I am A Daughter Of God

July 13, 2013 I read 2 Nephi chapter's 10 - 14:

     I have had so many thoughts concerning the content of these chapter's that I hope I can share my thoughts and that it all makes sense ... :) 

First of all, the following scripture is one of my very favorites, ever! Why? Well because it screams out with joy that I am a part of the truth that was prophesied!;

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it."

                                 Nephi 12:2

I have been in the Mountain Of the Lord's House! I am a part of that prophesy! It is so exciting to me that two thousand years and more could pass away and they (the prophets) could share these promises and here I am ... receiving the blessings of the temple! Not only do I attend the temple for the building up of the kingdom of God on the earth, I attend to find peace and direction in my own life. I can prayerfully gain so much from temple attendance and scripture study as I am now, gaining so much through the journey of these people! It is almost as though, somewhere in these writings there is the greeting, Dear Jana, this is for you! It is a powerful truth to know that I am a daughter of God and these words are written for me! These blessings are mine! Because he loves me. As I open up my heart and allow the spirit in, I know that God will instruct me accordingly. When I am both in the temple and reading the scriptures. Whatever the experience, the Lord will be there showing me and lighting the way!

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Also, there is council in these chapter's about the daughter's of zion ...(that it would be me)

the scripture's in 2 Nephi 13, warn of being haughty, prideful, spoiled and immoral! And also of placing value in "things" like our clothes and jewelry and ...what not!

 " Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet—"   --2Nephi 13:16

OK, I have to say that when I read, "make a tinkling with their feet", I had to laugh. On casual Friday dress down day at a former job, there was a gal who wore socks with jingle bells on them ... all she had to to was walk across the room and it drove me NUTS! I wanted to feed her her footwear!  That being said, I do not believe these scriptures are saying if we, as children of our Father in Heaven, want pretty things that we are evil. The council here is, how necessary are these desires? Are we caught up into vanity because of them? Do we place value on these things above that which is most important? Are we defiling our body? Are we compromising our morality? Are we giving in to the natural man?

Margaret Nadauld quoted something that touched my heart;

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”-Margaret Nadauld

In the world we live in today, being morally clean and pure can make one a social outcast. I know as a 49 year old single woman, I have been chastised and ridiculed and teased by people who were supposed to be my friends for my desire to remain pure and then following that law, undaunted, throughout my life. Giving that up, has a price that is just too high.