One thing that always amuses me are the advertisements I see to get you in shape in a heartbeat. It seems there are dozens of ways for people to get you in shape post haste. For men, the pitchmen for the products have bodies that it takes years of weight-lifting and conditioning to accomplish. I always think: "doesn't everyone know the right way to stay in shape is just to eat healthy and exercize all of the time?"
Those who know me know I couldn't be a pitchman for one of those products, but my point is simply that most things have to be done constantly in order to be done right. Becoming constant in our worship and service of others is a must for developing greater faith and being closer to God.
Think of being a parent. If I ignore my children most of the time, but sometimes am available to talk to them, play with them, or otherwise give them attention, will they trust me? Now, imagine if I dedicate time to them every day and make an effort to connect with them every day? Which father is more likely to be trusted with life's greater pains and doubts? Which father will be able to help his children more?
One of the great challenges of getting to know our Father in Heaven is that He most likely won't come to our house and speak to us face to face. He doesn't do that because He wants us to have faith, so He connects with us in different ways, and He is even willing to help us recognize these ways, but it takes some learning on our part.
In other words, He is the Father that reaches out to us every day, but we have to learn to recognize and understand how. Daily, sincere prayer helps us recognize these things more. Daily, focused scripture study does the same. Regularly serving others, even in small ways will also bring us to Him.
Just as you cannot learn to speak a foreign language by occasional efforts, you cannot develop the relationship you want with God erratically. You might learn a few phrases or even be able to order food on a menu that way, but I know that life will be richer and peace will be deeper for those that are constant before the Lord.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
"Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly"
45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. - (D&C 121:45-46)Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants is one of my favorite chapters of scripture. It is exceptionally clear and direct. Lately I've thought a lot about this phrase: "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly." I think this is one of the most difficult commandments given to us, with some of the greatest blessings promised.
This is one of the most difficult challenges offered in scripture, followed by some of the choicest blessings. You could re-organize it like this:
Commandments
- Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith.
- Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.
- Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.
- The doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
- The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion.
- Thy scepter (shall be) an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth.
- Thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
If we are going to let virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly, we are going to need to keep all immoral thoughts from our minds at all times. In other words, we cannot have this spiritually immature attitude of pushing morality as far as we can. We need to keep ourselves clean, even in our thoughts known only to us and God. As I write that, I must acknowledge that I have a long way to go to keep this commandment, but the blessings are powerful.
To me, it is obvious why someone who is virtuous, even in her or his thoughts, would be more comfortable in the presence of God, understand His doctrine more fully, and feel the Holy Ghost more readily. All of these things seem more comfortable in a pure mind. The last two blessings seem less obvious; I know that I am more comfortable with having a pure-minded ruler who loves completely.
As a father, the idea that my family - one application of dominion - flows unto me forever and ever without compulsion sounds more like heaven than perhaps anything else. I believe in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that They love us.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Tolerance
I believe that whatever we choose to believe in, we can gracefully accept that people will disagree. There is no need to believe that anyone who disagrees on a particular point is anti-family, brainwashed, incompetent, racist, homophobic, hates the poor, hates the rich, or otherwise incapable of legitimate thought. In a time where public discourse is increasingly polarizing, we should rise above the conflict and disagree civilly.
I am as passionate about what I believe in as almost anyone. Part of my motivation for writing this blog is how much I value my faith, and how much it has helped me. My hope is that it might bless others equally; I can say without equivocation that there is no place in Christianity for intolerance.
Many confuse tolerance with acceptance. Being courteous to someone who is smoking a cigarette doesn't mean you endorse smoking, just as being rude to anyone sinning doesn't equate to righteousness.
As in all things, it is more worthwhile to espouse virtues than to decry frailties. When I was a missionary, I spent some of my time helping get visas for other missionaries in the country where I served. One of the people at the embassy asked us what we stood for? We told her that God has called a prophet today just as He did in the past, and that this prophet teaches of Christ right now. She then asked: what do we criticize? We told her that we weren't in the business of criticism. She was amazed at this answer; she fully expected us to denounce at least some of the churches in the country.
Christ gave us the Gospel of Peace, and peace is the message we should take to the world. We must do this without bickering, with respect, and most of all with love. If we do not live by this then there is no chance people will accept His message; all will simply question why we do not practice what we preach.
I know that God loves all His children. He does not excuse our sins, yet He loves us as a perfect Father loves His sons and daughters. If we are to follow Christ, we need to cultivate this love, and tolerance is an entry step on that path.
I am as passionate about what I believe in as almost anyone. Part of my motivation for writing this blog is how much I value my faith, and how much it has helped me. My hope is that it might bless others equally; I can say without equivocation that there is no place in Christianity for intolerance.
Many confuse tolerance with acceptance. Being courteous to someone who is smoking a cigarette doesn't mean you endorse smoking, just as being rude to anyone sinning doesn't equate to righteousness.
As in all things, it is more worthwhile to espouse virtues than to decry frailties. When I was a missionary, I spent some of my time helping get visas for other missionaries in the country where I served. One of the people at the embassy asked us what we stood for? We told her that God has called a prophet today just as He did in the past, and that this prophet teaches of Christ right now. She then asked: what do we criticize? We told her that we weren't in the business of criticism. She was amazed at this answer; she fully expected us to denounce at least some of the churches in the country.
Christ gave us the Gospel of Peace, and peace is the message we should take to the world. We must do this without bickering, with respect, and most of all with love. If we do not live by this then there is no chance people will accept His message; all will simply question why we do not practice what we preach.
I know that God loves all His children. He does not excuse our sins, yet He loves us as a perfect Father loves His sons and daughters. If we are to follow Christ, we need to cultivate this love, and tolerance is an entry step on that path.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Reverence
Today I asked myself why is reverence so important? Some places - both religious and secular - go to extreme lengths to maintain reverence. Certainly, anywhere that you are asking children or adolescents to be reverent it is going to be a lot of work. I know that it is worth it, but I wanted to write down some thoughts on the subject.
I think an okay definition of reverence could be the appropriate respect for where you are and what you're doing. Obviously, someone who is at a cemetery shouldn't be loud and obnoxious, just as someone who is handling a firearm should be careful. To show adequate respect to God or His House I think we should also recognize that He knows better than we do and that we need to seek knowledge from Him.
The reason reverence is so important is simple - it facilitates communion with the Holy Ghost which will instruct and purify us. The still, small voice is very difficult to hear if we are irreverent.
I think about the Nephites to whom Christ appeared after His resurrection. They had to hear the Father's voice three times, and on the third time they only understood because they "... did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came." (3 Nephi 11:5)
I also consider the temples of our Church. To borrow a concept from my father-in-law, praying in the temple often feels like a 'local call.' It is easier to receive answers to prayers and understand the Lord's will in the temple because His Spirit lives there. It can live there because of the reverence that abides there as well as the worthiness of those that enter.
I have often heard the idea expressed that God speaking to a person makes that person chosen or special, but I believe that our Father is constantly speaking to all of us - His children. The disconnect is on our end. Reverence will bring us a step closer to recognizing and hearing His voice more often.
Of the greatest moments of my life, many of them have been very quiet; if you were sitting in an adjacent room you wouldn't necessarily have known that anything was happening. In these sacred moments I was communing with my Father, receiving healing and understanding. I am not capable of sustaining these periods constantly nor forever - that is why I refer to them as moments. I believe that as I become more disciplined in my reverence I will receive more of them more often and benefit more from it.
I think an okay definition of reverence could be the appropriate respect for where you are and what you're doing. Obviously, someone who is at a cemetery shouldn't be loud and obnoxious, just as someone who is handling a firearm should be careful. To show adequate respect to God or His House I think we should also recognize that He knows better than we do and that we need to seek knowledge from Him.
The reason reverence is so important is simple - it facilitates communion with the Holy Ghost which will instruct and purify us. The still, small voice is very difficult to hear if we are irreverent.
I think about the Nephites to whom Christ appeared after His resurrection. They had to hear the Father's voice three times, and on the third time they only understood because they "... did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came." (3 Nephi 11:5)
I also consider the temples of our Church. To borrow a concept from my father-in-law, praying in the temple often feels like a 'local call.' It is easier to receive answers to prayers and understand the Lord's will in the temple because His Spirit lives there. It can live there because of the reverence that abides there as well as the worthiness of those that enter.
I have often heard the idea expressed that God speaking to a person makes that person chosen or special, but I believe that our Father is constantly speaking to all of us - His children. The disconnect is on our end. Reverence will bring us a step closer to recognizing and hearing His voice more often.
Of the greatest moments of my life, many of them have been very quiet; if you were sitting in an adjacent room you wouldn't necessarily have known that anything was happening. In these sacred moments I was communing with my Father, receiving healing and understanding. I am not capable of sustaining these periods constantly nor forever - that is why I refer to them as moments. I believe that as I become more disciplined in my reverence I will receive more of them more often and benefit more from it.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
My Thoughts On President Packer's Talk
Many people have offered their thoughts on President Packer's talk from General Conference, and I would like to share my thoughts on this topic. I would like to start by saying that I agree with everything President Packer said, but not only do I agree, I know that what he said is truth revealed from God. One of the greatest blessings I have is that there is a Prophet of God on the earth, and I know that God directs through His mouthpiece on the earth.
President Packer mostly reiterated the doctrine in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. That page shows when the proclamation was received: September 23rd, 1995. I am very grateful that my Father in Heaven wants to bless us with the chance to be together forever, and I know that this is possible through marriage in the temple.
Part of President Packer's talk, the part that I'm guessing is what people found most upsetting, was that he taught what is taught at the end of the proclamation: "We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets." No matter what we do, we cannot avoid the consequences of sin forever. Eventually, the violation of God's laws brings punishment of one form or another. The family is essential to God's plan, and He will protect it.
The above summarize our beliefs on homosexuality, as well as child abuse, spurning families for alternate arrangements, not taking a marriage commitment seriously, and other things.
What we do not believe, is that bigotry is okay. We do not believe that persecuting someone for sinning is acceptable. Any Mormon, or anyone at all for that matter, who judges someone for participating in homosexuality will be judged for their own sins. Anyone who commits a hate crime or discriminates against another commits a sin, and if you commit a sin and then judge someone for sinning, the Lord himself said that you will be condemned (Matthew 7:1-5).
For some, it may be automatic to say that if you think someone chooses to sin, that you therefore hate that person. I am a sinner, and if you have a natural tendency to sin, then that means you are human: "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been since the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever." (Mosiah 3:19) It doesn't mean that Mormons believe they have a license to hate or discriminate against you. Simply put, Mormons are not bigoted against homosexuals, and President Packer did not advocate any such thing. Do not look for any Church leader to change the eternal doctrines on gender and gender roles. As the proclamation says: "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."
I know that this is a serious matter. For many, it tests their faith to belong to a Church that tells them they cannot act on homosexual tendencies which they likely feel make up part of their identity. For others, and perhaps even more, it tests their faith to belong to a Church that runs contrary to their political views. My friends, I know the difficulty of struggling with the Lord's teachings. I wish there was something I could write to make this easy, but there it doesn't exist. All I can tell you is that when I have made my personal - although completely insignificant when compared to His - trips to Gethsemane, I have made my way out on my knees. I have come to know my Father through these experiences, and what I know of Him is love. He does not abandon His children, whom we all are. I pray that He keep and deliver us all.
President Packer mostly reiterated the doctrine in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. That page shows when the proclamation was received: September 23rd, 1995. I am very grateful that my Father in Heaven wants to bless us with the chance to be together forever, and I know that this is possible through marriage in the temple.
Part of President Packer's talk, the part that I'm guessing is what people found most upsetting, was that he taught what is taught at the end of the proclamation: "We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets." No matter what we do, we cannot avoid the consequences of sin forever. Eventually, the violation of God's laws brings punishment of one form or another. The family is essential to God's plan, and He will protect it.
The above summarize our beliefs on homosexuality, as well as child abuse, spurning families for alternate arrangements, not taking a marriage commitment seriously, and other things.
What we do not believe, is that bigotry is okay. We do not believe that persecuting someone for sinning is acceptable. Any Mormon, or anyone at all for that matter, who judges someone for participating in homosexuality will be judged for their own sins. Anyone who commits a hate crime or discriminates against another commits a sin, and if you commit a sin and then judge someone for sinning, the Lord himself said that you will be condemned (Matthew 7:1-5).
For some, it may be automatic to say that if you think someone chooses to sin, that you therefore hate that person. I am a sinner, and if you have a natural tendency to sin, then that means you are human: "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been since the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever." (Mosiah 3:19) It doesn't mean that Mormons believe they have a license to hate or discriminate against you. Simply put, Mormons are not bigoted against homosexuals, and President Packer did not advocate any such thing. Do not look for any Church leader to change the eternal doctrines on gender and gender roles. As the proclamation says: "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."
I know that this is a serious matter. For many, it tests their faith to belong to a Church that tells them they cannot act on homosexual tendencies which they likely feel make up part of their identity. For others, and perhaps even more, it tests their faith to belong to a Church that runs contrary to their political views. My friends, I know the difficulty of struggling with the Lord's teachings. I wish there was something I could write to make this easy, but there it doesn't exist. All I can tell you is that when I have made my personal - although completely insignificant when compared to His - trips to Gethsemane, I have made my way out on my knees. I have come to know my Father through these experiences, and what I know of Him is love. He does not abandon His children, whom we all are. I pray that He keep and deliver us all.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Mercy of God
Sometimes things don't go how we expect in life, and it can be extremely disappointing. It is natural for someone who believes in God to wonder if he or she has sinned, or why God would let this happen. I have felt this same disappointment, and when I have sought understanding from the Lord He has given me comfort. These verses explain God's tremendous love:
I think its easiest to understand these things when we remember who is promising them. It is the Lord Jesus Christ promising His people that He will not forget them. He gave His life for us. Remembering that, and understanding that, will help us not to doubt.
--Isaiah 54:7-10
For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
For this, the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee.
For the mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
I think its easiest to understand these things when we remember who is promising them. It is the Lord Jesus Christ promising His people that He will not forget them. He gave His life for us. Remembering that, and understanding that, will help us not to doubt.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
General Conference
Today is Easter Sunday, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had General Conference - a meeting broadcast for the entire Church. We heard from our Apostles, Seventy, and the Prophet.
The thought occurred to me that it is a tremendous blessing to celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection by hearing from His anointed Apostles - men set apart to witness His divinity to the entire world. I know that He lived and died for us. I know that He bore all of our pains, sorrows, and sin because He loves us. I love Him because He first loved me, and I am grateful that He has placed His Priesthood on the earth, along with Apostles and prophets to teach us of His life. I know that He lives!
The thought occurred to me that it is a tremendous blessing to celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection by hearing from His anointed Apostles - men set apart to witness His divinity to the entire world. I know that He lived and died for us. I know that He bore all of our pains, sorrows, and sin because He loves us. I love Him because He first loved me, and I am grateful that He has placed His Priesthood on the earth, along with Apostles and prophets to teach us of His life. I know that He lives!
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