Tree of Life: Book of Mormon Journaling 1 Nephi 8-10 (January 13-19)

After last week’s action packed pages, this week is a nice breather. Probably the most memorable vision in the entire Book of Mormon, the vision of the tree of life lends itself well toward illustration (partly because it is so easy to leave out the multitudes of people—they’re the hardest to draw).

 The Tree of Life

In my margin, I wrote excerpts from Psalm 51.
Yes. Psalm 51.

I had considered writing a symbolism summary in the sidebar. It's an obvious choice. Then I thought, “What’s the point?” You see, Lehi’s Dream was a childhood favorite of mine, so I memorized what the various parts meant a quarter century ago. I don’t need a study aid for that. 

Then I read “Why Did Lehi Quote from a Psalm of Repentance in His Dream” from Book of Mormon Central. I’m not going to repeat everything they pointed out in their article, but there are some striking similarities between Psalm 51 and some of Lehi’s vision. And it was new to me.

Psalm 51:1 (Compare with 1 Nephi 8:8)

Have mercy on me according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 51:7-8;12 (Compare 1 Nephi 8:11-12)

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.

Psalm 51:13 (Compare 1 Nephi 8:14-18)

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners will be converted unto thee.

At the end of the path, under the tree, I wrote:
“His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come," “The Living Christ.”

The tree trunk was outlined with gray Mildliner highlighter, then filled with colored pencil. The iron rod might have been gray highlighter. Or maybe it's just colored pencil. I don't remember. The tree leaves are a mixed-media combination of green and blue-green Mildliner highlighter and several shades of green colored pencil. I spent too much energy on those leaves. For the white fruit, I used an orange Mildliner highlighter to draw the outline. The path and most of the grass is colored pencil. The tops of the hills are blue-green Mildliner. And I refuse to comment on the great and spacious embarrassment on the other page.

On page 16, where Lehi finishes his vision, I wrote this spot-on quote:

“The vision of the tree of life shows us how the effects of casualness can lead us away from the covenant path,” Becky Craven, “Careful versus Casual,” Ensign, May 2019.

I used a banner stencil at the top of the page with a black Micron pen, then green colored pencil and the text is green Micron.

Page 17, 1 Nephi 10:3

In chapter ten, Lehi continues to live up to his title “visionary man” as he jumps straight from the tree of life into prophesies of the Jews and of Christ. In verse three he says the captured Jews would return to Jerusalem in “the own due time of the Lord.” In the margin I wrote:

"Strong faith in the Savior is submissively accepting of His will and timing in our lives-even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted,” Elder David A. Bednar, “Accepting the Lord’s Will and Timing,” Ensign, August 2016.

I used brown Micron pen and a star stencil and filled with yellow colored pencil. The moon (which was originally going to be a clock) used a circle stencil (once for the outline, then shifted right to make the crescent) and gray Mildliner highlighter. The light side of the moon is also colored very lightly with a black colored pencil. The sky is alternating blue and purple colored pencil (use the side of the lead, not the tip, when coloring a wide area).

If you want to keep getting great ideas, stop by again, or follow my Pinterest board Book of Mormon Journaling. I'll be sure to pin as I post!

Book of Mormon Journaling: 1 Nephi 1-7 (January 6-12, 2020)

Many of the illustrations I saw for the beginning of first Nephi were cluttered with a series of illustrations representing a range of things happening throughout the book. I decided to sprinkle those illustrations throughout the book, and instead begin with some thoughtful journaling.
I've read The Book of Mormon many times throughout my life. Never before have I seen so clearly the parallel between the life of Moses and the life of Nephi. When Nephi likened the scriptures to himself, he did so in big, life-altering ways.

Page 1 (1 Nephi 1:1, 4)

It struck me that Nephi's life parallels the exodus of the children of Israel. I highlighted much of the first verse of chapter 1, and in the margins I wrote an excerpt from the Ten Commandments:
"Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee," (Exodus 20:12).

In verse four, it mentions "many prophets." Contemporaries of Lehi included Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.
These prophets are warning the people to repent or their city will be destroyed. the Bible, The Book of Mormon, and history all testify that this came to pass. But it didn't come to pass until after the Lord gave the people a chance to repent. In the margin, I wrote:
"Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets," (Amos 3:7).

Page 2 (1 Nephi 1 continued)

Lehi himself is a prophet. On the second page, it describes him being overcome with the Spirit and seeing a vision, which included seeing One above the luster of the sun at noon-day. I chose to draw a simple sun in the corner (outlined with brown Micron pen, then orange Mildliner highlighter. I filled in with yellow and orange colored pencil). This image didn't scan to its best advantage. There is more color in person. The quote I wrote in the margin reads:

 

"In the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost," (Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives," Ensign, May 2018).

Page 3 (1 Nephi 1:20)

Lehi the prophet, after testifying to the Jews, has his life threatened. Immediately after reporting this, Nephi records, "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
The phrase "tender mercies of the Lord," reminded me of the talk "The Tender Mercies of the Lord," by Elder David A. Bednar (Ensign, May 2005). My margin quote reads:
"I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us."

Page 4 (1 Nephi 2, Into the Wilderness)

Can you imagine how quickly Lehi's family packed up and left their home when the Lord told them to? I don't think you get a revelation that your life is in danger and then sit at home for a few months making sure you leave your house in order.
As a side note, Hugh Nibley, in his classic book Lehi in the Desert, makes a scholarly argument that Lehi wasn't a soft city-boy on his first camping trip, but an expert on caravan travel. (Think of modern businessman: who doesn't know how to travel?) Among many other evidences, when Lehi sends his sons back to the city for things he forgot, it isn't for practical things like matches and rope (okay, I know matches are a modern invention. You get the idea). He sends them back for the brass plates. Lehi's family was able to escape the city quickly and effectively in part because they already had the supplies needed (like Nephi's steel bow) to survive in the wilderness (see the section titled "Lehi and the Arabs," within Lehi in the Desert & The World of the Jaredites: Collector's Edition, Bookcraft c. 1952, 1980).

The "map" at the top of the page with the valley of Lemuel and river of Laman illustrated is not my original idea. I saw something similar on Pinterest that had come from Mormishmom on Instagram, and loved it so much that I borrowed it and made it my own.
After traveling three days into the wilderness, Lehi builds an altar of stones to offer thanks to God. It amazes me that in these circumstances: mocked by others and fleeing for his life, Lehi wants to stop and give his thanks. If he can see God's mercies in the middle of his trials then shouldn't I?
In case you didn't know, the Dead Sea Scrolls state that sacrifices were not to be offered outside of Jerusalem within a three days' journey. Assuming, for the sake of interpreting Lehi's actions, that this part of the scrolls offers us something lost from the Old Testament, then we see that Lehi was diligent in keeping all the commandments of the Lord, even when the only people watching were his own family.
In the margin, I wrote:
"Have we not reason to be filled with gratitude regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves?" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Grateful in Any Circumstances," Ensign, May 2014).
The stones of the altar are outlined with gray Mildliner highlighter, and the flames are outlined with orange and yellow Mildliner highlighters. I used colored pencils to fill-in.
At the top of the page, I outlined the valley and mountains with brown Micron pen (if I did it again, it would be with a gray marker). The river is blue Mildliner highlighter, the mountains are gray Mildliner highlighter. Then I filled in with gray and green colored pencil.

Page 5 (1 Nephi 2:7)

Nephi, whose life has just been shaken by an unexpected family move and the critical comments of his older brothers, prays to the Lord and receives his own witness of his prophet father's words. In verse 17, which I highlighted in blue, Nephi shares his testimony with his brother Sam.
I began reading this in July 2019, when we were in the middle of New Testament study for Sunday school, so I wrote a New Testament scripture in the margins"
"When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren," (Jesus to Simon Peter, The Last Supper, Luke 22:32).

I almost wish I had stopped there, but at the time I felt like verse 22, where Nephi is told that he will be a ruler and teacher over his brothers, deserved another scripture, so I wrote:
"God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers . . . thou wast chosen before thou wast born," (Abraham 3:23).

Page 6 (1 Nephi 3:7: Go and Do)

One of the most famous scriptures of The Book of Mormon (only partially because it's near the beginning) is Nephi's faith-filled reply to his father, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanders them." Then Nephi and his brothers journey back to Jerusalem, where Laman tries to get the plates. I always find it interesting that God gives Laman, the firstborn of his father, so many chances to prove himself. As a wonderful January 2019 Ensign article, "Developing the Faith to Reap," (from a BYU devotional by Elder Wilford W. Andersen), points out, Laman had the faith to try. It was enough faith to make a first attempt, then give up when that first attempt was thwarted. But Nephi here has faith to do: if the first attempt was thwarted, we just need to try again. Do any of us, after a failed first effort, decide that something just "wasn't meant to be," and abandon any further attempts? In the margin I wrote:
Laman: I will go and try
Nephi: I will go and do
as a reminder of how to have faith like Nephi's.

Page 7 (Laman and Lemuel beat Nephi and Sam)

After one failed attempt, Laman wants to give up. At Nephi's persuasion, they make a second attempt. That one fails as well. After running for their lives from the servants of Laban, the brothers take refuge in a cave, where Laman takes out his fear and anger on his younger brothers by beating them with a rod. Having the future leader of a nation escape the wicked Laban with his life, the Lord isn't about to let his brother beat him to death, and sends an angel to intervene. In the margin I wrote:
"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city," Proverbs 16:32.

In 1 Nephi 4:2, Nephi encourages his brothers by saying, "let us be strong like unto Moses." In small print, I wrote, "Nephi likens Moses to his family--When he lived this, he might not have known he would be in our scriptures. Later he tells us to liken the scriptures to ourselves."

Page 8 (The death of Laban)

So far Nephi has referred to the Ten Commandments, begun a family exodus from his homeland, and encouraged his brothers to be strong like Moses. There is one part of Moses' life that Nephi didn't expect to emulate: killing a wicked man. That's right. Young Moses fought with an Egyptian and had to flee his country when the man died. It is interesting that in Exodus 21 (you know, right after the Ten Commandments are given), it gives an often-overlooked loophole:
"And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee," (Exodus 21:13).

As Book of Mormon Central points out, in the article "Was Nephi's Slaying of Laban Legal?" this is exactly what happens to Nephi in this chapter: in verse 6 mentions "not knowing beforehand the things which I should do" (in other words, this wasn't premeditated. In verse 11, we are told that "the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands." Nephi follows the Spirit, kills Laban, collects the brass plates, then flees to the land the Lord has prepared for him.
In other words, Nephi wasn't breaking any commandments when he killed Laban.
Mind blown.

Page 9 (1 Nephi 4:34)

Nephi promises Laban's servant Zoram that if he joins his father's household, he will be a freeman like unto them. Zoram wisely chooses to join their family. The alternative? Becoming a suspect when his master's death is discovered. In that awkward situation, he may have been tempted to give away information that would have endangered Lehi's family.
In verse 34, Nephi encourages Zoram, saying, "Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing: and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord?
In the margin I wrote (pardon my weak lettering):

"Commandments make weak men strong," (Dallin H. Oaks, "The Blessings of Commandments, BYU Devotional, September 10, 1974).

Page 10 (Sariah's Story)

It took Lehi's family three days to travel to their campsite in the wilderness. Can you just imagine Sariah counting down each day as she imagines how soon she can safely expect her sons home? She probably didn't think they were old enough to go on that long of a journey unaccompanied. Filled with anxiety in their absence, and as the day she had hoped and expected their return has passed, Sariah lets her doubts get the better of her fears and complains to her prophet-husband, accusing him of leading the family to its death. While this chapter doesn't typically cast Sariah in the most favorable light, it is the best example of a successful marriage we see throughout The Book of Mormon. Why? Because every earthly marriage is made up of two imperfect people. It's how we we react to those imperfections that can make some marriages so heavenly.
Lehi replies to her worries and with perfect gentleness, validating her accusations with  a touch of self-abasement: "I know that I am a visionary man; for it I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren." He goes on to comfort her worries by building her faith in the good yet to come, "I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again into the wilderness," (1 Nephi 5:4-5).

In the margin, I drew a picture of (a rather youthful-looking) Sariah, as I imagine her watching and waiting for her sons to return safely from their dangerous journey. I wrote my own thoughts:
"Sariah left behind her house her gold, her silver and her precious things." [this is said of Lehi, so I infer that it is also true of his wife] "She gave up everything to accompany her family into the wilderness. Like Abraham, whose greatest trial was being asked to sacrifice his precious son, Sariah's greatest trial is when she believes her sons are lost."

Pages 11-13

I highlighted many things on the next few pages, but nothing has made it into my margins yet.

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts and journaling from 1 Nephi 1-7. Next week covers a lot fewer pages (phew! This week was a lot of work!).
Stop by again to see my Tree of Life illustration, or follow my board, "Book of Mormon Journaling" on Pinterest. I'll be sure to pin my illustrations after I blog them.

Book of Mormon Journaling: Introductory Pages (December 30-January 5)

Week 1 (December 30-January 5, 2020) of Come, Follow Me consists of the introductory pages, including the title page and testimonies.

Fun fact: I have a facsimile (a copy, not an original) of the original 1830 printing of The Book of Mormon. In that edition, the testimonies were printed in the back.

Title Page 1

My journal edition has two title pages.

On the first title page I included a quote from President Nelson's October 2017 conference talk, "The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?" In it, he tells of a time he gave a copy to an African tribal king he met in Ghana, who responded, "You could have given me diamonds or rubies but nothing is more precious to me than this additional knowledge about the Lord Jesus Christ."
After practicing on scratch paper, I penciled in a couple of diamonds, then traced the diamonds with a light marker (periwinkle Mildliner).

Title Page 2

On the next page (what people usually mean when they refer to the Book of Mormon title page) I highlighted "JESUS is the CHRIST" in red. In the margins, I wrote a quote from President Benson from a November 1987 Ensign article, "Come unto Christ." 
"The honest seeker after truth can gain a testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of The Book of Mormon."
I used Micron pens in red, blue, and black.

The Testimony of the Three Witnesses

In the margin I wrote, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established," D&C 6:28. In small print by the signatures I wrote, "Like the signers of the Declaration of Independence, these men risked their safety, property, and reputation. They signed with honor." Then I added a reflective question: "What would I sign my honor to?"

The Testimony of the Eight Witnesses

In the margin I wrote a quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "Nothing in our history and nothing in our message cuts to the chase faster than our uncompromising declaration that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. On this issue we draw a line in the sand," ("True or False," New Era, June 1995, 66).
I drew a simple beach on the bottom of the page. The waves are alternating wiggly lines of wide-tipped blue and aqua Mildliner highlighters. The sand is a light brown colored pencil. I used a brown Micron pen to draw a wiggly line in the sand, and used more Micron pens to make lists of what is on which side of the sand.

The Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith

The quote I chose came from Elder David A. Bednar's April 2019 conference talk, "Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing." I love that it includes, "search, ponder, and pray." I chose to write those words in green to help them stand out:

"As a child, Joseph Smith learned of God from his family. His efforts to discover God's will for him caused Joseph to search for the truth among many different Christian denominations, ponder diligently the scriptures, and pray sincerely to God. . . . Joseph's experience provides a powerful pattern of learning that each of us should emulate. We too need to learn for ourselves."

I penciled an outline of angel Moroni. I colored his skin with a brown colored pencil, then outlined his robe and hair with a gray Mildliner highlighter. Using a yellow Mildliner highlighter and a straight-edge gave the appearance of rays of light from heaven. Moroni was rather inconspicuous at this point, so I outlined him with yellow highlighter as well.

Then there's the quilt. 

While the idea was simple, it certainly took longer than I expected it to. And when I finished, my mom looked at me quizzically and asked why it was there. "You know, Joseph is in bed . . . or maybe beside it. It's his quilt."

Sigh. I thought it was a good idea before I spent all the effort making it. I guess it would have made more sense if I had included Joseph somewhere in the picture, but I think that would have interfered more with the quote. 

I used a pencil, straight-edge, and a circle stencil to plan my quilt. I colored in each block with colored pencil, then used fine-tip highlighters for the stitches.

Peek Inside My Book of Mormon Journal

I really wasn't planning to join the Book of Mormon journaling crowd. Honestly, I didn't even know it was a crowd. I just thought it would be a good way for my daughter to spend ten hours on a project for faith as she finishes up her Personal Progress this year. I bought her the hardcover pink floral book.

A few days later, I went back and bought myself a blue "leather" one. At about the same time, my mom bought a journaling edition of the New Testament. She went to town on it, spending hours a day to catch up to where we are reading in Sunday school.
By comparison, my four pages a day seems sluggish. But, since I started in July, it will be enough to finish me up by the New Year (this is part of my Personal Progress--as a parent I'm allowed to work my way through the program, too).

Unlike my mom, I haven't written and illustrated every single page, but I've done a good share of them all the way through Second Nephi and beyond. On many pages, I have highlighted a verse and then written a corresponding quote from General Conference in the margins.

Sometimes I love a verse so much that I just write it in the margins (you'd be surprised how much that happens in the Isaiah chapters). Quotes from Psalms and Proverbs have also found their way in.

And the occasional illustration. Illustrations slow me down, so I have to really want to illustrate something if I'm going to take the time to do it.

And the pages I haven't filled-in yet? I'm looking forward to sprinkling some great quotes from the upcoming conference as well as having a second chance to work on my scriptures when the new year (and new Come, Follow Me curriculum) come around.

A useful tip (from my mom, of course) is to keep a stack of little Post-it notes with you as you read. If a verse, topic, or other idea stands out to you, jot it on the Post-it and place it at the bottom of the page (if you place it in the margins, then you will have layers of Post-it notes to disturb your writing on other pages). This helps me focus on reading when I'm supposed to be reading. There have been times when I stop to work on an idea right away, then decide to look up an inspiration on Pinterest and an hour later not only have I not journaled anything, but I haven't finished my daily reading, either. Also, if I don't have time to journal that day, I may be able to come back later in the week to catch up. Those little notes make that much easier to do.
Speaking of Pinterest--you all know you can create separate groups within a board to better organize your pins. Yes? This is super-useful if you are going to use Pinterest much to gather ideas for your Book of Mormon journaling. Click here to see my Book of Mormon journaling board.
Coming Soon 
I'm looking forward to doing more in-depth blog posts with pictures with most pages I've done (or maybe all--perhaps it's therapeutic to see someone else mess-up in ink?). I've been waiting for the 2020 manuals to go live--and I just now see that they have. I am planning to break-up my future journaling posts to correspond to the reading for each week.

You might also like: Book of Mormon Journaling: Introductory Pages

September 2019 Latter-day Saint Bullet Journal Spreads

I started bullet journaling in January 2019, in a slim paperback notebook. September 2019 I'm starting a new bullet journal (Dingbats dotted blue). The pages are drastically different from the notebook I was using before, so I had to reinvent how I do all my spreads.
I wanted to include reminders to visit the temple, a place to record what I had fasted for, an outline of the week's Come, Follow Me goals, as well as space to track money and goals.

5-4-3-2-1 Goals

Before diving into my September pages, I took some time to think about 5 year goals (this is a new journal). I started by listing each of my children, along with the age that child will be in five years. Then I jotted down a 2-4 things that came to my heart when I imagined that child at that age. These aren't strictly goals, since they are contingent on another person's agency, but as a mother it gives me a vision of what direction I am attempting to nurture my children.
Then I wrote a list of things I hope to have achieved within five years.
Under my 5 year goals, I wrote a series of 4 month goals. For example, if I want to see a child in college in five years, I want to see certain grades this first trimester.

What's in My Monthly/Goal Spread?

The first part of my September monthly spread had smaller goals: 3 weeks, 2 days, and 1 hour. These are my baby steps toward those bigger 4 month (and ultimately 5 year) goals. 3 weeks was a perfect length for a big project (read 300 pages in Don Quixote) and tracking new habits (remind S. to say his personal prayers each morning. If something could be done in one sitting and under an hour (schedule a dentist appointment or temple interview or work on Personal Progress) it went under 1 hour. Slightly more involved goals (like family temple trip or writing a short story) went under 2 days.
On the facing page: I left space to record what I was fasting for, when I visited the temple that month, things I am grateful for or praying for, as well as a place to jot down things to discuss with my husband. He works 4-10s, so sometimes I think of things we need to discuss that I don't get around to discussing with him until the weekend. This helps me remember what those important things are.
This page is more like a journal or list.

A Meeting Page 

I am currently a Beehive advisor. During a typical month, I meet once with all of the adult YW leaders, and once with the (young) Beehive class presidency (and another adult). These meetings typically have printed agendas, but I usually find that the number of notes I really need boils down to a lot less paper. Keeping my class notes here in my planner helps me stay organized in my calling.
In case you're wondering, the facing page is for me to plan my 4-year old's home preschool.

What's in My Weekly Spreads?

Right now I have an everything-at-a-glance weekly spread. The good news is I don't have to flip back-and-forth to find my budget, to-do-list, or Come, Follow me plans. The bad news is that I have to write small and don't have much visual "breathing room." By the end of the week the pages are written all over.
On the first page of the spread I have space for my weekly budget (yes, we get paid weekly. Weird. I know) and Sunday through Thursday.

The second page only has Friday and Saturday (weekend!) so I have space for a lot more. At the top of the page is a scripture quote from that weeks CFM reading. On the right I have space to record what I'm praying for and thankful for. As the family reads parts of CFM, I can color-in the spine of the corresponding book. It's cute and encourages me to encourage the family to make it happen. I also jot down a few favorite verses. On nights we don't have time for lengthy reading, we read and explain a single verse or two or three.

At the bottom of the page I have my "trackers." Some of my 3-week goals are habits. A daily tracker helps me track whether I am being successful in those goals. Some of my 3-week goals are more quantity based: read or write a certain number of pages, or help my student driver get in a certain number of hours. So I have a "Daily Tracker" and a "Quantity Tracker" side-by-side.
In the corner of the page you can see I have jotted down my smallest goals (2 day and 1 hour). I picked a few from the monthly spread so I don't have to keep looking back at the big list.