"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the thing 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 commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7)

I had the opportunity to restart the Book of Mormon this week. And what a wonderful opportunity that truly is. As I read the verses that told of the story of Nephi retrieving the brass plates, I read several verses that could be applied to my life. This one in particular relates to all of the trials that we have in our lives. No matter how difficult the demands of life are, God doesn't give us any trials that we cannot handle. It's comforting to know that truth when hard times hit and it feels like we cannot overcome our hardships. God will not give us anything we cannot overcome with His help. That is just simply not part of His plan. He sent us here to have the agency to chose, yet at the same time is willing, able, and ready to assist us in our times of need.

I have noticed the Lord's hand in my life as I strive for excellence in all that I do. I know that the Lord is always looking out for me and is guiding my steps to help me return home. The best way to receive the strength to carry on is through daily scripture study and prayer. When we pray to God, we thank him for our many blessings and ask Him for things that we need. In return we receive answers through the scriptures. The motto I live by is "Pray like everything depends on God and work like everything depends on you".