And the Lord Loved Laban

Hey! Hna Dipaz and I had a great week here in Buenos Aires! I am about to hit 6 months in the area so I have a feeling it may be my last week here... so we are going to change the subject here. hahaha This week as we were teaching hna Andrea, she shared an experience with us that went along well with what I have been reading recently in the BOM. She told us that a few years ago, she had a few days off work in Arequipa so she went to take care of her property in Colca. While she was there she received a phone call from her boss, insisting that she come back to work. A little irked, she traveled 3 hours back to Arequipa and went to work- she was the only one there. Even more irked she thought "Why on earth did my boss call me in from 3 hours away, and no one is here??" She went to bed and the following morning woke up to the news- there was an earthquake in Colca, Upon returning to Colca, she found that her roof and wall had collapsed and her bed was covered in rocks. She would have passed away. "And I complained for that!" She told us laughing. Recently I have been reading the first few chapters in Nephi and pondering their "Emergency phone call" to return top Jerusalem. As I study, I have been underlining every ref to the Lord and taking time to ponder not only what the character in the BOM were doing, but what the Lord was doing, and WHY He did it. And it was all motivated by love. 

The Lord loved the people in Jerusalem, so He sent Lehi to teach them the consequence of sin.

The Lord loved Lehi, so He warned Him in a vision to leave with his family. 

The Lord loved Lehi and his family, so He instructed him to send his sons back to Jerusalem for the plates. 

The Lord loved Laban, so He gave him multiple chances to hand over the plates, even offering him what he loved most- riches, when Laman offered all of the riches of his father in return for the plates. The Lord loved Laban by ending his time on this earth.

The Lord loved Nefi giving him and opportunity to develop greater faith and trust in the Lord by sending him to retrieve the plates.

The Lord loved Laman and Lemuel, He sent them the loving faithful example of Nefi. 

The Lord loved Sam and protected him and Nephi by sending an angel when their older brothers beat them. 

The Lord loved Zoram. With the precise timing of the 3rd attempt to get the plates, Zoram and Nefi crossed paths. Zoram received the opportunity to come to the promised land and was saved from destruction. 

The Lord loved Zoram and Nefi, he aligned their paths and blessed them with a friendship that would be a great blessing to Nephi. 

And the Lord loves us because He made all of this possible, and now we the BOM.

The Lord loved Hna Andrea and carefully planned all the events in her life leading up to the day that 2 missionaries knocked her door. She read the BOM and joined the Lord's church.

The Lord loved Hna Schmidt so He sent her to Arequipa Peru. 

2 Nefi 26.24. 

I know the Lord lives and that He loves us! 

LOVE YOU ALL!