Being Contrary

I was reading today in the Book of Mormon about corrupt judges railing against a man who spoke for the Lord. The man's name was Nephi. He was witnessing about Christ, goodness, and also against the destructive evil that was present in their society (and in the judges' hearts). If you want to read more about the story, it is in Helaman 8.

But the part that struck me within this whole account was this verse, especially the bolded part:

For behold, Nephi had spoken unto them concerning the corruptness of their law; yea, many things did Nephi speak which cannot be written; and nothing did he speak which was contrary to the commandments of God.

And I thought about my own verbiage. Do I ever say things which would displease the Lord or which would be contrary to what He would say or do? Most importantly, what are the interactions like with the people closest to me...my family.

I remember as a young kid, my mother saying to all of us kids, "Why is it easier for you to be nice to your friends than to your family?" That really stuck with me. And so through the years, I noticed this seemed to be a prevailing issue with many people. Who they were outside of the home was sometimes different than what might be inside their home.

And so ever since those young years, when my mother said that comment, I started noticing...and trying to change. And that's why today, when I read the scriptural reference to Nephi's strength and valor regarding his verbiage, it was one more clarion call to make sure my words please the Lord and are in alignment with His will.

I love the scriptures and how they teach such pure principles. Not easy-to-live-principles, but truly awesome ones!