It's pure poetry that on the day after I finished giving out my last Book of Mormon, the new set of scriptures that I ordered arrived!  What a fitting memento of this special month.

And what an amazing month we've had together in The Book of Mormon Forum!

If you were unable to participate as you would have liked this month, never you fear!

The Book of Mormon Forum will continue to function as a network of bloggers who desire to share their testimonies of this sacred book online.  We will host monthly blog hops where you can link-up your own posts about The Book of Mormon and continue to encourage each other in our efforts.  Grab a button if you'd like to help spread the word, and email me if you'd like to join the ranks of "Forum-ites"!

<center><a href="http://beinglds.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="The Book of Mormon Forum" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6OeB0Jo9C6clBn9Rilc7cgxHF2a3vVNzn_GAkKlT6OLhiwogQcZNr1ztJHj0f53NCxCHk2mNtIpuLsL30MoSGwgpfRTglqSWDwDu_ENv_4Cjms2Dhd2Hj9gU3Rlaae0k9LfLCtfVd1s/s800/book-of-mormon-forum-150.png"/></a></center>

Now to announce the winners of this week's Book of Mormon Blog Hop Giveaway

The giveaway for this blog hop has been provided by the Etsy Shop
 Express Yourself Vinyl

The three winners of the  following "I know the Scriptures are True" lip balm

are Marissa: Stake Conference Post

Tiffany:  Of Small and Simple Things

Catania:  How to Study the Book of Mormon

Winners, please email me your mailing address so you can receive your thank your gift!

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Up Close

Source

So often in life, things that we don't understand or don't know a lot about can seem pretty scary to us.  I remember when I was in elementary school, my friends and I would swing at recess and make up stories about the little old woman who lived in the house behind the school.  Every day, she wobbled out to gather herbs from her garden.  We were sure that she was brewing up some sort of evil stew, and that if she could she'd love to throw the fingers of little children into her concoction.  Without ever talking to her, we were convinced...she was a witch.  (It didn't help that she often wore black!)

There is another little old woman who lives in my town now.  She walks all day long...every day. I've seen her in the heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter, hobbling along the streets, across bridges, through parks.  Her face is a bit weather-worn from wind and sun, but she always seems happy.  I wonder if my children notice her, and if they do, what they think about her.

We saw this woman yesterday, so I pulled my car around to where she was.  I decided to offer her a Book of Mormon.  She walks pretty fast.  I jumped out of the car, then had to run to catch up with her.  Hopefully, I didn't spook her!  

When I saw her face up close, it was actually very pleasant, and her smile was beautiful and she was very articulate.  I told her than I had seen her walking and thought she might like to read the book that I had. I explained a bit about it and that it teaches about Jesus Christ.  She thanked me and took it, then asked me if I wanted it returned when she finished.  I said, sure, she could give it back when I saw her again.  

Then I asked her, "Why do you walk all of the time?"  She said, "Oh, I have been walking since before my husband died.  Now, I just love to be out in nature."  I said, "Yes, you sure must see such beauty, and you must be in rather good health with all of that walking.  You inspire me."  She brushed that comment off, then thanked me and continued on her way, as did I.  All the while, my children watched from the car.  I am sure that they'll notice her now.

I wonder sometimes if people find The Book of Mormon, or the thought of it, a bit scary, because it is unknown or unfamiliar, but I wonder if they wouldn't find it for what it is--beautiful, enlightening, peaceful, and gratifying--if they just got close enough to it to get to know it a little, as I did this beautiful old woman.  I do hope she finds what she is looking for as she walks God's good earth!

If you are interested in receiving one of my last two copies of The Book of Mormon, please let me know:  jocelyn.christensen@gmail.com

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HE'S A (Book of Mormon) LEGO MANIAC!

The Tree of Life

When I stumbled upon the blog of our next guest in The Forum, I just about fell out of my chair...This guy has illustrated 20 scenes from the Book of Mormon...using Legos!  I immediately asked him for an interview.  Read on to see what he says about the experience and about gaining and sharing a testimony of The Book of Mormon:

NOTE:  If any of these depictions pique your interest in The Book of Mormon, 

you can read it here.

Nathan...what's with the Lego infatuation?

Haha, You'd be surprised how often I actually hear this.  Like many other kids, I grew up with Lego--but while other children seem to grow out of it eventually, I never quite did.  


I think perhaps one of the greatest reasons for this is simply that I can express myself in unique ways through Lego, and there aren't many other mediums that seem to work just right for me.  I want to create art, and Lego is much easier for me to work with than, say, paint or clay.  And, of course, it's just fun!    

Mormon Abridges the Plates

What gave you the idea to recreate Book of Mormon scenes using Legos?  And how do you decide which scenes to do?  

Another factor that has kept me interested in Lego is the worldwide community of thousands of other adult Lego fans.  It's a blast to talk and compare ideas with them, and to have an audience for the things I build.  It was through this community that I discovered other people recreating scenes from the Bible in Lego, and I thought it was really cool to see the scriptures portrayed that way.  But to my knowledge, no one had done anything with the Book of Mormon.  Well, I thought,why not me?  With the ability for it to be seen all around the world, I considered this a choice opportunity to share my testimony and reach a lot of people.  But even without such an audience, I was just excited by the thought of using art to express my feelings about the Book of Mormon.

Suffer the Children

Back then--I was sixteen at the time--I was only familiar enough with a few stories to illustrate them very well in Lego.  So I actually just went through the Book of Mormon, page by page, scanning chapter headings and building what sounded interesting.  I got about twenty scenes out of this, which is all that have been done so far.  

"Oh Ye Fair Ones"

But as you and I both know very well, there are many more than just twenty worthy scenes in the Book of Mormon... and I intended to go back more thoroughly and build what I had missed.  Yet by the time I had published "Oh Ye Fair Ones," from Mormon, preparation was in full gear for my mission, and I was happy to put my various projects on the back burner for a while to go where the Lord needed me most.  

I had done my Lego missionary work--now I got to finally put on the badge!  Of the many things I gained from that experience, there came a more abiding testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon, and a more extensive knowledge of its contents.  Though I still have to admit... I can't count how many times on my mission (and since!) that, while reading the scriptures, I thought, Gee, this would look awesome in Lego!  So, I suppose to answer your question in just a few words, scripture study is what leads me to the decision of which scenes to build. 

With that said, I'm happy to announce that there are still many more scenes in the works.  I can't put an estimate on how soon the world will see them, or how often, but I am at least planning Samuel the Lamanite for the coming Holiday season.  It's gonna be awesome!

Which scenes were the most fun to do?

Oh, man.  Good memories coming back!

Ammon at Sebus

The Book of Alma was a blast to go through; it provided two of my favorite scenes.  Anything with Captain Moroni is going to be awesome.  I can't say whether he's my favorite character in the scriptures (we all need different heroes for different times, right?), but he's definitely in my top five.  My first depiction of him was in "The Title of Liberty," a simple scene with Moroni posed atop a rock, waving his newly created banner.  That one stayed put together for a while, because I really loved how it turned out.  My first foray into Alma, "Ammon at Sebus," was the perfect scene to do in Lego, as it fit the toy so well (what would you expect with a figure whose arms snap off?).  Before it was retired, that scene made its way into a Relief Society centerpiece.

The Mists of Darkness

"The Mists of Darkness," from 3rd Nephi, was also a fun build.  That, along with "The Tree of Life" and "Murder at the Judgment Seat" were for me perhaps the most visually pleasing of the series.  "The Great and Spacious Building" offered me the greatest challenge of all: figuring out how to pack something so massive into such a small space, yet still keeping some sense of its grand scale.  I enjoyed working with its architectural details, too.   

The Scalping of Zerahemna

How do people react to them? Have you received any interesting feedback? 

I've had generally positive feedback, both from members of the Church and those of other faiths.  On occasion, I have had people actually comment on the scriptural background of my creations, and I've had some really nice conversations with them.  Normally, it's someone that has read the Book of Mormon at some point, and even though they didn't go and get baptized, or anything, they had favorable things to say about the book.  I always appreciate that. 

Murder at the Judgment Seat

Another neat thing happened while I was publishing these little scenes: all of a sudden, I wasn't alone anymore in the Lego community.  There always had been members of the Church here and there, and I had even gotten to talk to them previous to this.  But I never knew they were LDS.  They hadn't known I was LDS, either.  Yet now, whenever I'd post a new scene, there was always someone else who would express their excitement over seeing something so meaningful to them appear in our community discussions.  A few even offered to help with the project in various ways, like giving story and building suggestions or selling me relevant pieces from their own Lego collections.  That really meant a lot to me.  From my perspective, it seemed like members of the Church were just coming out of the woodwork, and that was a great feeling.  I gained some wonderful friendships because of that.

Indeed, the feedback I receive from members of the Church tends to be very excited.  We as Latter-day Saints are a people who love to see our faith anywhere it appears in the world, and I can't count how many emails and blog comments I've received asking for permission to use my pictures in Sunday School lessons, Family Home Evenings, and seminary classes.  I love seeing my fellow Saints get excited about this stuff, because my little creations are, in essence, my testimony to the world. 

What do you do with them when you're finished?

Well, Lego ain't cheap, but the beautiful thing about it is I can reuse it.  Everything I build gets taken apart again after I've published the photos, so I have the pieces I need for the next scene.

What is your testimony of the Book of Mormon?  How did you get it? 

My testimony has been a lifelong effort, but perhaps the most pivotal moment happened in high school.  I grew up in the Church, and throughout my childhood I was blessed to learn the scriptures at home.  I gained a lot of important knowledge as a kid, which would lay a strong foundation for the rest of my life.  But for me, that was just what we did, and that's as far as my understanding really stretched at that point.  We went to church on Sunday.  I went to Scouts, Young Men's, seminary.  I served in my Aaronic Priesthood quorums.  I knew these were all good things to do, but the way I looked at the world, my testimony was based more on facts than on the Spirit.  I knew things, but hadn't asked God to confirm them for me.  God hadn't told me the Gospel was true; I reasoned that it was true.  It made sense to me logically.  And that was a decent enough place to start; but it would never be enough.

Things got pretty hard during my sophomore year of high school.  It wasn't so much that bad things were happening; I was just in a new environment at school, which came with new friends and new activities.  I discovered that the world was a much bigger place than I was used to, and in all my efforts to fit in, I got a bit overwhelmed.  I didn't know who I was, exactly, or where I belonged.  In so many words, there was a hole in my life that I didn't know how to fill, and I wasn't happy.  As well as I knew the "facts" of the Gospel, there was no comfort in them for me.

Every year, my seminary would challenge all the students to read the Book of Mormon in the month of March.  That year in high school was my first accepting the challenge, but mostly because everyone else was doing it--after all, my whole purpose in life was to fit in.  

Going to high school in Utah, most of my classmates were also members of the Church, and it was the coolest thing to be sitting in class during March and see so many of them reading the Book of Mormon at their desks.  School felt different that month; the Spirit was there, though at that time I didn't recognize that good feeling as the Spirit.  For me, it was more of a "strength in numbers" type of thing.

And yet, I did notice some other changes.  For one thing, there was that good feeling at school.  Over the course of the month, I found myself trying less and less to fit in, and more and more to just be a good, kind person.  Little things that had once so troubled me lost their effect.  I was doing better in school.  I wasn't so stressed out all the time.  The world just seemed like a more beautiful place.  And yet, the only thing I was doing differently than before was reading my scriptures every day.  My situation didn't change--I did.

The Prayer of Enos

On a Saturday evening near the end of that month, after spending my whole day trying to catch up with the reading, I reached the end of Mormon and felt a powerful urge to pray.  I had never felt (or at least recognized) such a prompting before, and I wasn't really sure what I should pray about.  But I felt a powerful sense of gratitude for my life, and for the world around me, and for the story I had just read about Mormon and the decline and fall of the Nephite nation.  So I figured I'd pray about those things, and just thank God for them.  Yet as I was praying, I continued to feel things... and I finally found myself asking whether the Book of Mormon was true. 

I had read the Book of Mormon before, but never prayed about it, and didn't know what to expect when I did pray.  To be honest, I think I was hoping for a concourse of angels, or the voice of God Himself whispering in my ear, or something like that.  Remember, the Gospel made sense to me logically, and for me, those were the logical ways for prayers to be answered.  Feeling didn't make sense to me, even though it was that very thing that had driven me to pray in the first place.  I just didn't understand how I was supposed to get a clear answer in silence.

But that's the wonderful thing about the Spirit: it's not logical.  It's not bound by mortal reason.  I didn't hear a voice, or see angels, but I would not know the truth more surely even if I had experienced those things.  There came into my heart and mind a strong sense of peace--peace where there had once only been restlessness--and a sustaining hope.  I couldn't remember a time I had felt so much love and happiness.  I couldn't remember the last time I'd been so sure of anything as I was at this moment.  Relying on facts--a "scientific method" of the Gospel, if you will--none of this would have made any sense to me at all.  But now I understood!

God is mindful of each and every one of us.  He heard the prayer of a struggling fifteen-year-old and filled the hole I had been trying so very desperately to fill.  Because of the Book of Mormon, I not only know who my Savior is--I know why He came to Earth and atoned for me.  I know what He wants me to do, and who He wants me to be.  And no matter how crazy the world gets, or how busy my life seems to be, I am living a life of peace every single day, and I carry that peace and that hope with me everywhere I go.  It's what we're promised in Ether 12:4:

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

This is the life.  And I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has blessed me with it.

What advice do you have for others on sharing their faith in the Book of Mormon?

It sounds so simple, but prayer is such an effective tool in sharing one's faith in the Book of Mormon.  If you want opportunities, ask God for them!  And then you do your part, because He'll certainly do His.  Go about doing good.  Look for ways you can serve others, and miracles will happen.  Just jump in, and don't worry about what you'll say; God knows what everyone needs to hear and when.  Trust the Spirit.

I have also learned that getting creative works, too; it's not always a Gospel conversation that opens hearts and minds.  Our Heavenly Father has blessed each of us with unique talents, and He wants us to use them!  We can bear testimony through our hobbies and interests--in my case, with Lego.  

Yet it's not hard to start a Gospel conversation, either.  If someone asks me how my weekend went, I like to mention that I went to church, and if it feels right, maybe even share what the Sunday School lesson was about, or how much I enjoyed someone's talk.  We owe everything we have to God.  So, when you think about it, everything we have testifies of Him.  Any conversation, any situation, can become an opportunity to bear witness of God's blessings.  

And, if you want to share the Book of Mormon, use it!  When my friends experience trials, I like to share Book of Mormon verses with them that have brought me comfort, and it has never hurt.  Actually, while my friends haven't necessarily rushed to get baptized, or anything, more than once they have let me know how much those passages meant to them, and that strengthens my faith.  

For further study on this topic, Chapter Five of Preach My Gospel is full of great ideas for using the Book of Mormon; I would definitely recommend it.  

When do you think the first stop-motion-animation Lego B of M film will be coming out??

Haha, Now there's an idea!  I have attempted stop-motion animation in the past, but I must confess I do not have the patience or skill for it.  I do know some people, though; I'll pitch the idea to them.  :)

Anything else you'd like to share?

I'd just like to thank you for taking interest in my work and giving this interview.  When we share our testimonies, our testimonies grow, and I have felt that as I have taken the time to answer your questions.  If anyone else has any questions, I'd be happy to answer as best I can.  And, while I'm here, I might as well let any YSA readers know I'm single, a returned-missionary, a musician, and I work out.  ;-)    

Nathan Cunningham

You can see more of the work of Nathan Cunningham at Galleria di Cunningham and Glass Half Full.  Thank you, Nathan, for sharing your time, talent, and testimony with us!

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