In Doctrine and Covenants Section 76 we have a description of those who will be exalted in the Celestial Kingdom. The description says that these "overcome by faith" and later says: "And they shall overcome all things."
For those unfamiliar, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches about more than just heaven and hell. We call hell "outer-darkness" and believe that only those who know Christ and wilfully rebel against Him will be sent there; all the rest go to a kingdom of glory in heaven: the Telestial, Terrestrial, or Celestial Kingdom, which correspond to the stars, the moon, or the sun respectively. The Celestial Kingdom has the glory of the sun and is where we all hope to go.
These phrases teach us a bit about how we can get there and what blessings we will enjoy should we get there. If we get there, it means we overcame by faith in this life. In other words, we rely on the Lord to get through the trials we face here. A few differences between simply overcoming and overcoming by faith might be:
- Humility in recognizing we need the Lord's blessing and are delivered by His mercy.
- Greater patience while we wait for a trial to pass.
- A willingness to submit to the Lord's will.
- Obedience to the Lord's commandments even in difficulty.
- Such obedience is a sign of abiding faith.
We are also promised that if we are going to the Celestial Kingdom we will overcome all things. This promise seems great beyond comparison and comprehension. Imagine staring at your greatest insecurity in the mirror without the slightest twinge of inadequacy. How about knowing that your worst fears can have no power over you? This is just the beginning of the deep peace of overcoming all things through faith.
I know that God would have us be strong and empowered through His Son. It is true that if we come unto Christ He will show us our weakness, but none who follow Christ will be laid low. Instead, they shall "mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Sharing Is Caring
My primary class tomorrow is on the subject of sharing, and preparing it got me thinking: people that don't learn to share can never really be happy. The Lord taught: "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." When we hoard things to ourselves we lost them, and when we share them we truly gain them.
There are an enormous number of evils in the world because we don't share with each other: there is enough food for everyone in the world, but we have starving people. Information is freely available but many are kept in ignorance. There's so much of virtually every human necessity that we throw away the leftovers we can't use, but because so many choose to establish their personal worth in a comparative manner many needlessly suffer.
It is probably more practical to look at what happens to each of us personally if we don't share. I said that if we don't learn to share we cannot be happy; at the very least we cannot be as happy as people who share willingly. The philosophy of not sharing vs. sharing can explain my point.
Not sharing teaches me that I don't have enough. The more extreme I become in not sharing, the more I will ultimately believe that I need more, and that this need trumps all others. My things come before those around me. Sharing tells me that I can spare a little to help my brother or sister in need; I will figure out how to make do with less. It teaches me that my fellow earth-dwellers are more valuable than my possessions. Not sharing is ultimately the path of greed, over-indulgence, and the endless pursuit of more. Sharing is ultimately the path of love, self-denial, and taking care of others.
Knowing what we know: that this world is a temporary stop on an eternal journey, and that everything here must perish, which path is correct? Which leads to happiness? Should we be the one who is filled with love and will rejoice with friends in the next life, or will we hear the words: "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"
Sharing, or giving more completely of ourselves, is something anyone can get better at. If we all reflect, we can probably see many ways that we fall short of the Master's example of perfect selflessness. I know that I have many. I can say that when I manage to share and to love not the illusion I am truly happy, and I receive the blessings of God far beyond what I deserve.
There are an enormous number of evils in the world because we don't share with each other: there is enough food for everyone in the world, but we have starving people. Information is freely available but many are kept in ignorance. There's so much of virtually every human necessity that we throw away the leftovers we can't use, but because so many choose to establish their personal worth in a comparative manner many needlessly suffer.
It is probably more practical to look at what happens to each of us personally if we don't share. I said that if we don't learn to share we cannot be happy; at the very least we cannot be as happy as people who share willingly. The philosophy of not sharing vs. sharing can explain my point.
Not sharing teaches me that I don't have enough. The more extreme I become in not sharing, the more I will ultimately believe that I need more, and that this need trumps all others. My things come before those around me. Sharing tells me that I can spare a little to help my brother or sister in need; I will figure out how to make do with less. It teaches me that my fellow earth-dwellers are more valuable than my possessions. Not sharing is ultimately the path of greed, over-indulgence, and the endless pursuit of more. Sharing is ultimately the path of love, self-denial, and taking care of others.
Knowing what we know: that this world is a temporary stop on an eternal journey, and that everything here must perish, which path is correct? Which leads to happiness? Should we be the one who is filled with love and will rejoice with friends in the next life, or will we hear the words: "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"
Sharing, or giving more completely of ourselves, is something anyone can get better at. If we all reflect, we can probably see many ways that we fall short of the Master's example of perfect selflessness. I know that I have many. I can say that when I manage to share and to love not the illusion I am truly happy, and I receive the blessings of God far beyond what I deserve.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Reflecting on Tolerance
I've been thinking more about the importance of tolerance lately. Every time someone compares someone they don't like to Hitler it reminds me how much we all need tolerance (except when that person has tried to systematically commit genocide, in which case I think there are legitimate comparisons).
I wish that every person on earth could agree with this thought: someone can disagree with me and still be reasonable, intelligent, peaceful, and virtuous; some people just don't think the way I do. There are very few exceptions to this rule.
I believe that in doing this we make the Lord pleased with us. In fact, I believe that we are commanded to do exactly that in the sermon on the mount:
In a most precious passage of scripture we learn of Enoch, who saw "... that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept." Enoch asked in disbelief how it was possible, and the Lord replied:
I wish that every person on earth could agree with this thought: someone can disagree with me and still be reasonable, intelligent, peaceful, and virtuous; some people just don't think the way I do. There are very few exceptions to this rule.
I believe that in doing this we make the Lord pleased with us. In fact, I believe that we are commanded to do exactly that in the sermon on the mount:
43 ¶Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.Jesus taught us all to be better; with His sacrifice we are no longer held to a lesser law, but asked to rise above and follow Him. If we can't respect or even be civil to someone of an opposing viewpoint, how can we claim we are following Christ?
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
In a most precious passage of scripture we learn of Enoch, who saw "... that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept." Enoch asked in disbelief how it was possible, and the Lord replied:
If we cannot tolerate those around us we cannot love them. In one eidetic moment of my life I thought I felt with clarity the profound love of God for another human being. It is deep and powerful beyond what I can communicate, and I know that we can never have it without tolerance.... Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Look Unto Me In Every Thought
In John 11 we learn the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus was seriously sick and the Lord wasn't around, so his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent to the Lord with the hopes that He would come and heal him.
In verse 4 we learn the Lord's reply: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." If I were either Mary or Martha, I would interpret this is as a promise that my brother would not die. However, we also learn in verse 6 that the Lord stayed were He was for two more days, and verse 14 teaches us that when He arrived, Lazarus has indeed passed away.
In verses 21 and 32, the Bible records Martha and Mary's words to the Lord upon His arrival. They said the same words: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." We do not have the context behind those words, but we can imagine the anguish of the sisters. Perhaps they wanted to ask why He stayed two more days before coming, or how come He has healed so many but He didn't make it in time to heal a beloved disciple, or even how His promise could possibly have failed?
I believe they said this instead because even in this excruciating trial they both kept their faith. His following conversation with Martha includes one of my favorite passages of scripture in verses 25 and 26:
Before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead He promises eternal life, which only Christ can. Even death, as absolute and insurmountable as anything, bends the knee and obeys the will of our Lord. He is teaching that no night is too dark and no burden is too heavy for those who lean on Jehovah for strength.
Martha, though suffering, would not let her pains dim the brilliance of her faith, and she responded: "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." Martha's response to this potentially disillusioning sequence of events in life was to express faith, even though the Lord just said words that seemed to be directly contradicted by her brother's death.
Shortly after, we read in verses 43 and 44 that the Lord brings Lazarus back to life. The Lord knew all along that He would restore Lazarus' life to him, but Mary and Martha did not. They did demonstrate that no matter what happens they wouldn't lose their faith in Jesus as the Christ.
In life, many things happen which are beyond our comprehension. We will have trials that seem impossible to reconcile with our beliefs and our understanding. I pray, for myself and us all, that we can match the examples of Mary and Martha and follow this council:
In verse 4 we learn the Lord's reply: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." If I were either Mary or Martha, I would interpret this is as a promise that my brother would not die. However, we also learn in verse 6 that the Lord stayed were He was for two more days, and verse 14 teaches us that when He arrived, Lazarus has indeed passed away.
In verses 21 and 32, the Bible records Martha and Mary's words to the Lord upon His arrival. They said the same words: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." We do not have the context behind those words, but we can imagine the anguish of the sisters. Perhaps they wanted to ask why He stayed two more days before coming, or how come He has healed so many but He didn't make it in time to heal a beloved disciple, or even how His promise could possibly have failed?
I believe they said this instead because even in this excruciating trial they both kept their faith. His following conversation with Martha includes one of my favorite passages of scripture in verses 25 and 26:
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. Believest thou this?
Before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead He promises eternal life, which only Christ can. Even death, as absolute and insurmountable as anything, bends the knee and obeys the will of our Lord. He is teaching that no night is too dark and no burden is too heavy for those who lean on Jehovah for strength.
Martha, though suffering, would not let her pains dim the brilliance of her faith, and she responded: "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." Martha's response to this potentially disillusioning sequence of events in life was to express faith, even though the Lord just said words that seemed to be directly contradicted by her brother's death.
Shortly after, we read in verses 43 and 44 that the Lord brings Lazarus back to life. The Lord knew all along that He would restore Lazarus' life to him, but Mary and Martha did not. They did demonstrate that no matter what happens they wouldn't lose their faith in Jesus as the Christ.
In life, many things happen which are beyond our comprehension. We will have trials that seem impossible to reconcile with our beliefs and our understanding. I pray, for myself and us all, that we can match the examples of Mary and Martha and follow this council:
36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.I testify that our comfort and our answers lie in following the Savior. He has the words of eternal life.
37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
The Purpose of Excommunication
On its face excommunication can seem like something very incongruent with Christ's love. When I was a teenager, I thought excommunication was all about punishing someone who was wrong, sort of like judgement coming a little early for an individual. I think that my teenage understanding was definitely incongruent with the mission of the Church as well as our Lord's love. Because of my poor understanding, I remember being surprised when my dad explained that people who are excommunicated can be re-baptized and rejoin the Church. To my confusion my father clarified: "actually, the whole purpose of excommunicating someone is so that they will eventually get re-baptized."
Certainly, repenting fully is easiest and best in private. Unfortunately, some sins are committed publicly or become known publicly, either in a small community or in general. Repentance can often be a sore and trying experience, and my heart goes out to those who have the misfortune of baring public shame in addition to the normal guilt that comes from sin. To help minimize this damage, Church leaders who participate in disciplinary councils are commanded to keep things strictly confidential. Even simple questions whose answers may likely be innocuous are usually not answered. The message is clear: we are here for repentance, and people can repent best when given space and privacy.*
I know that God's love doesn't have a beginning or an end for any of us. He is the God which leaves the ninety and nine to search for the one. I have seen firsthand how He diligently searches, and I trust His love.
*Some may ask why, if we want to provide space and privacy, does anyone have to know about any of the sins. Why do certain sins have to be confessed to a bishop or other church leaders? The answer is that people need help repenting of certain sins. I will compare it to smoking: many people quit smoking, but very few, if any, do it completely alone. People experience the most success when quitting with support. Repenting is a process of changing and becoming someone better; it includes healing our very soul. Serious sins are more difficult to overcome, and here the role of a bishop, stake president, or even a council in the most serious circumstances is to assist in that process.
When members need to have certain blessings withheld, the Lord’s object is to teach as well as to discipline. So probation, disfellowshipment, and excommunication, when they become necessary, are ideally accompanied by eventual reinstatement and restoration of blessings. - Elder BallardElder Ballard wrote this article for the Church News in 1985 and it was republished in a 1990 issue of the Ensign. Later in the same article he states:
Members sometimes ask why Church disciplinary councils are held. The purpose is threefold: to save the soul of the transgressor, to protect the innocent, and to safeguard the Church’s purity, integrity, and good name.The first purpose of a disciplinary council is to help someone repent. I remember someone sharing a testimony about being disciplined in a disciplinary council. Wisely, the reason for being disciplined was not shared, but she stated that these councils are courts of love, and that throughout the entire process of repentance (she was not excommunicated) she felt how much her leaders cared for her and wanted to help her. In my friend's case, the disciplinary council was essential to helping her repent.
Certainly, repenting fully is easiest and best in private. Unfortunately, some sins are committed publicly or become known publicly, either in a small community or in general. Repentance can often be a sore and trying experience, and my heart goes out to those who have the misfortune of baring public shame in addition to the normal guilt that comes from sin. To help minimize this damage, Church leaders who participate in disciplinary councils are commanded to keep things strictly confidential. Even simple questions whose answers may likely be innocuous are usually not answered. The message is clear: we are here for repentance, and people can repent best when given space and privacy.*
I know that God's love doesn't have a beginning or an end for any of us. He is the God which leaves the ninety and nine to search for the one. I have seen firsthand how He diligently searches, and I trust His love.
*Some may ask why, if we want to provide space and privacy, does anyone have to know about any of the sins. Why do certain sins have to be confessed to a bishop or other church leaders? The answer is that people need help repenting of certain sins. I will compare it to smoking: many people quit smoking, but very few, if any, do it completely alone. People experience the most success when quitting with support. Repenting is a process of changing and becoming someone better; it includes healing our very soul. Serious sins are more difficult to overcome, and here the role of a bishop, stake president, or even a council in the most serious circumstances is to assist in that process.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Understanding Modesty
Oddly enough, I've read two stories about modesty in the news recently. One about a girl in Canada who felt humiliated by her school's dress code and another about a school in Utah that digitally edited yearbook pictures. Although I'm a strong believer in modesty and teaching the benefits of dressing modestly, I want to note that I don't agree with the way that either of these schools went about it. It seems to me that forcing teenage girls to stand in line and be measured for modesty is ridiculous, embarrassing, and perhaps hypocritical; editing people's yearbook photos without notifying them - and doing it unevenly - also seems silly at best.*
At any rate, some of the discussion around this asks why we don't simply teach boys not to view girls as sexual objects instead of forcing girls to dress a certain way. Some say that teaching girls they must dress modestly is the beginning of blaming rape victims for getting raped. Sadly, there are some people who teach modesty in exactly those ways and say those same horrible ideas. Obviously, no one who is raped deserves it; sexual violence is among the worst sins that one can commit, and the victim is never at fault. However, dressing modestly is important for all, and I want to explain why I believe so.
I believe that all of us, every male and female, is a child of God. I believe that we were given bodies for the purpose of coming to this earth where we are tested and have the chance to learn. Humans were the crowning creation, and in my opinion the people on the earth and the most interesting and beautiful part of it. This is saying a lot when you contemplate the beauty of the earth, but I believe it is true.
With our bodies, God also gave us the power to take His hand and join in creating life. This is a simple, obvious, and powerful reminder that we are divine in nature, not mundane. Our Creator also gave us deep, powerful feelings so that we might join together, and that "... they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh." (Mark 10:8) Twain is a word that means two, and teaching refers to the importance of marriage.
If our bodies are given to us for a divine purpose, shouldn't we treat them as such? When something is important and personal, do we tell everyone about it? Or do we share it only with closer friends in a context where it will be meaningful?
The primary reason for dressing modestly ought to come from how we see ourselves and not from fear for how others might see us. Dressing modestly should be a way that we say to the world: I'm a child of God; I have divine potential and destiny.
In other words, I reject the idea that teaching people (I keep using gender inclusive words because all must dress modestly, and if we are teaching modestly only to women and girls then we are failing.) to dress modestly is meant to shame them. It is quite the opposite. Dressing modestly is meant to help people recognize their divine nature and purpose on this earth; nothing would do more for self-esteem than for all to grasp it.
*I went to a public high school in Chicago that enforced a dress code for yearbook pictures. They would tell people to change their clothes if they felt it didn't meet the school's dress code, and I think that's a very reasonable way to go about it.
At any rate, some of the discussion around this asks why we don't simply teach boys not to view girls as sexual objects instead of forcing girls to dress a certain way. Some say that teaching girls they must dress modestly is the beginning of blaming rape victims for getting raped. Sadly, there are some people who teach modesty in exactly those ways and say those same horrible ideas. Obviously, no one who is raped deserves it; sexual violence is among the worst sins that one can commit, and the victim is never at fault. However, dressing modestly is important for all, and I want to explain why I believe so.
I believe that all of us, every male and female, is a child of God. I believe that we were given bodies for the purpose of coming to this earth where we are tested and have the chance to learn. Humans were the crowning creation, and in my opinion the people on the earth and the most interesting and beautiful part of it. This is saying a lot when you contemplate the beauty of the earth, but I believe it is true.
With our bodies, God also gave us the power to take His hand and join in creating life. This is a simple, obvious, and powerful reminder that we are divine in nature, not mundane. Our Creator also gave us deep, powerful feelings so that we might join together, and that "... they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh." (Mark 10:8) Twain is a word that means two, and teaching refers to the importance of marriage.
If our bodies are given to us for a divine purpose, shouldn't we treat them as such? When something is important and personal, do we tell everyone about it? Or do we share it only with closer friends in a context where it will be meaningful?
The primary reason for dressing modestly ought to come from how we see ourselves and not from fear for how others might see us. Dressing modestly should be a way that we say to the world: I'm a child of God; I have divine potential and destiny.
In other words, I reject the idea that teaching people (I keep using gender inclusive words because all must dress modestly, and if we are teaching modestly only to women and girls then we are failing.) to dress modestly is meant to shame them. It is quite the opposite. Dressing modestly is meant to help people recognize their divine nature and purpose on this earth; nothing would do more for self-esteem than for all to grasp it.
*I went to a public high school in Chicago that enforced a dress code for yearbook pictures. They would tell people to change their clothes if they felt it didn't meet the school's dress code, and I think that's a very reasonable way to go about it.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Bullying
Usually, when we think about bullying, we think of it as something that older/taller/stronger kids do to younger/smaller/weaker kids. Sadly, this is just one kind of bullying, and maybe not the worst kind.
Let me tell you a story of a woman I knew through church. Her and her husband went to church together; she started out happily married and had friends at church. Over time, her marriage deteriorated; neither she nor her husband fixed it, and eventually it ended in divorce. In addition to feeling like she was hurting so much she couldn't recover, she noticed that some at church who were once her friends no longer said hi or invited her places. Many people had decided that it was her fault she was getting divorced and that her husband was guiltless in the matter. Church, which had been a refuge to her for her entire life, became a major trial every week. She loves the Lord and His Gospel, but seeing the people at Church and overhearing comments made became more and more difficult.
For me, the saddest part of this story is that it is the story of more than one person I know. In some cases the story is exactly the same, except the congregation all seems to side with the woman and not the man. The ending hasn't stayed constant: I know some who somehow stuck through it and continued to be active in church, but I know others for whom it became too much and they stopped attending. Some of these later returned, others haven't returned yet, but the question is: why do we put our brothers and sisters through this?
I'm still fairly young, but I have known enough marriages to know that everyone has disagreements and fights in their marriage. Some of these people get divorced, but I have not yet met someone who - even in the tiny amount I observed of their relationship, the public part - was perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Most of us who are still married are still married greatly due to the fact that our spouses have forgiven us over and over again.
Why should we pretend we are better than others? I've seen this kind of exclusion happen around divorce, around unmarried pregnancies, young men who choose not to serve missions, or any number of other things that are less than ideal. If we take upon us the name of Christ, shouldn't we also take His works upon ourselves? Didn't He reach out to those who were stigmatized by society? Indeed He died for the just and the unjust, that all might have the chance to repent. We cannot follow Christ by scorning those who have the misfortune of sinning in ways that become publicly known.
I believe that many, many members of the Church and of any church simply don't engage in this sort of behavior. I'm certainly not saying that I've seen the entire congregation act this way, but if you put yourself in the shoes of the one going through it then you can see that it doesn't take a lot of people doing this for you to feel that it is everyone, or that the ones being nice are the exception. All I can say is that none of us can practice this kind of hypocrisy and think that it will be viewed with the least degree of tolerance in the eyes of God.
Instead, we ought to realize how much reaching out can lift up someone who is likely going through one of the hardest times of his or her life. I know that Jesus is the Christ for all 100, but He leaves the ninety and nine and searches for the one. If we will follow Him then we must do likewise.
Let me tell you a story of a woman I knew through church. Her and her husband went to church together; she started out happily married and had friends at church. Over time, her marriage deteriorated; neither she nor her husband fixed it, and eventually it ended in divorce. In addition to feeling like she was hurting so much she couldn't recover, she noticed that some at church who were once her friends no longer said hi or invited her places. Many people had decided that it was her fault she was getting divorced and that her husband was guiltless in the matter. Church, which had been a refuge to her for her entire life, became a major trial every week. She loves the Lord and His Gospel, but seeing the people at Church and overhearing comments made became more and more difficult.
For me, the saddest part of this story is that it is the story of more than one person I know. In some cases the story is exactly the same, except the congregation all seems to side with the woman and not the man. The ending hasn't stayed constant: I know some who somehow stuck through it and continued to be active in church, but I know others for whom it became too much and they stopped attending. Some of these later returned, others haven't returned yet, but the question is: why do we put our brothers and sisters through this?
I'm still fairly young, but I have known enough marriages to know that everyone has disagreements and fights in their marriage. Some of these people get divorced, but I have not yet met someone who - even in the tiny amount I observed of their relationship, the public part - was perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Most of us who are still married are still married greatly due to the fact that our spouses have forgiven us over and over again.
Why should we pretend we are better than others? I've seen this kind of exclusion happen around divorce, around unmarried pregnancies, young men who choose not to serve missions, or any number of other things that are less than ideal. If we take upon us the name of Christ, shouldn't we also take His works upon ourselves? Didn't He reach out to those who were stigmatized by society? Indeed He died for the just and the unjust, that all might have the chance to repent. We cannot follow Christ by scorning those who have the misfortune of sinning in ways that become publicly known.
I believe that many, many members of the Church and of any church simply don't engage in this sort of behavior. I'm certainly not saying that I've seen the entire congregation act this way, but if you put yourself in the shoes of the one going through it then you can see that it doesn't take a lot of people doing this for you to feel that it is everyone, or that the ones being nice are the exception. All I can say is that none of us can practice this kind of hypocrisy and think that it will be viewed with the least degree of tolerance in the eyes of God.
Instead, we ought to realize how much reaching out can lift up someone who is likely going through one of the hardest times of his or her life. I know that Jesus is the Christ for all 100, but He leaves the ninety and nine and searches for the one. If we will follow Him then we must do likewise.
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