When thinking about what to write in my blog post, I did what I normally do when trying to search for something — I Googled it.

I searched for "upliftment" and came across a list of scriptures that this man, John Callahan, put together. They're supposed to give us hope when we feel down.

Even though I am not feeling down in any aspect of my life, just reading these 10 verses really uplifted me. How amazing is it knowing that God is always there and that He knew we would need to these words 2,000+ years later?

"...the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord." (1 Nephi 17:7)

"Nephi, get up and go up." That was the Lord's command after eight-plus years into his wilderness journey. No doubt, God had some big news to share. We read of His great plan for Nephi to build a ship, that curious workmanship which would inevitably carry him and his family across the depths of the untamed sea to the promise land. Notwithstanding how pivotal that moment was, God had never called Nephi up the mountain before. God required something more, and this encounter helps us learn an important lesson — how our relationship with God must grow.

Consider Nephi's journey up to this point. His entire expedition had been one continual cycle of faith building. It was a daily "wash, rinse, repeat" of facing trials, enduring persecution, and receiving God's deliverance. Through it all, God communed with Nephi.

I have a slight addiction to notebooks and journals. And by slight, I mean a big addiction.

I love opening a new journal, cracking the spine, sitting to write or jot a few notes down. Here's a snapshot of my collection:

I have a notebook just for my to-do lists.
I have a notebook just for taking notes on Sunday's sermons.
I have a notebook just for writing my favorite quotes from books I've read.
I have a notebook just for taking notes on my scripture studies.
I have notebooks just to sit on my desk and look pretty.

Told you I had an addiction.

Today's Reading: Helaman 5:12 (see below)

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." – Helaman 5:12

Today's reading: Exodus 17:1-6 and Numbers 20:2-13

"Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders in Israel." – Exodus 17:6

About 60 percent of the human body is water. Humans must maintain this percentage in order to survive. After leaving Egypt, the Israelites were having difficulty trusting that God would provide for their needs. By the 17th chapter of Exodus, they were chiding Moses for their lack of water, murmuring against him. Moses, as their leader, went to God for direction. The Lord instructed him to go before the people and strike a rock with his staff. God wanted to use this as an example and provide water for the people.

If you're just joining us for Gospel Lessons, here's the first in this five-part series.

Today's reading: John 8:1-11

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." – John 8:7

This week's Bible passage depicts one of the many times when the scribes and Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus, but the outcome paints a beautiful portrait of God's grace and mercy.

One morning, as Jesus was teaching in the temple, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in adultery, a sin punishable by death under the Law of Moses. The scribes and Pharisees weren't trying to hold this woman accountable to the law as much as they were trying to trap Jesus in His teachings.

I'm definitely a geek, and my scripture study sheet is probably one of the nerdiest things about me.

When I was in my late teens early 20s, I'd already read through the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and I was ready to kick things up a notch. I wanted to stop reading and start studying.

But I didn't know how.

What are Gospel Lessons? Read the first one here!

Today's reading: 1 Samuel 17

"And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:40)

Today's lesson really isn't so much about metaphor itself as it is an examination of what the rock in this story stands for. Some of us have heard the story of David and Goliath since we were young. David has recently (and secretly) been anointed King of Israel. Still tending his family's flocks, his father sends him to deliver food to his three older brothers who are soldiers in Israel's army, which is in battle against the Philistines.

Today is our first Gospel Lesson! Your teacher is Brother Ben Hemmings, and his topic rocks! Wait, his topic actually is rocks...

Today's reading: 1 Peter 2:5-9

Every day we walk over them. They are pieces of earth that we don't always consider. They can comprise the footpaths we walk on or the area where we park our cars. They are still used as weapons and still stacked to build the walls and foundations of our houses.

PLEASE NOTE: We are trying something different with this article. It presents an interpretation of a portion of scripture that is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the view of The Church of Jesus Christ. It is intended to promote thought and perhaps discussion on this topic. Please consider this before leaving any comments. – Gospel Blog Ministry Review Team

I've always loved the Bible and Book of Mormon but have felt uncomfortable when reading scripture that says, "...after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations." (See 1 Nephi 12:22-23; see also Alma 3:6, 2 Nephi 5:21-22, Jacob 3:8, 3 Nephi 2:15-16, among many others.)

Did you ever wonder why Jesus sits at the right hand of God?

The writer to the Hebrews refers to the Day of Atonement when he spoke of "a remembrance again made of sins every year" (Hebrews 10:3). That was the greatest day in the year to a godly Hebrew. It was a time to mourn sin and put it away — for the whole nation of Israel.

But God did not want the sacrifices and offerings of a people whose hearts were far from Him. They had sinned and had "come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). A spotless Lamb was required to be the perfect and only sacrifice.

"Help! I want to read the scriptures more, but there are so many books and chapters, and I'm not sure where to start!"

Drawing closer to the Lord through the word of God is so applicable to our lives, but sometimes we struggle to fully dig into the word because — let's face it — there's so much in there! Here are a few suggestions to develop our studying habits:

A few Sundays ago, our minister preached about the Apostle Peter. Have you ever given Peter much thought? A lot of people have. He's one of the more popular apostles to study because he's so likeable. Brash, rash, quick to act, slow to think, Peter reminds us a lot of us.