tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21672868425717142042024-03-17T16:32:55.169-07:00Principles of the GospelDallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.comBlogger225125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-5407092278472204542024-03-17T11:27:00.001-07:002024-03-17T16:06:15.241-07:00The Lord Provides Abundantly When We Act<!--StartFragment-->
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d0-vz61wOT2JUI7b0Po2t0RguWKT5fgfQR8Pe-lMGg3_f4Uxb_Fm5GmW2TVr8pMpxgKZvPqInvDRQDlRhEA_3Jr8-5fIUYNKVU8xSfnRzgAx5W6sDHVf7jdULmYQxXDKtpxkC21VGTPYMBE4buCJSnWBc6DIoDesjrvmi9SGRV9ZIz4244dImSxQQns/s1024/1_o1dBEIBbMbCnyPrMhv_IFw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d0-vz61wOT2JUI7b0Po2t0RguWKT5fgfQR8Pe-lMGg3_f4Uxb_Fm5GmW2TVr8pMpxgKZvPqInvDRQDlRhEA_3Jr8-5fIUYNKVU8xSfnRzgAx5W6sDHVf7jdULmYQxXDKtpxkC21VGTPYMBE4buCJSnWBc6DIoDesjrvmi9SGRV9ZIz4244dImSxQQns/w400-h400/1_o1dBEIBbMbCnyPrMhv_IFw.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />As a boy, I delighted in making my parents feel old. It got
such a good reaction every time. I teased them about gray hairs and new
wrinkles and the aches and pains that come with age. These were beyond the
horizon of my own future and didn’t seem like anything I would ever need to
worry about, but I had a lot of fun asking my parents if they remembered when
the pyramids were built or if they knew anyone that fought in the Civil War.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now I can testify of Alma’s
words when he said, “that which ye do send out shall return unto you again”
(Alma 41:15). As I continue to age, my kids have carefully observed all of the signs
of my mortality and make sure I don’t forget about them. They used shocked
voices to exclaim that I was “born in the 1900s” or that something I like is
more than thirty years old. All of this is a just restoration of the judgements
I once made of my parents.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I did not anticipate is that my doctor would some day
join the fray. I was chagrined recently when I complained about a few things I
was experiencing and all he said was, “yeah, that happens.” As we talked, he
reminded me of a few basic pillars of health that help all of us enjoy a better
quality of life: We need to eat real food, get enough sleep each night, drink
plenty of water, and be sure to exercise.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is insightful to me to realize that none of these are
things we can make happen on our own. We can plant seeds in fertile soil, but
it is the Lord that makes nutritious grains, fruits, and vegetables grow. We
can have a relaxing bedtime routine, but the Lord gives us the gift of sleep. We
can dig a well, but the Lord sends the rain and snow to recharge the aquifers
we use. We can go for a walk or a hike, but the Lord’s consecrated creation is
what makes the right neurons fire or hormones flow so that exercise is a benefit
our bodies.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">King Benjamin taught that we depend on the Lord to provide our every breath and preserve our lives from moment to moment (Mosiah 2:21). Thankfully, the Lord who created the sands of the sea and the stars in the sky desires to bless us with his abundance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">King David declared:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me
beside the still waters.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name’s sake.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever </i>(Psalm 23).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps this is why the Lord taught the earliest
missionaries that they should take “no thought for the morrow, for what ye
shall eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed… For your
Father, who is in heaven, knoweth that you have need of all these things.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord continued, “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye
shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it
shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every
man" (D&C 84:80-85).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the end of his fourteen-year mission to the Lamanites,
Ammon confirmed that missionary success is a gift from God and not necessarily
something that we earn on our own. “Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth
faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without
ceasing—unto such it is <i>given</i> to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it
shall be <i>given</i> to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall
be <i>given</i> unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has
been <i>given</i> unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance” (Alma 26:22, <i>emphasis added</i>).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have to plant the seed, but the Lord is the one that
makes it grow. We have to dig the well, but the Lord is the one that makes the
water flow. We have to enter the covenants of baptism and confirmation, but He
is the one who blesses us with His spirit to be with us. We have to share our
testimony with others, but the Lord carries it to their hearts and helps them
know it is true. We have to go to the temple, but He is the one who reveals
truth to our minds and hearts and unites our families for eternity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord provides for his faithful children even in the most
difficult of circumstances. He provided the escape for the Israelites <i>through
</i>the Red Sea and then made manna fall from heaven and water splurge from a
rock to support them through the desert. Nephi wrote that, while his people
endured many hardships in the wilderness, they were able to have children and
“so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon
raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their
children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men” (1 Nephi 17:2).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nephi continued with his testimony that “thus we see that
the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of
men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and
provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them;
wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness”
(1 Nephi 17:3).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord invites us to come partake of his abundance, to
yoke ourselves to him so he can carry our burdens, and to ask, seek, and knock
so that we might receive, find, and have His door opened unto us. But we must
come, we must yoke ourselves to him, we must ask, seek, and knock, or at least
we must give our best effort with faith that he will make up for any shortfalls
we may have.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not for the faint of heart. He
expects that we will be tired sometimes, sacrifice some of our time and priorities, get a few grey hairs and experience some aches and pains as we strive, however
imperfectly, to follow in his footsteps and do His work.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The secret, which I have only learned in what my children
would call my “ripe old age,” is that it is not about us. The Lord has declared
that He can do His own work. None of us could stop the work from progressing
any more than we could stick our puny arm into the Mississippi River and change its
course.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet, it is all about us. We are His Work and His Glory. He
wants to provide us with strong testimonies and the protection of sacred
covenants. He wants us to experience the thrill of revelation and the joy of
helping someone change. He wants to provide the temporal things we need and
teach us about service, sacrifice, and consecration. He wants to bless us with
knowledge of the mysteries of His kingdom and inspiration that will help us
better understand the world around us. He wants to provide all of this and
more, ultimately, because He is our father and He, in his perfect love for us,
wants us to not only return to live with him but to be exalted above the stars
and enjoy the kind of life that He lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Living that kind of life, eternal life in the celestial
kingdom of God, means we must first learn to make the choices that will lead us
to exaltation. So He invites us to plant the seeds, make the covenants, share
our burdens, and lose ourselves in coming to Him. He promises that, if we give
our best effort and strive to keep the commandments, He will take it from
there. He will provide. If we have been merciful, we will have mercy restored
to us again. If we have been just, we will have justice restored to us again.
If we have been good, we will have goodness as our reward. “For that which ye
do send out shall return to you again, and be restored” (Alma 41:14-15). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For the record, I don’t remember when
the pyramids were built and I have never met anyone who fought in the Civil
War. But I have lived long enough to know by my own experience that God lives,
that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that they want to bless us with greater
abundance than we now enjoy, and that we can receive of that abundance as we
make acting with greater faith and focus on our Savior a priority in our lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<!--EndFragment-->Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-76621226236231893462024-02-04T18:30:00.000-08:002024-02-04T18:30:58.354-08:00The Lord Will Deliver Us<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkX0FPNIQphy3BkiMCYqnmLqkXFH_W8Pthi1gQibiEObbjlRW3rNVPFfMQl0nS7_UrKFAP0yzph4X4-CJQ3UXGDSzFlhBb8oJs96NTXiiZml3V1au2JOFO5WxAQzbx_8A8l5o9NMD7f3_v1gVmND1eLvwTRGRh2xu5V6vdFegqpJiZ2DijK_nEHxazBTI/s700/nephi-bound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="522" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkX0FPNIQphy3BkiMCYqnmLqkXFH_W8Pthi1gQibiEObbjlRW3rNVPFfMQl0nS7_UrKFAP0yzph4X4-CJQ3UXGDSzFlhBb8oJs96NTXiiZml3V1au2JOFO5WxAQzbx_8A8l5o9NMD7f3_v1gVmND1eLvwTRGRh2xu5V6vdFegqpJiZ2DijK_nEHxazBTI/w299-h400/nephi-bound.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Nephi Bound" by Jeremy Windborg</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There were many Sundays growing up when my family would
gather on the couch to watch Charlton Heston play the part of Moses in <i>The
Ten Commandments. </i>We watched a lot of westerns, so we knew Yul Brynner, who
played the part of Ramses, was a formidable opponent. Though the movie doesn’t
follow the scriptural account perfectly, we were always impressed by Joshua’s
courage, disgusted with Dathan’s lack of values, disappointed in the hardness
of the Pharoah’s heart, and amazed by the miracles the Lord used to deliver his
people from Egypt.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because we knew the story of Moses well, it became a
standard for the faith we should have in our family. When difficult challenges
came along, a parent or a sibling might say something like, “If the Lord could
deliver the Israelites, don’t you think He can help you with the challenge you
have now?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nephi gave the same encouragement to his murmuring brothers.
They had left their home and all their precious things behind. Now, near the
same Red Sea that the Lord parted to deliver the Israelites, they were
commanded to return for the brass plates. Laman and Lemuel did not believe they
could succeed, but Nephi urged them to have faith in the Lord. “Therefore let
us go up;” he said, “let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto
the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers
came through, out of captivity, on dry ground… Now behold ye know that this is
true… wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us,
even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians” (1 Nephi
4:2-3).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As readers of Nephi’s ancient record, we are promised in the
introductory first chapter that Nephi would show us “that the tender mercies of
the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to
make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Nephi 1:20). We then
learn that not only did the Lord deliver Nephi and his brothers from Laban through
Nephi’s faithful action, but Nephi’s family was delivered from Jerusalem before
it was destroyed because of the faith of his father, Zoram was delivered from
servitude because of his faith in what Nephi taught him, Nephi was faithfully
delivered from his brothers’ frequent persecutions, and future Gentiles,
including many of our ancestors, would act on the promptings of the spirit to
be delivered from captivity and cross the sea from Europe to the Americas.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In one of my favorite stories, Nephi, who says he was large
in stature, is bound with cords. With his physical strength neutralized,
Nephi’s strong faith won’t allow him to lose hope. He simply <i>knows</i> the
Lord will deliver him, though he doesn’t seem to know exactly how, so he prays,
“O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the
hands of my brethren; yea, even give me the strength that I may burst these
bands with which I am bound” (1 Nephi 7:17).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like Nephi, and maybe a lot of other guys, there are times
when the only way I can see out of a dilemma is if I were to turn into some
kind of superhero with the incredible strength of Superman or the Hulk. Nephi
knew the Lord could do it; and undoubtedly the Lord could have answered Nephi’s
prayer in this way. Instead, the Lord, whose ways are higher and often more
subtle than our ways, answered Nephi’s prayer for deliverance by loosening the
cords that held him captive.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Through Nephi’s life, the Israelites’ deliverance from
Egypt, other stories in the Book of Mormon, and often in our own lives, we can
observe at least <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ftsoy/2022/04/08-seven-ways-the-lord-can-deliver-you?lang=eng">seven
different ways</a> the Lord delivers us. We are delivered when our own hearts
are softened, as Nephi’s heart was softened to believe the words of his father
(1 Nephi 2:16). Sometimes others’ hearts are softened, like the Pharoah’s
daughter who retrieved Moses from the river and was moved to raise him as her
own (Exodus 2:1-10).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord can deliver us with strength to bear our physical,
mental and emotional burdens, like the women in Nephi’s family who were able to
bear, nurse and raise their children in the wilderness. The Lord can also give
us a way to escape, especially when we pray to escape temptation, even if it
means parting a metaphorical Red Sea to help us keep His commandments.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We can be delivered through inspiration to find a solution,
as Nephi’s family was delivered from hunger when he learned how to craft a new
bow. Or we may be delivered by someone else’s inspiration to help us, as Jethro
was inspired to help Moses learn to delegate authority or Laman and Lemuel were
inspired to help Nephi build a ship.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, the Lord can deliver us from uncertainty, worry and
fear through His miraculous power. The Lord blessed the Israelites with manna
from heaven and water from the rock. He sent an angel to deliver Nephi from his
abusive brothers. President Nelson has promised that “as [we] choose to let God
prevail in [our] lives, [we] will experience for [ourselves] that our God is ‘a
God of miracles’ (Mormon 9:11).”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nephi also wrote so that we could find another kind of
deliverance: “For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come
unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be
saved” (1 Nephi 6). In this purpose, Nephi is joined by all of the prophets who
wrote upon the pages that became the Book of Mormon.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mormon himself testified that the Book of Mormon was written
to persuade those in our day “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living
God,” that the biblical record of Christ’s ministry and Atonement are true, and
that we should “repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon
the gospel of Christ” (Mormon 5:14-15, 7:7-9). If we do this, we can be
delivered from death and hell and “it shall be well with [us] in the day of
judgment” (Moroni 7:10).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nephi had experience with this kind of deliverance. He
lamented that, “Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me
his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am!
Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine
iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins
which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth
because of my sins” (2 Nephi 4:17-19).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Nevertheless,” he continues, “I know in whom I have
trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions
in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh. He hath
confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me. Behold,
he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the
night-time” (2 Nephi 4:19-23).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps Nephi is the first author in the Book of Mormon so
that we will know his story well and his faith can become a standard for the
faith we should have in our lives. Like Nephi, our hearts have groaned because of
our sins and we have struggled with some of the challenges that come into our lives. Nevertheless, as we let God prevail in our lives, He
will deliver us as He delivered the children of Israel and as He delivered
Nephi. He will deliver us from our own hard hearts and from others’ harmful
intentions. He will calm our anxieties and help us escape temptation. He will
deliver us from our unbelief and ignorance, our sin, and our regret. He will
help us to have the courage of Joshua and to overcome even the most formidable
of the opponents to our salvation.</p><p></p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-6744653356540368962023-12-23T12:08:00.000-08:002023-12-23T12:08:16.954-08:00Wooden Shoes and the Abundance of Christ<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKZDBkhUwMi9F4Hf81RP6CzRHT8GqsaGSnUBumZj-M0Y2BC_V0_08BoGQXWoqWaCpe-eEOZKBlBvm2xgPZM8qcbSO5q0wUM42QTDQysBh55_MfUJckV_wlyimA7v3FSmv5sC9ch3sFAei4ujKhcV_Ue1dw__O4Cjuw-ofUzFiyXPzcn7fN3ZbZyXPlsE/s640/jesus_woman_samaritan_well.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="640" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKZDBkhUwMi9F4Hf81RP6CzRHT8GqsaGSnUBumZj-M0Y2BC_V0_08BoGQXWoqWaCpe-eEOZKBlBvm2xgPZM8qcbSO5q0wUM42QTDQysBh55_MfUJckV_wlyimA7v3FSmv5sC9ch3sFAei4ujKhcV_Ue1dw__O4Cjuw-ofUzFiyXPzcn7fN3ZbZyXPlsE/w400-h335/jesus_woman_samaritan_well.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Living Water" by Simon Dewey</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">Every year at Christmas, my family reads about the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Wooden-Shoes-Deborah-Rowley/dp/1590389905" target="_blank">Miracleof the Wooden Shoes</a>. The story takes place many years ago in Germany, where a
boy named Walter grappled with the responsibilities of manhood after his father
fell ill. He knew from his mother’s whispered conversations with the doctor
that his father was dying and Walter wanted to help his family however he
could. He began hoarding candle stubs that were discarded at school, digging
for forgotten carrots and turnips in the frozen ground of the garden until his
fingers were bloody, and searching for hours for a few dry sticks to heat his
home. It was not enough; the house was still cold and their stomachs were empty.
With so little, Walter was grown up enough to know that there would be no
Christmas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">When December 5<sup>th</sup> rolled around, Walter’s mother
reminded him to set out his shoes for St. Nicholas Day. In Germany, St.
Nicholas traditionally comes on December 6<sup>th</sup> and fills the
children’s shoes with candy. Walter didn’t want to upset his mother, so he made
some noise to hide his rebellion and went to bed.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Early the next morning, Walter’s mother called him from the
kitchen. “Schnell!” She called. “Quick! Come and see your wooden shoes.” He
found them on the doorstep full of enough candles to help his mother finish her
sewing at night. There were enough candles for a proper Advent wreath. With the
candles was a scroll, tied with a festive red ribbon, which quoted John 8:12,
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Walter and his mother were astonished. Neither of them knew
who had filled the shoes. It was a miracle.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">The next morning, Walter woke first. He put on his coat and
reached for his shoes so he could go find a few sticks for the stove, but his
shoes were gone. He could not find them anywhere. Cautiously, he opened the
front door and found them again on the doorstep, this time overflowing with
sticks. More wood was stacked nearby. In one of his shoes was a scroll, tied
with a festive red ribbon, which quoted Jeremiah 20:9, “His word was in mine
heart as a burning fire.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">For the second time, Walter and his mother were surprised
and grateful for the miracle they had received. Walter was able to build a fire
hot enough to heat the whole house, even his father’s bed in the back room.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Walter’s shoes were on the front step the next morning, too.
This time they were filled with bread, rolls, and lebkuchen. A pail of milk and
a basket of fruits and vegetables stood behind the shoes. This time, the scroll
quoted John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As Walter went to bed on the third day he set out his shoes
and hoped for another miracle, but when he awoke the shoes were empty. Walter’s
father was getting worse, even with the warmth and the food in the house. They
had enough to last a little while, but then what would they do?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That same day there was a knock on the door. On the porch
were two missionaries. Walter had seen them in town. When they looked longingly
at the warm fire, Walter knew he should let them in. One of the missionaries
reached into his satchel and pulled out a small scroll tied with a festive red
ribbon. Walter and his mother looked at each other in surprise as the
missionary began to read a verse from John 11: “I am the resurrection and the
life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Walter jumped to his feet and pointed at the scroll. “It was
you!” he exclaimed. “You are the one who filled my shoes. You gave us the three
scrolls.” The missionary shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know what you
mean,” he replied. “I found this scroll in my shoes this morning with a note to
visit your family today. I don’t know where it came from.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Walter and his mother decided to listen to the missionaries
as they taught them about a prophet named Joseph Smith who had restored
Christ’s true church to the earth, including the keys of the priesthood. They gave
Walter’s father a priesthood blessing and returned many more times to teach
Walter and his family.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Walter’s father soon recovered and the family embraced the
gospel message. One more scroll appeared on Christmas morning. Walter’s shoes
were filled with chocolates and candy. The scroll read, “Wherefore, if ye shall
press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold,
thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like Walter and his family, we all have five basic needs to
sustain our lives: light, water, air, shelter, and food. Without one or more of
these, we will not survive; and even when we have them today, we have no
guarantees that we will have what we need to thrive tomorrow. Any of us could
be affected by an illness, a turn in the economy, a wildfire, flood or drought,
or some other change to our circumstances.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a world of scarcity, where everything we need is
consumable and fleeting, the Savior promises us eternal abundance and invites
us to share that abundance with others.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Abinadi taught that “[Jesus Christ] is the light and life of
the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and
also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death” (Mosiah 16:9). Joseph
Smith wrote that Christ is, “the light and Redeemer of the world; the spirit of
truth, … and in him was the life of men and the light of men” (D&C 93:9). “Therefore,”
the Savior invites us to, “hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.
Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” (3
Nephi 18:24).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At Jacob’s Well, the Savior taught that “Whosoever drinketh
of this [well] shall thirst again, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be
in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:9-15). He
explained that “unto him that keepeth my commandments will I give the mysteries
[or covenants] of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living
water, springing up unto everlasting life” (D&C 63:23).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are invited to follow the iron rod of His Word to “the
fountain of living waters” (1 Nephi 11:25), where we may covenant to keep his
commandments in the waters of baptism. He promises that “if [we] will come, [we]
may, and partake of the waters of life freely” (D&C 10:66). As we do so, he
also requires us to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord testified that He, “formed man from the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a
living soul” (Moses 3:7). Jesus Christ is our Creator and “in him [is] life”
(John 1:4). He preserves and sustains all living things by lending them breath
from day to day and moment to moment (Genesis 7:22, Mosiah 2:21, Acts 17:25).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet, His work and His glory is the immortality and <i>eternal
</i>life of each of us (Moses 1:39). He invites us to have unshaken faith in
Him and “do the things which… your Lord and your Redeemer should do… For the
gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then
cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye
in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life…” (2 Nephi
31:17-18). When we are converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and steadfastly walking
the covenant path, “having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and
of all men” (1 Nephi 31:20), the Lord admonishes us to “strengthen [our]
brethren” (Luke 22:32).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, is “a sure
foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12).
He testified, “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1).
He is the founder of the house of Israel, and of Zion, and he will gather us,
“as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return
unto me will full purpose of heart” (3 Nephi 10:6).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the shelter of His holy temples, we can rest from the
cares of the world and enjoy peace, like a river, unto our souls (Isaiah 48:18,
D&C 121:7). We can extend that peace to our families and others we have
never met through vicarious ordinances. He promises that “in my Father’s house
are many mansions” (John 14:2) and that one day, if we are faithful, we will be
“received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest,
a state of peace, where [we] shall rest from all [our] troubles and from all
care and sorrow” (Alma 40:12) and return to a kingdom of eternal glory (D&C
76, Revelation 7:14-17).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, the Lord testified that He is the bread of life (John
6:35). “Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the
tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life
freely; Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness” (Alma
5:34-35).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He invites us to feast of his abundance: to “feast upon the
words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what
ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3); to “lift up your heads and receive the pleasing
word of God, and feast upon his love” (Jacob 3:2); and to “feast upon that
which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in
fatness” (2 Nephi 9:51).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we have tasted of the bread of life, like manna from
heaven, that fills our soul with “exceedingly great joy” (1 Nephi 8:11-12), we
are also invited to bring forth works of righteousness in service to Him. “For
the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye make
walk guiltless before God,” King Benjamin advised, “I would that ye should impart
of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such
as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering
to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants”
(Mosiah 4:26). For “inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my
brethren,” the Savior taught, “ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To His servant, Simon Peter, Christ taught that if we love
him, we will feed his lambs and feed his sheep (John 21:15-17). To us, Peter
echoed that we should, “feed the flock of God which is among you,” not by
constraint, but by persuasion and by our own examples (1 Peter 5:2-3).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Without our Savior, Jesus Christ, we are like Walter and his
family. We can figuratively dig in the frozen ground for forgotten carrots and
search the forest for a few sticks, but the relative scarcity of even our best
and most successful efforts cannot save us and our families from physical death
nor the separation from God imposed by our own sinful behavior.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We need the abundance our Savior offers us through His servants.
We need the light of his example, the unwilted strength of his covenants, the
life his breath sustains, the shelter of His gospel, and the nutrition of his
word. He offers everything we need to live, temporally and
spiritually—everything we need to overcome sin and death—in such abundance
that, if we are faithful, “there shall not be room enough to receive it”
(Malachi 3:10).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John
14:6), but is he the way we have chosen, the truth we believe, and the center
of the life we live? Do we recognize the miracles in our lives? When he stands knocking
at the figurative door of our lives (Revelation 3:20), do we let him in and
allow him to teach us how to change? Do we study and live His gospel with
scarcity, maybe on Sundays or certain holidays, or do we strive to consecrate all
that we have throughout the year and during each day to taste of His fruit, hold
up His light, and feed His lambs?</p><p class="MsoNormal">Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life, the light of
the world, the living water, the breath of life, a sure foundation and shelter
from the storm, and the bread of life. Because He lives, there is healing for
our sicknesses and heartaches. Because He lives, we can be forgiven for our
sins and strengthened in our shortcomings. Because He lives, His church is
restored with covenants and ordinances to unite our families with His love. Because
He lives, we can live eternally in the presence and glory of God. Because of a
sacred, silent night in Bethlehem, there will be a Christmas this year and we
can live each day in the abundance provided by our Savior, Jesus Christ.</p></div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-68441778502163373282023-11-03T10:28:00.005-07:002023-11-23T10:09:09.633-08:00Gardening, Covenants, and Enduring Love<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OSBnkSJjrMI8T0D4mnV47NWllaJKizM4gMQO3VTLKQRMINwSu1wi1CzC-N0eUh2qpiWTFCXfwLdKHmNPP4icBGYeSYNFmPsAIinIXW6ToQF9B-u7WILv6JoFSXgM1x82m_SA58o1q0dYfq-TdRpwSroyo4CJrC2u-eNtkLhUSfebGW-pC4rSNNAOaMY/s600/nurtured-by-the-word-greg-olsen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OSBnkSJjrMI8T0D4mnV47NWllaJKizM4gMQO3VTLKQRMINwSu1wi1CzC-N0eUh2qpiWTFCXfwLdKHmNPP4icBGYeSYNFmPsAIinIXW6ToQF9B-u7WILv6JoFSXgM1x82m_SA58o1q0dYfq-TdRpwSroyo4CJrC2u-eNtkLhUSfebGW-pC4rSNNAOaMY/w400-h320/nurtured-by-the-word-greg-olsen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Nurtured by the Word" by Greg Olsen</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">After graduating from BYU, our family moved to Arizona to be
closer to some extended family living there. We could only afford a small
apartment at first, so, anxious to be self-reliant and care for our young
family's needs, we asked a family member if we could use some of their backyard
for a garden. They agreed and we got started.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The sunbaked earth in Mesa, Arizona, isn’t exactly dirt and
it certainly isn’t soil for a garden. It’s much more like clay, which meant we
really had our work cut out for us. We borrowed a tiller to start breaking up
the chunks of ground and mixing in soil and fertilizer. We researched what to
plant and when to plant it. We made furrows for planting squash, set up strings
for the pea plants to climb, bought wire cages for the tomatoes, and built
mounds for the melons and cucumbers. It was perhaps a bigger project than we
expected, so we were delighted when we had finally put the last seed in the
ground.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, planting was only the beginning. We had arranged
for our family member to help water the plants during the week, but we still needed to
visit at least weekly to weed and care for the plants. It was always incredible
to see how many weeds could grow in a single week, especially when nothing had
grown in that spot for years (or maybe ever). The weeds grew so fast, I
sometimes lectured the plants under my breath that if they would just grow like
the weeds did maybe we could be harvesting by now. The plants didn’t seem to
listen, so back we’d go with our one-year-old son to pull what we hoped would
mostly be weeds and attend to any other needs in our little garden.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After a while, the excitement completely wore off. With busy
work, graduate school, and church schedules, it was easy to wish we could spend
what free time we had doing something fun or relaxing as a family. There were
days when I would have volunteered to do nothing rather than going to care for
the garden, but we knew we wouldn't harvest much if the weeds took over. So,
while we slacked off a little here and there, we kept going most weeks to do
what needed to be done in our little garden.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Excitement returned when the first zucchini were ready to be
harvested. They were so big and so good! The squash and tomatoes soon followed.
Though the results were delayed, we were grateful for the garden that gave us
so much good food.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also began to see how even occasional negligence had
diminished what the garden could have been. If we had set up shade for the
cucumbers and peas in time, they might not have withered in the hot Arizona
sun. If we had been there to get the melons off the ground when they first
began to grow, the bottoms may not have rotted. We didn't intend for these
things to happen when we decided to skip a day in the garden, but they were the
natural consequences of our inconsistent care.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our marriages can be like a garden. As I share some
principles in the context of marriage, I invite you to think about your
relationship with your spouse, if you have one, or, if you are presently
single, your part in the covenant marriage relationship the Lord will give you,
when the time is right, if you desire it. C.S. Lewis observed:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best
thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You
cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but it is
still a feeling.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>Now no feeling can be relied on to last in its full
intensity, or even to last at all. Knowledge can last, principles can last,
habits can last but feelings come and go. And in fact, whatever people say, the
state called ‘being in love’ usually does not last. If the old fairy-tale
ending ‘They lived happily ever after’ is taken to mean ‘They felt for the next
fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,’ then it
says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable
if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What
would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships?<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>But, of course, ceasing to be ‘in love’ need not mean
ceasing to love. Love in this second sense—love as distinct from ‘being in love’—is
not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately
strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners ask, and
receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments
when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not
like yourself.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>They can retain this love even when each would easily, if
they allowed themselves, be ‘in love’ with someone else. ‘Being in love’ first
moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the
promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love
was the explosion that started it.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of engines, most of us think of our cars, and the
engines in them, as an investment. That isn’t strictly true from a financial
management perspective, but we treat our vehicles as investments anyway. It
costs a lot of money to buy a car. We probably took some time with our last
vehicle purchase to research which one could fit enough passengers, had the
right mileage or price or color, and any other features that were important to
us. When we found the one we wanted, we signed the purchase agreement and were
excited to drive it home.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Anyone who has ever owned a car knows that they require
consistent care and maintenance. We make sure there is gas in the tank and air
in the tires. We make sure the oil gets changed when it should and that the
tires get rotated. The brakes and air filters need to be replaced periodically
and the fluids need to be topped off. Every so often, you make sure to wash and
wax the car and vacuum the inside. Sometimes your car needs new windshield
wipers or spark plugs or a new windshield altogether. Some of us may have put
covers over the seats and steering wheel to protect the interior. When
collisions or malfunctions occur, we try to fix them if we can. We are always
working on our cars because we know they represent a significant investment of
our resources and we want them to last; and in the hands of a skilled mechanic,
they can last for decades. In fact, if we care for them well enough, they
become an investment even from a financial management perspective.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a similar way, each of us probably did some research when
we were dating our spouse to make sure they had the characteristics and
features that were important to us. We fell in love, signed our legally-binding
marriage certificate, and were excited for our new life together. This was the
planting, the explosion that got our engines running. Our marriages will
require consistent care and maintenance if we are to experience the deep unity
of enduring love and become "one flesh" (D&C 49:16), as the Lord
directs, after the excitement of being in love wears off.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2006, then-Elder Russell M. Nelson taught that,
"marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other
human relationship. Yet some married couples fall short of their full
potential. They let their romance become rusty, take each other for granted,
allow other interests or clouds of neglect to obscure the vision of what their
marriage really could be. Marriages [like gardens] would be happier if nurtured
more carefully" (Nurturing Marriage, April 2006).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Elder Nelson went on to suggest that we could more carefully
nurture our marriages by understanding the doctrinal foundations for marriage
and then taking specific actions to strengthen our relationship. He taught:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>Marriage is the foundry for social order, the fountain of virtue, and the foundation for eternal exaltation. Marriage has been divinely designated as an eternal and everlasting covenant. Marriage is sanctified when it is cherished and honored in holiness. That union is not merely between husband and wife; it embraces a partnership with God. 'Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other' </i>(The Family: A Proclamation to the World). <i>Children born of that marital union are 'an heritage of the Lord' </i>(Psalms 127:3). <i>Marriage is but the beginning bud of family life; parenthood is its flower. And that bouquet becomes even more beautiful when graced with grandchildren. Families may become as eternal as the kingdom of God itself.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>Marriage is both a commandment and an exalting principle of the gospel... True happiness [in marriage] is predicated upon personal purity... Marriage should ever be a covenant to lift husbands and wives to exaltation in celestial glory.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>Marriage was intended by the Lord to endure beyond physical death... Priesthood offices, keys, callings, and quorums are meant to exalt families. Priesthood authority has been restored so that families can be sealed eternally.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">With these doctrinal underpinnings, we can take specific
actions to improve our marriages. In his 2006 talk, Elder Nelson suggested that
we could learn to better appreciate one another, better communicate with one
another, and spend more time contemplating together the sacred covenants we
have made. Each of us might consider these invitations and any other ways we
might feel we can nurture our relationships in a spirit of selflessness and
generosity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Now, in cars, love, and gardening, we don’t always get the
ideal scenario. Some seeds are planted by professionals in the fertile soils of
the Salinas or San Joaquin Valleys and others are left for amateurs to bury in
the hard clay of Arizona. Some seeds may seem to grow well for a while and then
become choked by weeds or begin to wither under the heat of some intense
pressure; but whatever our circumstance, our seeds will grow when we
appropriately and consistently nurture, weed, and care for them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">President Gordon B. Hinckley shared this quote from Jenkin
Lloyd Jones in a speech at BYU in 1973:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste
a lot of time running around shouting that he [or she] has been robbed. The
fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up
to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of
mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>Life is just like an old-time rail journey… delays,
sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by
beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord
for letting you have the ride.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">To be clear, this does not excuse marital abuse, neglect, or
infidelity. In a relationship between a married couple and the Lord, these
offenses are grievous sins against your spouse and against the Lord. The Lord
makes it clear that it would have been better for us to have not been born than
to commit such offenses, and especially to do so and leave them without
correction and the most sincere and difficult kind of repentance. He makes it
equally clear that, while we are all required to forgive those who have
offended us, we are not required to continue to endure or return to an abusive
relationship. Any sort of manipulation that is strung together to make you
think otherwise is just that—manipulation. It is not inspired. It is not from
God.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elder
Holland taught, “In a dating and courtship relationship, I would not have
you spend five minutes with someone who belittles you, one who is constantly
critical of you, one who is cruel at your expense and may even call it humor.
Life is tough enough without the person who is supposed to love you leading the
assault on your self-esteem, your sense of dignity, your confidence, and your
joy. In this person’s care, you deserve to feel physically safe and emotionally
secure.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But outside of those situations, which one would hope are more rare
than common, it helps to remember that planting is only the beginning.
"[Love] is a deep unity maintained by the will and deliberately
strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners ask, and
receive, from God." So what thoughts and desires do you allow to direct
your will? What habits have you built to deliberately strengthen your
relationship with your spouse? Are you asking the Lord for his grace and
blessing in your prayers? Are you treating your relationship with the
consistency and attentiveness you would give to a great investment? In the
words of a local football coach, can you win with the effort that you are giving?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elder David A. Bednar has taught that "we grow to love
those whom we serve" (If Ye Had Known Me, October 2016). If we start to
feel like our relationships are mostly smoke and cinders, selflessly serving
our spouse with the same diligence we might give a new car or a nice garden
will help us clear the weeds and get us back on track.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whether married or single, we should also be mindful that Christ compares our relationship with him to a marriage. Conversion
for many of us requires some research. If we "give place, that a seed may
be planted in [our hearts], behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if
[we] do not cast it out by [our] unbelief... behold, it will begin to swell
within [our] breasts... [and we] will begin to say within [ourselves]-- It must
needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth
to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it
beginneth to be delicious to me" (Alma 32:28).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are excited when we are baptized and enter an
eternally-binding covenant relationship with our Savior. That union is not
between ourselves and our Savior alone; it embraces a partnership with God. Most
of us have patches of hard clay in our hearts, which means
we have our work cut out for us. The Savior invites us to take his yoke upon
ourselves so that he can help us carry our burdens. He invites us to put our
lives in His hands-- the hands of the Master Gardener and Skilled Mechanic for
our hearts. But this is only the planting, the explosion that gets our engines
running. Consistent care, maintenance and nurturing is needed if we are to
"be one" with Christ (John 17:20-21).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We can more carefully nurture our relationship with Christ
as we seek in the scriptures, through the words of the prophets, and in sincere
prayer, to understand the doctrinal underpinnings of our covenants with Him and
then take specific actions to strengthen our relationship. We might consider
developing more gratitude for the blessings the Lord has given us, learning to
better communicate with Him and hear His voice, spending more time
contemplating the sacred covenants we have made, and any other ways we might
feel we can nurture our relationship in a spirit of humility and selflessness. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our relationship with our Savior brings greater
possibilities for happiness than any other relationship we can have. That
happiness as a covenant disciple of Christ is predicated upon our personal
purity. Our covenants with God include the gift of the Holy Ghost, who will
sanctify us and lead us to make and keep sacred covenants in the temple that
are designed to lift us to exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet, sometimes we let our relationship with Christ fall
short of its full potential. In the months and years following our baptism, we
often do not always feel the same burning spiritual confirmation, or
"swelling motions," that helped us know the truth of the gospel of
Jesus Christ and its restoration in modern times. Our lives get busy and we
sometimes don't want to do the spiritual work to maintain our relationship with
Him. We allow clouds of neglect to obscure the vision of what our relationship
with Him could be.</p><p class="MsoNormal">When we are inconsistent in maintaining our relationship
with Christ, we sometimes miss blessings we could have otherwise received. Deep
unity in our relationship with Christ is maintained by the will and
deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which we ask, and
receive, from God. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what thoughts and desires do you allow to direct your
will? What habits have you built to deliberately strengthen your relationship
with Christ? Are you treating your covenant relationship with the consistency
and attentiveness you would give to a great investment? Can you win with the
effort you are giving?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we start to feel like our relationship
with Christ is smoke and cinders, we can remember Elder Bednar's teaching that
"selflessly serving others counteracts the self-centered and selfish
tendencies of the natural man. We grow to love those whom we serve. And because
serving others is serving God, we grow to love Him and our brothers and sisters
more deeply [when we serve]. Such love is a manifestation of the spiritual gift
of charity, even the pure love of Christ" (If Ye Had Known Me, October
2016). God knows this and wants us to be wildly successful, so he has asked us
to promise, and even to covenant, that we will bear one another’s burdens,
mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort
(Mosiah 18:8-10). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our relationships with God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, are
reflected in the way we love one another. We cannot love God while we are
belittling or criticizing His children—and that means any of His children for
any reason, regardless of our age, relationships, political views, cultural
heritage, or anything else. We cannot ignore our covenants to minister and
serve one another without some blessings withering or rotting on the vine. And
similarly, we cannot deny the Lord time together in prayer, scripture study,
and in the temple, and expect to have oil in our lamps to light the way today,
particularly through our darkest times, and be prepared for when He comes
again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thankfully, the opposite is also true. A kind word or a
plate of cookies can connect us with our brothers and sisters and bring joy
into our lives and theirs. Helping someone complete a project or a chore can
build fellowship and understanding. I have seldom given a priesthood blessing
when I did not feel the love of the Lord for the person receiving that
blessing. Careful scripture study, sincere prayers, and devoted temple
attendance bring peace and faith into our lives. Each of these things—joy,
love, patience, understanding, peace, and faith—are fruits of the Spirit of the
Lord (Galations 5:22-23) and evidence of His forgiveness for us and our relationship with Him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Though our effort to nurture the garden in Arizona was
imperfect, the consistency of that effort led to a bountiful harvest that was
likely much more than we deserved. To this day, we still don't know how we got
so many zucchini! In a similar way, though our effort will not always be
perfect, the Lord has promised those who consistently keep their covenants with
Him, and with their spouses, that their relationships will endure beyond the
grave. They will have happiness in peace through the trials of this life and throughout eternity. Together,
as one flesh united with God, they will inherit all that He has, certainly more
than any of us could ever deserve, and the bud of their marriage will flower
into the abundant garden of their posterity (D&C 132:19).</p><p></p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-78552377427967908802023-03-26T15:46:00.003-07:002023-03-26T15:46:33.939-07:00Following Christ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSDdcqJ2enfF7WfQKnuloZ2aCZzSWHWumoVRfOcy3kJR8Mm-o5WGI08jHoi2TgdP_gsK1JL4ot6RBZOuja534w-hqW03WQb7KceLqgO03d-ebaQILwW31sJwL5SK7TplMKyPox6BCmcDLllKdtvQ2k4HOJ_ePrzJgTm7PoU1SpIEDKVusfsGn_unv/s1024/fisher-of-men-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSDdcqJ2enfF7WfQKnuloZ2aCZzSWHWumoVRfOcy3kJR8Mm-o5WGI08jHoi2TgdP_gsK1JL4ot6RBZOuja534w-hqW03WQb7KceLqgO03d-ebaQILwW31sJwL5SK7TplMKyPox6BCmcDLllKdtvQ2k4HOJ_ePrzJgTm7PoU1SpIEDKVusfsGn_unv/w400-h225/fisher-of-men-1024x576.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>As we have studied the New Testament again this year, it has been interesting to read again about how Christ called each of his disciples. He called Matthew as he passed by the tax office where Matthew worked. The Lord called Phillip and Phillip brought Nathanael, who believed when Christ told him about a private moment he had under a fig tree. Andrew believed the preaching of John the Baptist and brought his brother, Simon Peter, to meet the Messiah. The Lord later called Andrew, Peter, James, and John, from their fishing boats after performing a miracle to fill their nets with fish.</div><br /> Though each of these men would eventually be ordained as apostles, they were first called to be disciples. Others were called too: Mary called Magdalene, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward, Susanna, Salome, and many others recognized the Savior and accepted the call to follow him (Luke 8:2-3). <br /><br /> So what was it these disciples were called to do? <br /><br /> To the fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James, and John, the Lord called, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18). To Matthew, son of Alpheas, as with Phillip, Nathanael, and others, the Lord said simply, “follow me.” To the rich young ruler, the Lord called, “Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Indeed, “if any man will come after me,” the Lord taught, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16). <br /><br /> Following Christ is more than just believing in him. It is doing the things that he did during his life and that he would do again if he were here with us today. Alma taught that the members of Christ’s church follow him when they “are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death” and enter into covenants to serve him and keep his commandments (Mosiah 18:8-10). <br /><br /> Each of us is a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ who has accepted the call to follow him and covenanted through baptism and temple ordinances to serve him and keep his commandments. So what do you think it is that he has called you and I to do? That is, what would Christ do if he were to come to our community today? <br /><br /> I believe he would minister to us like he did to the people he visited in 3 Nephi. He would command “that none of you should go away, but rather… that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see” (3 Nephi 18:25). He would administer the sacrament and minister especially to our children and youth. He would teach us and perform miracles. He would invite the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and admonish us to put an end to all contention, to love one another, and to hold up our light, which is Christ, that it may shine unto the world (3 Nephi 18:24). <br /><br />The invitation to us is to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and come and follow Christ. Come and do the things that he would do if he were here. Set aside the cares of the world and come learn the word of God. Let go of criticism, cynicism, and doubt and come, minister to one another with love, especially for our children and youth. Come partake of the sacrament each week and invite the spirit into your life to change your heart. Come perform miracles. Come hold up your light and witness of Christ at all times and in all things and in all places. <br /><br /> After they had received the priesthood, Christ sent his disciples on assignments to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. He admonished them to preach as they went and charged them to, “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, [and] cast out devils” (Matthew 10:6-8). They returned rejoicing and astonished at the miracles they had performed in the name of Christ (Luke 9:10, 10:17). <br /><br /> Yet, on another occasion, a “certain man” approached the Savior and begged on his knees: “Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him” (Matthew 17:15-16). <br /><br /> After the Lord had rebuked the devil and cured the child, the disciples asked why they had not been successful. “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:18-21). <br /><br /> We can pray and fast for direction and courage to share the gospel. Surely Christ would be anxiously engaged in this work if he were in our community; and He is just as anxious to teach us what to do and guide us to those He has prepared. Just as a tiny mustard seed grows into a large seed, at least some of our fasting and prayer today must be for the faith to believe that, as we follow Christ and do the things he would do, our ward can grow into something greater than it is. <br /><br />President Ballard once related the following story in General Conference: <br /><br /> “Some years ago a faithful convert, Brother George McLaughlin, was called to preside over a small branch of 20 members in Farmingdale, Maine. He was a humble man, driving a milk delivery truck for a living. Through his fasting and earnest prayer, the Spirit taught him what he and the members of his branch needed to do to help the Church grow in their area. Through his great faith, constant prayer, and powerful example, he taught his members how to share the gospel. <br /><br /> “It’s a marvelous story, one of the great missionary stories of this dispensation. In just one year there were 450 convert baptisms in the branch. The next year there were an additional 200 converts. … Just five years later, the Augusta Maine Stake was organized. Much of the leadership of that new stake came from those converts in the Farmingdale Branch. <br /><br /> “Now we might ask why there was such great success in those days, and the answer may be because of the urgent need to strengthen the Church. Let me assure you that that same urgency in all units of the Church is every bit as critical today as it was then” (April 2003). <br /><br /> President Nelson has promised that “as [we] choose to let God prevail in [our] lives, [we] will experience for [ourselves] that our God is ‘a God of miracles’ (Mormon 9:11” (Let God Prevail, October 2020). He taught on another occasion: “the Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him, ‘doubting nothing’. Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith. I promise that you can experience for yourself that Jesus Christ ‘giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he ‘increaseth strength’.” <br /><br /> The Lord has called each of us to follow Him and do the things He would do if He were in our community. He is the Good Shepherd and He wants us to find his lost sheep of the house of Israel. Some of those lost sheep are members of our families, others are members of our ward, and still more are in our community looking for the truth, but they know not where to find it. <br /><br /> Elder Stevenson has taught us how to follow Christ and reach out to these lost sheep: <br /><br /> “The first thing we can do is love as Christ loved… By demonstrating Christ’s love to others, we may cause those who see our good works to ‘glorify [our] Father which is in heaven’. We do this expecting nothing in return. <br /><br /> “Our hope, of course, is they will accept our love and our message, though how they react is not within our control… Through Christlike love for others, we preach the glorious, life-transforming properties of Christ’s gospel, and we participate significantly in the fulfilling of His great commission. <br /><br /> “The second thing we can do is share… We all share things with others. We do it often. We share what movies and food we like, funny things we see, places we visit, art we appreciate, quotes we’re inspired by… <br /><br /> “Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained: ‘If someone asks about your weekend, don’t hesitate to talk about what you experienced at church. Tell about the little children who stood in front of a congregation and sang with eagerness how they are trying to be like Jesus. Talk about the group of youth who spent time helping the elderly in rest homes to compile personal histories’. <br /><br /> “Sharing isn’t about ‘selling’ the gospel. You don’t have to write a sermon or correct someone’s incorrect perceptions. When it comes to missionary work, God doesn’t need you to be His sheriff; He does, however, ask that you be His sharer.” <br /><br /> “The third thing you can do is invite… There are hundreds of invitations we can extend to others. We can invite others to ‘come and see’ a sacrament service, a ward activity, an online video that explains the gospel of Jesus Christ. ‘Come and see’ can be an invitation to read the Book of Mormon or visit a new temple during its open house… Sometimes the invitation is something we extend inward—an invitation to ourselves, giving us awareness and vision of opportunities surrounding us to act upon. <br /><br /> “In our digital age, members often share messages through social media. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of uplifting things you might find worthy of sharing. This content offers invitations to ‘come and see.’ ‘come and serve,’ and ‘come and belong.’” <br /><br /> As we each deny ourselves, take up our cross, and strive to follow Christ and share his gospel, we will experience miracles in our lives and in our communities.<br />Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-84413388071311408152023-03-19T22:46:00.001-07:002023-03-19T22:46:07.950-07:00Heroic Lessons on Longevity, Truth, and Opposition<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk7WSff_39rDcBvU_cfYS6nmF76H5_ljL14n7JB52RxV6fbYaMzS9PRgf8rmfGBSe7nBd95Q3rV-4-wl18ITXAbcuZDWYd_lPEpYq5uBcO1u-C4npMdiEJ031Zg5uzWehUit665Zfxi2TGnSnbuAZY_z-cgZS9YXaOxMcBU25XV2BmqRrREbOHm_x/s640/people_walking_mountain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="640" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk7WSff_39rDcBvU_cfYS6nmF76H5_ljL14n7JB52RxV6fbYaMzS9PRgf8rmfGBSe7nBd95Q3rV-4-wl18ITXAbcuZDWYd_lPEpYq5uBcO1u-C4npMdiEJ031Zg5uzWehUit665Zfxi2TGnSnbuAZY_z-cgZS9YXaOxMcBU25XV2BmqRrREbOHm_x/w400-h259/people_walking_mountain.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Credit: David Green</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Recently, I had some time on a long flight to watch a
National Geographic series with Chris Hemsworth, the actor known for his role
as Thor in the Marvel comic movies. Over six episodes, the on-screen hero completed
several extreme challenges in real life that were designed to test his limits
and help him learn the key principles for a long and healthy life.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the first episode, Hemsworth, who is afraid of heights,
trained to walk on a crane perched high above a thirty-story building. As he trained,
he learned about intentional breathing, positive self-talk, mindfulness and
other practices that could help him control his anxiety and overcome his body’s
natural stress response. After a rough start on the crane, he was able to use
the principles he had practiced to calm his heart rate and even stop to take in
the view.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the following episodes, Hemsworth swam 250 meters in an
ice-cold Norwegian sea, fasted for four days, climbed an 100-foot rope dangling
from a cable car that was suspended over a large canyon, and navigated two days
across an unfamiliar wilderness from memory. Along the way, he learned that
exposing our bodies to extreme temperatures, like in a sauna, or something as
simple as turning the water to cold for the last thirty seconds of a shower,
can encourage our body to upgrade its defenses and power up repair systems in
ways that can reduce the risk of disease and add years to our lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fasting on a regular basis can clean out old and damaged
cells from our bodies, sharpen our focus, and heighten our senses and
perception. When we exercise, every flex of our muscles releases chemicals that
prevent buildup of unwanted fat, suppress certain cancers, strengthen our minds
against Alzheimer’s and dementia, and stimulate the immune system to work
better and longer.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ditching our cell phones and other screens to navigate to a
new place without GPS, spend time in nature or adopt a healthier bedtime
routine can build memory, problem-solving, and concentration. It reduces stress,
improves sleep, and helps remove toxins from our brains.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Understanding the principles that govern physical longevity
can help famous actors, and each of us, make better decisions and live longer
and healthier lives. In a similar way, we can enjoy greater peace in our lives,
the fruits of greater wisdom, and deeper and more meaningful relationships with
God and one another as we learn the principles that govern spiritual,
intellectual, and social/emotional health and prosperity. All of these
principles are known to our Heavenly Father and can be revealed to us as we
seek to learn by study and by faith.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the principles that inspired a feeling of gratitude
as I watched the show on the plane is that there are absolute, eternal laws
that govern the universe and the way the world works. This is to say that true
principles are true regardless of how many people believe them or even if no
one does.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elder Andersen has taught, “Caught it today’s confusion, it
is no wonder that so many consign themselves to the words spoken 2,500 years ago
by Protagoras to the young Socrates: ‘What is true for you,’ he said, ‘is true
for you, and what is true for me, is true for me.’”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Blessed with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we humbly
declare that there are some things that are completely and absolutely true.
These eternal truths are the same for every son and daughter of God” (<i>The
Eye of Faith</i>, April 2019).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because eternal laws govern the universe independent of what
you or I understand or believe, I don’t have to know exactly how exercise benefits
my body, or perceive its effects working within me, to receive the benefits or
blessings of going for a walk. And if I make a habit of going for a walk each
day, those seemingly small blessings compound into a significant benefit to my
health.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Likewise, we don’t have to understand exactly how prayer
works or everything the prophets have taught or every bend along the covenant
path to benefit from a sincere prayer, faithfully following the living prophet,
and taking the next step in the plan for our salvation. If we make a habit of
simple acts of faith, including daily scripture study and prayer, even when we
may not perceive their effects in the moment, seemingly small blessings will
compound into a firm foundation built upon the Lord Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another principle that impressed me as I watched the
National Geographic series is the role of opposition in our lives. Lehi taught
that “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things… Wherefore,
the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could
not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the
other” (2 Nephi 2:11, 16).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We correctly understand that Lehi meant we would be enticed
by righteousness or wickedness, happiness or misery, life or death, law or
anarchy, good or bad. Chris Hemsworth faced a similar question in his study of
a long and healthy life: would he be enticed to stay where he was comfortable
or try to achieve something difficult and uncomfortable that would bless his
life?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Popular opinion tells us that we should all aspire to a life
of ease and comfort with lots of money and little work. If we can do this on a picturesque
tropical island where it is always 72 degrees or sleep in every day or never be
inconvenienced along the way, all the better. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our own bodies would teach us something different. The life
of ease, it turns out, clogs our arteries, dulls our decision-making, and makes
us more susceptible to disease and death. It is the uncomfortable things—the
stress, extreme temperatures, hunger, effort, and unfamiliar terrain—that renew
our minds and bodies and develop our capacity to live longer, healthier lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In other words, the principle of opposition invites us to be
enticed by opposition itself. We should not seek for trouble, but we can welcome
opportunities to learn, to serve, to improve, and to be uncomfortable. In the
same chapter Lehi taught about opposition, he teaches that “men [and women] are
that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). Joy is not reserved for some heaven
or paradise after we die and it does not come from a life without challenges. Rather,
joy is a fruit of the spirit for those who are worthy, a consequence of our
sacrifice and obedient effort, and natural to the challenging and often
uncomfortable process of coming closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sister Becky Craven asked in 2019, “There is a careful way
and a casual way to do everything, including living the gospel. As we consider
our commitment to the Savior, are we careful or casual?” Are we enticed by the
life of a disciple or another, more casual lifestyle?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, I found both reassurance and warning in the
observation that few of the benefits highlighted in the National Geographic
series had anything to do with what we have done in the past. Chris Hemsworth
got no extra credit for being strong already. The benefits of fasting or the
sauna could only be realized in real time as he endured a hunger pang or began
to sweat.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thankfully, we don’t have to take on extreme challenges to
learn that there are certain eternal truths that govern our physical, mental,
spiritual, and social health and longevity; that we can be enticed by the
benefits obtained through the opposition in our lives; and that we benefit more
from what we do now than the state of being we have previously obtained. Perhaps
then we, like Thor, can choose to run towards our problems and not away from
them—because that’s what heroes do.</p> Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-46360233333773027312023-02-28T12:06:00.000-08:002024-03-17T16:31:53.723-07:00Five Scripture Passages to Broaden Our Perspective on Death<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwWjL7ZUndkP2CPqwEH0mk9VECl83In_Ce8yENaBeMf_J3QVc5qRWVThLuaBnr4Li6NyQTRBzWxSdIri5610u2djQnaf3TXgYLOwDklWK-QXjEFqf0e2L85wwJZBRERqEDmiArPBCWLyWNUNU4yMdmEDGrd5FXqOyVyxtefLkGhZzW-dE6w-AIuftMG8/s718/savior-after-death.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="718" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivwWjL7ZUndkP2CPqwEH0mk9VECl83In_Ce8yENaBeMf_J3QVc5qRWVThLuaBnr4Li6NyQTRBzWxSdIri5610u2djQnaf3TXgYLOwDklWK-QXjEFqf0e2L85wwJZBRERqEDmiArPBCWLyWNUNU4yMdmEDGrd5FXqOyVyxtefLkGhZzW-dE6w-AIuftMG8/w400-h256/savior-after-death.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Before we were born, we lived as spirits with our Heavenly Parents. We were eager to obtain a physical body, like they had, and journey to this world to live and laugh and love and learn.<br /><br />"The spirit and the body are the soul of [every person]" (D&C 88:15). These were joined together when we passed through the veil of our birth; and they are separated with our death.<br /><br />Death has sometimes been described as walking through a doorway from one room to another, but some doors are heavier than others. When someone we love has passed through the veil of death, it evokes pangs of sorrow and shock among those left behind. We are rarely ready to let go. Though it may vary from time to time and person to person, the hurt is real. The only length of life that seems to satisfy the longings of the human heart is life everlasting.<br /><br />Mourning is a natural response and deep expression of genuine love. President Nelson has taught that "the only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life." This is the way it is intended to be. The Lord commanded us to "live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die" (D&C 42:45).<br /><br />In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord also promised: "blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). His comfort is found as we turn to him, study his gospel to understand more clearly, and seek to live our lives more aligned with his laws that govern comfort, healing, and happiness.<br /><br />A broader, more eternal perspective can provide peace "which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Our lives are like a long-awaited trip. Before we left our heavenly home, we sought assurance of a round-trip ticket. There was a plan developed for our salvation-- collectively, but also individually. Like the trips we have all experienced, returning home is one of the best parts of the journey. For those of us still here in our mortal destination, the only way home is through the doors of death that cannot be circumvented.<br /><br />There are several scriptures that help us adopt a broader, more eternal perspective on the life that continues after death. Consider these five passages, for example:<div><br /><div><br /><i>Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection-- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they are good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.<br /><br />And then it shall come to pass that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow... until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.<br /><br />The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body, yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame</i> (Alma 40:11-12, 21, 23).</div><div><br /><br /><i>Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death. The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame... and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.<br /><br />Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame... and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit... to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil</i> (Alma 11:42-44).<br /><br /><br /><i>For it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him. For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.<br /><br />Wherefore it must needs be [that] an infinite atonement [is provided for us]-- save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man [meaning the fall] must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.<br /><br />O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace!... And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death [or the separation of mankind from God], shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.<br /><br />... and all men [and women] become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect</i> (2 Nephi 9:5-13).<br /><br /><br /><i>And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.<br /><br />He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death</i> (Mosiah 16:7-9).<br /><br /><br /><i>And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us-- That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him; Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those [few]... who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him</i> (D&C 76:40-43).<br /><br /><br />This life is a time to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32). We will all die, but through Christ we will also all be resurrected or, in other words, saved from physical death to live in a kingdom of glory.<br /><br />Yet, our ability to be redeemed from spiritual death and return to our heavenly parents to live the life they enjoy, also called eternal life, depends on the choices we make in this life. That redemption is available to each of us, no matter what has happened in the past, if we remain willing to make and keep covenants with the Lord. This begins with having faith in Christ, repenting of our sins, covenanting with the Lord through baptism for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and continuing to strive throughout our lives.<br /><br />"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20).<br /><br />Some doors are heavier than others, but through Christ we can receive the steadfast hope and comfort that what I have shared today from the scriptures is true. We can receive assurances of our own ability to return to live with God as we make covenants with him and strive to keep them. Our families can be sealed together for time and eternity through temple ordinances. We can satisfy the longings of our hearts for life everlasting. And we can look forward to being reunited with those we love, resurrection to a perfect, immortal body, and the gift of eternal life that God desires to give each of his children.<br /></div></div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-38587437797543598422023-01-20T12:11:00.009-08:002023-02-12T05:56:09.221-08:00Obedience, Charity, and Ministering to One Another<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from a lesson outline given October 30, 2022</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXqAJ9kmfa5E2IYB6VxPxxSyNU7rhEHJKivlflTUgRkBBpwfVLAiovBoHyOAX0JQ4ImnVUJm4g9KaGm_iqfHWp8gQWWuraQn4ldRUKHlo-aVnjqMh36oKFL7L2-d3LsHGno3LkXQBTp_V5OlFEoa4FHbNTz8FB7oCyhBHHqHzF_uBIuLD4O_aZ8T1/s580/580-Artcomp2003_108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="580" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXqAJ9kmfa5E2IYB6VxPxxSyNU7rhEHJKivlflTUgRkBBpwfVLAiovBoHyOAX0JQ4ImnVUJm4g9KaGm_iqfHWp8gQWWuraQn4ldRUKHlo-aVnjqMh36oKFL7L2-d3LsHGno3LkXQBTp_V5OlFEoa4FHbNTz8FB7oCyhBHHqHzF_uBIuLD4O_aZ8T1/w400-h206/580-Artcomp2003_108.jpg" title="Life of Service, Legacy of Love, oil on canvas, by Michael Bingham" width="400" /></a></div><br />Life is full of things that must be done in a certain order. Our bodies learn to digest milk before we are introduced to meat and other solid foods. We learn to walk before we can run. We have to plant before we can harvest. Elementary school precedes high school and high school precedes college.<p></p><p>The gospel is also constructed and learned "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little" (2 Nephi 28:30). As we learn gospel principles and implement them in our lives, the Lord tests our understanding and faithfulness to the principles we have learned (D&C 98:12). He also blesses us with greater knowledge and wisdom that can continue to grow "until the perfect day" (D&C 50:24) when we can have the life he now enjoys (Moses 1:39).</p><p>Elder David A. Bednar has taught:</p><p><i>This ongoing
cycle of gaining spiritual knowledge ultimately produces a precious and
delicious fruit, but that fruit cannot and does not grow from a blossom to its
ripened state overnight. Furthermore, such fruit cannot grow in barren soil.
Obedience to God’s commandments and our personal integrity and adherence to
commitments provide the needed nutrients for fertile spiritual soil. It should
be obvious to all of us that evil influences such as filthy language, immodest
clothing and appearance, and pornography are bitter poisons that kill the soil
and halt the spiritually subtle process of receiving help from heaven ‘line
upon line, precept upon precept.’ There can be no shortcut around the law of
the harvest; truly, we reap what we sow” (</i>September 2010 New
Era<i>).</i></p><p><b>The Preparatory Gospel</b></p><p>Within the envelope of the gospel, there are two major phases to our learning and development. First we experience the "preparatory gospel". In this phase, we focus on learning obedience and receiving the blessings promised for our faithfulness. The preparatory gospel gives us checklists and formulas to guide our obedient lives, deal with perceived scarcity, and do our duty.</p><p>In the Aaronic or Preparatory Priesthood, for example, prayers for the sacrament and baptism are provided verbatim. The Law of Tithing is a preparatory law that prescribes an amount to give back to the Lord-- no more, no less-- and is often associated with specific blessings for our obedience. In Primary we learn formulas that help us know how to say a prayer and how to repent of our sins. The former Boy Scouts and Young Women Personal Progress programs outlined specific actions that, if completed, earned merit badges or medallions or other external recognitions that were indicative of our progress and development. Prior home and visiting teaching efforts were also somewhat scripted with a monthly message in the <i>Ensign </i>and a leader calling at the end of each month to see if you had made the visits you were assigned.</p><p>Elder Bednar has taught: "Obedience is the first law of heaven, the cornerstone upon which all righteousness and progression rest. It consists in compliance with divine law, in conformity to the mind and will of Deity, in complete subjection to God and his commands" (at BYU-I on January 6, 2004). Preparatory gospel principles create a firm foundation for our testimonies and our lives.</p><p><b>A Higher Law</b></p><p>Parallel to the preparatory gospel is a second phase of learning and development we might call the "higher law" or the "fullness of the gospel". The principles of the gospel in this phase build upon and are inseparably connected with those of the preparatory gospel, yet here our discipleship is no longer transactional. We still obey the commandments with all of our hearts, but we do so because we love the Lord more than we expect a blessing. We learn to give without expecting anything in return because we love God's children and want to bless their lives (see John 13:34-35).</p><p>In the higher law, we abandon the checklists and formulas that sometimes lead to unrighteous judgements of others or assumptions that only a few of God's children will be saved. In their place, we learn to follow promptings of the spirit and act on the circumstances of the moment. We come to know the abundance of the Lord: that He who multiplied the loaves and fishes has blessings and salvation for "all the works of his hands" (D&C 76:43) and He has asked us to return to Him in groups.</p><p>Just as obedience is the appropriate focus of the preparatory gospel, with 613 commandments in the Law of Moses to practice that obedience, the fullness of the gospel, the Law of Christ, highlights only two: to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). When two holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood lay their hands on someone's head to give them a blessing, demonstrating this love for God and their fellow man, the spirit guides their words accordingly. We are all likewise called to practice loving others and following the resulting promptings of the spirit as we gather together at church and as families, minister to one another, set goals with our children and youth, and begin live the law of consecration with our time, talents, and resources.</p><p><b>Obedience and Love</b></p><p>God is the author of the preparatory gospel and its fullness. Jesus Christ provided a perfect example of how to incorporate both into our lives. His Atonement was the result of his obedience to God's commandments and his love for God and for us. As we follow the Savior's example of obedience, it will grow and expand the love we feel for our Heavenly Father. As that love grows, we will want to be more obedient and provide more service to others. The cycle we have then created of growing our love and obedience, each building upon the other, expands our capacity to love and obey; and so we progress by degrees until we have the perfect obedience and charity exemplified by our Savior.</p><p>President Benson affirms, "The breadth, depth, and height of this love of God extend into every facet of one's life. Why did God put the commandment [to love God] first? Because He knew that if we truly love Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments" (April 1988). As we begin to live the higher law of the gospel, it ceases to be something we do or our faith tradition or a part of our lives. It swells and grows to be a cornerstone of our very identity and natural to everything we think or do.</p><p><i>"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" </i>(Matthew 16:24-26).</p><p><b>Charity: The Pure Love of Christ</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The Apostle Paul taught:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." </i>(1 Corinthians 13:1-3).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Obedience is the foundation, but charity is the rest of the house. The Lord's plan for each of us includes a family that will teach us about His love for us. He instructs us to meet often to serve and teach one another. He invites us to minister to the needs of our neighbors and friends because we want to bless their lives. With every step, He invites us to put away the checklists, the judgement, the divisiveness and contention, and increase our focus on loving those we serve and expanding our desires to bless others.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" </i>(1 Corinthians 13:4-7).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fear is not the opposite of love, as is so often portrayed, but rather selfishness. We must learn to give of ourselves without expecting anything in return and to lose ourselves in the Lord's work of sharing His love with the world.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Conclusion: Ministering to One Another</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The preparatory gospel teaches us principles of obedience. As we learn to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to love God, the Lord invites us to join with him in loving and serving His children.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">One way we can serve with love is to minister to one another. Ministering is an exercise of charity as we learn to care for those we serve, as Jesus did, and seek to bless their lives without expecting anything in return. As he introduced ministering in April 2018, Elder Holland said:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>“Brothers and
sisters, we have a heaven-sent opportunity as an entire Church to demonstrate ‘pure
religion … undefiled before God’—'to bear one another’s burdens, that they may
be light’ and to ‘comfort those that stand in need of comfort,’ to minister to
the widows and the fatherless, the married and the single, the strong and the
distraught, the downtrodden and the robust, the happy and the sad—in short, all
of us, every one of us, because we all need to feel the warm hand of friendship
and hear the firm declaration of faith… As [we do so,] we lift our spiritual
eyes toward living the law of love more universally</i>."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Most of us tend to bob and weave between preparatory principles and a higher law through any given day. All of our efforts work together for our profit and learning, but as we strive to love the Lord, to obey his commandments out of love, and to serve others with that same spirit of willingness and love, perhaps we stretch a little farther, enjoy fruit that is a little sweeter, and move a little faster toward the perfect day when we will be complete.</p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-7420790600452614042022-09-24T19:17:00.001-07:002022-09-24T19:17:00.219-07:00The Gift and Power of Agency<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mUhTHBklqLFeM46rpAP5PVVfH6kFY4Z1YOTv8BQKnkG1681QUT-BHLkOf4Gq0H2fhQsnceTdKLb58eE4h2Z4elOI8f94PHEAyP_Tr6M_XcNlOOyqgwAJoWyCw3xCkCznA14FbLNTbB9NqOsCF4JIl6JBWfZ5beBjFwhSiaB-TcQalvHsK2RxBzV_/s1510/adam_and_eve_douglas_fryer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1510" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mUhTHBklqLFeM46rpAP5PVVfH6kFY4Z1YOTv8BQKnkG1681QUT-BHLkOf4Gq0H2fhQsnceTdKLb58eE4h2Z4elOI8f94PHEAyP_Tr6M_XcNlOOyqgwAJoWyCw3xCkCznA14FbLNTbB9NqOsCF4JIl6JBWfZ5beBjFwhSiaB-TcQalvHsK2RxBzV_/w400-h210/adam_and_eve_douglas_fryer.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Elder David A. Bednar has said that the principle of agency is one of the
least understood among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. Seeing that “all have not faith,” we should therefore “seek learning,
even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118) that we may be “edified and
rejoice together” (D&C 50:22).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">I.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Background<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p>Before we can begin to understand the gift and power of agency, we must
first remember that each of us lived with God before we were born (Job 38:4-7; Jer.
1:4-5; D&C 93:29). He is our father and, as children of God, we are his
royal offspring.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>In the premortal realm, we had free will according to eternal law. It may
seem obvious that a righteous and loving father would allow his children to
make personal choices without compulsion, but it is important to understand
that doing so is both natural to our Heavenly Father and essential to his
divine role. God was not simply granted unfathomable power, nor did he obtain
it by conquest or by birthright alone; rather, he progressed to it as he
learned over time to understand and obey absolute, eternal laws including
principles of love, sacrifice, humility, meekness, consecration, and the priesthood
requirement to exercise no unrighteous dominion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>At some point in our premortal development, God presented a plan for our
continued progress and salvation with moral agency at its core. By our own free
will, we would fall. We would experience opposition. We would be separated from
Him and unable to return on our own. Our Heavenly Father promised that if we
would follow His plan, He would also provide a Savior whose infinite and
eternal sacrifice would redeem and exalt us. In other words, He would gift to
us the power to choose to return to Him, and even become like Him, even and
especially when that goal was and is well beyond our reach. This is the gift of
agency.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Lucifer “sought to destroy the agency of man” (Moses 4:3). When God
presented His perfect plan, the question wasn’t “which plan shall it be?” That
is, Lucifer didn’t present an alternate plan and he didn’t simply lose an
election. The question instead was, “whom shall I send?” Jesus Christ, known
premortally as Jehovah, was both willing and able to execute the plan as
presented for the salvation and exaltation of the children of God.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Lucifer also volunteered, but his apparent volunteerism was a scheme to
“exalt [his own] throne above the stars of God” (Isaiah 14:12-15). He asked for
God’s power and promised that, with that power, he would “surely” save all of
the children of God (Moses 4:1, D&C 29:36). God knew the intents of
Lucifer’s heart and that his mutinous scheme was contrary to eternal law and,
therefore, void of the power necessary to save and exalt us. In other words,
Lucifer was not able to provide for the agency of mankind but was nonetheless
willing to damn the progress of all of God’s children and lie in the presence
of God to satisfy his own ambitious lust for power.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Because the children of God enjoy free will, Lucifer’s unfeeling arrogance
threatened to undermine God’s plan for the exaltation of His children. He
wanted the rewards without the work and power without principle. He was
willing, without loyalty, to convince others to break the commandments of God and,
in effect, sacrifice their eternal progress so he could get what he wanted for
himself.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The scriptures say that one-third of the children of God, each loved
perfectly by their eternal parents, knowingly rebelled against God and, through
the violation of eternal law, were cast out of His presence to both prevent
their complete destruction (D&C 67:12) and preserve the opportunity for you
and I to have the gift of agency. In Hebrew symbolism, one-third is often used
as a fraction of any proportion—it could as easily be one-tenth or three
quarters as one third—but if we take it literally we must understand that
incomprehensible billions of our brothers and sisters lost their first estate
in premortal rebellion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>As promised in the plan, a world was created for us. Physical bodies for
Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden. Now in the flesh, Adam and Eve
maintained the free will they enjoyed premortally.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Lucifer, still engaged in a personal war for power, deceived Adam and Eve
and led them to transgress the laws of God as he had done to so many others
before them. Unlike those Lucifer had previously led astray however, Adam and
Eve remained loyal to God. Their transgression was not a rebellion, but a
consequence of their imperfect effort to keep the commandments according to the
knowledge they had. Eternal law mandated that Adam and Eve be separated from
God for their transgression just as those who rebelled in the premortal world
were separated from God for theirs; but the humility of Adam and Eve allowed
for this experience to benefit their progress rather than damning it (D&C
29:39-41).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>As Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, they were taught and
given several instructions. They were given more commandments so the Lord could
bless them for their obedience and sacrifice. Most of all, they were promised
that God would provide a Savior for them, as had been presented in premortal
council, so that they could have the agency to return to the presence of God.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">II.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Agency is a Principle of Power<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p>The prophet Lehi taught his sons: “Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man
that he should act for himself… And because [the children of men] are redeemed
from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for
themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law…
according to the commandments which God hath given.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh… And they are free to choose
liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose
captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he
seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:16,
26-27).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>We are not victims of the fall to be pulled in every direction by the things
that happen <i>to </i>us. As a college football coach said recently, “none of
us are born winners and none of us are born losers. We’re all born choosers”
(Nick Saban on ESPN.com, August 25, 2022). Elder Klebingat taught in our most
recent General Conference that “God <i>won’t </i>force us to do good, and the
devil <i>can’t </i>force us to do evil. Though some may think that mortality is
a contest between God and the adversary, a word from the Savior ‘and Satan is
silenced and banished. … It is [our] strength that is being tested—not God’s’”
(April 2022).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Agency is the power to act for ourselves, but it “is not simply the right to
choose; it is the opportunity to choose the right” (Elder Randy Funk, April
2022). God explained to Enoch that he “gave unto [the children of men] their
knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto
man his agency; And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment,
that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their
Father” (Moses 7:32-33).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>As we choose to trust in God and keep His commandments, we are given power
to take those actions that will lead us to “liberty and eternal life, <i>through</i>
the great Mediator of all men”. We need no such power to choose “captivity and
death, <i>according to </i>the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Nephi 2:27,
<i>emphasis added</i>). Though we maintain free will to choose life or death,
Elder Bednar has taught that “the gift that comes to us through the Savior’s
Atonement is agency. … It is the capacity to act and learn from our own
experiences. That is the very essence and purpose of being here in mortality.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The need for this power shows up in everyday situations. It takes no
strength of will to stay in bed on a Sunday morning; only to get up and go to
church. It takes no willpower to indulge, only to have virtue. We need no power
beyond our own to criticize or be sarcastic or cynical. We are completely
capable of discouragement, negativity, doubt and despair. We need the power of
the Savior’s Atonement to be patient, grateful, kind, and full of faith and
hope. This is the power of agency. This is the power to choose Him by choosing
to be like Him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>When we consistently use our agency to choose God, our confidence increases
until, as Elder Bednar has taught, “we can ultimately navigate the most
difficult circumstances in life knowing that we will never be alone and we will
always have his help.” This is the power to overcome all things.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">III.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The Role and Meaning of Opposition<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p>Of course, the power to overcome all things is only relevant if there are
things to overcome. The Lord taught that, “it must needs be that the devil
should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves;
for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet” (D&C
29:39).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Lehi likewise taught:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 5.0pt;"><i>And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he
had created our first parents… it must needs be that there was an opposition;
even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet
and the other bitter. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act
for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he
was enticed by the one or the other” </i>(2 Nephi 2:15-16).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Some modern researchers believe that human behavior is entirely the result
of our genetics, environmental conditioning, birth order, socioeconomic status,
early childhood trauma, and countless other “puppet strings” that pull us in
one direction or another. The philosophy that all events are determined by some
external pulling of the strings is known as determinism.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>We give in to a determinist view when we surrender our agency with comments
like, “I just couldn’t help myself,” “I was just having a bad day,” or “I just
had to do it.” Determinism implies that we are not in control, that we are
merely objects being acted upon, absent any spiritual self-reliance, and
therefore we cannot be held morally responsible for our actions. We must join
the Dark Side—it is our destiny—so resistance to the opposition we face is
futile.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Through the gospel lens, we can see an alternative perspective. We can see,
as Drs. Jeffrey Thayne and Edwin Gantt have argued, that “meaning is found in
the superposition [or comparison] of things as they are against things as they
could be. Sweet is only meaningful in contrast with bitter. Life is only
meaningful in contrast with death. And love is meaningful only when set against
indifference or hate.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Opposition, in this view, is not a force pushing us toward our inevitable
destiny, a string pulling us in some direction, or even a meaningless obstacle
to what we really want, but rather an opportunity to be enticed by good or evil
and exercise or practice using our agency. With each repetition of this
resistance training—each time we exercise our agency by choosing Him—we invite
the strength of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Yes, genes and birth order and socioeconomic status do have an impact on our
lives; but rather than causing particular choices or outcomes these
characteristics “simply serve to tie all the events of our lives together in a
meaningful and coherent story.” With God, all things are possible; and with
agency, possibility is preserved.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Ironically, in seeking to destroy the agency of man, Lucifer has provided
the necessary opposition to make that agency, and our lives, meaningful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">IV.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Representative Agency<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p>One of the ways we exercise our agency is by choosing to follow our Savior
into the waters of baptism. There are three conditions of the baptismal
covenant: we must choose to begin to take the name of Christ upon ourselves
(something we will do more fully in the temple later on), to always remember
Him, and keep the commandments He has given us. We exercise our agency when we accept
those conditions. We are then promised that, if we honor the terms of the
covenant, we will always have His spirit to be with us. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>When we enter into the baptismal covenant and begin to have the name of
Christ come upon us, our agency is enlarged. It is no longer individual agency;
it is enlarged to become representative agency as the call to represent Christ
and his name at all times, in all places, and in all things becomes more
important that what you or I may want in a given moment.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>I think of this very much in the same way that I think of my responsibility
to my employer. In everything I do, I am an agent representing the organization
that pays my salary. I have some autonomy to make decisions and to do good, so
long as those decisions and actions are consistent with the direction and
purpose established by the organization. My work is not about me; it is about
doing those things that contribute most to the mission of the organization.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>As covenant Christians, we are agents of the Lord. We represent Him and are
enlisted in His work to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”
(Moses 1:39).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>He wants us to use our agency to act as He would act, or in other words, to
become spiritually self-reliant. “For behold, it is not meet that I should command
in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful
and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men
should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own
free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them,
wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall
in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is
commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with
slothfulness, the same is damned” (D&C 58:26-29).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Our baptismal covenant includes the keys to having confidence that our
actions represent Him. Most of our employers have established policies to give
us direction and ensure we act in a manner that represents them well. Similarly,
we have covenanted to keep the commandments both for our own benefit and to
enhance our ability to represent the Lord as his agents.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Each of us have covenanted to always remember Him. This is essential to our
ability to effectively represent Him. Likewise, while all mankind has received
the light of Christ, sometimes referred to as our conscience, to provide the
knowledge about good and evil that is fundamental to our agency, the constant
companionship of the Holy Ghost blesses us and helps us to know, as full-time
agents of the Lord, how we should represent the Savior in our words and
actions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Representative agency means that we are dependent upon God and devoted to
representing Him at all times and in all places. It also means that we can’t
just choose to do whatever we want. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>For example, you or I, once we are baptized, no longer have the option to
sleep in instead of going to church. We might say, “but I have my agency!”
Sleeping in isn’t an exercise of agency because agency is the power to choose
God and the duty and responsibility to represent Him—and sleeping in does
neither of these.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>If we have entered the baptismal covenant, we do not have the option of not
paying our tithing. Our agency has been enlarged, we have become agents of the
Lord, and what He wants for us has become more important than what we want for
ourselves. Choosing to do otherwise isn’t an exercise of agency—we need no
power from the Lord to make this choice—but it is a violation of our covenant
that, if not corrected, will lead us down the path of selfish enticements,
captivity, and spiritual death “according to the captivity and power of the
devil” (2 Nephi 2:27).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Taken a step further, we might consider that if we are agents called to
represent the Lord, then the priesthood is the authority to do the same. We use
the priesthood when we are in the service of others; it is the power to act in
His name for the salvation of His children. If we are keeping our covenants to
be agents unto the Lord, the priesthood attends all of us in our service to our
families, in magnifying the callings for which we have been set apart, and in
ministering to one another. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">V.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Accountability<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p>Just as determinists argue for the absence of spiritual self-reliance, moral
relativism is a popular philosophy that advocates for the absence of absolute
truth. Truth, under moral relativism, is merely a social construct and
therefore one person’s truth or belief cannot be any better or worse than the
so-called “truth” accepted by another person.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>What moral relativists are really saying is that there is no sin and that
“whatsoever a man [or woman] does is no crime.” They want the rewards without
the work and power without principle, so they “[use] their intellectual
reservations to cover their [own] behavioral lapses.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>God’s plan for our salvation requires us to put our faith and trust in the
Lord and assume accountability for the conditions of our hearts (see Sister Amy
Wright, April 2022). It promises that we will reap what we sow.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The prophet Helaman taught: “And now remember, remember, my brethren, that
whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity,
doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for
yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made
you free. He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath
given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be
restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you;
or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you” (Helaman
14:30-31).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">VI.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Conclusion<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p>Eternal law establishes and requires that each of us have free will to
choose life or death. Because we, as imperfect and impure as we are, do not
have the right or ability to choose life on our own, our perfect and loving Heavenly
Father has provided a Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the power of His Atonement,
we can receive the gift of agency, which is the power to overcome all things
and choose to return to live with God again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The power of agency grows by degrees as we exercise it. When we enter sacred
covenants to follow Him, we commit ourselves to choosing what he would have us
do over some of the things we might want to do. That is, we covenant to
discipline ourselves and choose God more often so that He can bless us more
abundantly as we continue to strive to return to His presence.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>King Benjamin warned his people that “if ye do not watch yourselves, and
your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of
God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of
our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man,
remember, and perish not” (Mosiah 4:30).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Ultimately, we will also be accountable for our free will: our thoughts, our
words, and our deeds. The Savior taught that “Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>If we have done the will of the Father, if we have kept our covenants to be His
agents, we can lift up our hearts and be glad, for the Lord will be in our
midst and He will be our advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to
give you the kingdom as He counseled in the beginning (D&C 29:5).</p><p></p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-43400257958436849402022-09-14T08:45:00.001-07:002022-09-15T06:41:24.774-07:00Stories of the Old Testament<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSOPrVpU8UJY4UEaNlXHobzAF_Kd_sArX0HT9LgWTIB4NyXZbQBMm0-F7uB33Xzd3-8WfLn0V3sBtI8C0If58nyUqrbPKVTUj4VjTQOJVoM_zbi_PlJ08lpvUqKpDLdPCLRD71d2z_WVC3l73klgg4UNtLKRTXIf1oGyAh46j7ry5GYOIguoJP64O/s799/060ce72abcdbe76ff4e5e91b6c8e5ff2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSOPrVpU8UJY4UEaNlXHobzAF_Kd_sArX0HT9LgWTIB4NyXZbQBMm0-F7uB33Xzd3-8WfLn0V3sBtI8C0If58nyUqrbPKVTUj4VjTQOJVoM_zbi_PlJ08lpvUqKpDLdPCLRD71d2z_WVC3l73klgg4UNtLKRTXIf1oGyAh46j7ry5GYOIguoJP64O/w264-h400/060ce72abcdbe76ff4e5e91b6c8e5ff2.jpg" width="264" /></a></i></div><i><br />This post is composed mostly of other posts on this blog and was written as a sacrament meeting talk to follow the ward primary program and given on September 11, 2022.</i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Although it was written thousands of years ago, the lessons
of the Old Testament are as relevant for you and I today as they were for the
people who lived upon its pages. Through these ancient writings we are
privileged to observe the lives of the faithful in a very different time, a
very different place, and a very different culture. Yet, in their experiences
we can identify eternal principles that can guide us as we strive to be
faithful in our time, in this place, and surrounded by the society that exists
today.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For example, one of the first stories every primary child
learns is about Noah and the ark. In Noah’s time, the sons of men were not
honoring the covenants the Lord had given them, particularly the marriage
covenant, and the “thoughts of [their] heart[s] [were] only evil continually”
(Genesis 5:2, 5). Noah was righteous and “found grace in the eyes of the Lord”
(Genesis 5:8). The Lord gave the people 120 years to repent and sent Noah to
preach to them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The people did not repent despite a lifetime of opportunity.
What follows in the scriptures is a great chiasm describing the building of the
ark, a promised covenant, gathering food and animals, a forty-day flood,
waiting 150 days for the waters to subside (symbolic of the completion of a
priestly blessing), then the abatement of the flood, the commandment to leave
the ark, finding food in the new land, receiving a covenant with a token, and
the end of the ark.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We often associate Noah’s experience with baptism. The earth
was immersed in water and the Lord made a covenant with all of mankind in the
process. Perhaps this is also why the story resonates so well with our
children. It is fun to recount the many animals that gathered on the ark, but
the spirit also testifies in its retelling of the baptism ordinance we all need
to return to our eternal home.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The lesson that the author of Genesis most wanted us to
learn, embedded in the very center of the chiasm, is this sentence: “And God
remembered Noah, and every living thing” (Genesis 8:1).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even when the Lord shut Noah and his family in the ark
(Genesis 7:16), he did not leave them in the dark. The scriptures speak of a
window, though some rabbis believe that the window was really a precious stone
that shone in the ark. This insight reminds me that even when I feel like I am
helpless and in the deepest of waters, the Lord will always send his light to
comfort me. He will remember you and I and he is the in “the details of the
details of the details of our lives” (Elder Chi Hong Wong, April 2021).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My favorite Old Testament biography is the account of
Abraham. At the tender age of 75, Abraham found himself on an altar about to be
sacrificed to an idol god. At the last moment, an angel appeared, untied him
from the altar and helped him escape.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In perhaps the greatest understatement in scripture, Abraham
reflected that he “saw that it was needful… to obtain another place of
residence.” Abraham’s insight about preventing future abuse was also a resolve
to spend more time seeking for the things of God. He had been faithful—that’s
how he ended up on an altar in the first place—yet he reflected that he desired
“greater happiness and peace and rest” that he knew he could receive by seeking
“the blessings of the fathers.” These blessings included knowledge, a greater
capacity to obey the commandments, being the father of many nations, and being a
holder of the priesthood (Abraham 1:1-2).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With renewed resolve, and over many years of diligent
preparation, Abraham’s search ultimately led him to the temple and the
covenants that each of us can make in the House of the Lord. Along the way he
made smaller covenants and his faith was tested and expanded. He moved his
family several times, risked his life in Egypt, endured famines, knew
prosperity, resisted the evils of Sodom and Gomorrah, rescued his nephew from a
foreign army, paid tithing, experienced the disappointment of infertility, and
dealt with many emotional and relationship challenges. Through it all, Abraham
“believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it unto him for righteousness” (JST
Genesis 15:12).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is important to note that Abraham’s covenant was not made
in isolation. Genesis 17 clearly shows that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, also
covenanted with the Lord. She also endured these many tribulations and was
blessed, through her covenant, that she would be the mother of nations and
kings. Her temple experience also included the very personal promise that,
though she had been barren 100 years, she would yet have her desire to give
birth to a son. It was her covenant, together with Abraham’s, that secured
covenant blessings for her posterity who were born into that covenant.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For Abraham, fulfilling the terms of his covenant required
more than thirty years of additional tests and trials. He fought an uphill
battle to save the wicked city of Sodom, experienced the loss of members of his
family, and was compelled to exile his second wife and oldest son. Then
Abraham, who had nearly been sacrificed to idols by his own father, who wanted
posterity most of all and had worked for decades to have that blessing, was
asked to do the unthinkable. He was asked to sacrifice Isaac, his son of
miraculous birth, the symbol of his covenant posterity and the son Abraham
called his “beloved.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord has said that, if we are to receive blessings and
glory like Abraham, we must also “be chastened and tried, even as Abraham”
(D&C 101:4-5). President John Taylor taught these words that he heard from
the Prophet Joseph Smith:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><i>You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it
is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men
of God, and God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench
your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an
inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God… If God had known any other way
whereby he could have touched Abraham’s feelings more acutely and more keenly
he would have done so </i>(Journal of Discourses, 24:197; 24:264).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In giving his will to the Lord, and being refined by Him, Abraham
found the blessings of happiness, peace, posterity, and priesthood that he
desired. He undoubtedly learned about how to deal with family problems, how to
follow spiritual promptings, and the importance of love, humility, sacrifice
and obedience. He learned that there is not anything that is too hard for the
Lord (Genesis 18:14) and that the Lord will keep His promises. I don’t often
enjoy the trials in my life, but I hope that I can have the faith of Abraham to
seek the blessings I desire, keep the covenants I have made, and learn to be a
little better along the way.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another temple experience, not unlike Abraham’s, begins in
the ancient city of Babel, a predecessor to Babylon in modern-day Iraq. A play
on the Hebrew <i>balal</i>, which means “to mix or confound,” ancient tradition
states that <i>Babel </i>was known as “the gate of God.” Here at the symbolic
gates of heaven, Nimrod, the power-hungry grandson of Ham and great-grandson of
Noah, sought to build a tower to reach the heavens.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By virtue of its goal, Nimrod’s tower was likely some
version of a temple. Aware of the floods that had previously destroyed the
wicked, the Tower of Babel was built high and thick and from bricks and mortar
so as to be watertight. Its construction was a mockery of God, to whom Nimrod
preached it was cowardice to submit, and many traditions hold that it was
Nimrod’s satanic desire to use the tower to break into heaven, dethrone God,
avenge mankind of the flood that destroyed it, and place himself as the new
ruler of the heavens and of earth.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was in this wicked society that a man named Jared and his
brother pleaded with the Lord for unity, or at-one-ment, for their family and a
small band of believers. The Lord answered each prayer with compassion and,
when the Brother of Jared had cried “this long time,” the Lord ultimately
promised to go before the Brother of Jared’s face, deliver him and his friends
from the evil around them, lead them to a promised land, and make Jared and his
brother the heads of a great nation (Ether 1:33-43).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, the story of the Jaredites is recorded in the
Book of Mormon, but this story very much reflects the Old Testament time period
in which it occurred. Intertwined with the Lord’s promises for temporal and
political blessings for the Jaredites are the core elements of what we now call
the Abrahamic Covenant: knowledge, priesthood, posterity, and a promised land.
In other words, because the Jaredites had faithfully rejected the false
doctrines of the world and its heretical temple, the Lord covenanted to reveal
the doctrines of the gospel and bring them back into his presence through
authorized temple ordinances.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Preparation to receive the promised blessings lasted for
many years. The Jaredites were tested and refined as they wandered in the
wilderness, built barges on several occasions to cross many waters, endured
trials and chastisement, collected animals and seeds, and lived four years in
tents on the seashore. As the Jaredites’ obedience and sacrifice increased, so
did their privileges with the Lord.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and
did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they
should travel… being directed continually by the hand of the Lord” (Ether
2:5-6).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And it came to pass… that the Lord came again unto the
brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space
of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared” (Ether 2:14).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, the Jaredites were ready to construct the barges
that would carry them across the ocean; and the Brother of Jared was prepared
for the greater light and knowledge the Lord promised to give him. The Brother
of Jared’s prayers led him to the top of a particularly high mountain, where he
appealed for the Lord’s approval and redemption in the same way that a high
priest entering an ancient temple symbolically was redeemed from the Fall in
order to enter the presence of God. Once admitted, like Moses on Mount Sinai,
the Brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones with his finger that
they may have light. I wonder where he got that idea.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord grants the Brother of Jared’s request and then, the
scripture records, “there never were greater things made manifest than those
which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared” (Ether 4:4). Having
received this instruction, “he could not be kept from beholding within the
veil… and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting” (Ether 3:19).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the Lord inquired of the Brother of Jared, so he inquires
of us: “What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?”
Are we willing to reject the false philosophies of the world, the secularism
and selfishness and tribalism, to pursue unity and at-one-ment for our families
and our small band of believers here in Mariposa?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If so, the Lord has promised that “inasmuch as you strip
yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye
are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and
know that I am—not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the
spiritual” (D&C 67:10).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elder Bruce R. McConkie once taught that “a prophet is one
who has the testimony of Jesus, who knows by the revelations of the Holy Ghost
to his soul that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In addition to this divine
knowledge, many [Old Testament prophets] lived in special situations or did
particular things that singled them out as types and patterns and shadows of
that which was to be in the life of him who is our Lord” (The Promised Messiah,
p. 448).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son. Moses was sent from
the presence of the Lord to deliver his people. We also see a shadow of the
Savior in the life and mission of the prophet Joseph.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Joseph was the favored son of his father. He was rejected by
his brothers, the Israelites, and sold into the hands of the Gentiles for the
average price of a slave his age. Judah, whose descendants would become the
Jews, was the one who proposed the sale. In their very attempt to destroy
Joseph, his brothers actually set up the conditions that would bring about
their eventual temporal salvation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Joseph began his mission to prepare salvation for Israel at
age thirty and was eventually raised to an exalted position in Egypt where
everyone bowed the knee to him. In the end, Joseph, by virtue of being
sold—provided bread for Israel, forgave his brothers, and delivered them from
death while returning their money to their sacks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Likewise, Jesus Christ was and is the only begotten Son of
God in the flesh. He was also rejected by the Israelites and sold into the
hands of the Gentile-Romans for the average price of a slave his age. Judas, the
Greek spelling of Judah, was the one who sold him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus began his ministry when he was thirty years old. He
was raised by the Romans and crucified, whereby he completed the atoning
sacrifice and became the Deliverer and Redeemer of all mankind.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus taught: “I am the living bread which came down from
heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that
I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John
6:51). We are saved by his grace, after all we can do; yet he offers this
forgiveness and salvation without money and without price.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Certainly there are many other examples we can learn from in
the Old Testament. I wish that I could have the wisdom of Eve, Esther’s
courage, Job’s willingness to consecrate, Elijah’s confidence in the Lord, Isaac’s
patience, and Joshua’s loyalty. I want to reject sinful thoughts, philosophies
and actions like Noah, Abraham, the Brother of Jared and Joseph.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I want to have Joseph’s faith that the Lord will keep his
promises even when it doesn’t seem possible. Like Abraham, I recognize that,
though I have been pretty faithful, and have spent some time on metaphorical
altars, I need to seek more diligently to keep my covenants and obtain the
promises that I have been given. I hope that my life reflects, in some small
way, the example of the Savior and that his image can be seen in my
countenance.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Old Testament challenges each of us to endure trials and
wickedness to follow the Lord. It also shows us how keeping our covenants and
following the prophet can help us with these challenges.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The prophet in our day, President Russell M. Nelson, has
asked us to study every day in the scriptures. He has provided the <i>Come,
Follow Me </i>curriculum and promised that it has “the potential to unleash the
power of families” and, through our diligence, will decrease the influence of
the adversary in our lives. He has warned that, “in the coming days it will not
be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting
and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you have not yet begun studying the Old Testament with <i>Come,
Follow Me</i> in your family, go home today and open it up. Start fresh with
the new week and seek for the blessings and strength that is there for you. If
you’re not sure if you have enough faith, start to act as if you do—especially
studying in the scriptures and praying each day—and I promise there will be a
power that will come into your life that will be undeniable. You can know, or
know again, that God remembers you and has provided light for you in the
darkness.</p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-16385597236593030172022-07-03T07:59:00.003-07:002022-07-03T07:59:23.205-07:00Returning to the Covenant Path<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu0d_6PxrqETr23k1KgCGFjJdp8gADWTdkllzTd_IeB6LP_8YvyNeD-tjQrWWYSeeQF9xdy6kM42ZdJvtj6xwxmtAUzlL5ONE0Wg15SvU7o16YRdTbGirJWx6Ud1Bn04kgQn4OFGYu1XCuNZ7XrpcGUmft261seT3uLzmqLYnNcLqjAICfwlX1x_i/s1044/fnlzkqotexmdhqftwkm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1044" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu0d_6PxrqETr23k1KgCGFjJdp8gADWTdkllzTd_IeB6LP_8YvyNeD-tjQrWWYSeeQF9xdy6kM42ZdJvtj6xwxmtAUzlL5ONE0Wg15SvU7o16YRdTbGirJWx6Ud1Bn04kgQn4OFGYu1XCuNZ7XrpcGUmft261seT3uLzmqLYnNcLqjAICfwlX1x_i/w400-h300/fnlzkqotexmdhqftwkm1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />When I was a teenager, my dad took my brother and I <span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">on a week-long wilderness backpacking trip. Our goal was to hike about fifty miles across a particular mountain range. Along the way, we had an experience that has taught me about sin and repentance on our path back to our Heavenly Father.</span><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">It took us a couple of weeks to prepare for the trip. My brother and I needed larger packs and we had to find food and other supplies that wouldn't add too much weight. I needed some new hiking pants and my mom found a cool pair that zipped off into shorts. Finally, we got a ride to the trailhead, confirmed where we would meet my mom at the end of the week, and set off.</span><div><div><br /></div><div>For the first few days, everything went well. We were right on schedule, we found plenty of water and the food we had packed was so much better than when we had sampled it at home. The trail was challenging at times, and we had to find shelter during the daily afternoon downpour, but we were enjoying the experience and what time we had for a little fishing at the end of each day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Around the fourth day of our expedition, we climbed a difficult pass and stopped at the top to rest for several moments. Although it was early in the day, we were tired and sore from three previous days of hiking with our heavy packs. As we prepared to resume, my dad, who had been studying the map, suggested an alternate route. The next part of the trail formed a large horseshoe shape,<span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"> he observed, and if we could cut across the top of the horseshoe we would certainly save a lot of time and unnecessary distance.</span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">With some uneasiness about the new plan, at least on my part, we began walking across the mountain tundra. It was harder to walk through the grass and rocks and after a few hours I began to wonder if we'd missed the trail somehow. When we ran out of water, we decided to keep going and hoped to find a spring ahead of us. Physically and emotionally exhausted, I prayed for help to keep going and survive the week.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">At last we came to the top of a tall cliff. It was as long as we could see in either direction and the obvious reason for the trail's long detour. Unsure of how to proceed, we found a spot to take off our packs and rest while we decided what to do.</span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">After a few minutes of catching our breath, my dad stood up and walked over to where my brother and I were seated. He picked up our packs, walked to the cliff, and threw the packs as far as he could down the mountainside. My brother and I were stunned. My dad paused for a moment and then said something like, "Well, I guess we'd better go and get them."</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually, we found our way down the cliff and slid down the rockslide at the base. More time passed as I worked to close a big hole I'd torn in the seat of my new pants and bandage a few good scratches. My brother located a spring (back at the top of the rockslide, of course) and refilled our water containers. When we were able to regroup, we continued our cross-country "shortcut" and found the trail another hundred feet from the bottom of the rockslide.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although our chosen route was shorter, it was much more difficult and took more time to complete than if we had continued on the trail. I ruined my pants and some of our things were broken in their flight off the cliffs. Now less prepared than before and unable to make our planned rendezvous, we spent the rest of the week hiking carefully down a new trail that led off of the mountain to a small town. We made it just in time to call our ride home before she left to pick us up in the wrong place.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we journey through life, we sometimes decide to take routes that detour off the "strait and narrow" covenant path. It can be especially easy to do when we are feeling tired, overconfident, or discouraged. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we leave the path, the Lord always invites us to repent-- to turn around and return to the trail that leads to our rendezvous with Him. He knows the covenant path is not easy. Like crossing a mountain range, our lives have peaks and valleys with obstacles and steep inclines between each summit. The Lord also knows that the covenant path is the surest way to our divine destination.</div><div><br /></div><div>Repentance is "a change of mind and heart that brings a fresh attitude toward God, oneself, and life in general." It "implies that a person turns away from evil and turns his heart and will to God, submitting to God's commandments and desires and forsaking sin" (<i>Guide to the Scriptures, </i>"Repent, Repentance"). In other words, repentance includes returning to the trail and a humble willingness to continue to follow it. It includes gratitude for the trail, with all its obstacles and detours, and a recognition that it is the only way to achieve our goal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes we wander needlessly through the more difficult wilderness even when there are indications we should return to the covenant path. We rationalize our way across the tundra, figuratively run out of water, and eventually find ourselves at the precipice of decisions that may have more significant impacts on our spiritual welfare and life journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I had returned to the trail more quickly, I would have been able to recover much of the time that was lost. I would not have run out of water, injured myself, or ruined my pants. My dad and brother and I would have almost certainly reached our goal on the other side of the mountain range.</div><div><br /></div><div>Likewise, when we do incur the damages of an unexpected cliff and rockslide, we sometimes forget that complete repentance includes changing the behaviors that originally led us off the path and toward the cliffs. We walk away from these experiences with resolve not to go over the cliffs, as it were, but without changing the attitudes and behaviors that led us off the trail in the first place.</div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/repentance?lang=eng">Gospel Topics essay on the Church website</a> teaches us:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>It is not enough to simply try to resist evil or empty our lives of sin. We must fill our lives with righteousness and engage in activities that bring spiritual power. We must immerse ourselves in the scriptures and pray daily for the Lord to give us strength beyond our own. At times, we should fast for special blessings.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Full obedience brings the complete power of the gospel into our lives, including increased strength to overcome our weaknesses. This obedience includes actions we might not initially consider part of repentance, such as attending meetings, paying tithing, giving service, and forgiving others.</i></div></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Gratefully, all is not lost when we have gone over a cliff. Regardless of our route, we needed my mom to pick us up at the end of the week and drive us back to the safety and comfort of home. Our detour changed our experience in significant ways, but getting back on the trail and sticking to it allowed us to reach a different, but equally accessible, place where my mom could find us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes our detours off the covenant path may have lasting effects on our life experience, but the trail is never far from where we are. As we repent and return to the path, the Lord can show us the route to His grace. With faith in Christ and our own significant effort, we can be reconciled to God (2 Nephi 25:23) and experience the joy and rest of returning home (2 Nephi 11:5).</div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-26795320288988879122022-05-18T14:06:00.005-07:002022-05-18T14:06:48.010-07:00Ancient Antichrists with Modern Arguments<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwc5Y5OerqINyikbfmp2zbFZBLq_drM3Ll6fnhdrNkvT3k4Run2WgSXdwAPI0_vDvW69xvYvhIPqKVu08SaKGJQB2PPx5xI-qxy-Hxk321jcd9Lunt3EOZk4GtKAanafS4la2uhA3xOGEFLC1ijxk1gd9jPyUaL9PCAeV2Ektl3r0xW_8RIN-bFe9b/s736/ef0170cd1383a151d94251369854abed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="736" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwc5Y5OerqINyikbfmp2zbFZBLq_drM3Ll6fnhdrNkvT3k4Run2WgSXdwAPI0_vDvW69xvYvhIPqKVu08SaKGJQB2PPx5xI-qxy-Hxk321jcd9Lunt3EOZk4GtKAanafS4la2uhA3xOGEFLC1ijxk1gd9jPyUaL9PCAeV2Ektl3r0xW_8RIN-bFe9b/w400-h241/ef0170cd1383a151d94251369854abed.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Recently, in a fit of insomnia, I scrolled through my social media feeds waiting for the return of sleep. A news article caught my attention. I read the article and then, in a lapse of judgment I can blame only on my fatigue, I read the comments as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>The article detailed the decline of religious faith among youth and young adults. Most of the comments cheered for a demise of religion in general with a few repeated arguments. We don't need religion, some comments asserted, because it is just myths and magic now refuted by science. Surely we are smarter now than previous generations, some argued, and capable of spirituality without going to church. Others pointed out that many churches have not evolved with the times and preach doctrines that are unpopular, outmoded, or politically incorrect. Besides, a chorus of commenters cried, people at church, including some leaders, can be overly political, hypocritical or unkind. If we can be happy and successful without a church or faith, the commenters questioned, why waste time, effort and belief on religion?</div><div><br /></div><div>As I scrolled the hundreds of comments like these, I noticed that those opposed to religion each had several "likes". The few brave souls willing to express faith or support for religion, however imperfectly at times, were quickly and aggressively opposed with dozens of comments attacking them and their position. At least online, the masses appeared to agree that religion is at least unnecessary and likely much worse.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, this is hardly the first time religion has been called into question. The people in Noah's time took a hard pass on religion despite his preaching for one hundred years. Abraham negotiated with the Lord to save the city of Sodom if he could find ten righteous among them; yet, the city had abandoned all religious principle and was ultimately destroyed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps most relevant to the arguments I encountered in the comment section of that online article are the three antichrists we study in the Book of Mormon. Although each lived thousands of years ago, they made the very same arguments in their time that I read online in ours.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sherem was the first to be called an antichrist in the Book of Mormon. Jacob must have found his brief encounter with Sherem particularly valuable or compelling because it is included after Jacob had written his farewell at the end of the previous chapter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sherem was well educated and good with words. The scriptures say that Sherem "preached many things which were flattering to the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ" (Jacob 7:2). Sherem convinced many people that no one could actually know that Christ would come in the future and so it was unnecessary to keep the commandments or the law of Moses in the present. When he eventually met Jacob, Sherem demanded scientific evidence-- a sign of some sort-- to prove the reality of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost by which Jacob testified he knew of the everlasting reality of Christ.</div><div><br /></div><div>More than three hundred years later, Alma began his record with the account of a strong man named Nehor who "began bearing down against the church" (Alma 1:3). Nehor taught what was popular: that "all mankind should be saved... and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice, for the Lord had created all men, and... all men should have eternal life" (Alma 1:4). Many people believed Nehor and began to follow him, give him money, and attend the church he established.</div><div><br /></div><div>On one occasion, while traveling, Nehor encountered a teacher of the church of Christ and "began to contend with him sharply, that he might lead away the people of the church" (Alma 1:7). The teacher was an elderly man, a war hero from decades earlier, whose name was Gideon. When Gideon withstood Nehor's teachings, "admonishing him with the words of God," Nehor became irate and murdered Gideon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nehor paved the way for many others "who loved the vain things of the world... [and] went forth preaching false doctrines... for the sake of riches and honor. Nevertheless, they durst not lie, if it were known, for fear of the law... therefore they pretended to preach according to their belief" (Alma 1:16-17). These false teachers lived what they might have termed a "high life" of indulgence with expensive clothing, whoredoms, and the appearance of happiness. They were also very proud, as Nehor was, "and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows" (Alma 1:22).</div><div><br /></div><div>Just as the spread of popular doctrines and philosophies in our day has led many people who had been faithful to be excommunicated, remove their records or stop their activity in the Church, Alma writes that false doctrines were "a cause of much affliction to the church" as "the hearts of many were hardened, and their names were blotted out, that they were remembered no more among the people of God. And also many withdrew themselves from among them" (Alma 1:24).</div><div><br /></div><div>One of those anxious to follow in the steps of Nehor was a man named Korihor. Korihor taught that religion was foolish and vain. Like Sherem, Korihor taught that "no man can know of anything which is to come... ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ" (Alma 30:13-15). So-called prophecies were the foolish traditions of past generations. Remission of sin was the effect of a frenzied mind and the indoctrination of foolish traditions that led people away from reality. "Every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature," Korihor taught, "therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and... every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime" (Alma 30:17).</div><div><br /></div><div>Sherem, Nehor and Korihor all had many followers. They became wealthy and did whatever wickedness they desired. Each had an opportunity to validate their philosophies by their own lives. Yet, none of these ancient antichrists could withstand the power of the word of God.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jacob writes that Sherem sought to shake his faith, "notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken" (Jacob 7:5). Jacob does not say that he was very unlikely to be shaken or probably not going to be shaken-- he knew the truth and <i>could not</i> be shaken.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Sherem confronted Jacob, "the Lord God poured in his Spirit into [Jacob's] soul, insomuch that [he] did confound [Sherem] in all his words" (Jacob 7:8). Jacob turned Sherem to the scriptures to refute the claim there would be no Christ and testified of the things he had learned through the Holy Ghost. Sherem changed the subject, pressing instead for physical evidence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, Jacob left it in the hands of God to show Sherem a sign. Immediately, Sherem was overwhelmed by the power of God and fell to the earth. Jacob states that Sherem was "nourished for the space of many days," denied all he had taught in front of the people, confessed his own deception and knowledge of Christ, and then "gave up the ghost." A multitude observing this deathbed confession were then overcome themselves, in answer to Jacob's prayer, and the "peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man" (Jacob 7:23).</div><div><br /></div><div>Gideon admonished Nehor with the words of God. Though Gideon was killed by Nehor's wrath, Nehor was also sentenced to die for his crime. On top of the hill Manti, Nehor acknowledged that what he taught was contrary to the word of God and then died in disgrace (Alma 1:15). Nehor's followers persisted in apostasy and persecuting the faithful, but the righteous, who did not set their hearts upon riches, began to be very wealthy and dramatically increased their ability to care for those need.</div><div><br /></div><div>Korihor, it turns out, was also only pretending to preach according to his belief. Like Sherem, Korihor ultimately confronted Alma, the prophet of his time, and demanded to see a sign. Alma testified: "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form to witness that there is a Supreme Creator" (Alma 30:44). </div><div><br /></div><div>Alma told Korihor that he had signs enough between the testimonies of his brethren and the evidence of the natural world, but Korihor continued to press for a miraculous sign. Finally, Alma consented and Korihor was overwhelmed by the power of God and became unable to speak. Asked if he would continue to dispute the reality of God, Korihor confessed in writing that he had known there was a God all along. He had taught doctrines that were "pleasing to the carnal mind" and began to think they were true when he saw how many others believed what he was teaching. Whatever wealth Korihor achieved by priestcraft, the last we read of this third antichrist is of him being trampled while begging for food.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a social media world, there are many deceptive and seductive voices in the world today. Many of the most popular voices make sinful choices appear glamourous and desirable. As in ancient times, the living prophet of our day has warned us about these voices and admonished us to become as unshakeable as Jacob:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>If most of the information you get comes from social or other media, your ability to hear the whisperings of the Spirit will be diminished. If you are not also seeking the Lord through daily prayer and gospel study, you leave yourself vulnerable to philosophies that may be intriguing but are not true. Even Saints who are otherwise faithful can be derailed by the steady beat of Babylon's band.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>My brothers and sisters, I plead with you to make time for the Lord! Make your own spiritual foundation firm and able to stand the test of time by doing those things that allow the Holy Ghost to be with you </i>always.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Never underestimate the profound truth that "the Spirit speaketh... of things as they </i>really <i>are, and of things as they </i>really <i>will be." It will show unto you all things what ye should do.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Even more directly, President Nelson has warned that "in the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost". That constant influence is a result of our faithful and consistent study of the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, and the divine communion that comes with sincere prayer.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is true that members and leaders of the Church are imperfect and must continue striving to be better. You and I may also have legitimate questions or concerns about Church doctrines or historical figures and events. In these moments, when the Lord may feel far away, it is even more important to make time for the Lord! As we seek Him through gospel study and prayer, He will bless us with His spirit and the revelations we need to avoid the intriguing but false philosophies promoted by modern antichrists on social media and in the comments that you already know you really shouldn't read.</div><div></div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-78212108227347783242022-02-13T15:49:00.000-08:002023-03-26T16:47:25.046-07:00Building on a Firm Foundation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjhInV5NTNas8MNg-mmv4ujdxhm0biKo-9A-3PU_aC6mBr4B8MF-dF8UFc2L9Dd8F6qV5n6SHSPEUPf2DhKQom-8ldiSgP3eQjK9ZePOIHC2p-GbnLob5KfGqvZVE8PD3FjeKJ-N51fX3G7ETIvn0pH-AFl8ToMiD8W1TO-H4ciaaMicKG0Gde2zz/s900/image_da927fcc-20a3-4277-b5a8-222388e1de8a_900x.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="900" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjhInV5NTNas8MNg-mmv4ujdxhm0biKo-9A-3PU_aC6mBr4B8MF-dF8UFc2L9Dd8F6qV5n6SHSPEUPf2DhKQom-8ldiSgP3eQjK9ZePOIHC2p-GbnLob5KfGqvZVE8PD3FjeKJ-N51fX3G7ETIvn0pH-AFl8ToMiD8W1TO-H4ciaaMicKG0Gde2zz/w400-h314/image_da927fcc-20a3-4277-b5a8-222388e1de8a_900x.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Artwork courtesy Josh Nelson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>One of my children's favorite primary songs is "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man":<br /><br /><i>The wise man built his house upon the rock</i><div><i>And the rains came tumbling down</i></div><div><i>The rains came down, and the floods came up,</i></div><div><i>And the house on the rock stood still.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The foolish man built his house upon the sand</i></div><div><i>And the rains came tumbling down</i></div><div><i>The rains came down, and the floods came up,</i></div><div><i>And the house on the sand washed away.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>The Southern folk hymn is based on the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. After sharing the principles of his gospel, Jesus taught:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it </i>(Matthew 7:24-27).</div><div><br /></div><div>There is not anyone here who has not experienced storms in their life. Some of our storms may seem like hurricanes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Several years ago, while my family was living in Virginia, the last residual of a hurricane that had hit the Carolinas blew through our area. It was no longer a hurricane, and we were 100 miles inland, but the wind and rain blew over trees and almost flooded some neighborhoods in our town.</div><div><br /></div><div>The storm <i>almost </i>flooded some neighborhoods because, fortunately, the town where we lived had experienced such storms before and took steps to prevent future flooding. Large storm drains had been installed throughout the town to allow rainwater to flow into drainages leading away from the town. In areas most susceptible to flooding, asphalt streets had been replaced with permeable brick roads that allowed water to drain through the road where it was filtered and redirected to underground retention basins. Parking lots downtown and at the police station were also replaced with permeable pavers and underground retention basins.</div><div><br /></div><div>The people in this small town understood how to make it through a storm; but understanding wasn't enough. Devastating floods were prevented only after action was taken to prepare.</div><div><br /></div><div>Captain Moroni understood that faith is a principle of action. When his nation was attacked by the Lamanites, Moroni inspired his people to pray for deliverance and also made sure that his people "did not stop making preparations for war." First, he instructed his people to dig up heaps of earth surrounding all of their cities. When these were constructed, he directed the people to build "works of timbers" as tall as a man on top of the earthworks. Next, strong and high pickets were built upon the timbers. Then towers were built to see over the pickets, and safe places on each of the towers, so his army could throw stones at any approaching enemies.</div><div><br /></div><div>There will be storms in our lives. Some of these will be literal storms that interrupt our routine and may cause us to lose power. Others may feel more like battles that stretch weeks, months or years and threaten to cut our connection to heaven.</div><div><br /></div><div>How prepared are you to face life's challenges? Those in rural areas may spend time cutting weeds to prevent wildfires or chopping wood to be ready for winter. Some of us may have generators for when the power goes out or a plan for where to go or what to do in case of an emergency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Are we as prepared for spiritual emergencies? Have you built a firm foundation by doing the sayings of Christ-- living his doctrine and his gospel every day-- so you can withstand the storm? Do you have a spiritual generator ready for the times when the Lord may not seem as close? Or are you the person who only starts to prepare when the flames get close?</div><div><br /></div><div>We can guess what would have happened if our little town in Virginia had waited for the rain to start before building storm drains; or if Moroni had waited until he could see the Lamanites coming to start building fortifications. Whether we feel we have time to prepare, or the war has already started, we can gain spiritual strength by building our lives on the doctrine of Christ.</div><div><br /></div><div>The doctrine of Christ is declared in the scriptures, taught through modern prophets at General Conference, and comes to us directly through the promptings of the Holy Ghost. This week in <i>Come, Follow Me</i>, we have studied thirteen foundational doctrines in the Articles of Faith. As we hear these sayings, and also do them, the Lord has promised that we will prevail even against the gates of hell (3 Nephi 11:39-40). We can consider how we can better incorporate these principles in our lives as we review them.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first four articles of faith outline the nature of the Godhead and the basic doctrine of Christ. There is a God and He is our Eternal Father. The Godhead includes three personages including Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are responsible for our own actions. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind may be saved in a kingdom of glory. The basic principles and ordinances of God's plan to save his children include faith, repentance, baptism and confirmation. These doctrines show us both the universal and unconditional love God has for His children and how we can be united with Him in this life and hereafter.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fifth and sixth articles of faith teach us about the organization and order of the priesthood. We believe that the Lord leads and directs his church through prophecy and that we receive authorization and blessings to perform our callings, as in ancient times, through the laying on of hands. We also believe in the same church organization that Christ established two thousand years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>Paul wrote that "he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man [or woman], unto the measure and stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-15).</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus Christ stands at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Nelson is his mouthpiece and a prophet just as Noah, Abraham and Moses were prophets. We also have teachers, bishops who are pastors, and patriarchs who serve as evangelists in confirming the blessings of the Lord for our lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Articles seven through nine speak of additional resources that are available to bless our lives. We are given spiritual gifts to help us serve others and protect us from evil.</div><div><br /></div><div>The scriptures are a guide for our lives. They establish a standard of truth by which we can know whether the information we encounter is true or false. Paul wrote to Timothy:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man [or woman] may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works </i>(2 Timothy 3:16-17).</div><div><br /></div><div>Some people in the world believe that they should attend a church that teaches what they already believe or what they agree is likely true. The Lord calls gospel living a "refiner's fire" and challenges us to shape ourselves to the gospel rather than trying to change the gospel to fit what we think it should be.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Lord teaches us how we can be better as we study the scriptures and seek personal revelation from Him. He also reveals His will to living prophets. The Lord will confirm the teachings of the prophets to our hearts if we will study and pray about them. We are also promised that the personal revelation we receive from God will always be consistent with prophetic teachings. Like a lighthouse and the lights upon the short the Lord always provides two witnesses to help us navigate dangerous waters even when a storm is raging.</div><div><br /></div><div>Articles ten, eleven, and twelve instruct us on how to share the gospel throughout the world. We learn of the gathering of Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, that men and women are free to accept or reject the gospel according to their own conscience, and that we must respect the laws of the land in whichever nation we find ourselves.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, the thirteenth article of faith provides a summary of how disciples should conduct and present themselves. <i>We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men... we believe all things, we hope all things..., and [we] hope to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Are these the articles of your faith? Do you believe that Christ has really done what he said he would do? Do you believe that President Nelson is really a prophet of God? Would someone observing your scripture study habits understand that you believe them to be the words of God? Are you living subject to kings, presidents and rulers? Are you seeking after things that are virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy?</div><div><br /></div><div>Adapting an analogy Elder L. Tom Perry once shared, these foundational doctrines are for our spiritual lives what a battery is to a cell phone. When you remove the battery from your cell phone, it cannot function. Similarly, without faith in the gospel of Christ, we become "like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed" (James 1:6). We need a light on the path and an anchor for our souls to weather the storms of life and find our way back to our eternal home.</div><div><br /></div><div>If there are storms raging in your life today, drop anchor and begin building your foundation with gospel living. Start by doing the primary answers that you already know. Study your scriptures. Pray with a sincere desire to commune with your Heavenly Father. Come to church. Listen to any thoughts or promptings you may have felt today. Reach out for help-- your ministering brother or sister, your Elders Quorum president or Relief Society president can provide inspired counsel for your life. If needed, your bishop is more than willing to help you repent and find the gospel path again.</div><div><br /></div><div>You may not be able to tackle all of this at once. Do what you can.</div><div><br /></div><div>As you work to do the words of Christ, it will help to try to see the gospel and your life from an eternal perspective. </div><div><br /></div><div>My father used to tell a story of a car crash that happened years ago in Chicago. One car came around a corner and collided with another. It happened so fast, neither driver nor any of the witnesses were really sure what had happened or who was at fault. Six hundred feet up however, a window washer happened to see the entire incident and it was his testimony that clarified the case for the local police.</div><div><br /></div><div>We live our lives in the driver seat and can't always see what is going on around us. The Lord has said that his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts. When we seek to understand what he understands, we will often see the hand of the Lord working in places we had not previously supposed.</div><div><br /></div><div>With faithful action and a glimpse of the Lord's perspective, we should seek to find answers to our questions in the resources he has given us. The sources we use to find truth matter.</div><div><br /></div><div>When God visited Adam and Eve after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit, his first question was not why they had eaten the fruit or why they had hidden themselves. His first question was, "Who told thee?" He taught Adam that the source he chose to follow was the reason he reached a false conclusion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Similarly, there are many internet sites and blogs and podcasts. Many of them are good, but none have the power of the scriptures, the words of the prophets in General Conference, and the other resources the church provides.</div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion, consider two final invitations from the scriptures. First, the words of Amulek:</div><div><br /></div><div>"Now, as I said concerning faith-- that it was not a perfect knowledge--even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. But behold, if ye will arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words (Alma 32:26-27).</div><div><br /></div><div>And finally, a familiar invitation from the prophet Helaman:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>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 </i>(Helaman 5:12).</div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-76420135792633951612022-01-30T18:22:00.002-08:002022-01-30T18:22:12.157-08:00Gathered to a Good Meal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAGXe0gs6AOSiAB8iMZXZi9yCEO9vDviWNx-0jAMk3tePRkyOaYM6-Vg9bvGy8wap0ETLLA3v8PvydO31RRa9TF3__OhgTW4jJHDe2qOseEQK-AUjd-v4NjeAc3oJZGSyYPMF_aInFnnjg85eUvL0Xdr192DSfy2TOuXjd-_200fZyaQqdfU7l2_vc=s1601" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1007" data-original-width="1601" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAGXe0gs6AOSiAB8iMZXZi9yCEO9vDviWNx-0jAMk3tePRkyOaYM6-Vg9bvGy8wap0ETLLA3v8PvydO31RRa9TF3__OhgTW4jJHDe2qOseEQK-AUjd-v4NjeAc3oJZGSyYPMF_aInFnnjg85eUvL0Xdr192DSfy2TOuXjd-_200fZyaQqdfU7l2_vc=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"In Remembrance of Me" by Walter Rane</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Nothing brings people together quite like good food. Food is a highlight of many of our activities, our holidays and our culture. We celebrate each other with birthday cake. Families come together to reflect on shared blessings over turkey and mashed potatoes. Church events are rarely held without homemade brownies or an ice cream sandwich. At professional conferences, much of the networking and business is conducted over a meal, drinks and hors d’oeuvres, or some hotel’s idea of cheesecake. <br /><br />When we are sharing a meal with others, we cannot help but tap into a deeper source of connection. We all need food to live. Our bodies are made of the cells created from and nourished by the food we eat. Sharing our food is sharing our vulnerable humanity. It implies an equality, trust and cooperation that helps us feel closer to our families, our associates, or even those we may not have known when the meal began. Breaking bread with one other can soften our hearts and remind us of all we have in common. Oscar Wilde quipped that “after a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.” <br /><br />The gathering of Israel is like a good meal. The Lord taught in a parable that “wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together; so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth” (JS-M 1:27). <br /><br />The elect of Israel will be gathered to the body of the church for the same reason as eagles gather for a meal: because there is meat for nourishment. <br /><br />Speaking in 1938, President J. Reuben Clark, a counselor in the First Presidency at the time, spoke to Church educators about teaching the youth of the Church. His comments have many insights for parents and teachers, but the principles he taught apply to each of us and all of the elect of Israel. In that context of the broader elect the Lord has called us to gather, he said:<br /><br />“The [elect] are hungry for things of the Spirit; they are eager to learn the gospel, and they want it straight, undiluted. <br /><br />They want to know about the fundamentals [of the gospel]—about our beliefs; they want to gain testimonies of their truth… <br /><br />[The elect] crave the faith their [friends or coworkers or family members] have; they want it in its simplicity and purity… <br /><br />[The elect] already know that they must be honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and do good to all men… They should be encouraged in all proper ways to do these things which they know to be true… <br /><br />[The elect] fully sense the hollowness of teaching which would make the gospel plan a mere system of ethics; they know that Christ’s teachings are in the highest degree ethical, but they also know they are more than this… They know that the gospel teachings touch not only this life but the life that is to come, with its salvation and exaltation as the final goal. <br /><br />[The elect] hunger and thirst… for a testimony of the things of the Spirit and of the hereafter, and knowing that you cannot rationalize eternity, they seek faith and the knowledge which follows faith… <br /><br />[They are] working on toward a maturity which they will… reach if you but feed them the right food” (James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (1965-75), 6:44-58). <br /><br />We live in a “wheat and tares” world. We are called to gather the elect into the barn—not for the barn’s sake, but rather so we may be “made perfect in one” and meet again at the Lord’s family dinner table. There it will not matter if one was a republican or a democrat; rich or poor; American, African or Asian; a sports fan or an artist or wrangler or a nerd. There we will be unified by our common, vulnerable humanity and grateful faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ. <br /><br />The elect will be gathered to the Church and its covenants, like we are gathered to a good meal, as we love those around us and share the meat of the pure and undiluted gospel with them. Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Creator, the Great Gatherer, and the gracious host of our great gospel feast.<br />Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-44171499562774163222021-12-27T16:15:00.001-08:002021-12-27T16:15:13.869-08:00Gathering the Wheat from the Tares<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd0G7G5dYjCae_ZYWuIKIgvH_NkvoI5WZA6K5BiLiswAj_g8DWSEj68bglYNHwOajBhlGp35bD9AaD99svK5LGM6pgIV2F0_6ucTwOiOuu6QmbSfk4Y22Z81NSApl8zNbpF3iMaRDZAEuaYWy-qdBgYdvXXd9vN1pe-DKPqduJJwWGgOaDg3Q73ngY=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd0G7G5dYjCae_ZYWuIKIgvH_NkvoI5WZA6K5BiLiswAj_g8DWSEj68bglYNHwOajBhlGp35bD9AaD99svK5LGM6pgIV2F0_6ucTwOiOuu6QmbSfk4Y22Z81NSApl8zNbpF3iMaRDZAEuaYWy-qdBgYdvXXd9vN1pe-DKPqduJJwWGgOaDg3Q73ngY=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br />As official opposition to Jesus Christ's ministry grew, he taught for a time using only parables (Mark 4:34). Through simple stories of everyday objects and situations, the Master Teacher openly shared divine truths that went undetected by his oppressors (<a href="https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/parables?lang=eng">Bible Dictionary, "Parables"</a>).<p></p><p>Many of Christ's parables teach about the kingdom of heaven. This is, in itself, a masked reference to his church. The kingdom of heaven, Christ said, is like a mustard seed, leaven, a treasure hidden in a field, a pearl of great price and a fishing net. Each analogy subtly prophesies of the growth of the church from a seed to a great tree, from kneaded dough to a risen loaf, from an empty net to one that "gathered of every kind" (Matthew 13:47).</p><p>Christ also understood that growth would not come without opposition. In the parable of the wheat and the tares, he prophesies about the spreading of falsehood and wickedness, apostasy, and the eventual gathering of the elect prior to Christ's return in the latter days. He taught:</p><p><i>The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.</i></p><p><i>So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?</i></p><p><i>He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.</i></p><p><i>The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?</i></p><p><i>But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn </i>(Matthew 13:24-30).</p><p>Most people in ancient Israel would have been very familiar with the process of growing and harvesting wheat. It is, in a way, a purifying process as cut wheat is bound in bundles and left to dry in the field, pounded and threshed to separate the seed heads from the stems, and then winnowed or dropped on a breezy day to separate the heavier grain from the useless chaff. When the wheat is harvested, the field is burned to eliminate weeds, discard leftover straw, control pest populations, and prepare for a new crop.</p><p>Despite their familiarity with harvesting wheat, Christ's disciples struggled to understand the gospel principles in the parable. When the crowds and Pharisees were gone, they asked the Lord for an interpretation of the parable of the wheat and the tares.</p><p>The Lord explained that the field represented the world. Christ and his servants, the apostles, would sow good seeds as they taught the gospel throughout the nations of the world. After the seed was planted, "as men slept," there would be a great apostasy that would introduce tares in the field.</p><p>Tares are a weed that looks like wheat until it matures. They have a bitter taste and cause dizziness and vomiting if eaten separately or when mixed with bread (McConkie, <i>Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, </i>1:296). The tares represent evil doctrines and those who spread them.</p><p>In the latter days, at the time of the harvest, the wheat, or the righteous, will be separated from the tares. The Lord explained to the Prophet Joseph Smith:</p><p><i>Behold, in the last days, even now while the Lord is beginning to bring forth the word, and the blade is springing up and is yet tender-- Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields; But the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also. Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned </i>(D&C 86:4-7).</p><p>As the Lord prophesied, we live in a time when wheat and tares are growing together in every corner of the world. In "a wheat and tares world," Elder Neal A. Maxwell once noted, "lust openly parades as love, license cleverly poses as liberty, and raucous sounds mockingly masquerade as music" (April 1993). Rather than talking with our neighbors, we watch talk shows and use social media in solitude. Legislation and violence are used against women and children to protect personal profit and convenience rather than to defend women and children. Many people turn to drugs and alcohol to "tune out" the world rather than striving with faith to overcome it. It can be especially difficult to tell the difference between a wide variety of religious teachings and beliefs that often cite the same scriptures.</p><p>With eyes to see and ears to hear, there are many gospel principles we can learn from the parable of the wheat and the tares. We can learn about waiting on the Lord's timing and the urgency of growing our faith. There are lessons about judgement, obedience, patience, and living with others in our church congregations. Perhaps most important is the work of gathering, assigned to the Lord's latter-day apostles, in which we are allowed to participate.</p><p>As wheat is gathered out of the field, so Christ prayed in gratitude that our Heavenly Father had given the Holy Ghost to those chosen "out of the world... because of their belief in [Christ]" (3 Nephi 19:20). He continued, "Father, I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou has given me out of the world, because of their faith, that they may be purified in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be glorified in them" (3 Nephi 19:29).</p><p>Christ offered a similar prayer for his disciples in Jerusalem. He repeated and clarified in that prayer that he prayed "not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil" (John 17:15). He prayed for unity, joy and sanctification through the word of God "that they may be made perfect in one" and "be with me where I am" (John 17:6-24).</p><p>Gathering the righteous out of the world is clearly more than baptizing them into any particular church. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that "even in the Church the tares are to be found. It is the tares which are to be gathered up and burned from all over the world, but those in the Church will also be gathered out and find their place in the fire. The Savior also bore witness of [this. When] speaking to the Nephites he said: 'For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from my people, O house of Israel' (3 Nephi 21:20)" (<i>Church History and Modern Revelation, </i>1:354.).</p><p>Wheat is not gathered into the barn for the barn's sake, but for its own preservation and the glory of the owner of the farm-- the householder. Paul taught that God "might gather together in one all things in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10). We are gathered as we believe in Christ, repent of our sin, covenant through baptism for the remission of sins, and are sanctified by the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is the way we may be "made perfect in one" and with the Lord where he is. </p><p>The ancient American prophet Moroni admonished: "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ... And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot" (Moroni 10:32-33).</p><p>In the multi-step process of harvesting the faithful, temple ordinances further separate the righteous from the world. Through additional covenants to live the laws of obedience, sacrifice, the gospel, chastity and consecration, our hearts and minds are instructed to greater unity, joy and sanctification. We are encouraged to discard the chaff in our lives that we may be among the Lord's chosen-- clearly distinguishable from the tares of the field and gathered up before the field is burned.</p><p>Christ taught these doctrines in a simple parable about harvesting wheat. He invited his disciples to help plant good seeds and he invites us to join in the harvest.</p><p>"Therefore," he declared, "if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul" (D&C 4:3-4).</p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-3703942020946084732021-12-01T09:31:00.005-08:002021-12-01T13:49:43.596-08:00Inheriting the Gift of Eternal Life<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIRSZOGtZxFUE3_YsXkzyF1ZDV8UH75xD2HQQmWZzHazGpGPAeHp1PAhyphenhyphenpbF70Hr8cdJeOToX8djUWGj-Qp-Yu_DXSaxB6B1HDNU9Sf_kNFXdL5MMJDTsxSlKglxFVadbM9Pjruybh00/s1080/vintage-1950-jesus-rich-young-ruler_1_30ff132f6010e54b733f80e2bc90af84.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIRSZOGtZxFUE3_YsXkzyF1ZDV8UH75xD2HQQmWZzHazGpGPAeHp1PAhyphenhyphenpbF70Hr8cdJeOToX8djUWGj-Qp-Yu_DXSaxB6B1HDNU9Sf_kNFXdL5MMJDTsxSlKglxFVadbM9Pjruybh00/w313-h400/vintage-1950-jesus-rich-young-ruler_1_30ff132f6010e54b733f80e2bc90af84.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As Jesus Christ taught in the coasts of Judea, "there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17).</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a question the Savior had answered before. To a Pharisee inquiring by night, the Lord taught that the Son of man would be lifted up "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). </div><div><br /></div><div>On another occasion, Christ was confronted by a lawyer who asked, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou has answered right: this do, and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:25-28).</div><div><br /></div><div>To the one who had come running and kneeled before him, Christ expounded: "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me" (Mark 10:18-21).</div><div><br /></div><div>The scriptures teach that the work and glory of God is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). Eternal life, in particular, is "the greatest of all of the gifts of God" (D&C 14:7).</div><div><br /></div><div>Certainly, the clandestine Pharisee, the confrontational lawyer, and the rich young ruler understood that eternal life is something of extraordinary value and profound religious significance. It was worth the risk to find Jesus by night or setting great status aside to run and kneel at the Savior's feet. Yet, like their countrymen who were disappointed when Christ shared the gospel rather than loaves and fishes, each of these inquirers were ultimately disappointed by the Savior's instruction to change something about themselves. They sought eternal life as a sort of fountain of youth and "received not, because they asked amiss, that they may consume it upon their lusts" (James 4:3). </div><div><br /></div><div>Like these inquirers, we also misunderstand when we think of eternal life merely as the life that comes after death and lasts forever. As sons and daughters of God, it is true that we will be resurrected and live again after we die. "For as in Adam all die," Paul wrote, "even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). We believe, as Amulek taught, that our mortal bodies will be raised to immortal bodies that can never die again (Alma 11:45). This is an incredible gift from a loving Heavenly Father, but he wants to give us more than an existence without illness or death. He desires to give us all he has (D&C 84:37-38).</div><div><br /></div><div><div>In Doctrine and Covenants Section 19, we read:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore-- Eternal punishment is God's punishment. Endless punishment is God's punishment... Therefore I command you to repent-- repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore-- how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I" </i>(D&C 19:10-17).</div><div><br /></div><div>Eternal punishment is the name of God's punishment. In the Garden of Gethsemane, this punishment "caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit" (D&C 19:18).</div><div><br /></div><div>Likewise, eternal life is the name of God's life. It includes eternal families, or families modeled after His in both duration and character. It includes sharing in His work and experiencing His eternal joy. As promised in the Abrahamic Covenant, with eternal life we also obtain eternal progression and glory as our posterity, like His, grows more numerous than the stars in the sky or the sands of the sea.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>We obtain the blessing of eternal life from God "by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated" (D&C 130:20-21). The Lord recognizes that the gift of a lifestyle or a quality of life can only be sustained if we have learned the live the principles upon which that lifestyle is built. So many young heirs of great material wealth waste their inheritance because they do not understand the work and discipline necessary to build such a fortune. The Lord desires his gift to last much longer than fortunes in this world, so he gives us commandments to teach us how to succeed and help us begin now to live as he lives. In this way, the gift of eternal life is less like opening a present on Christmas morning and more like developing a gift for playing the piano or building furniture. As we develop wisdom, learn discipline and master the principles he has taught, we begin to inherit eternal life now because it is the natural consequence of our obedience to the law upon which it is predicated. We then inherit not only all the Lord <i>has</i>, but also all that he <i>is</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>"From such teachings," Elder Oaks has taught, "we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts-- what we have <i>done</i>. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts-- what we have <i>become</i>. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become" (Oaks, Dallin H. <i>The Challenge to Become. </i>Ensign. November 2000.).</div><div><br /></div><div>President Marion G. Romney shared that service, as an example, "is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made" (Romney, Marion G. <i>The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance. </i>Ensign. November 1982.). As we learn to live as He lived, including selfless compassion and service to others, we become as He is and obtain the blessings He enjoys.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even so, our best efforts, however diligent, cannot meet the high threshold of obedience required to obtain the blessing of eternal life. The Lord summarized his commandments when he told us to "be ye therefore perfect" (Matthew 5:48). We "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "Therefore nothing [or no one] entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day" (2 Nephi 27:19-20). </div><div><br /></div><div>God "so loved the world" that he provided legal means for us to inherit a blessing beyond our capacity for obedience. He "gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:16-17).</div><div><br /></div><div>Through the gift of "an infinite and eternal sacrifice" (Alma 34:10), we can obtain blessings beyond our capacity for obedience through an agreement, a contract, with terms that are within our grasp. We enter that agreement through baptism, wherein we covenant and promise to remain <i>willing </i>to keep the commandments as best we can. We will repent and stay focused on our goal of becoming like God. If we choose not to meet these terms, the Lord will still provide many great and wonderful blessings; but if we desire all that he has, we must learn to be all that he is.</div><div><br /></div><div>Along the path that leads to eternal life, we, like the Three Inquirers in the New Testament, may wonder from time to time what we must do to inherit eternal life. As the rich young ruler in Matthew's account of that encounter, we may approach the Lord on bended knee to ask, "What lack I yet?" We can expect a response like those in scripture with direction and guidance about how we can repent and change to be more like our Savior. He will encourage us through the power of His spirit with brief experiences with the eternal peace and joy we desire. And, step by step, if we are faithful unto the end, we will inherit "a crown of immortality and eternal life in the mansions which I [the Lord] have prepared in the house of my Father" (D&C 81:6).</div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-65378876238256788442021-08-22T21:48:00.008-07:002021-08-22T21:48:57.391-07:00The Church Did Meet Together Oft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UVnI3xttXVWbLRDuN78o-UlDLE4JWtPitOf2fxB-C8xkATNl9lW9B_Uc48g4-OKIo0VHL6Nzvq118ga0QcHZvYqo3O3e82gm-6S1bEfXMuTgkarsMZBg8Dm9wqBxJCeVgQgb6MlT0BA/s500/alma_baptizing_waters_of_mormon.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="500" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UVnI3xttXVWbLRDuN78o-UlDLE4JWtPitOf2fxB-C8xkATNl9lW9B_Uc48g4-OKIo0VHL6Nzvq118ga0QcHZvYqo3O3e82gm-6S1bEfXMuTgkarsMZBg8Dm9wqBxJCeVgQgb6MlT0BA/w400-h210/alma_baptizing_waters_of_mormon.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>In April 2020, I found myself kneeling in my own living room to bless the sacrament for my family. The first national pandemic in 100 years had cancelled Church services indefinitely, but in that room there was only peace. As I passed a plate of broken bread and then small medicine cups of water to my children, I had a new understanding of the love God has for each member of his family. It was the first of many spiritual moments that came as I heard my children share their testimonies, provided sacrament service, and shared teaching the gospel with greater depth and breadth than most episodes of family scripture study had ever allowed.</p><p>Then churches began to open again. We were reminded of some of the drama that comes with any group of people. Friends and neighbors commented how nice it was to not have church at all for several months. Staring at the dress shoes we hadn't worn for months, we wondered: why <i>does </i>the Lord command us to go to church each week?</p><p>Perhaps Moroni knew something of what we were feeling. Hunted by his enemies, Moroni was the last of the faithful in the Book of Mormon. Isolated with only his thoughts, he wandered "whithersoever [he could] for the safety of [his] life" (Moroni 1:3). When he had evaded the Lamanites longer than he expected, Moroni decided to risk the noise of pounding a few more words into plates of gold "that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day" (Moroni 1:4).</p><p>After writing about how to perform certain ordinances, Moroni records that the names of those who were baptized and confirmed "were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and finisher of their faith" (Moroni 6:4).</p><p>He continued, "And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak with one another concerning the welfare of their souls. And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus" (Moroni 6:5-6).</p><p>Moroni knew, by doctrine and by experience, that the gospel cannot be lived alone. It requires giving and receiving. It needs others to forgive and to ask forgiveness. Sometimes our ability to grow in the gospel will hinge on exiting the echo chambers of our own thoughts or pausing our own self-centeredness to serve someone else. Essential gospel ordinances can only be performed for others; we cannot baptize or confirm or endow ourselves. Indeed, the highest goals of the gospel are to become bound to our families, to the greater human family, and to our Heavenly Father.</p><p>Elder Robert D. Hales <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1975/10/we-can-t-do-it-alone?lang=eng">taught</a>, "When you attempt to live life's experiences alone, you are not being true to yourself, nor to your basic mission in life." Just as we do not return to live with our Heavenly Father alone, the gospel intentionally gathers the faithful to learn, serve, rely, gather and strengthen one another.</p><p>In every generation, the Lord has taught his children that church attendance is an essential part of gospel unity and togetherness. The Law of Moses admonishes the Israelites to "keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary" with a promise that, in so doing, "I [the Lord] will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people" (Leviticus 26:1-12). Nehemiah described the children of Israel "assembled with fasting" to confess their sins and read the scriptures (Nehemiah 9:1-3). Joel relayed the Lord's commandment in his time to, "Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land in to the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord" (Joel 1:14). King David also taught the Israelites to worship in congregations, "And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord" (1 Chronicles 29:20-21).</p><p>Those who walked and talked with Christ were no less diligent and "came together" on the first day of the week to "break bread" and partake of the sacrament (Acts 20:7). Paul wrote to the members of the ancient church in Israel that they should draw near to the Lord, hold fast the profession of faith without wavering, and "consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another" (Hebrews 10:22-25).</p><p>Just as Moroni was willing to risk his life to write a few words about the importance of gathering, the prophet Alma, who lived five hundred years earlier, risked his life for the right to gather the faithful. Alma believed the prophet Abinadi and fled with other believers from a wicked king. Once hidden, the scriptures record that "he commanded [the faithful] that they should observe the sabbath day, and keep it holy, and also every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God... And there was one day in every week that was set apart that they should gather themselves together to teach the people, and to worship the Lord their God, and also, as often as it was in their power, to assemble themselves together" (Mosiah 18:25, 27).</p><div>Years later, out of hiding and rejoined with the Nephite nation, Alma resigned his post as chief judge to focus on his ecclesiastical responsibilities as the prophet and president of the church. In the capital city where he lived, disorganization and a lack of clear communication to the congregations had resulted in some members being "deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God" (Alma 6:5).</div><p>Alma reorganized church leadership, cleaned up the church records and ensured that "the word of God was liberal unto all" (Alma 6:1-5). Gospel messages were now in everyone's newsfeed, as it were, but it was not enough. These members also needed to be remembered, nourished by the good word of God, and concerned with the welfare of one another's souls. Alma records that, despite the accessibility to the word of God, "the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls who knew not God" (Alma 6:6).</p><p>The Lord has renewed his commandment for the faithful to meet together often "to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus". Describing these meetings as expedient to the organization of the Church (D&C 20:75), he expounds:</p><p><i>And that thou mayest</i> <i>more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High; Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times; But remember that on this, the Lord's day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.</i></p><p><i>And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full. Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer. And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance-- Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours... to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.</i>" (D&C 59:9-19).</p><p>Moroni knew perhaps better than anyone that living the gospel is not something that can be done solo. We need to be remembered and nourished by the good word of God to keep us in the right way, continually watchful unto prayer, and relying upon the merits of Christ. We need the strength of others to help us flee from wickedness and find sanctuary in gospel truths. We need the ordinance of the sacrament, the opportunities to fast for each other, and even some encounters with sharp edges to help smooth some of our own rough spots and keep ourselves more unspotted from the world.</p><p>The experiences our family had while worshipping at home will always be precious memories. We are grateful for prophets, seers and revelators that prepared us for these experiences by various means. In the tumult of the world, it seems possible that worshipping from home may be necessary again someday. Until then, it is a privilege to live the gospel more fully in the company of his disciples.</p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-11894338214147144732021-08-06T09:24:00.000-07:002021-08-06T09:25:40.160-07:00The Gift of Repentance<div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1Vmd_oGTiU_azOk32Xfm7UdBcrQuwrFsovHxifZck07YrH3Doo6YRJApsxDcEJLcbdy2vepeG8iFNF1JtpfVWIcS2FNdCnrYVL3SsR4iuqkoIyUJVC2xT2mNd9p_NMI_Hd9swAxp44c/s1600/1628267024798470-0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1Vmd_oGTiU_azOk32Xfm7UdBcrQuwrFsovHxifZck07YrH3Doo6YRJApsxDcEJLcbdy2vepeG8iFNF1JtpfVWIcS2FNdCnrYVL3SsR4iuqkoIyUJVC2xT2mNd9p_NMI_Hd9swAxp44c/s1600/1628267024798470-0.png" width="400"></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Early one morning, as Christ was teaching in the temple, a
group of Jewish rulers approached. Their intentions were sinister. Introducing a woman taken “in the very act” of adultery, the rulers asked, "Moses in the
law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” (John 8:5).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The rulers' question was carefully conceived to trap Jesus between his own teachings about mercy and the law of Moses. He would have no choice, the rulers must have thought, but to contradict himself or defy the law of Moses. Either way, Christ's fraud would be exposed and the rulers could restore their own power and influence over the people.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Unbound by the limited options he was presented, Christ the Lawgiver responded: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7).</p><p class="MsoNormal">This was more than a general admonition. Under Jewish law, the first witness to an offense was required to throw or cast the first stone at an offender. Adultery is not a sin that can be committed alone. Christ, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead (Moroni 10:34, Acts 10:42), was calling out the rulers' hypocrisy: they claimed to be defenders of pure religion and yet they had allowed, or perhaps even enticed, a woman to sin at the peril of her own life. And though the rulers were focused on the sin of the woman, Christ knew she was not the only guilty party present.</p><p class="MsoNormal">With the spotlight shifted from the woman to the witness, the rulers abandoned the scene and left Christ alone with the victim of their unsuccessful scheme. After a moment, and seeing that they were alone, Christ addressed the woman with respect, saying, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:10-11).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Like the woman taken in adultery, each of us have "sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We sin when we think, speak or act contrary to the commandments of God. King Benjamin taught that “there are divers ways and means [to sin], even so many that I cannot number them” (Mosiah 4:29), therefore we must “watch ourselves” and our thoughts, words and deeds.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It is useful to remember that sins and mistakes are not the same. The Doctrine and Covenants clearly differentiates between sin or transgression and mistakes, errors or being "overtaken in a fault" (D&C 20:80). Mistakes, like crossing the street without looking or forgetting to turn off a burner on the stove, may have serious consequences. Supporting errant political philosophies, over-trimming a spouse's favorite shrub or sending a work report to the wrong person, if done with the best of intentions, are all mistakes rather than sins. Some mistakes may lead us to sin. Yet, we do not need to feel guilty for our mistakes. The remedy for our errors and weakness is learning and correction (D&C 1:25, 27).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Sins are the result of willful disobedience of laws we have learned through the scriptures, the teachings of prophets, or the Spirit, known colloquially as our conscience, which teaches all of us what is right and wrong (John 14:26). However watchful we may be, in our "lost and fallen state" (1 Nephi 10:6) we will sometimes fall into Satan's sinful traps or choose to do something contrary to God's commandments. When we do, our sins bring anguish and lingering remorse to our soul. They make us unclean and unworthy to return and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father (<i>Repentance. </i><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/repentance?lang=eng">churchofjesuschrist.org</a>).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Though we revere Nephi as a prophet, he also lamented his sins. "Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord," he wrote, "my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins" (2 Nephi 4:17-19).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Nephi found solace through faith in Christ and faith-filled repentance. "If the Lord... hath visited men in so much mercy," he reasoned, "why should my heart weep... because of mine afflictions? And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh?... Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul... Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness" (2 Nephi 4:26-35).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Nephi understood that forgiveness of sin is always a gift given through the grace of Christ. We do not ever <i>deserve </i>to be forgiven. We are not entitled to it, nor can we earn it by our good deeds or following a step-by-step repentance formula.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Even so, the Lord does not want to condemn us. He is anxious to advance our learning and happiness. He taught the Nephites, "I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit... Therefore, come unto me and be saved." (3 Nephi 12:19-20).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Consider again the story of the woman taken in adultery. She must have felt completely humiliated. Disgraced and ashamed, she was thrust before the Lord to await his judgement. The Lord responded with mercy. He dismissed her accusers and removed the condemnation of the law with an admonition to, "go, and sin no more."</p><p class="MsoNormal">Our sins may be less public, and we may not be compelled to take our guilt and shame to the Lord, but genuine repentance can remove the condemnation of God's eternal law and provide lasting relief from anguish and remorse. It can also deepen our resolve to "sin no more" and abide in the presence of God.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In contrast, the ruler taken in adultery received no such blessing. He was condemned of the Lord and fled from his presence. Rather than confess his sin, he sought to exempt himself from the law and destroy the lawgiver. He self-righteously lived by his own judgement and so was compelled to deal with the consequences of his sin alone. For him there was no relief from guilt or shame.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We should not have to be compelled to repent in humility. King Benjamin taught that we should review our thoughts, words and actions regularly and be honest with ourselves and with God when we have sinned. If we are striving to follow Christ, recognizing the sins we have committed will lead to “godly sorrow,” which “worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow does not come from fear of punishment or disappointment with the natural consequences of sin, but rather because our behavior has displeased our Heavenly Father and our Savior. When we experience godly sorrow, we have a sincere desire to change and we are willing to submit to every requirement the Lord may give us to be forgiven.</p></div><div><div>Amulek invited those who had sinned to, “begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you” (Alma 34:17). As our sin is the result of our own pride and following our own will, the first requirement to overcome sin will often be to turn to our Heavenly Father, pray in faith, and act as He directs. We can only be forgiven on His terms. When we gratefully recognize our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement, and strive to do His will, He will begin to bless us with strength and healing.</div><div><br>Our desire to be forgiven will be apparent when we are willing to fully disclose to our Heavenly Father what we have done. "By this ye may know if a man [or woman] repenteth of his [or her] sins," the Lord has said, "behold, he [or she] will confess them and forsake them" (D&C 58:43). Our prayer of faith must include a confession of our shame and guilt as we humbly plead for divine help.</div><div><br></div><div>While only the Lord can forgive sins, some serious transgressions, such as violations of the law of chastity, need to be confessed to both the Lord and a priesthood leader like a bishop or stake president. Elder C. Scott Grow taught that when our sins make us feel “guilty, unsettled, unhappy, or even miserable,” we probably need to talk with our bishop. If we feel the spirit prompting us to go to our bishop, we should not try to excuse ourselves or rationalize our way out. Just as Christ helped the woman taken in adultery to repent rather than condemning her, a bishop's role is to help God's children access the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, to relay His love for us, and to serve as the Lord’s messenger of mercy while working with us to get back to the path that leads to Him.</div><div><br>Along with confession of sin, the Lord requires us to forsake them. We should do everything in our power to restore property or reputations we may have damaged, including rebuilding trust or faith in ourselves. We will certainly need to forgive ourselves and exercise kindness and mercy as we hold ourselves accountable. We can then resolve never to repeat our sin and avoid people, places and situations that may compromise that resolve. We cannot linger in temptation and expect to remain clean from sin.</div><div><br></div><div>Instead, we must fill our lives with righteousness and engage in activities, like daily scripture study, prayer and fasting, that bring spiritual power. We must strive to be obedient to all of the commandments of God, including things like paying tithing, serving others, attending our church meetings, and forgiving those who have offended us. Some of these may not seem directly related to our sin, but the Lord has taught that “he [or she] that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven” (D&C 1:32, emphasis added).</div><div><br></div><div>These actions are not a magic formula, but principles that govern or are generally present when we sincerely repent. The Lord may give us more personal direction as we go to him in prayer.</div><div><br></div><div>Christ, the Lawgiver and Eternal Judge, is bound by the covenants and promises he has given us (D&C 82:10). One of those sacred promises is that “he [or she] who has repented of his [or her] sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (D&C 58:42). When we are striving to do all we can, the Lord will make us clean and sanctify us by the Holy Ghost. We can know that we have been forgiven of our sin when we experience the fruits of that Spirit: love, joy, peace, goodness, meekness, temperance, faith, and relief from guilt and anguish (Galatians 5:22-23).</div><div><br></div><div>King Benjamin invited his listeners to, “believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them” (Mosiah 4:10). The Lord extends the same invitation to those who would receive the gift of repentance: "go, and sin no more."<br></div></div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-33933810132756863432021-05-09T15:04:00.002-07:002021-05-09T15:04:25.227-07:00The Divine Nature and Destiny of Women<i>Given as a Sacrament Meeting talk on May 9, 2021 (Mother's Day). Much of the text was taken, and is therefore similar, to <a href="http://principlesofthegospel.blogspot.com/2012/11/women-in-gospel.html" target="_blank">this post</a> from November 11, 2012. Edits made to remove local references.</i><br /><br /><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcKq-9SvJudH4ENAi932j9xsMIt0eRI-68uXdZ4wmTk1hyphenhyphenhpyNCHGH1f_ItNIElFXUgIViCYf7cw-RYffhtwOio_04WbTVaV9T4phENQaZ3kgu6mX-vuqmwpSjsSFgLY2Ewf6GYl7GQo/s1600/adam-eve-angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1156" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcKq-9SvJudH4ENAi932j9xsMIt0eRI-68uXdZ4wmTk1hyphenhyphenhpyNCHGH1f_ItNIElFXUgIViCYf7cw-RYffhtwOio_04WbTVaV9T4phENQaZ3kgu6mX-vuqmwpSjsSFgLY2Ewf6GYl7GQo/s320/adam-eve-angel.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Similitude </i>by Walter Rane</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Family: A Proclamation to the World</i> teaches that “each [of us are] a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is a characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” It is our opportunity to celebrate righteous womanhood and motherhood today, beginning with a mother we all share. <br /><br />Our greatest of grandmothers, Eve, was the first mortal woman to walk upon the earth. Through the annuls of time, Eve has often been portrayed as gullible and weak, however beautiful, and valuable primarily for bearing children and serving her husband. In modern times, many relegate Eve to the back shelf as a fictional character in an ancient children’s fable. For more than a thousand years, Eve, the mother of us all, has been portrayed in art, humor and dogma as little more than the First Stereotype. <br /><br />Modern prophets give us a different picture of the Mother of All Living. Listen to their words: <br /><br /><i>There is no language that can do credit to our glorious mother, Eve. Eve--a daughter of God, one of the spirit offspring of the Almighty Elohim--was among the noble and great in [the premortal] existence. She ranked in spiritual statue, in faith and devotion, in conformity to eternal law with Michael</i> (Bruce R. McConkie. "Eve and the Fall". <i>Woman.</i> Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979. p. 69).<br /> <i><br /> Among the great and mighty ones who were assembled in this vast congregation of the righteous were Father Adam... and our glorious Mother Eve, with many of her faithful daughters who had lived through the ages </i>(Joseph F. Smith, D&C 138:38-39).<br /> <br /><i> We and all mankind are forever blessed because of Eve's great courage and wisdom. By partaking of the fruit first, she did what needed to be done. Adam was wise enough to do likewise </i>(Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, October 1993).<br /> <br /><i> It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same...<br /> <br /> Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it... Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve's act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the fall</i> (Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, October 1993).<br /> <br /> Eve is, "honored by Latter-day Saints as one of the most important, righteous, and heroic of all the human family" (Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992. 2:475.). Zebedee Coltrin related this insightful vision he shared with Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith, the prophet:<br /> <br /><i> The heavens gradually opened and they saw a golden throne, on a circular foundation, something like a lighthouse, and on the throne were two aged personages, having white hair, and clothed in white garments. They were the two most beautiful and perfect specimens of mankind he ever saw. Joseph said, 'They are our first parents,' Adam and Eve</i> ("The Words of Joseph Smith." Provo: Brigham Young University. vol. 6.).<br /> <br /> That Eve would be exalted to a throne as the lucky consequence of a clumsy mistake or a weak moment is inconsistent with the gospel of exaltation. That gospel requires each of us to "work out our salvation" by developing great faith in Christ, choosing to change our behavior each day to better follow Him, make and keep inspired covenants and continually keep the commandments of God throughout our lives (<i>see </i>Phillippians 2:12; Alma 34:37; and Mormon 9:27). Eve did not get a pass for going first; that would not be just. Rather, modern prophets teach that Eve was chosen, with Adam, to set the course, to lead the way, to make the Lord’s plan of happiness possible, and to provide an example of faithfulness for the whole human race. <br /><br />Popular culture is wrong about Eve and, by extension, it is wrong about women in general. Some of that error comes from a poor understanding of the Creation and the Fall. We can learn a great deal from a careful study of these events. I will make only a single point about each event today. <br /><br />First, some point to the verses in Genesis that say Eve was created from Adam's rib to be an 'help meet' for him. They interpret this verse to suggest that God created women to help or serve the interests of men. Understanding that President Kimball taught the reference to Adam's rib is, "of course, figurative" (Spencer W. Kimball. <i>Blessings and Responsibilities.</i> Ensign. March 1976, p. 71), we can focus our attention on what it means to be an <i>help meet.</i><br /> <br /> The Oxford English Dictionary defines a 'help meet' as being, 'even with or equal to'. Sister Beverly Campbell has written that the Hebrew scripture uses the phrase ‘help meet’ to mean an equal saving power of some majesty. President Benson confirmed, 'In the beginning, God placed a woman in a companionship role with [Adam]... She was to act in partnership with him' (To the Elect Women of the Kingdom of God. Woman. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. 1979. p. 69.).<br /> <br /> Elder Bruce C. Hafen explained further, “Genesis 3:16 states that Adam is to 'rule over' Eve, but... <i>over</i> in 'rule over' uses the Hebrew <i>bet</i>, which means ruling <i>with</i>, not ruling <i>over</i>... The concept of interdependent equal partners is well grounded in the doctrine of the restored gospel” (<i>Crossing Thresholds and Becoming Equal Partners.</i> Ensign, August 2007. pp. 24-29.). <br /><br />So we read in Moses chapter two that the Lord blessed both Adam and Eve and commanded them together to, “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Moses 2:28).<br /><br /> The truth that Eve was and is Adam's equal-- in intelligence, in spirituality, and in potential-- adds clarity to the account of the Fall. Gospel scholar Hugh Nibley explained that, "[Eve took] the initiative, pursuing the search for ever greater light and knowledge while Adam cautiously [held] back... It is she who perceives and points out to Adam that they have done the right thing after all" (<i>Patriarchy and Matriarchy</i>. Old Testament and Related Studies. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book. 1986. p. 92). <br /><br />Eve acted in courage and in faith to complete her mission on earth. This could only have happened as it did if Eve were both capable and involved in the process all along. She wasn’t waiting for Adam’s permission or direction. She was united with him in their purpose and intent to follow the commandments, but then acted autonomously and selflessly to benefit the whole of the human family. God blessed Eve for her righteousness and courage.<br /> <br /> A true understanding of the Creation and the Fall justify reverence, honor, and respect, rather than ridicule, for our mother, Eve. Eve had the faith to act, to trade comfort for progress, to stay focused on the Lord’s plan and to lead the way through uncertainty. Eve outwitted Satan to obtain divine blessings for her posterity that he sought for only himself. Each of us can be grateful this Mother’s Day for the achievements and example of our first mother, Eve. <br /><br />Our Savior, Jesus Christ, exemplified the way we should honor the daughters of Eve in our lives today and every day. Christ’s use of the term ‘woman,’ consistent with Jewish culture at the time, was 'highly respectful and affectionate', implying ‘the greatest respect to the person spoken to', and intending 'no severity nor disrespect'. <br /><br />Like Eve, Jesus Christ’s mother, Mary, was a woman of great courage. As an unmarried teenager, an angel appeared to her to declare that she would be pregnant with the son of God. Even an immaculate pregnancy could have caused her to be completely cast out of her society. She did not know how her fiancé would react or maybe even how she would try to explain it to him. And how does one raise as a child the Lord whom you revere as a God? <br /><br />Mary asked the angel how it would be so and then, when she understood what she was being asked to do, Mary replied humbly, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). Though Joseph would marry her, Jewish tradition holds that Joseph died in an industrial accident when Christ was about thirteen years old and Mary was left to raise her children on her own. <br /><br />The Lord’s respect for his mother is clear. At a wedding in Cana, when she is concerned about running out of wine, Christ replies, “Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? That I will do; for mine hour is not yet come” (JST John 2:4). On the cross at calvary, suffering pain beyond our capacity to conceive, he spoke tenderly to his mother, saying, “Woman! Behold thy son!” and directed his disciples to continue to care for her. <br /><br />Christ spoke with similar respect to all of the women he encountered. To the woman taken in adultery, he inquired with respect, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?... Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11-12). To a woman of Canaan—a Gentile to whom he was not sent—who was seeking relief for a daughter “grievously vexed with a devil,” the Lord said, “O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Matthew 15:28). <br /><br />When his disciples saw the empty tomb and left astonished, Mary Magdalene lingered and wept. Christ appeared to her first, saying, “Woman, why weepest thou?” She was not immediately consoled, but Christ comforted her and revealed his identity to her exceeding joy. <br /><br />Brothers and Sisters, is this how we treat the women in our lives? Brethren, do you counsel with your wives as your equals, working toward unanimous decisions, or do you suppose you are somehow endowed with better judgement or a divine right to the final say? Do you consume entertainment that portrays women as daughters of Eve, or do you spend your time with shallower depictions of women as objects or less capable than men? How do your sisters, including your female coworkers and other women you encounter, know of your respect for them? You know the right answers to these questions—and if you need to repent, you need to do it now. <br /><br />Sisters, are you kind to one another? Do you honor the heritage of womanhood within you with your words and actions? Do you selflessly seek the welfare of others and the will of the Lord, as Eve and Mary did, or do you suppose you can lift yourself while tearing others down? <br /><br />Relief Society President Jean Bingham taught last month that “studies have shown that the number one reason people leave religion is that they feel judged or unwelcome. That is cited more often than doctrinal disagreement or lack of belief… That situation can be practically eliminated if we really open our arms and hearts to everyone.” <br /><br />I’m sure each of you can think of times when you or someone close to you has been offended by someone at church. It does not matter if you think the offense is justified. The church should be a safe space where everyone can feel the love of God and of each other. Withhold from criticizing each other’s personal decisions. Focus on being a light for each other, not a judge of each other. <br /><br />Every woman on this earth is a beloved daughter of heavenly parents. As such, each of you sisters have a divine nature and destiny. Your gender is not a biological coincidence and it is not a mistake. It is an essential characteristic of your individual premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose. In the words of Elder Rasband, “you have come [to earth] just at this time to valiantly build up the kingdom of God on the earth.” This is the errand of angels that you have been given. <br /><br />You are where you are because there are people of every age who need you to reach out to them and help them in ways that only you can; and there are people here who can help you in ways you may not even know you need. Each of us will experience more joy and satisfaction in our lives as we strive to build our brothers and sisters around us. <br /><br />Now, before I conclude, I know that some of us, for various reasons, may not feel like celebrating Mother’s Day. That is okay. The Lord is mindful of you and those things that are on your hearts today. <div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I’d also like to echo several messages from the most recent BYU women’s conference. In doing so, I take inspiration from Sister Wendy Nelson, Sister Sharon Eubank, Sister Sheri Dew, Elder Ronald Rasband, and others who spoke at that conference. I hope some of what they have said will begin to address the things that may be on your mind and heart. Listen to their words: <br /><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">- Each person is born to do three basic things. First, choose to love God and others. Second, come to know the Savior by repenting and keeping the commandments. Third, establish family relationships on both sides of the veil. Those things may happen in a different order or timing than we expect or desire, but if you’re doing any of those things, you’re fulfilling the thing you were born to do. </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">- Waiting faithfully upon the Lord for His blessings is “a holy position” and “doesn’t deserve pity.” While waiting, “you are in the company of some of the best souls on Earth.” </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">- Two similarly faithful women can receive different responses to the same basic questions. One sister may be inspired to attend medical school, for example, while another may feel she should forgo a scholarship and begin a family. What is right for one woman may not be right for another.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">- Some of you may have children who are no longer active in the Church. Rather than grieving the children you may feel you have lost, rejoice in the children that you have. Pay attention to the things you enjoy about them and in their good values. Be positive with them and appreciate who they are. It will help your relationship become sweet again. </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">- Women’s voices and perspectives are present in a variety of Church councils and committees and they are equally important in ward and stake councils. </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">- Give yourself some grace. A lack of spiritual feeling, particularly if we are struggling with depression or anxiety, isn’t an indication of unworthiness. Sometimes we just need to hold on with our head what we don’t feel in the moment in our heart. We don’t need to compare ourselves today to the way we were on our best days. </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br />In conclusion, Elder Ballard has affirmed, “Sisters, we, your brethren, cannot do what you were divinely designated to do from before the foundation of the world. We may try, but we cannot ever hope to replicate your unique gifts. There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman.”<br /> <br /> In this light, we begin to see, as Elder Holland has commented, that “in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a woman... occupies a majesty all her own in the divine design of the Creator.” That Creator, Jesus Christ, respected and reverenced the women in his life. He saw their spiritual vitality. He knew perfectly of the sacrifices they have made to respond to the will of God and keep His plan moving forward. He saw their divine and infinite potential, and he sees yours. <br /><br />No wonder it is the women's organization of the Church that so often leads the way in reaching out to friends and neighbors. No wonder the Lord designed the family to pair priesthood and womanhood as evenly yoked saving powers in the lives of God's spirit offspring. Though this day can be difficult for some, it is this glorious heritage we all share that we honor and celebrate each Mother’s Day. <br /><br />I pray, with Elder Ballard, that God will continually bless the women of the Church, and of our ward, to find joy and happiness in their sacred roles as daughters of God. The leaders of the Church, including Jesus Christ, who is at the head of this Church, believe in you. They are and I am counting on your goodness and your strength, your propensity for virtue and valor, your kindness and courage, your strength and resilience. We believe in your mission as women of God.</div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-27894821673223066752020-11-29T07:50:00.002-08:002020-11-29T07:50:54.006-08:00The Brother of Jared's Journey to the Temple<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxaaCCC32Jhlx2VHZzLynXBWMPG5siBLQacr4RtWCRj9gq4Wlr5lM0Q8Ch2b8gooHBiwYFW2svSTLpVEaAYHnZIAR_gkDOIqNqFvywrDr3tjEScYtlCNjBtb6m6CJO1tBaPTq389d2FU/s940/The-Brother-of-Jared-Sees-the-Lord-15-November-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="940" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxaaCCC32Jhlx2VHZzLynXBWMPG5siBLQacr4RtWCRj9gq4Wlr5lM0Q8Ch2b8gooHBiwYFW2svSTLpVEaAYHnZIAR_gkDOIqNqFvywrDr3tjEScYtlCNjBtb6m6CJO1tBaPTq389d2FU/w400-h200/The-Brother-of-Jared-Sees-the-Lord-15-November-2020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Readers of the Book of Mormon know well the story of the Brother of Jared. Like Noah, Lehi and others, the Brother of Jared was instructed to build barges to bring his family to a promised land. When challenges arose during the construction of the barges, the Brother of Jared turned to the Lord for answers. The Lord helped the Brother of Jared understand how to modify the water-tight vessels for air and explained that the wind would propel the barges in the right direction. When the Brother of Jared asked for light for the barges, the Lord responded with a question: "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23).<p></p><p>While the Lord may have been asking for the Brother of Jared's effort and ideas to light the barges, his question was also an invitation for greater spiritual light amid the darkness of the world. Just as the Lord had volunteered the wind when the Brother of Jared asked for air, the Lord generously responds to the Brother of Jared's inquiry for light with a question that will lead him to the divine light and knowledge available through temple worship.</p><p>The story of the Brother of Jared begins in the ancient city of Babel, a predecessor to Babylon in modern-day Iraq. A play on the Hebrew <i>balal</i>, which means "to mix or confound," ancient tradition (Josephus, <i>Antiquities</i>, 1.4) states that <i>Babel</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>was known as "the gate of God." Here at the symbolic gates of heaven, Nimrod, the power-hungry grandson of Ham and great-grandson of Noah, sought to build a tower to reach the heavens.</p><p>By virtue of its goal, Nimrod's tower was likely some version of a temple. Aware of the floods that had previously destroyed the wicked, the Tower of Babel was built high and thick and from bricks and mortar so as to be water tight. Its construction was a mockery of God, to whom Nimrod preached it was cowardice to submit, and many traditions hold that it was Nimrod's desire to use the tower to break in to heaven, dethrone God, avenge mankind of the flood that destroyed it, and place himself as the new ruler of heavens and of earth.</p><p>It was in this wicked society that Jared and his brother pleaded with the Lord for unity (or at-one-ment) for their family and a small band of believers. The Lord answered each prayer with compassion and, when the Brother of Jared had cried "this long time," the Lord ultimately promised to go before the Brother of Jared's face, deliver him and his friends from the evil around them, lead them to a promised land, and make Jared and his brother the heads of a great nation (Ether 1:33-43).</p><p>Intertwined with the the Lord's promises for temporal and political blessings for the Jaredites are each of the core elements that would become known the Abrahamic Covenant in the succeeding generation: priesthood, posterity and a promised land. Because the Jaredites had faithfully rejected the false doctrines of the world and its heretical temple, the Lord covenanted to reveal the doctrines of the gospel and bring them back into his presence through authorized temple ordinances.</p><p>Preparation to receive the promised blessings lasted for many years. The Jaredites were tested and refined as they wandered in the wilderness, built barges on several occasions to cross many waters, endured trials and chastisement, collected animals and seeds, and lived four years in tents on the seashore. As the Jaredites' obedience and sacrifice increased, so did their privileges with the Lord.</p><p>"And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they should travel... being directed continually by the hand of the Lord" (Ether 2:5-6).</p><p>"And it came to pass... that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared" (Ether 2:14).</p><p>Finally, the Jaredites were ready to construct the barges that would carry them across the ocean; and the Brother of Jared was prepared for the greater light and knowledge the Lord promised to give him. With water-tight barges now modified for greater air flow, the Brother of Jared prays, "O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?" (Ether 2:22).</p><p>After many years of preparation, the Brother of Jared's word choice, as relayed by Moroni, is intentional. Water is associated with life: it is present at our birth and when we are born again through baptism. Christ turned water into wine at the beginning of his ministry, a symbol of his transcendence of the earthly condition. Nimrod had also been keenly aware that water could be used to destroy corruption and refresh the life on earth.</p><p>The depth of the Brother of Jared's question, asked with emotion and perhaps some fatigue, includes the veiled plea, "Must we go our entire lives without the full light and blessings of the gospel and the at-one-ment we first desired?" The omniscient Lord responds with the same compassion noted frequently in these verses: "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23). </p><p>The Brother of Jared must have recognized the invitation in the Lord's reply, because he seems to know what to do next. Though the Lord had been speaking to him from a cloud, the Brother of Jared, like others in the Old Testament who sought to commune with the Lord, climbed a particularly high mountain, Mount Shelem, to seek further light and knowledge.</p><p>"Shelem," like "shalom," refers to peace with God and, more specifically, the peace offering and priestly atoning that was part of the law of sacrifice and a significant part of ancient temple worship. For such an offering the priest would enter the temple wearing a breastplate with sixteen stones. The number of stones-- sixteen-- was symbolic of the eye or bringing to light. An ancient priest entering the temple would also carry incense or coals in his hands that would be used to perform the sacrifice.</p><p>Prior to climbing Mount Shelem, the Brother of Jared, "did molten out of a rock <i>sixteen small stones</i>; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them <i>in his hands</i> upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord" (Ether 3:1, <i>emphasis added</i>). It is worth noting that some ancient rabbis believed that Noah used precious stones that shone in the ark rather than windows (Genesis 6:16, footnote <i>a</i>) and the Brother of Jared may have ventured this solution based on what he knew of his priestly ancestor's dealings with the Lord. Whether inspired by Noah, or an ancient temple, or in some other way, the search for physical and spiritual light brought the Brother of Jared to the precipice of a mountain-temple with sixteen white, clear stones that he had molten from a rock.</p><p>As he enters the temple environment, the Brother of Jared repeats the Lord's instructions that the Jaredites, "must be encompassed about by the floods". The first stop in an ancient temple was the "Molten Sea" that represented the great flood that covered the whole earth.</p><p>Elder Bruce R. McConkie once explained:</p><p><i>In Solomon's Temple a large molten sea of brass was placed on the backs of 12 brazen oxen, these oxen being symbolical of the 12 tribes of Israel. This brazen sea was used for performing baptisms for the living... In describing the molten sea the Old Testament record says, 'The sea was for the priests to wash in' (2 Chron 4:2-6). This is tantamount to saying that the priests performed baptisms in it </i>(<i>Mormon Doctrine</i>, pp. 103-104).</p><p>In addition to stating the obvious about a boat crossing the ocean, the Brother of Jared appealed for the Lord's approval and redemption in the same way that a high priest entering the temple symbolically was redeemed from the Fall in order to enter the presence of God.</p><p>"Now behold, O Lord," he continues, "and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou has given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires" (Ether 3:2).</p><p>Admitted into the temple, the Brother of Jared asks the Lord to touch the stones with his finger that they may have light. What follows reminds us of Moses' temple experience when the Ten Commandments were written with the finger of the Lord to give light to Israelites (Deuteronomy 9:10). Like Moses, Ezekiel, and others, when the Brother of Jared saw the finger of the Lord, he "fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear" (Ether 3:6, see also Exodus 3:6, Ezekiel 1:28).</p><p>Continuing in compassion and perhaps pleased to see the Brother of Jared accepting the invitation to come to the temple, the Lord tells the Brother of Jared to rise and commends him for his faith. Aware of the sacred nature of the temple ordinances that were about to take place, the Lord then inquires, "Believest thou the words which I shall speak?" (Ether 3:11). This is the Brother of Jared's last opportunity to withdraw rather than accepting the obligations and blessings the Lord is prepared to place on him.</p><p>When the Brother of Jared answers affirmatively, the Lord accepts the Brother of Jared's earlier appeal to enter his presence. "Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you" (Ether 3:13). The Lord then teaches the Brother of Jared face to face about the creation, the Plan of Salvation, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all the inhabitants of the earth, and many more things that cannot be written (Ether 3:14-17, 4:5).</p><p>Moroni, the editor of this account, references the Brother of Jared's temple endowment as he writes, "there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared" (Ether 4:4). He records, "And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil... and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting" (Ether 3:19).</p><p>Like the Brother of Jared, Moroni writes that we can also obtain the greatest knowledge manifested to mankind so that we can behold within the veil and enter the presence of the Lord. To do so, we must "repent of [our] inquity, and become clean before the Lord" through baptism. We must exercise faith, as the Brother of Jared did, and become sanctified through the gift of the Holy Ghost (Ether 4:6-7).</p><p>If we will apply these first principles and ordinances of the gospel in our lives, the Lord will, "manifest unto [us] the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations" (Ether 4:7). Further, the Lord advises us, "he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good" (Ether 4:11). If not, we will be accursed, or spiritually separated from God and limited in our progression and potential (Ether 4:11).</p><p>As the Lord inquired of the Brother of Jared, so he inquires of us: "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?"</p><p>"And again, verily I say unto you that it is your privilege, and a promise I have unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am-- not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual" (D&C 67:10).</p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-42583999445593837472020-11-22T16:27:00.007-08:002020-11-25T10:35:38.395-08:00Challenges, Gratitude and Blessings<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tydKcv4vAJkPO2X8BMlBfMyGrzXL46vh2lz7QMCHSh6__yObuO-BmIF8kMolxV9-gu1tcKOWFIqQ3wNo41hFENIU71dIkWbtKsmN1GEk6QaRMT1zd1tYu8us-FtjE32iotfU-KDEuZE/s644/Lincoln.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="644" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tydKcv4vAJkPO2X8BMlBfMyGrzXL46vh2lz7QMCHSh6__yObuO-BmIF8kMolxV9-gu1tcKOWFIqQ3wNo41hFENIU71dIkWbtKsmN1GEk6QaRMT1zd1tYu8us-FtjE32iotfU-KDEuZE/w400-h325/Lincoln.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Nowhere Else to Go" by Nathan Greene</td></tr></tbody></table><br />1863 was a year of great unrest in the United States. It
began with President Lincoln’s controversial second executive order of the
Emancipation Proclamation, specifying ten states in which slaves were to be
freed. The Civil War raged on for a third year, including the particularly
bloody Battle of Gettysburg.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In what is now Idaho, the U.S. Army massacred an encampment
of Shoshone while some Shoshone and other tribes frequently attacked wagon
trains headed to Oregon and Washington. In Kansas, guerilla confederates killed
more than 150 civilians for their city’s abolitionist reputation. In
California, volunteer cavalry massacred 35 Paiute men on the bank of the Kern
River near Keyesville.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was in 1863 that Congress passed the Enrollment Act that
authorized a military draft and triggered the week-long New York Draft Riots.
Five thousand women in Richmond, Virginia, rioted to protest the exorbitant
price of bread. The first race riot in Detroit occurred when a white mob
attacked the city’s black population. In cities around the country, protests
against the war, slavery, poor wages and poor working conditions were common. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The fourth cholera pandemic of the Nineteenth century began
in 1863, though it would take seven years to make its way from the Bengal region
through Europe and Russia to the United States. Half of downtown Denver burned
down in a fire-- some said it began with a protest against brothels—and more
than a block of San Francisco was turned to ash in the Great San Francisco
Fire. Florida was hit hard, as it seems they always are, by the unexpected
Hurricane Amanda.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With challenges on every side, President Lincoln issued a
proclamation toward the end of 1863:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The year that is drawing towards its close,” he proclaimed,
“has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To
these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the
source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so
extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the
heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of
Almighty God.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">President Lincoln listed blessings including rich natural
resources, general order in society and a strong and vigorous union despite the
ongoing war before concluding:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand
worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High
God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless
remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be
solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by
the whole American people.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lincoln then invited all Americans throughout the world to
observe "a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who
dwelleth in the Heavens". He recommended that our penitence and worship
also include fervently imploring, "interposition of the Almighty Hand to
heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent
with Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and
Union."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Earlier this month, President Nelson also invited us to
experience the healing power of gratitude. Mindful of the global pandemic and
its effects in our lives, and noting “a host of other ills” including “hate,
civil unrest, racism, violence, dishonesty, and lack of civility,” President
Nelson invited each of us to keep a gratitude journal on social media for seven
days and unite in thanking God through daily prayer.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We can all give thanks for the beauties of the earth,” he
taught, “and the majesty of the heavens that give us an inkling of the vastness
of eternity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We can give thanks for the gift of life, for our amazing
bodies and minds, that allow us to grow and learn.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We can give thanks for art, literature and music that
nurture our souls.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We can give thanks for the opportunity to repent, start
over, make amends and build character.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We can give thanks for our families, friends and loved
ones.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We can give thanks for the opportunity to help, cherish and
serve one another, which makes life so much more meaningful.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We can even give thanks for our trials; from which we learn
the things we would not know otherwise.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Most of all, we can give thanks unto God, the Father of our
spirits, which makes us all brothers and sisters — one great global family.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Prayer brings forth miracles,” he explained, and practicing
gratitude can help us be happier and have more peace in our lives. Despite a
challenging year, and more difficulties likely headed our way, following this
counsel from a living prophet has helped to calm our anxieties and find the joy
in this season of “Thanksgiving and Praise.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In counting our blessings, as President Nelson has
encouraged us to do, we have also been reminded that many of our bounteous blessings
have been so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from
which they come. I have found four habits that, when practiced, help me to
remember my many blessings and feel more gratitude, peace and joy. These
include striving to always remember my Savior, Jesus Christ, and be more like
him; looking for the hand of the Lord in my life each day; seeking to have an eternal
perspective, and separating my gratitude from temporary temporal achievements.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lord has taught that his ways are higher than our ways
and his thoughts than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:5-9). As I remember the Savior
and seek to build my life on the principles he has taught, I am more likely to
respond to others with patience and understanding, to notice the beauty of
nature, to remember my own weakness and all the Lord has done for me, and the
covenants I have made that bind me to both magnificent eternal blessings and
significant mortal duties. Striving to remember my Savior, Jesus Christ, changes
who I am and helps me to maintain an uplifting sense of gratitude.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, we all have bad days. Sometimes we might also
feel like we have bad months and bad years. Looking for the blessings we
receive, especially when we are feeling like life is hard, can open our eyes so
we can see the love God has for each of us. This can be one of the greatest
sources of strength we need for our lives.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A few years ago, as my family was driving home from church, my wife commented on what a good year our family had. We had welcomed a new child to the world, I received a promotion at work, we were able to travel to some new places around California and things seemed to be going well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As I thought a little more about her comment, memories of events I did not enjoy as much also crept into my thoughts. Yes, a lot of good things had happened, but we also had the catastrophic Detwiler Fire, two significant flood events and snow that knocked out power for several days. Some turmoil persisted in my extended family and there had been months with more demands than we could meet and days when we just seemed out of sync. There had been illnesses and injuries and world events that added to a pile of evidence that could convince any jury we’d just had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When I saw the world with my wife’s faith and optimism, I experienced a sense of gratitude that was encouraging and uplifting. As doubts came, my hope diminished and I began to re-live the stress and burdensome weight of life’s difficult experiences.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While the Lord can do all things, most of the time the blessings we receive are subtle. Speaking with particular reference to the law of tithing, Elder
Bednar has taught:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">“Often as we teach and testify
about the law of tithing, we emphasize the immediate, dramatic and readily
recognizable temporal blessings that we receive. And surely such blessings do
occur. Yet some of the diverse blessings we obtain as we are obedient to this
commandment are significant but subtle. Such blessings can be discerned only if
we are both spiritually attentive and observant (see 1 Corinthians 2:14).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">“The imagery of the ‘windows’ of
heaven used by Malachi is most instructive. Windows allow natural light to
enter into a building. In like manner, spiritual illumination and perspective
are poured out through the windows of heaven and into our lives as we honor the
law of tithing.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Looking back over my life, I can see periods when my family
has experienced an outpouring of light and understanding. Though I can see it
so clearly now, it wasn’t always obvious at the time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One such experience occurred while I was attending graduate
school in Arizona. Soon after graduation, my wife and I accepted a job in
Virginia. It was a big decision that came as a shock to a lot of our friends
and family members. Some of them wondered out loud how we could make a decision
so suddenly that wasn't even in realm of possibilities just the day before.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, we hadn't made the decision suddenly at all.
Years before we decided to move, we began praying for guidance and that we
would be able to find a good job after graduate school. I paid close attention
when my professors, most of whom were or had been active in my chosen
profession, would give career advice. I interviewed for promotions within the
company where I worked and started applying for jobs in my field around the
metro area where I was attending school. I was constantly looking at job ads
and talking with my wife about what we wanted from life, the kinds of
communities where we would like to live and jobs that would help us reach our
long-term goals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over time, my wife and I began to have experiences that
helped to clarify the path ahead. One interviewer at my employer in Arizona told
me I was overqualified and another told me it would be several years before the
labor union would allow me to be considered for promotion. A guest practitioner
in one of my classes shared stories from working in rural communities that
resonated with me. When we traveled, we would discuss what we liked and
disliked about the communities we visited. The same advice about mobility and
finding a first job was repeated over and over and over again by professors,
mentors, role models and career counselors.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As graduation approached I was getting anxious to find a
position, but it was much easier to identify the jobs that would get us closer
to our professional and family goals. My wife and I knew the jobs that were
most likely to lead to management opportunities, the size and type of community
where we wanted to live, where we could make the greatest contributions and
which states and communities we were willing to call home. Four months after
graduation, I interviewed in Virginia and accepted a position that was everything
we had learned we wanted.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Looking back, there was not a single epiphany that
dramatically changed our course. There was no grand revelatory moment where the
Lord commanded us to move to Virginia. Instead, the Lord opened the windows of
heaven and steadily poured out a thousand smaller experiences, thoughts and
impressions that gradually opened our minds, clarified our goals, developed our
skills and understanding, and has led us gently down the path to where we
needed to be.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Recognizing the Lord’s hand guiding our lives has inspired a
deep sense of gratitude in me. It has also given me confidence that the Lord
continues to give guidance and direction, even when it is hard for me to see at
the time. With this and so many other assurances that help me trust more fully
in the Lord, I am able to worry less and enjoy greater happiness, testimony,
strength, knowledge and prosperity than would be possible otherwise.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes, I admit, I don’t feel like I have the patience to
be led gently down a path. I wish I could avoid some of the hardest experiences
in my life and skip the anxiety of uncertainty. With riches as a symbol for an
easier life, I want to shout with Tevye from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fiddler on the Roof</i>: “If riches are a curse, may the Lord smite
me with them! And may I never recover!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps we can all relate to Tevye’s yearnings when he prayed:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></i>Lord
who made the lion and the lamb,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You decreed I should be what I
am;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Would it spoil some vast,
eternal plan,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If I
were a wealthy man?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Couldn’t things just be a little bit easier? Do we really
need pandemics and wildfires and family members losing health and losing faith?
Would that spoil God’s plan for us?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks answered Tevye’s plea in a General
Conference Address in 2003. “Yes, Tevye, it might,” he said. “The revelations,
for which we are grateful, show that we should even give thanks for our
afflictions because they turn our hearts to God and give us opportunities to
prepare for what God would have us become… Let us give thanks for what we are
and for the circumstances God has given us for our personal journey through
mortality.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elder Anderson taught earlier this year that:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">COVID-19 did not surprise the Lord,
and He will use it to accomplish His purposes. ‘And in nothing doth man offend
God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand
in all things, and obey not his commandments’ (D&C 59:21).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">This time, when society has paused,
can be a time of great learning, a time to shift one’s focus from a temporal
perspective to an eternal perspective. When these things come to us, of course
there are worries… there are emotions and all kinds of pressures and things
that are not comfortable. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">Church members have an opportunity
to stand back and say, ‘There is something about this that will be important
for me.’ Perhaps above all else, it brings each of us humility. During these
moments, God’s children are praying more often and more fervently.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">"Stay on your knees longer and see
what the Lord will teach you. There are always compensatory blessings in these
times.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Along with the challenges, our family has seen many compensatory
blessings throughout the novel coronavirus pandemic. We were grateful for a
late snow in March that made it easier to want to stay inside. I appreciated
the sacred responsibility to prepare and bless the sacrament for my children
and to hear their testimonies in our at-home testimony meetings. I’ve been
blessed to serve the families to whom I minister in meaningful ways and to
learn from their experiences and wisdom. I’ve been fortunate to work from home
much more often and to see my children excelling in their studies. Thanks to Zoom
and other video conferencing apps, I can now have a long day of meetings in
Sacramento and still be home for dinner.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, we will experience greater gratitude and joy from
striving to become grateful and cheerful people than we do from any temporary
event or accomplishment. This may seem counter-intuitive. We may think, as
Tevye did, that we could be more grateful if only we didn’t have a particular
burden in our lives or if we had some blessing we feel we’re currently lacking.
The world tells us that gratitude and happiness follow success.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The happiest person I've ever known was my maternal
grandmother. Grandma Findlay grew up in the high deserts of eastern Utah during
the Great Depression. She served at Fort Douglas in World War II then married
my grandfather, a teacher, with whom she raised a family of eight children.
Grandma lost a teenage son to cancer, gave countless hours in church and
community service, and spent the last several years of her life selflessly
caring for a husband with dementia even while her own health declined.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Despite all she had been through, I seldom saw Grandma when
she wasn't quick to share a warm smile and make others laugh with her subtle,
dry sense of humor. She had a sharp mind, enjoyed helping others be their best,
and could tell from the kitchen if I was slouching while practicing on the
living room piano. She was a talented pianist herself and enjoyed writing short
stories and poetry. Grandma refused to say a negative word and would often
rebut the unpleasant remarks of others with a simple exclamation of, "Oh,
well!" Everyone who knew my grandma knew that "Oh, well!" meant
that Grandma was about to turn the conversation in a more positive and uplifting
direction.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Missionaries, researchers and world travelers have often
been surprised to find that the happiest people, like my grandma, are often
those in the most humble circumstances or with the most incredible challenges. While
many celebrities who seem to have it all fight off depression, drug abuse and
failed marriages, those who have been compelled to be humble are, in many
cases, more grateful for what they have and experience greater happiness than
those who appear to be prospering.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Social scientists have observed that when we place happiness
on the other side of arbitrary successes, we end up spending all of our time
pushing it farther and farther away while we pursue the next fleeting “success”.
When we do well in school, we expect to do better the next time. When we get a
good job, we start “climbing the ladder” for a better one. We make money and
only end up wanting more than we have. Ultimately, of course, we never get to
these kinds of successes for long, so we perpetually chase happiness until it
disappears beyond the cognitive horizon and there’s nothing we can do to actually
achieve happiness.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gratitude is not something we get. It is not something we
have. It is something we become. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Author C.S. Lewis has observed, “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of a person you are.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">When we become the kind of people who are
sincerely grateful; when we become more like our Savior, acknowledge the bounty
the Lord has given us, seek to see the events in our lives from an eternal
perspective, and separate our gratitude from temporary successes; we will
experience a greater realization of our potential including the greater
happiness and joy the Lord wants us to experience.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">President Nelson shared:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">"Over my nine and a half decades of
life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than
recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our
privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">"Does gratitude spare us from
sorrow, sadness, grief, and pain? No, but it does soothe our feelings. It
provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In short, President Nelson echoed Paul’s admonition: “In
every thing give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This year, like 1863, has been filled with challenges,
disappointments and turmoil. Yet, the year that is drawing towards its close
has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To
these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the
source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so
extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the
heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of
Almighty God.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand
worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High
God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless
remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be
solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by
the whole American people and all the children of our Heavenly Father.</p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-4384796277392060362020-09-06T12:15:00.008-07:002020-09-06T12:15:55.184-07:00Courage to Go Forth<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ov8KLtj4hYCUVBt_M2PGvhCObK4Cwj3DRK1fQzrtP1lejx945HKJHklBZRDJY9KQ_ullHBvVeH3uKhcH-NrA11wleJNMGXw7Cm6RGVwIfWnzskBY2EkeMn-TI7dc1FGh30s4VsDaGPU/s424/Sons-of-Mosiah-Mormon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ov8KLtj4hYCUVBt_M2PGvhCObK4Cwj3DRK1fQzrtP1lejx945HKJHklBZRDJY9KQ_ullHBvVeH3uKhcH-NrA11wleJNMGXw7Cm6RGVwIfWnzskBY2EkeMn-TI7dc1FGh30s4VsDaGPU/s320/Sons-of-Mosiah-Mormon.gif" /></a></div><br />Some of the most courageous figures in all of scripture must be the sons of Mosiah. These four brothers, heirs to the throne of the Nephite nation, each refused the crown in order to move to a hostile nation and preach the gospel. They left without knowing when they would return-- it ended up being about fourteen years later-- and without means to sustain them or connections in the foreign land.<p></p><p>Many talks and lessons have cited the quality of the sons of Mosiah's character to explain why Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni would go as missionaries to the Lamanites:</p><p><i>They had waxed strong in the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with the power and authority of God </i>(Alma 17:2-3).</p><p>Although this verse comes before the account of the challenges of their respective missions-- everything from imprisonment without food and water to witnessing others be killed for their faith-- it is a narrative description of the sons of Mosiah <i>after </i>they had returned from their mission. Fourteen years earlier, they were very aware of the danger of the mission they had chosen and the hardness of the hearts they felt called to teach.</p><p>With some anxiety, they began their journey through the wilderness to the mission field. The scriptures say that the sons of Mosiah, and those that were with them, "fasted much and prayed much" as they traveled, asking that "that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring... the Lamanties to the knowledge of the truth" (Alma 17:9).</p><p><i>And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.</i></p><p><i>And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls </i>(Alma 17:10-11).</p><p>The Lord responded to the sons of Mosiah's pleadings with three things: comfort to calm their anxieties, instructions for success, and a promise that following the instructions would bring the outcome they had fasted and prayed to receive.</p><p>When we pray for blessings from our Heavenly Father, sometimes we can make the mistake of stopping our progress when the comfort comes. None of us likes to be troubled or anxious, so when we are worried or struggling we fast and pray diligently until we are comforted. Then, somehow, when comfort comes we seem to think that the blessings we desire will be delivered with minimal effort on our part. We say things like, "we just need to have faith," or "the Lord will deliver on his timetable," and we wait for a miracle.</p><p>Faith in the Lord, and in His timetable, is, of course, important. Miracles do happen. And sometimes there is nothing we can do but stand still, like the children of Israel trapped by Pharoah's armies against the Red Sea, and behold the Lord's mighty power. But most often, genuine faith requires us to act and do all we can do to realize the blessings we desire. The Lord then magnifies our faithful efforts, and helps us learn and grow along the way, until we obtain the things we desired from Him.</p><p>Acting with faith can cause a little anxiety, even if we're not on a mission to an enemy country. It can be hard to share the gospel with a friend, heal a relationship, stop a bad habit, move to a new place, accept a new calling, or whatever else we feel called to do. We need courage to keep moving forward.</p><p>In the moment of comfort, the Lord instructed the sons of Mosiah. First, he confirmed that they should go to serve the Lamanites. Next, he commanded them to establish his word by their example and admonished them to be patient in affliction. Despite the moment of comfort they were enjoying, the blessings they desired could only be achieved through a great deal more discomfort. Finally, he promised that if they would keep this commandment, he would grant them the blessing they desired.</p><p><i>And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, <b>took courage</b> to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God </i>(Alma 17:12, emphasis added).</p><p>Like the sons of Mosiah, we can fast much and pray much to know from the Lord whether we are on the right path. We can learn what we need to do to receive the blessings we desire and receive assurances that, if we will be faithful to the commandments the Lord gives to each of us, the Lord will ensure our success.</p><p>With the Lord's assurances, and trust that God will prepare the way, we can find the courage we need to save the kings flocks from marauders, endure an unjust imprisonment, or overcome whatever other obstacle we may face in pursuit of our desired blessings. As we do, the Lord will make us his sons and daughters-- strong in the knowledge of the truth, armed with spiritual gifts and the power and authority of God to do his work.</p>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-25858939127446378942020-08-23T16:03:00.007-07:002020-08-23T16:06:43.578-07:00Affliction, Potato Salad and the Stockdale Paradox<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5KWyhGjPmcaq7AHgnQB05iGZIRSFmLjpR2x2ravQvWNFu8d7HcKA2l4tG73w_3_a8aJwmjo6TH4xofcEGICxkw5V1WH_dRXEN85wtRz36G5flPpraWmWNBALw61IpVNgeKRTHDMW8_4/s849/Helaman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="849" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5KWyhGjPmcaq7AHgnQB05iGZIRSFmLjpR2x2ravQvWNFu8d7HcKA2l4tG73w_3_a8aJwmjo6TH4xofcEGICxkw5V1WH_dRXEN85wtRz36G5flPpraWmWNBALw61IpVNgeKRTHDMW8_4/s640/Helaman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Around 60 B.C., after a power-hungry expatriate and his followers caused a fourteen-year war between two ancient American nations, the prophet Helaman wrote:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>And thus [we had] wars, and bloodsheds, and famine, and affliction, for the space of many years. And there had been murders, and contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of inquity... But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility </i>(Alma 62:39-41).</div><div><br /></div><div>Like these ancient people, we are surrounded today by all manner of wars and afflictions. We frequently find ourselves obliged, like the Nephites, to defend, "our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our [spouses], and our children" on social media, in our communities and in our nations (Alma 46:12). We have all undoubtedly also witnessed friends and family members who, in the middle of these dangerous circumstances, have hardened in their hearts and been overcome by bitterness, cynicism and worldly pressures. Perhaps we have also felt an onslaught of adversity and wondered how long we could endure when it seems at times that we are hopelessly outnumbered.</div><div><br /></div><div>In such times, we can find a great reminder in the simple pleasure of a potato salad. Both of the key ingredients in a good potato salad, potatoes and eggs, are boiled in water for several minutes before they can be added to the salad. Interestingly, while the boiling water softens the potatoes, the eggs, encased in their shells, become hardened in the same circumstance.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the Vietnam War, Admiral James Stockdale was held as a prisoner for more than seven years. He was tortured more than twenty times and had no way of knowing whether he would survive the war or ever see his family again. He <a href="https://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/TheStockdaleParadox.html">told</a> author Jim Collins:</div><div><br /></div><div>"This is what I learned from those year in the prison camp, where all those constraints just were oppressive. You must never ever ever confuse, on the one hand, the need for absolute, unwavering faith that you can prevail despite those constraints with, on the other hand, the need for the discipline to begin by confronting the brutal facts, whatever they are."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Lord has taught that he refines us and chooses us in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10; 1 Nephi 20:10). Our trials, in other words, are opportunities to become stronger and better people.</div><div><br /></div><div>This point seems lost on the children of Israel in Moses' day. They endured the mass murder of their children, slavery and all its accompanying ills, and many years wandering in the desert without a home. They also saw many miracles. Yet, many of the children of Israel ultimately chose to harden their hearts, worship the golden calf, turn from Moses amid the poisonous serpents, and ultimately perish in the wilderness rather than allowing their hearts to soften and change. In the literal and figurative heat of affliction, the children of Israel built barriers of cynicism and doubt that would not permit the Lord to refine them and to make them His. In the midst of wars and afflictions, the children of Israel chose to be eggs.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, the people of Alma were also pursued by a king for their faith and fled their homes only to become slaves to their enemies. A particularly hateful man became their ruler, persecuting them heavily and killing anyone who so much as said a prayer. When these trials were not immediately removed, it would have been easy for this people to become as cynical and angry as the children of Israel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead, the scriptures say, "they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (Mosiah 24:16). Without barriers, they confronted the brutal facts of their reality and let the boiling water of their trials change who they were. As their faith in God grew, they found strength to endure the persecutions heaped upon them until they finally had sufficient faith to be delivered from their bondage (see also 1 Nephi 17:3). In short, the people of Alma chose to be potatoes.</div><div><br /></div><div>We often cannot control whether we end up in a figurative pot of boiling water; but we do get to choose whether we will put up walls of doubt and cynicism or face the brutal facts without losing faith that we, with the help of the Lord, will ultimately prevail. We get to choose whether we will be eggs or potatoes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Admiral Stockdale said of his experience in Vietnam: "You have to understand, it was never depressing. Because despite all those circumstances, I never wavered in my absolute faith that not only would I prevail--get out of this--but I would also prevail by turning it into the defining event of my life that would make me a stronger and a better person."</div><div><br /></div><div>The people of Helaman chose continue an attitude of learning and development-- they chose to be potatoes-- through the difficulties of war and the challenges of prosperity that followed. The scripture records that, "notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him. Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them... And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land" (Alma 62:49-51).</div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, whatever our choices have been, eggs and potatoes are both needed to make a good potato salad. Though we'd be hard pressed to find a good potato salad that doesn't first require we take the eggs out of their shells.</div>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-13013234178284230892020-06-07T12:26:00.001-07:002020-06-07T12:26:26.223-07:00The Fast I Have Chosen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiyp4pHAjDWEA-Qlg3QGmZ5XaYkzI789zVk4aHG2aeJnwsvNsj_Uzs6AxYXHBTJuxjW-9mdu82s26cBHoKwbL1suPBJU1QyD5ClUp9IRspmRusipHf5UJCRbuiEcpgrLdyor4oTYzq0A/s1600/love_others_lift_others.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="368" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiyp4pHAjDWEA-Qlg3QGmZ5XaYkzI789zVk4aHG2aeJnwsvNsj_Uzs6AxYXHBTJuxjW-9mdu82s26cBHoKwbL1suPBJU1QyD5ClUp9IRspmRusipHf5UJCRbuiEcpgrLdyor4oTYzq0A/s320/love_others_lift_others.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
On the first Sunday of each month, many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints go without food or drink for two consecutive meals as part of a sacred fast. We are taught that fasting is incomplete without prayers of faith to ask the Lord for what we need and offerings to the poor and needy. I've written on these topics in the past. Re-reading some of the scriptures about fasting however, I believe that there is more involved in fasting.<div>
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The Lord rebuked ancient Israel for fasting without spiritual motivation. They afflict their souls, he states, but, "in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors." He continues, "Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness... Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul?" (Isaiah 58:3-4).</div>
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Fasting in this way, the Lord tells the Israelites, only engenders discomfort and irritability. The Lord then teaches the Law of the Fast and how we can fast with appropriate intent:</div>
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<i>Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? </i>(Isaiah 58:6-7).</div>
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These popular verses are often read with an emphasis on the power of fasting. Fasting can relieve oppression, lift our burdens and help us break the bonds of addiction and wickedness. Yet, these things don't happen simply because we do not eat or because we've written a check to the bishop for the poor. Fasting is more than that. Unlike the Israelites, who were chastised for working or seeking pleasure while they fasted, the Lord calls for us to follow His example and do His work on our day of fasting. This call echoes through the promised blessings for the faithful.</div>
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<i><b>Then</b> shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. <b>Then</b> shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.</i></div>
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<i><b>If</b> thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And <b>if </b>thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; <b>then </b>shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday; And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.</i></div>
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<i>And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in </i>(Isaiah 58:8-12, emphasis added).</div>
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In other words, the spirit of fasting means that we not only pray for the oppressed but we spend our day helping to lift their burden and striving for their freedom. We should not only donate a fast offering to the poor, but we should find ways to serve and support those in need. In short, we should take the opportunity when we fast to live our baptismal covenant, mourning with those that mourn and comforting those that stand in need of comfort, so that we might be called a <i>repairer of the breach </i>and a <i>restorer of paths to dwell in</i>. When we cannot serve those for whom we are fasting, we can serve others and know the Lord is mindful of our sacrifice.</div>
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As with all other gospel principles, the intent of the Law of the Fast is to soften our hearts and bring us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. We should be more like Him because we have fasted. When we fast each month, or more often if we so choose, we should be able to genuinely feel the words of the poet stirring in our souls:</div>
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On bended knees, with broken hearts,</div>
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We come before thee, Lord,</div>
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In secret and in open prayer--</div>
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Oh, wilt thou speak thy word?</div>
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We've shared our bread with those in need,</div>
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Relieved the suff'ring poor</div>
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The stranger we have welcomed in--</div>
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Wilt thou impart thy store?</div>
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As witnesses, we gather here</div>
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To thank, and to attest</div>
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Of mercies and of miracles--</div>
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Oh, still our lives so bless!</div>
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Feed thou our souls, fill thou our hearts,</div>
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And bless our fast, we pray,</div>
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That we may feel thy presence here</div>
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And feast with thee today.</div>
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(John Sears Tanner)</div>
Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2167286842571714204.post-21763015878415443082020-05-24T11:42:00.001-07:002020-05-24T11:44:09.706-07:00No Unhallowed Hand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Joseph Smith once declared that "no unhallowed hand can stop [God's] work from progressing". While that hasn't stopped some people from trying, it is instructive to note that opposing efforts often contribute more to the progress of God's work than they ever detract from it.<br />
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A classic example can be found in the people of Amulon. Amulon and his followers had lived lavish, idolatrous lives as priests supported by the burdensome taxes imposed by King Noah. When their country was invaded, they abandoned their families to preserve their own lives and then later kidnapped some women from a rival nation to be their new wives. Given the opportunity to oversee a righteous people, Amulon and his followers oppressed the righteous severely and forbid prayer and religious worship. It is easy to think that nothing good could have come from Amulon.<br />
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Yet, we read that the righteous oppressed by Amulon actually grew in faith until they were eventually delivered from Amulon's rule altogether (Mosiah 24:12-16). Meanwhile, Amulon and his followers taught the language of the Nephites in every land of the Lamanites, paving the way for Ammon and his brothers to have missionary successes only a few years later (Mosiah 24:4).<br />
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When Joseph Smith knelt to pray, he was "siezed upon by some power which entirely overcame [him], and had such an astonishing influence over [him] as to bind [his] tongue so that [he] could not speak." Yet, this attack only led Joseph to exert all his energy to calling upon God and led to not only his deliverance, but his calling as a prophet and the beginning of the restoration of Christ's church and gospel (Joseph Smith-History 1:15-20).<br />
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Subsequent offenses from apostates, politicians and mobs had similar results, leading Brigham Young to declare, "Every time you kick [the Church] you kick it upstairs; you never kick it downstairs. The Lord Almighty so orders it" (<i>Discourses of Brigham Young, </i>sel. John A Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, p. 351).<br />
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The greatest opposition was reserved for the Savior himself. Though he "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38), he was hated by the leaders that claimed to be seeking him and betrayed by one of his own disciples. The people sought to kill him on several occasions and by several means, even setting traps to facilitate his demise, and finally delivered him to the Romans to be crucified. Though the governor could find no fault with him, Christ was nailed to a cross and left to die.<br />
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If any act could be perceived to hinder the work of God, killing His chosen son would seem to be it. Yet, even this advanced, rather than hindered, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Isaiah prophesied of Christ:<br />
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<i>He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.</i><br />
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<i>Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised with our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed </i>(Isaiah 53:3-5).<br />
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Through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins, redeemed from death and empowered to act in faith beyond our own ability. As the Lord taught Joseph Smith in the Liberty Jail, no matter the obstacle or the odds, "if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7).<br />
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Perhaps some of that experience was reflected in Joseph Smith's letter to Mr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the <i>Chicago Democrat, </i>written three years after his inhumane treatment in Liberty. Declared the prophet:<br />
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<i>The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.</i>Dallinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08545929299258364935noreply@blogger.com0