Sunday, March 17, 2024

The Lord Provides Abundantly When We Act


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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

King David declared:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

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.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

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 (Psalm 23).

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.” 

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).

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 given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance” (Alma 26:22, emphasis added).

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.

The Lord provides for his faithful children even in the most difficult of circumstances. He provided the escape for the Israelites through 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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Sunday, February 4, 2024

The Lord Will Deliver Us

"Nephi Bound" by Jeremy Windborg

There were many Sundays growing up when my family would gather on the couch to watch Charlton Heston play the part of Moses in The Ten Commandments. 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.

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?”

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).

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.

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 knows 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).

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.

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 seven different ways 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).

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.

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.

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).”

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.

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).

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).

“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).

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.

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Wooden Shoes and the Abundance of Christ

"Living Water" by Simon Dewey

Every year at Christmas, my family reads about the Miracleof the Wooden Shoes. 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.

When December 5th rolled around, Walter’s mother reminded him to set out his shoes for St. Nicholas Day. In Germany, St. Nicholas traditionally comes on December 6th 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.

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.”

Walter and his mother were astonished. Neither of them knew who had filled the shoes. It was a miracle.

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.”

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.

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.”

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?

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.”

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.”

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.

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).

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.

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.

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).

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).

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).

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).

Yet, His work and His glory is the immortality and eternal 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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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.

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).

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?

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.

Friday, November 3, 2023

Gardening, Covenants, and Enduring Love

"Nurtured by the Word" by Greg Olsen

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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:

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' (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). Children born of that marital union are 'an heritage of the Lord' (Psalms 127:3). 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

President Gordon B. Hinckley shared this quote from Jenkin Lloyd Jones in a speech at BYU in 1973:

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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?

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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).

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.

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.

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).

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Following Christ


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.

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).

So what was it these disciples were called to do?

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).

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).

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?

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).

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.

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).

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).

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).

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.

President Ballard once related the following story in General Conference:

“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.

“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.

“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).

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’.”

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.

Elder Stevenson has taught us how to follow Christ and reach out to these lost sheep:

“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.

“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.

“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…

“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’.

“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.”

“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.

“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.’”

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.

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Heroic Lessons on Longevity, Truth, and Opposition

Credit: David Green

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.’”

“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” (The Eye of Faith, April 2019).

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.

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.

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).

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Five Scripture Passages to Broaden Our Perspective on Death


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.

"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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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:


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.

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.

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
(Alma 40:11-12, 21, 23).


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.

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
(Alma 11:42-44).


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.

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.

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.

... 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
(2 Nephi 9:5-13).


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.

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
(Mosiah 16:7-9).


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 (D&C 76:40-43).


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.

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.

"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).

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.