Because They Knew Not

 1 Nephi 2:12
"And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them."

The reason we complain is because we don't understand. We don't understand how the Lord could possibly be giving us this trial for our own good
. Complaining is not a way to receive answers. Prayer is.

When You Lose Your Temper, You Lose

3 Nephi 12:25 "Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him..."

 "When you lose your temper, you lose."

How Merciful the Lord had Been in Warning Us

2 Nephi 1:3

"And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem."

We should be grateful for the warnings and advice we receive from the  apostles and prophets of our day, and of old. Warnings, oftentimes, are hard to bear. However, we should be grateful for them, and realize that greater things are in store. Lehi's family couldn't imagine the land of promise when they took that leap of faith and left Jerusalem. What leap of faith do we need to take? 

If we keep one foot in Jerusalem, it's not likely that we'll be able to arrive in the promised land. We can reach and stretch as far as we want.

2 Nephi 1:4 "I know that Jerusalem is destroyed, and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished."

How merciful the Lord has been in warning us that we should flee.

Take the Lord's advice and leave the petty things of the world behind.

And Thus It Is.

1 Nephi 22:31
"Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.

Obedience, endurance, salvation.
Unchangeable.
And thus it is.

By Their Fruits...

Matthew 7:20
"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

“And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good.” (Ether 4:12)

"Intelligence is the ability to use knowledge properly"
- Elder Royden G. Derrick

We make choices every day. We look at the output or results of something, and decide if it's worth it.
We look at a potential apartment, and if there is mold all over the walls, and the carpet smells weird, we don't buy it.  If we find a nice, clean apartment with good reviews, we decide to look into it further.

If only we would use this more with our gospel decisions. If we would look at the movies we are watching, realize the effects they could have on our minds, and realize the rampant problem of pornography around us, we might reconsider just fast-forwarding through the "bad parts."
If we found a cockroach baked into a cake, we wouldn't just eat around it, we would probably throw it away.

Look at the results.

Jacob 6:12 " O be wise; what can I say more?"

Karma

Alma 41:15

"For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all."

I believe in karma.

I believe that God controls everything, but karma, basically put, means that if you do good things, good things will happen to you. If you do bad things, "the universe" will punish you.

So it is with the gospel. It's that easy. Do good, obey the commandments; you will be rewarded.

In Their Weakest Fortifications

Alma 48:9

"And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites."

We know our weaknesses. How much better off would we be if we actively prepared and prayed each morning to face certain temptations throughout the day? If we prayed and planned out our reactions, I believe that a lot of meaningless sin could be avoided. Like having a budget helps to prevent impulse-buying, knowing our weaknesses, and actively fortifying against them would make an enormous impact on our lives.