A lot happens between writing a book and publishing it, and a few insights I wrote didn't end up in the final version. I thought that I'd add in one of those so you can see more or less the type of content that is in the book. One of the reasons I really liked this one was because it emphasized the importance of studying the scriptures.
If we diligently study the scriptures, we gain power through the Spirit.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said many things unto my brethren, insomuch that they were confounded and could not contend against me; neither durst they lay their hands upon me nor touch me with their fingers, even for the space of many days. Now they durst not do this lest they should wither before me, so powerful was the Spirit of God; and thus it had wrought upon them.(1 Nephi 17:52)
We look to Nephi as a shining example of obedience and faith. He was a man of great spiritual power. And yet when he was trying to persuade Laman and Lemuel to follow the commandments of the Lord, he did not appeal to his own strength, but to the scriptures: “Let us be strong like unto Moses” (1 Nephi 4:2). Later, when Nephi once more found himself under the ridicule of his unbelieving brothers (1 Nephi 17:19–22), he again responded with the scriptures (vs. 23–42), leading to the point where the Spirit granted him such power that his brothers did not even dare touch him. As Elder Russell M. Nelson so adequately described, “The ultimate source of spiritual power is God our Father. The messenger of this power is the Holy Ghost. . . . But the Lord places the initiative upon us. He expects us to reach for his power, just as we must insert the plug in the outlet for electricity. . . . Personal worthiness and scripture study enable us to do more with this power” (Russell M. Nelson, “Protect the Spiritual Power Line,” Ensign [Nov. 1984], 31–32).
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