Finding Reality in a Fake World

Four years ago, I wrote a post about how worldly mirages can lead us away from the gospel path, the people we want to be and the lives we want to live. I quoted President Benson then, who said, "Without [Christ] we would be lost in a mirage of beliefs and worships, born in fear and darkness where the sensual and materialistic hold sway. We are far short of the goal he set for us, but we must never lose sight of it; nor must we forget that our great climb toward the light, toward perfection, would not be possible except for his teachings, his life, his death, and his resurrection" (April 1964).

Many years before I wrote my post, Elder Packer shared a parable that illustrates the same principle illuminated by President Benson. The parable was shared again by Elder Stephen Owen in a recent conference. He said Elder Packer told of a severe winter in Utah when deep snow had driven the deer very low into some of the valleys. Seeing that the deer were out of their natural habitat, some well-meaning agencies tried to respond by bringing in hay for the deer to eat. Unfortunately, many of the deer were later found dead. Those who handled the animals afterward said that their stomachs were full of hay, but they had starved to death. The deer had been fed, but they had not been nourished.

Considering this parable left me thinking again about how much in the world is not real. We make fake food (what Michael Pollan calls, "edible, food-like substances"), play fantasy sports and read fake news. There are drugs for fake highs and alcohol for induced relaxation. Many of us use social media to make pseudo-connections and act as fake experts.

Many people in the world have fake relationships, including "romantic" relationships that are the fantasized result of pornography, masturbation, online chats or one-night stands. We play electronic games that give us fake success as we pretend to be sports team managers, army snipers or home remodelers. We say this is virtual or simulated reality, but there isn't much reality in it at all.

Fake wrath is a thing now with angry mobs who are mad only because they've been told they are supposed to be. Fake victimhood is a thing too, especially when someone else has a turn doing something well. The news now reports fake disasters, fake emergencies and fake threats. There are fake religions, fake causes, fake truth and fake science. It's literally unbelievable.

In most cases, fake things are relatively simple to detect because they are hollow. They are positioned to appeal to the natural man or woman in each of us-- to prey on primal reactions and manipulate our thoughts and behavior-- offering little substance beyond sensual pleasure. Our physical instincts are powerful, which is why these temptations can be difficult to overcome even when we detect them.

Reality is the remedy for a fake world. Prophets have repeatedly plead with the saints to put down our devices, avoid pornography like an insidious disease, be slow to offense and abstain from drugs and alcohol. While the devil deals in deceptions, the Lord whispers simple truths to sober minds. 

The Prophet Jacob taught anciently: "The Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls" (Jacob 4:13).

Elder David A. Bednar added, "Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And the spiritual gifts and abilities activated by the power of the Holy Ghost enable us to avoid deception-- and to see, to feel, to know, to understand, and to remember things as they really are" (Things as They Really Are, May 2009).

There is nothing more real than our Creator, Redeemer and Advocate, Jesus Christ. He lives. He made all that is real. His Atonement is real and powerful. His gospel leads us down the path of truth to real happiness, real peace and real strength that we can enjoy in this life and after we die. He fulfills all of his promises; and with his help, each of us can discover what is real in our lives.

Our world is filled with mirages and misleading, though appealing, philosophies. Some would try to convince us that we can live our lives as if at a dessert buffet, gluttonously filling our hearts, minds and bodies with guilty pleasures and sweets that have no nutritional value. Choosing to follow the world will leave us in a hungover state of spiritual lethargy and darkness. We may gain information or entertainment for awhile, but we will be left with feelings of emptiness, loneliness, dissatisfaction, and of being unacceptable to God, to ourselves and to others. Our souls will slowly die of spiritual starvation.

As disciples of Christ, we must choose instead to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we fill our lives with real things that are uplifting, true, faith-inspiring and good, the light of the gospel will illuminate what is real. "If your eye be single to my glory," the Lord taught, "your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things" (D&C 88:67).

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-- We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things (Articles of Faith 1:13).

Looking Steadfastly Toward Heaven

"Mountain Lion" by K. Baughan

One night recently, I arrived home from a business trip after dark. As I got out of my car, I heard something rustling in the bushes a few yards behind me. It sounded like something bigger than a squirrel or a cat, which always gets my imagination working. I glanced in that direction and saw the porch light reflecting off a single pair of large eyes amid the darkness of the bushes.

This experience could be unnerving for anyone, but it is even more unnerving in a rural, forested area known for bobcats, bears and mountain lions. Feeling almost certain that I was being watched by a hungry mountain lion, I stopped where I was with my car door still open and turned on my cell phone flashlight. Turning toward the bushes, I pointed the light at my stalker only to find that my hungry mountain lion was really a deer who was probably more terrified of me than I was of it. With a deep sigh of relief, and a chuckle about the whole situation, I closed the car door and went inside the house.

All of us have had experiences where we thought we saw or heard something that turned out to be much different when we looked closer, asked again or decided to investigate. What may have been muffled or shrouded in darkness can suddenly become clear when we turn to face the source of a light, movement or sound.

Following the death of Christ, there was great destruction in the Americas. Valleys became mountains, mountains became valleys, entire cities burned or fell into the ocean and many people were carried away in large tornadoes. The chaos must have been overwhelming.

When the earth settled and the fires died down, there came three days of complete darkness. The darkness was so thick, flint wouldn't spark and fires wouldn't light. Amid the blackness, and in the wake of prodigious disaster, the air was filled with sorrowful cries of grieving and regret.

Dawn finally came and scripture records there were many people gathered around the temple marveling at the transformation of the land and "conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death". Suddenly, "they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard". It was a small voice, but it pierced them to their cores. The people had just experienced fires and earthquakes, but this voice made their bodies quake on solid ground and their hearts burn without a flame.

Though the people could hear the voice and feel of its power, they could not understand its message even when it came a second time. Finally, the people "did open their ears to hear it... and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came." This time they understood the voice and were privileged to hear God, our Heavenly Father, introduce His resurrected Son, the Savior Jesus Christ.

There have been many times in my life when the voice of the Lord has seemed muffled. Sometimes I have known something was there, like the eyes staring at me from the bushes, but was unable to recognize what it was. Other times it has seemed as if the answers to my prayers were being intercepted somehow so that I could not hear at all. This has been especially true when I have been discouraged or feeling rejected or lost.

In every instance, I've found the volume and clarity I needed to understand when I have turned toward the source of the messages I have sought. Praying more earnestly, studying more sincerely and striving more diligently to do the Lord's will turns our hearts and minds to Him and shines a light on the doctrines and principles we are seeking to understand.

Learning to Live an Eternal Life

There is a well-known proverb of the Cherokee Native American tribe that warns, "Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes." Harper Lee expounded in her classic book, To Kill a Mockingbird, when she wrote: "You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

There are several benefits to really getting to know someone. Turning to another literary source, Orson Scott Card mused in his book, Ender's Game, that "I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves."

We develop greater empathy and compassion for others as we learn to understand them. By taking a walk in someone else's shoes, we also get to see how their chosen lifestyle leads to the results we see on the surface. We see the discipline and drive of the successful businessman, the passion and long hours of an accomplished artist, or the integrity and virtue of someone enjoying peace of conscience.

The lifestyle of the Mormon pioneers might not be one you would be quick to choose for yourself. At least, not at first. They were persecuted, betrayed, driven from place to place, and endured incredible challenges. Yet, they were also a unified people, blessed with faith and resolve, and among the most productive the world has ever seen. Consider, they built a great city not once, but several times over. Nauvoo rivaled Chicago in size and enterprise. Groups of saints contributed to the rise of Salt Lake City, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Boise and dozens of others-- and in each place they were innovators of the railroad, irrigation, guns, and technology of every sort. Clearly, the early saints knew the secrets of an abundant life.

All around the world, LDS youth groups have the chance every few years to really get to know the pioneer ancestors of their faith as they recreate some of the conditions experienced while crossing the Great Plains. Pushing handcarts in period clothing inspires sore muscles and spiritual growth as youth begin to experience what faith looks like. It can inspire greater courage in the face of difficult trials, a stronger work ethic, and a more passionate resolve to press forward. In short, coming to know the early pioneers teaches the youth how to be modern pioneers.

In similar fashion, our Father in Heaven wants us all to really get to know him and the way he lives. The principles that guide his life will teach us to have the same happiness, success and peace he enjoys. The Savior taught, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

We come to know our Father and His Son the same way that our youth come to know their pioneer ancestors. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: "To know God is to think what he thinks, to feel what he feels, to have the power he possesses, to comprehend the truths he understands, and to do what he does. Those who know God become like him and have his kind of life, which is eternal."

Eternal life is said to be the greatest of all the gifts of God, but it isn't a gift in the sense of a present we open at Christmastime. It is much more like the decades of memories and lessons we get as a gift from our families and loved ones. As we seek to be like God-- to think what he thinks and do what he does-- we experience glimpses into his eternal lifestyle that teach us about our own path to happiness and success. Over time and extending into our lives after death, we will come to know him better because we will have adopted his lifestyle. We are then able to see the world as he sees it and comprehend the universe as he understands it. At the same time, we will receive of his glory and the countless blessings he enjoys because we are living according to the principles upon which those blessings are predicated.

Said another way, eternal life isn't an object like a car or a book or a new tie; nor is it an opportunity in the same sense as a new job or a chance to move to California. Rather, eternal life is a lifestyle that contributes to our health and happiness, develops even our weaknesses into strengths and unites families even beyond the grave. It is God's lifestyle, and he's already told us how we can start living it and being blessed by it.

You may know the Divine Lifestyle Plan by it's other name: the Gospel. At it's core, living the gospel includes trusting in God, striving to improve ourselves, making and keeping sacred covenants, receiving all the benefits of the Holy Ghost in our lives and actively enduring through life's trials with the patience and faith of the pioneers.

Anchored to that core are many more beautiful truths that add richness to our budding eternal lives. For example, the gospel teaches that "if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come" (D&C 130:19). The joys of reading and education are joys of an eternal life. God comprehends all things and reaps the benefits of that knowledge; each of us are similarly blessed proportional to our studies.

Likewise, the Lord taught that "in the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into... marriage" (D&C 131:1-2). Marriage between a man and a woman is a divinely ordained practice essential to a Godlike lifestyle. The love and support we have in our families continues to grow as we learn to know our Father and strive to emulate his Son.

Learning to live as God lives also means learning to have robust moral character. Teenagers walking through a wilderness area develop character because the trail is hard and through the difficulty of their trek they are reminded of their many blessings allow their hearts to turn to pioneers who sacrificed so much for them. Godlike character, Elder Bednar has taught, "is demonstrated by looking and reaching outward when the natural and instinctive response is to be self-absorbed and turn inward."

We observe the character of Christ throughout the gospels, but perhaps nowhere is it more poignant than in the chapters leading up to and including his suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross at Golgotha. Never in the history of mankind has anyone had a better reason to focus on themselves for a few moments; but Christ never does. In the Garden he prays, "not my will, but thine be done." When confronted by Judas and the mob, he petitions for his disciples to be allowed to leave unharmed. He reassured his disciples, healed the ear of Malchus, sought Pilate's spiritual wellbeing, found someone to care for his mother, ministered to two robbers, and asked for his persecutors to be forgiven-- all while being condemned, abused and tortured to his death.

Most of us will not be asked to die for someone else, but we are called upon to take up our cross and live Christlike lives. Though our own burdens may be heavy, developing the character needed for an eternal lifestyle means we should look and reach outward even when our natural and instinctive response is to turn inward. As we extend the hand of mercy to those less fortunate than ourselves, retrieve the lost sheep, visit the sick and elderly, serve as home and visiting teachers, teach our primary or Sunday school class with patience and love, respond to a questioning coworker and support righteous causes in an increasingly wicked world, we act as God would act and, with the help of his grace, qualify for his divine blessings.

The Lord has said that his work and glory is the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). Immortality is a gift to all of us by virtue of his Atonement. Eternal life is the gift of his life-- to live as he lives and become as he is. We learn his lifestyle by beginning to live it today-- doing what he would do, thinking what he would think, studying to know all he understands, and praying for guidance along the way. It includes men being ordained and attending to priesthood duties, men and women getting married and sealed in holy temples, and all of us loving and serving others and letting our light shine in an increasingly dark world.

As we come to know God, our Father, and his son, Jesus Christ, we will also come to love them. President Russell M. Nelson has taught, "The best evidence of our adoration of Jesus is our emulation of Him." That is, the best evidence of our respect for Christ and His Atonement is our willingness to use it so that his life and death will not have been in vain-- to adopt a gospel-centered lifestyle, his lifestyle, that maximizes its benefit.

Our Heavenly Father has given us this life so that we might have the chance to walk a mile in his shoes. Wearing bodies of flesh and blood and burdened with the cares of the world, we are given the opportunity to experience what faith feels like. If we will choose to take up our cross and press forward with faith in every footstep, we will learn to be spiritually minded, to have charity, to seek learning by study and by faith, and to serve others even when we are struggling. In short, by coming to know God, our Eternal Father, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent, we learn to be like him and to live an eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

The Parable of the Gems

With a new year comes new hope, new Sunday school curriculum and new resolutions to read and study the scriptures the way we know we should be. This parable, adapted from the LDS Church Education System training for seminary and institute instructors, may help with that last part:



There once was a young woman who dreamed she was walking along a quiet and secluded beach searching for gems in the sand. As she knelt down and began raking her finger slowly through the warm surface, the tiny grains of sand glittered invitingly in the sunlight. Before long, she noticed a colorful gem and picked it up. 

Not wanting to lose it, the young woman carefully stuck the sparkling gem in her pocket for safekeeping. Eagerly returning to her search, she quickly discovered more gems resting just beneath the surface. As she collected the gems, she began to wonder if there were more gems hidden deeper in the sand. Determined to find out, she began to dig. With effort, time and patience, she was rewarded again and again with breathtaking jewels.

Each time she found a new gem, the young woman held it under the sunlight and studied it carefully. She turned each one over in her fingers, exploring its many shapes and facets. She thoughtfully and patiently examined the gems she had found and soon began to appreciate the unique qualities and characteristics of each one. Feelings of attachment to her new-found treasures began to grow within her.

After searching for a while, the young woman gathered her gems together and held them up to the sunlight. She was filled with awe as the light danced off the gems in a rainbow of colors. As the young woman sat appreciating the beauty of the gems, she looked up and saw her father approaching. Smiling warmly, he said, "I've been watching you dig in the sand. What did you find?"

The young woman eagerly displayed the handful of gems. Her father then asked, "Now, what will you do with your treasures?"

When we open the scriptures, it is as though we were standing on the beach with the young woman. The context and content of the scriptures are the warm sand beneath our feet.

While it can be pleasant just to read the stories in the scriptures, we won't find any gems until we start to dig. As we look for details in the context and content of the scriptures, we'll find valuable principles to guide our lives and enlighten our understanding. Elder Richard G. Scott taught, "As you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles. Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them. Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances. A true principle makes decisions clear even under the most confusing and compelling circumstances" (Aquiring Spiritual Knowledge, October 1993).

Some principles will be easy to find. As we read the Parable of the Good Samaritan, for example, we will notice the obvious message that we should be kind to all of God's children. Other principles will require us to dig deeper. Questions will help us in our search. Who is the certain man in that parable? Why did the Savior specify that he was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho? Did it have to be a Samaritan? What is the significance of the Samaritan's offer to pay any cost to heal the man? (Read more about this topic here.)

When we find true principles, we can hold them up to the light of the gospel to continue exploring their truths and implications. It may help to write those principles as short statements in the margins of our scriptures or in a study journal. As we expand our understanding beyond the context where the principle was found, we will be able to see how each principle applies to our past and present experiences. More importantly, we can begin to feel the truthfulness of each one.

Finally, after each exciting session of digging on the beach, we will have the opportunity to ask ourselves how we can use and apply what we have learned. When we are diligent in applying the principles of the gospel to our lives, we will have more experiences we can use to reinforce our testimonies and add light to future study sessions.

Our scripture study will be enriched as we seek to understand the context and content of the sections we read, identify doctrines and principles, and then work to better understand, feel and apply those principles. We may also find that we're better motivated to continue studying because we will see those principles changing our lives and it will be fun-- like digging in the sand at the beach.

The Glory of God is Intelligence

"The glory of God is intelligence," the Lord has declared, "or, in other words, light and truth" (D&C 93:36). If it is our goal to be admitted into his presence and thereby obtain his glory, we must pursue light and truth with the decisions that we make.

We will not always be successful in our pursuits, individually or collectively. The Lord taught Joseph Smith that "the wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers" (D&C 93:39). As a missionary in Germany I often spoke with people who were unwilling to hear about the restored gospel because of their ingrained family traditions, regardless of whether they were active in those traditions or spiritually uplifted by them. Likewise, most of us have experienced the absence of light in our lives that follows when we fail to study the scriptures or pray regularly.

There are more ways that we could disobey than would be worthwhile to list, but it is particularly germane here to consider those things that have become habit or tradition. Are there traditions in your life that take away light and truth rather than helping you or your family to grow in light and truth? This might include the movies and television shows we choose to watch, when and what types of activities we choose to do as a family, our Sabbath-day worship, the social and political causes we support, and how we fill our spare time.

Of course, each of us has agency and many of these decisions are between us and the Lord; but that doesn't mean that what we're comfortable doing is what the Lord would have us do. Abraham grew up in a family that worshiped idols and may have become an influential man in that society had he followed in the footsteps of his father. Yet, he decided to break the tradition to seek after "greater happiness and peace and rest" through the priesthood covenant (Abraham 1:2). We do well when we use our agency as Abraham did: to break the traditions that separate us from God and replace them with those that bring greater light and truth into our lives.

The Lord explains how this can be done:

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you... And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light and comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will (D&C 88:53, 67-68).

As we seek to sanctify our lives of those traditions that may be robbing us of the light and truth God desires to send into our lives-- including those that may be good but are not better or best-- the Lord will prepare us to see his face and abide his glory.

Temples a Place of Thanksgiving, of Learning and of God

Gilbert Arizona Temple

Through all gospel dispensations, God has commanded men to build temples. From the mobile tabernacle of Moses' time to Solomon's gold-furnished temple to the temples of ancient America and the dozens of temples on the earth today, this commandment has been consistent throughout all of time.

In our own dispensation, the Lord has accompanied the command to build with an explanation of why we build temples and how we will be rewarded building and frequenting these sacred structures.

Speaking of why we have temples, the Lord teaches they are built:

For a place of thanksgiving for all saints, and for a place of instruction... That [we] may be perfected in the understanding of [our] ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth. ~D&C 97:13-14

The Lord gives two reasons for temples: first, as a place of thanksgiving; and second, for a place of instruction. How often do you visit the temple to give thanks for an experience, something you have learned or a blessing you have been given? Do you seek to learn more about your life's mission, about gospel doctrine or about the Lord's earthly kingdom while participating in temple ordinances?

If we build temples in the name of the Lord and keep it holy, the Lord promises:

My glory shall rest upon it; Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God. ~D&C 97:15-16

The spirit of God is present in the temple. We progress toward exaltation, toward returning to the presence of God, as we participate in temple ordinances. As we attend the temple with pure hearts, we will also see God in temple; we will recognize the spirit, the divinity and the authority where a proud or impure heart may find only religious rituals of debatable value.

The Lord has commanded the Saint of His Church to build temples around the world. In so doing, the Lord extends an opportunity to express gratitute, to understand His plan for us, to feel of His spirit and to see God. If we are worthy, we should take advantage of the opportunity extended to us by attending the temple. If unworthy, we should strive to become worthy. As we strive to do what is asked of us, we will be accepted of Him:

Verily I say unto you, all amoung [you] who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice--yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command--they are accepted of me. ~D&C 97:8

No sacrifice is so great that it isn't worth trading for the blessings the Lord has in store for us. Those blessings, including exaltation, await as we worthily attend the Lord's temple.

Understanding and Edification

In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord teaches: "He that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the spirit of truth[.]

"Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together" (D&C 50:21-22; italics added).

Elder Scott has clarified: "The verb understand refers to that which is heard. It is the same message to all. Edified concerns that which is communicated by the Holy Ghost. The message can be different and tailored by the Spirit to the needs of each individual" (Address to CES Religious Educators, February 4, 2005).

Understanding relates primarily to facts. The gospel of Jesus Christ is laid out in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon for all to understand. We may further understand doctrines doctrines like temple ordinances or priesthood keys that have been clarified by modern prophets. Independent of conversion or feeling, understanding happens in the mind-- often a necessary starting place-- so we may understand gospel principles just as we understand the principles of accounting or biology.

When we use our agency to be active in our scriptures, prayers and church classes, we may also experience edification. Edification occurs when the Spirit, having authorization from our righteous choices, instructs us individually. Then the truths that we understand may be carried down into our hearts. Then we may know how particular doctrines are to be applied in our own lives. Then and only then may we truly become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Understanding and edification may come at any time and with any subject. As an economics student at BYU, I understood and was edified by the principle of sunken costs. My professor helped me understand, but it was the Spirit taught me while I sat in Econ 110 that I needed to make forward-looking decisions and let go of past mistakes. This truth-- of immense value to me at the time-- sunk into my heart and became a part of my testimony that God lives, that He loves and watches over me, and that the atonement of Jesus Christ is a reality.

On the other hand, our actions may limit the ability of the Spirit to reach the depths of our hearts. If we are unprepared, stubborn or not open to learning, we may miss wonderful opportunities to be edified. It does little for our spirituality to attend Sunday School and critique the performance of the teacher, for example. On the other hand, if we humble ourselves and approach learning experiences with a willing heart, the Lord can edify our hearts and minds through His Spirit, regardless of the teaching experience of the presenter.

If we are to be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must have both understanding and edification. In other words, we must learn by study and by faith: through searching the scriptures and the two-way communication of prayer. As we do so, and as we use our agency to be edified in our church meetings and our daily lives, the Lord will reinforce our souls with spiritual strength necessary for our circumstance and the environment that may surround us.

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one my edify another" (Romans 14:19). That is your challenge and mine. How will you edify, and be edified, today?