Poop - Do Not Read While Eating

Poop is among the most repulsive substances known to man. It looks nasty, smells terrible, and just the thought of touching it is enough to make one want to hurl. Yet, of all the disgusting things in the world, poop is the one sickening substance that each and every one of us need to deal with each and every day.

Poop is a naturally occurring by-product of the digestive process. After a person has eaten, and their body absorbs the nutrients of their food, all that is left is poop. As humans, we have learned how to manage the disposal of poop. We call it "using the bathroom."

The bathroom is an essential feature of each house. It's a private space where a person can sit on a toilet and rid themselves of their poop. In the bathroom, we can cleanse ourselves in a variety of ways, so we can always leave the bathroom feeling clean and fresh.

While certain dietary habits can reduce the frequency and discomfort of needing to poop, it's impossible to avoid pooping altogether. We all poop, and we will go on pooping until the day we die. But using the restroom can be a liberating experience. It allows us to remove an internal burden, and leave knowing that we're purer and cleaner than we were when we walked in.

Though it may be disturbing that our bodies will constantly generate more poop, we can all be grateful for the ability we have to get rid of it. Thanks to our modern conveniences, we can flush away our poop as frequently as we need to, and fulfill the nearly impossible desire to constantly keep ourselves clean.

***

Sin is the most damning activity known to man. It hardens hearts, darkens souls, and can lead one to unimaginable pain and suffering. Yet, despite the evil nature of sin, all of us, even the very best of us, must struggle against the urge to commit it, and may of us give in to little temptations each and every day.

Sin is an occasional consequence of the decision-making process. When a person is faced with a series of choices between right and wrong, he will almost inevitably make some good choices and some bad ones. As Christians, we have been given a miraculous method to rid ourselves of sin. It's called the Atonement.

The Atonement is an essential feature of the gospel, and a center-point of a Christian life. It allows a person to kneel in prayer and seek forgiveness for their sins. Through the Atonement, we can cleanse ourselves and start again fresh.

While it is possible to avoid sin, we, being imperfect, still make mistakes frequently, thus, we frequently need to repent. We all sin, and we'll likely go on sinning until the day we die. But frequent repenting can be a liberating experience. It allows us to get a spiritual burden off our chest, so we can walk away feeling lighter and cleaner than we were before.

Though it may be discouraging to know that we will keep falling into the trap of sin, it is such a blessing that God has given us a way to get out of it. Thanks to the Atonement, we can rid ourselves of sin as frequently as we need to, and fulfill the nearly impossible dream of constantly keeping ourselves clean.

Godhood is Overrated

I may have said before that one of my favorite pieces of Mormon "Deep Doctrine" is that as man now is, God once was, and as God now is, man my become (I'm too lazy right now to look for the exact quote). I liked it because it kind of humanized God. And I don't mean that in any disrespectful way. It basically helps me to understand that God truly does know how hard life is, because, in a literal sense, He's been there. It helps me to know how He's able to have such compassion and empathy as He does.

But the other half of that doctrine, the "as God now is, man may become" part, is starting to sound less and less attractive to me. At first, I was encouraged by this doctrine. I have such great potential. But... I don't think I'm cut out to be a God. I don't think I'm cut out to be a parent. Heck, I'm becoming less and less sure that I'm cut out to own a pet! I don't have enough patience, enough wisdom, or enough love to be a good parent when those that I care for start to act in a manner that frustrates me.

For example, while trying to ignore her barking (to tell her that she's not the boss), I missed the message when she tried to tell me that she had to go outside. While cleaning up the mess, I wished she had scratched on the door, like Anna does when she needs to go outside. And I said to myself, "I know I can't fault her for being ignorant, but can I at least fault her for annoying the crap out of the person who had paid $30 to save her life?"

At that point, I drew a parallel between her and me. I sin. I sin frequently. I break my Heavenly Father's commandments far more often than I should, and though it may not be fair to fault me for being weak, God would be totally justified in cursing me for disregarding the person who had bled at every pore to save my soul. I'm no better than she is. And God? God is a much better care-taker than I am.

I don't want to be a God. I don't want to have people count on me for everything and then act as if I don't exist. Knowing how weak I am, I would get angry at them. I'd probably stop helping them, just to show them how hopeless they are without me. I wonder how often God is tempted to do that. Probably as often as we deserve it. I don't know if I could be as strong and as good as He is. Because, believe me, just watching over a dog is starting to try me.

Magic and the Scriptures

Anyone who spends a lot of time in the Fantasy Nerd Community will eventually hear the name Jack Vance. Vance is a fiction author, or was before his death, who wrote the Dying Earth series, among a great many other books. In the Dying Earth series, Vance introduced a magic system that has become known as the "Vanician" magic system, which has been used in the most popular fantasy role-playing game ever made.

In the Vanician magic system, wizards must study their spell books every morning, to "memorize" a set of spells which they can then cast later that day. Once a memorized spell is cast, it is "forgotten," and must be studied again in order to be used again. In this system, daily study is essential, making it a near-perfect analogy to scripture-study.

"If we're not reading the scriptures daily," President Harold B. Lee once said, "our testimonies are growing thinner, our spirituality isn't increasing in depth."

The "Magic" in the scriptures isn't as flashy as the spells in the Vanician magic system, but it's still very powerful. From scripture study, we gain the power to find direction in our lives, to discern right from wrong, and to receive personal revelation. It can strengthen our relationship with the Almighty and with His Son, our Savior, and help us to become like Them. It can increase our capacity to resist temptation and to choose the right. In essence, everything that really matters in life can be found in the scriptures.

But the scriptures must be studied daily to get their full effect (See the quote from President Lee, above). Furthermore, it works best when we truly study them. To quote Elder David A. Bednar:

Studying and feasting suggest a focus and an intensity that reach far beyond casual reading or quick perusing. Studying and feasting. followed by sincere prayer and steadfast application of the truths and principles we learn, yield personal resolve, spiritual commitment, and the bright light of testimony. Studying, learning, praying, and appropriately applying gospel truths are all key elements in the process of coming unto the Savior.

Just as a wizard would cease to have the power of a wizard without a daily study of their spell books, I believe that a Christian would cease to have the power of a Christian if they neglected to regularly study the scriptures. They were given to us to teach us of Christ and help us to follow Him and become more like Him. Let's tap into the power of the scriptures and see what magic they can work in our lives.

Happiness is a Choice

Yesterday, I spoke as if Happiness is an eventual reward for living a good life, and it's true that righteous living leads to a reward of joy, but it's also true that we can have happiness while we're here on Earth. We sometimes hear that happiness is a choice, that we can choose to be happy, not matter what's happening, and I'm not sure how true that is. Let's consult the experts.

Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.
-Joseph Smith

Our happiness is diminished by at least two things: sin and adversity. Of the two, sin is the most tragic. Sin is the most persistent cause of human suffering and of the two brings the deepest remorse.
-Elder Jack H. Goslind, General Conference, April 1986

Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness. 

And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.
-Alma 41: 10-11

And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people. 

But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin.
-Mormon 2: 12-13

The suffering that results from sin is most tragic because through our own choices we can choose to avoid it. We have that power. We also have the capacity to repent of our sins and to experience the sweet joy of forgiveness. If we are unhappy, let us examine ourselves to see where we need to repent. If we have questions about what we need to do, or not do, we need only listen to our conscience and follow the promptings of the Spirit.
-Elder Jack H. Goaslind, General Conference, April 1986

The other thing that may diminish our happiness is adversity. Adversity is also part of our mortal probation, experienced by everyone. It is different, however, from sin. While we can choose to avoid sin, we usually cannot choose whether we experience adversity. I am convinced if we are to have happiness in our hearts, we must learn how to preserve it, in our hearts, in the midst of trouble and trial. We can control our attitude toward adversity. Some people are defeated and embittered by it, while others triumph over it and cultivate godlike attributes in the midst of it.
-Elder Jack H. Goaslind, General Conference, April 1986

We can choose to have a positive attitude. We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. In other words, we can choose to be happy and positive, regardless of what comes our way.
-Attributed to President Thomas S. Monson (I couldn't find where he actually said it.)

So, yes, happiness is a choice. We can choose to keep the commandments and avoid sin, and we can choose to be happy, even during trials. Though choosing to be happy while sinning is less doable, we can choose to avoid the sin that cause unhappiness, and though we can't always choose to avoid adversity, we can choose to be happy in spite of it. That way, no matter what, yes, we can choose to be happy.

Tiered Prerequisites - Alternate Routes to Happiness

Let's talk about Prerequisites. Specifically, Tiered Prerequisites. Now, let me explain what I mean by that. Let's say that you want A, but to get A, you first have to get B. That means B is a prerequisite for A. If we want to add another tier (which we don't, because it'll only complicate things, but let's do it anyway), we could say that in order to get B, you must first get C. That makes C a prerequisite for B, and indirectly, C is also a prerequisite for A.

I recently had an experience with tiered prerequisites that was a little more complicated. In order to take Math 300, I first need to pass either Math 120 or Math 124 (or get a high score on an assessment test, but that didn't happen, so I have to work my way up the tier system). In order to take Math 124, I need to pass Math 123. In order to take Math 120 or Math 123, I need to pass either Math 100 or Math 104, and to take Math 104, I need to pass Math 103. According to my Assessment test results, I am ready to take Math 100 or Math 103, so I can start working my way up the tier from there. But I really wish someone had explained this to me before I signed up for Math 300.

In life, you need to know where you want to go, or you'll never get anywhere. But even knowing where you want to end up isn't always enough. You often also need to know how to get there. It's important to decide that you care about finding true happiness, but then it becomes critical to find out what it'll take to get it.

Let's see if we can figure this out. To find true happiness, you need to live a good life, which probably involves raising a family. To support a family, you need money. To get money, you need a job. To get a good job, you need an education, which apparently includes Math 300.

But maybe there's another way. In the Math 300 tier tree, there were a few choices (e.g. To get Math 300, you need Math 120 or Math 124), maybe there are alternate routes up this tier tree, too. Maybe a person can get a good job even without a full education. We know people can get money without having a job (but that's not an option for people like us). Are there ways to have a good life that don't involve raising a family? Can you find true happiness, even if your life isn't so good?

I'm not sure. I'm one of those kinds of optimists who think that everything will turn out alright eventually somehow. And if a loving, all-powerful God is in charge of that kind of thing, then maybe there's a reason to have hope even when everything is falling apart. Maybe God's plan for my Eternal Happiness doesn't involve X, Y, or Z, which I currently think are essential. Maybe I need to let go of everything I think I know about life and just trust God and try to do what He wants me to do. If He has a plan for my Eternal Happiness and I do my best to follow it, I'm pretty sure I'll get there eventually somehow.

I guess what I'm saying is that life seems really complicated, and we probably make it more complicated than it needs to be. If Earth life isn't all that matters, maybe I shouldn't get so worked up when it doesn't seem to be going well. As the Savior taught:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

Matthew 6:19-21

 God knows the best paths to happiness. I know that I'll get there somehow. But only if I follow Him.

Giving Thanks for Blessings in Disguise

Not that it's the end of the month or anything, but I've had the First Presidency Message on my To-Blog-About list for a while now, and I'm starting to think it's now or never. Besides, I think I finally understand from what angle I'm going to approach this message. The message, as I'm sure your Home Teachers have told you already, is Recognize, Remember, and Give Thanks. It was written by President Henry B. Eyring and it's about blessings from the Lord.

At the beginning of his message, President Eyring says, "God asks that we give thanks to Him for whatever blessings we receive from Him." When I read that, I thought back to my recent experience, the Mistake God turned into a Miracle. I realize now that that mistake and the opportunity to make it was a blessing in disguise. I also read somewhere (not in an Ensign, in a Reader's Digest Magazine) that there are two ways to live our lives: As if everything is a miracle, or as if nothing is a miracle. That "Mistake" experience I had has started to make me believe that everything is a miracle. Maybe even the bad things.

God gives us obstacles so we can overcome them and become better people. He lets us make mistakes because He loves us enough to respect our choice. When bad things happen to us, it's usually meant to be a learning experience, and some experience can't be gained any other way. And even when nothing good comes out of whatever bad thing happens to us, there's something called the principle of compensation.

Described by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the principle of compensation is that:

The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.

Because our Father is kind, every hardship we pass through now will become an added amount of joy when we reach Heaven. In that way, every painful moment is a blessing in disguise. And as President Eyring reminds us, "God asks that we give thanks to Him for whatever blessings we receive from Him."

Does that mean that, even in those painful moments, God wants us to thank Him for letting us go through (and possibly even leading us to) those painful experiences? Why not? Throwing human emotion aside for the moment, mixing in a little logic and/or Eternal Perspective shows us that thanking God for our trials, even while we're experiencing them, makes all the sense in the world.

Eternal Perspective first, since we've already basically covered it. We know that, thanks to the principle of compensation, every hardship we experience will become a blessing in Heaven but only if we make it to heaven! There are, sadly, many people who, because of their suffering, have lost their faith in God, and have thus lost their Eternal Reward, possibly including the compensation for the suffering they experienced. But if we hold on to our faith, especially through the hard times, we're almost guaranteed to reach our Eternal Reward.

Now, logic. When I was growing up, I was taught that a near-vital component of a First-Aid kit is a piece of hard candy. Why, you may ask? It has no medical value (except perhaps as a "sugar pill"). It won't heal you. It won't prevent infection. It won't numb the pain... Or will it? The reason the hard candy is in the First-Aid kit is that it provides the victim with a distraction. Pain and suffering are hard not to think about, but if you have something else you can focus on, especially something sweet (like the goodness of God, His love and mercy, the Principle of Compensation, etc.), it may help to dull the pain. Atheists may argue that it's a foolish hope, but even those without faith can see the benefit of a sugar pill, and that's really what this is. It may not actually solve the problem, but it'll help you muscle through it.

So, if I may twist President Eyring's words to match my message, I'd advise us all, myself included, to Recognize that God has a hand in everything, Remember that He has promised special blessings to the faithful who suffer for His sake, and Give Thanks for the trials that He trusts you to overcome and the blessings that you will earn by doing so. Thanks to a loving God, we know that all our trials are blessings in disguise.

More In-Depth Lesson Prep

There is an increasing emphasis on missionary work, and Elder Nelson wants us to join the effort.

Dear brothers and sisters, I add my voice to that of President Thomas S. Monson and others in praising those who have responded to a prophet’s call for more worthy missionaries. Now an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm for missionary work is sweeping the entire earth. -N

          ...

You parents, teachers, and others, catch the wave as you prepare our rising generation to be worthy of missionary service. Meanwhile, your exemplary lives will attract the interest of your friends and neighbors. Be ready to give an answer to those who ask why you live as you do. Be ready to give a reason for the hope and joy that they see in you. -N

While we can prepare others to do missionary work, we can also do it ourselves.

What are some of our fears about doing member missionary work?
- Socially Awkward
- Meets Non-Members Only at Work
- Not Sure What to Say
- Others Ask Difficult Questions

Another question: What's your favorite thing about the gospel?
Tell them about that.

You don't need to know everything about the gospel or be able to answer every question in order to share how the gospel has blessed your life. Switching to Elder Holland's talk for a while:

When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! -H

If anything, it probably takes more courage to bear your testimony about the gospel than it does to say that you don't know everything about it. But there's some encouragement in another quote from Elder Holland's talk.

Furthermore, you have more faith than you think you do because of what the Book of Mormon calls “the greatness of the evidences.”  “Ye shall know them by their fruits,” Jesus said, and the fruit of living the gospel is evident in the lives of Latter-day Saints everywhere. -H

Your friends may have questions and concerns that you may not be able to answer, but "When doubt of difficulty come, do not be afraid to ask for help." -H

When such questions come, you might respond by saying, “Let’s ask the missionaries! They can help us! And if you desire, I will be at your side as the missionaries respond and teach you.” -N

(We were looking for a good excuse to introduce them to the missionaries anyway.)

Together, members and missionaries invite all to learn of God, of Jesus Christ, and of His gospel. Each inquiring individual should seek earnestly and pray fervently for the assurance that these things are true. The truth will be manifest by the power of the Holy Ghost. -N

 Member missionary work isn't always easy, but it doesn't have to be hard either. Missionaries know what to teach people, but they don't know who to talk to. Members know lots of people, but we don't always know what to say. When we work together, the work goes much more smoothly, but it starts with us!

Think of what the gospel has done in your life and in the lives of those you know. Think of the blessings that have come from living the gospel, then go and share those experiences with others. Pray for courage if you need it. We all can help this work move forward and bless the lives of hundreds more of God's children.

Preparing for my Sunday School Lesson

This Sunday, I'm going to be teaching a lesson combining two recent General Conference talks: Catch the Wave by Elder Russell M. Nelson, and "Lord, I Believe" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Catch the Wave is about missionary work, especially encouraging all members to participate in the work any way they can. "Lord, I Believe" is about faith, especially not letting the limits of our faith get in the way of acting on and sharing the faith we have.

I think my message will focus mostly on missionary work, with a "you know enough to share what you know" feel. As much as I love Elder Holland, and as much as I'd like to focus on his talk, Missionary Work seems to be the main focus of the church right now. It seems we're trying to get the world ready for the Second Coming and the Final Judgement, which have never been closer and will only get closer from here. If I'm supposed to give a talk on a talk Elder Nelson gave on missionary work, I should probably focus on that, but I'll throw in as much of Elder Holland's talk as is relevant.

The idea I think I'll be using is that even though none of us know everything about the gospel, and we may not be able to answer every question our neighbors may have, we know enough to bear our testimony of the truth of the gospel and especially of the particular parts of the gospel where our testimonies are strong. If I were teaching a younger group, I might have an activity where each person was given parts of a picture, and each person was given different parts. Each person could say "I don't know about the whole picture, but I know about this part." And as each member of the class share their respective parts with each other, they'll all eventually have the whole picture.

I don't know everything about the gospel, but I get insights occasionally, and I share them when I can. As I share my insights with you and others share their insights with me, we all end up learning the gospel together. Everyone who knows less about the gospel should seek guidance from those who know more, and those who know more about the gospel should humbly, but honestly, share what they know with others, so we can all learn together.

There may be parts of the gospel that you don't understand, but that's okay. Don't let what you don't know stand in the way of you sharing what you do know.

He Made My Mistake a Miracle

Last week, I blogged about The "Flaw" in God's Plan, and hinted at a mistake I made, and openly wondered why God let it happen. I don't know if God planned things out to happen this way, or if this was Him taking lemons and making lemonade, but either way, He turned my mistake into a miracle. I suppose, to understand what happened, you need to know the details.

On the night of Thursday, August 15, Joe and I found a stray dog. We took her home, gave her food and water, and had her stay the night. The next day, Mom asked me to take the dog to the SPCA and have her checked for microchips. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do after it was determined that she didn't have any microchips, so I guessed that I was supposed to just leave her at the shelter. I guessed wrong.

When I found out just how wrong I was, I was terribly upset and even angry at God. He had led the dog to us. He knew, or could have foreseen, that I would make that mistake. He knew how much that was going to upset my Mom, the dog, and me. But he let it happen anyway. The next morning, on Saturday, August 17, I blogged about that, and I figured that whether it seemed like it or not, God had a plan, and somehow, this whole mess was part of it.

For about a week, the dog was in what they call a "Stray Hold," so only her owner could adopt her. Through a series of phone calls, we learned that that waiting period ended yesterday, so I went to adopt her - not to pick her up, since I couldn't drive her home without a licensed driver in the front seat - just to sign the papers and pay the fee.

The fee was going to be $85, and our family can't really afford to drop nearly a hundred dollars to adopt another dog, especially when we already had the dog in our possession, and were really only paying the $85 to get her back. I had made a seriously costly mistake. But at least the adoption fee included getting the dog spayed and vaccinated, giving her a microchip, and paying for a year of license fee. It's still a lot of money, it was still a costly mistake, but at least some good came out of it.

So yesterday, Thursday, August 22, I went to pay the fee and adopt the dog. I signed a bunch of papers, jumped through another logistical hoop (that I need to jump through again, if I can), and got ready to hand over the $85. Then the lady told me that the adoption fee was only $30. Confused, I told her that I had been told that the adoption fee was $85, but included spaying and the microchip, etcetera. Was the "Adoption Fee" $30, and the "Spaying Fee," "Microchip Fee," and "Everything Else Fee" cost extra? The total was still $85, right? That's how much money I was carrying. No, the Adoption Fee was only $30, and it still included all those other costly extras. $30. Total. They were having a special on adopting dogs - a special that they only have on Thursdays.

So, we got a spayed, vaccinated, licensed, microchipped, and lovable new member of our family, and the whole procedure only cost us $30. Oh, and they threw in a handful of priceless life lessons for free.

All I can say now is that God knows what He's doing. Whether this was Plan A or Plan B, I have to admit it worked out pretty well, and now I'm ashamed that I ever doubted Him. I'm starting to think that God has a hand in literally everything that happens, and that even when something terrible happens, God has a plan so that, somehow, in the end, it's all going to be okay. God loves us. Everything He does, He does to make us happy (and I'm talking about eventual, eternal happiness, not the kind of happiness that we're missing out on because life is hard sometimes).

Could it be that everything God causes, or chooses not to prevent, is calculated to (eventually) give us the greatest possible amount of happiness? I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say that, but it does kind of make sense. We know that everything God does, He does because He loves us. Does that include choosing not to prevent suffering? Does that mean that, in some way, experiencing suffering and even sometimes causing suffering, can lead to greater happiness (assuming that we learn from those experiences)?

There's a lot I don't know about life, but I think I gained a little insight, all because of this experience. I'm not sure what all this insight implies, but it makes me feel a little better about all the bad things that happen in the world. God has a plan for our happiness, and since He knows we'll make mistakes along the way, He probably has a plan for that, too. In fact, He might have factored the mistakes He knew we were going to make and the bad things He knew were going to happen to us into His Plan A. Maybe all of this was meant to happen. I can't say for certain, but I can now say for certain that God has a foolproof plan.

It's Thursday Again! - Death-Bed Repentance

This morning, I was vaguely aware that today was Thursday. After all, yesterday was Wednesday, right? It follows that today must be Thursday, and so it is. However, I didn't stop to think about the implications of this until about 8:15 AM, when I heard the screech of the brakes of a recycling truck, and suddenly remembered what "It's Thursday!" meant. At the last possible second, I got the bin out to the curb, just in time for the truck to collect its contents. I was lucky that I still had enough time.

This experience reminded me of the idea of death-bed repentance, where one lives in sin for as long as they think they can get away with it, then repent when they feel they're about to die. This is foolish, as some people die very suddenly, and none of us know how much, or rather how little, time we have left. Nor do we know exactly how long the repentance process will take.

I found the following quote on LDS.org. I'm not sure who said it:

We should take warning and not wait for the death-bed to repent, as we see the infant taken away by death, so may the youth and middle-aged, as well as the infant be suddenly called into eternity. Let this, then, prove as a warning to all not to procrastinate repentance, or wait till a death-bed, for it is the will of God that man should repent and serve Him in health, and in the strength and power of his mind, in order to secure his blessing, and not wait until he is called to die.

Just as it isn't wise to wait to roll the bins out until you hear the trucks coming, it's not wise to wait to repent until you're mortally ill or injured.

For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. 

And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. 

Alma 34:32-33

Those who heard Elder Holland's talk on the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard may remember that he said that, "It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time," [Emphasis in the Original] but he also said right after that, right at the end of his talk:

Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor. Don’t delay. It’s getting late.
[Emphasis Added]

I highly doubt that he meant to imply that we could procrastinate our repentance as long as we wanted and the there would always be time to repent later. I think that he meant that even if we feel like we should have repented years ago (but didn't), it's not too late for us to repent right now. It's my opinion that "right now" is the best possible time to repent. In fact, some people might say that right now is the only time anyone ever has to do anything. So if there's something we need to take care of (like repenting of some past sin or transgression), it would make the most sense to do it now.

A Stolen Insight From Video Games

"If I've learned anything from video games, it is that when you meet enemies, it means that you're going in the right direction."

That's a quote I saw on Facebook this morning. I like it for a number of silly reasons, including the reference to video game and the fact that it's an analogy, but also because I think it's true.

God wants us to become stronger, wiser, better people than we are, and presenting us with tests to pass and obstacles to overcome seems to be His preferred method of helping us increase in those qualities. As long as we're following God's plan for us, there will be more challenges to face.

But what if we go the other way? What if we follow the wrong shepherd and run with the wrong crowd? Will there still be challenges and obstacles in our path? Yes. The Book of Mormon teaches us that there is "opposition in all things" 2 Nephi 2:11, including, I would assume, going in the wrong direction. Life is hard for the wicked, just as it is for he righteous. The main difference is that the wicked face their challenges without any help from God.

Well, without any special help from God, I should say. It's only by God's assistance and permission that we're able to do anything, but He gives extra help to those who are trying to do good, and withholds it from those who do evil.

Another big difference between the right path and the wrong one is opposition from Satan. Satan wants all of us to be miserable. If we're already on a path that leads to misery, he doesn't need to keep trying to misdirect us. But if we're on the path of righteousness, that leads to ultimate joy, he's going work against us at every turn, trying to get us to go the wrong way. He is the Enemy that we meet when we're going the right direction. If he's not fighting against us, we're already doing what he wants.

I suppose this adds another dynamic to the choice between the two yokes, Christ's or our own. If we choose Christ's, then we'll have the devil as an enemy, but the Almighty as an ally. If you choose your own way, then God will respect that decision, and the devil will rejoice over it (not that he'll bless you for making that decision. Even if he could bless people, I don't think it's in his nature).

Considering that God's help can have a stronger effect than Satan's hinderance, I think that choosing to take Christ's yoke upon ourselves results in a net gain of capability, and an increased likelihood of successfully facing the challenges we all have to face in life. The unfortunate thing is that Satan's opposition is often more easily felt than God's help is, and it can be discouraging.

But we can take courage in the knowledge that if Satan is opposing us, we're going the right direction and God is on our side. And that, as quoted above, is really inspiring.

Reading the Dream

So, funny thing; I blogged about the scriptures, then I didn't read them. I usually read at least a little bit out of the scriptures every night before bed, but I haven't been doing that the last few nights. I really should have, because the instant I opened the book to my bookmark, I knew exactly what I wanted to blog about. The chapter I'm in is on Lehi's Dream.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this dream (some non-Mormon may find this blog someday), Lehi is a prophet who had a dream about the Tree of Life, "whose fruit was desirable to make one happy." Leading up to this tree, there was a rod of iron, which people followed to the tree to get to the fruit. I'm cutting A LOT of stuff out for simplicity. Only the tree, the fruit, and the iron rod are important right now.

This dream was later interpreted, and the symbolic meanings for most parts of the dream were explained. The tree was a representation of the love of God. Eating the fruit was symbolic of gaining Eternal Life, and the iron rod was the word of God, which guides us along the straight and narrow path. But only if we follow it.

Just having a long, metal stick isn't going to help us much, even if one end of the stick was attached to a tree. Just having the scriptures isn't going to help much, even if they're filled with the words of life. We need to read the books if they're going to do us any good. And after we've read them, we need to follow their teachings.

Anyone in Lehi's dream could have held on to the iron rod and just stood there. Yes, they had the iron rod, and yes, they were holding fast to it, but it wasn't getting them any closer to the tree. Similarly, while it's essential that we have the scriptures to start off with, just having them isn't enough. We need to frequently read and apply the teachings in the scriptures in order to follow the path to Eternal Life (and get enough insights to have fresh material for our blogs).

Old Books, New Insights

Once again, Facebook helped me find something I'd like to blog about. I need to brainstorm good ideas and refill my idea list.

It's amazing to think that the scriptures are thousands of years old. The Book of Mormon starts in 600 BC. All my life, that's just been a number, but now I'm realizing that the "newest" scriptures we have are actually older than the New Testament, which was written about 2000 years ago. Those were the days where people wore robes and sandals. Those were the days where, if you wanted to spread a message to lots of people, you'd have to write down each copy by hand and deliver it in-person, or pay someone else to do that for you. You couldn't copy-and-paste something from off the internet into an Email and Send it to everyone in your contacts list, because none of those things existed then. Back in those days, spreading the word was hard.

And yet, they did it. They wrote things down (by hand), and preserved those messages for hundreds of years through many generations. The stories in the scriptures are older than the dust under our shoes.

Over the years, they haven't changed much. There have been a few alterations in the many translations, but mostly, the stories and messages are the same now as they were a thousand years ago, and they're certainly the same now as they were the last time you read them. Theoretically, a person with a perfect memory could read a book once and never have to read it again, but we read the Book of Mormon and the other scriptures repeatedly, not because they keep changing, but because we keep changing, and reading the scriptures can change us even more.

No Free-Soloing

The day before yesterday, I blogged about taking Christ's yoke upon ourselves, sharing insights that I gained by listening to the teacher last week and by attempting to blog about it. However, there was one  insight that I learned last week that I didn't include in that blog post, and it loosely relates to this video.





We can't do it alone.

Last time I blogged about yokes, I suggested that we have two options: bear our own burdens ourselves, or bear a different burden with Jesus' help. The assumption was that bearing our own burdens ourselves was an option - that we'd have the strength and ability to do it without help. I figured that it'd be harder, but still possible. According to the analogy in this video, that may not be the case. And even if we can do it, it's not a good idea.

I don't think we can get through life successfully without some help from Jesus Christ. It's my guess that everyone who had what I would call a successful life did so with help from Jesus. Even those who don't believe in Him can get through life successfully by following some of His teachings (like do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and love thy neighbors as thyself), and receiving blessings as a result of that righteousness.

Essentially, we need Him. No matter what path we choose to take, we need God's help to follow it. Even those who have willfully chosen to be evil rely on their conscience, a gift from God, to distinguish right from wrong. Those who try to make their way through life by their own ability could still do nothing without the abilities God gave them. We already rely on God for the air we breathe and the food we eat. Why not rely on Him for the strength to overcome our trials as well?

Life is hard. Sometimes, it seems impossible. And maybe, on some levels, it is. But with God's help, we can overcome. With His help, we can do anything. Without Him, we can do nothing.

The "Flaw" in God's Plan

Yesterday, I had a long conversation with myself about Faith in God's Plan. Yesterday, something happened that God could have seen coming, probably wouldn't have wanted to happen, could have prevented, but let happen anyway, and I angrily wondered why? Why does He let bad things happen? Why does He let people make such stupid, painful mistakes? And this wasn't an intentional, "I'm going to ruin everybody's lives because I'm evil" moment. It was an accidental, "I thought I was doing the right thing" moment. Like I said: Stupid. Let's please move on.

Yesterday, I was angry at God for knowing that that was going to happen, and not preventing it, even though I was sure He could have. And I reasoned that one of several things must have been true. Either:

God doesn't exist,
He didn't see that coming,
He wasn't able to stop it,
He didn't care (about my feelings, Mom's, or the dog),
Or He was, for some good reason, okay with all of that happening.

God doesn't exist.

He does. End of argument.

God didn't see that coming.

He's Omniscient. Try again.

He wasn't able to stop it.

He's Omnipotent. Try again.

He didn't care.

This one, I was willing to consider for a few seconds. With all the bad things that God lets happen all over the world, how am I supposed to still believe that God cares about His children and creations? But let's put some Eternal Perspective into this.

When we die, what happens to us? Where do we go when we die? And for this hypothetical situation, let's assume that the people who are being killed are totally innocent and didn't deserve to die. Where do they go? To heaven. When good people die, whether it was murder, an accident, illness, or whatever, they are ultimately transported to a place that's a billion times better than here. Death is not the worst thing that could happen to an innocent person. Not by a long shot.

But there are fates worse than death. There are situations that cause untold pain and suffering without resulting in death. Here, it's helpful to consider the duration of eternity. Let's say, hypothetically, that a person spends ten straight years suffering the worst pain imaginable. And let's that instead of Eternity lasting forever, that person's existence only lasts about a million years. Compare 10 years to 1,000,000 years, and you'll discover that that person's decade of ultimate agony only amounts to 0.001 percent of his life. Granted, it was probably the worst 0.001 percent of his life, but after spending 1,000 years in the afterlife he truly deserves, he might just get over the 10 years of suffering that he didn't.

God is, for some reason, okay with allowing bad things to happen.

So, death and pain may not be as bad as we think it is, but it's still painful, and any amount of pain hurts. So why would God let it happen? People have been trying to answer that question for centuries. The only suitable answer I can think of at the moment (and I'm out of time for blogging, so this'll have to do): Sometimes a small amount of pain is necessary to prevent a greater amount of pain, or to bring about greater happiness. It sometimes hurts to get a shot, but if the vaccine prevents you from later getting a terrible disease, maybe the shot was worth it. If we can't get to a glorious Eternity without going through Hell on Earth first, I guess that's what has to happen. When it's all over, I'm sure most of us will agree that it was worth it, even though it was really painful at times.

In the heat of the moment, my faith in God was shaken pretty badly, but I just have to trust that it'll all work out in the end. "All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." (Preach My Gospel, 52) I need to trust God, and trust that His plan will have a happy ending for everyone and everything that deserves one, and that, compared to that happy ending, all the pain that this life produces will seem like it was just a blink of an eye. I really, really hope that's true.

Take My Yoke Upon You

Last Sunday, a gifted brother from our ward shared an experience in priesthood that related to the scripture where we are invited to symbolically share a yoke of burden with Christ. Since we just read that scripture in family scripture study last night, I figured that now would be a good time to share what I learned from that brother.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Matthew 11: 28-30

I'm not sure how strongly I believe this. As you're going through life, you'll have an easier time if you keep the commandments then if you break them, but breaking the commandments is a heck of a lot easier than trying to keep them. Which is harder; keeping the commandments, or experiencing difficult circumstances as a result of not keeping the commandments?

In a way, it doesn't matter what's harder. Keeping the commandments is the right decision, even if it's more difficult. Not only is it the right thing to do, it's more rewarding. Even if the initial cost is higher, you're sure to get a higher return, so it's a better investment.

And to make this deal even sweeter, there's someone else who's also invested in it. A yoke is "a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs" (Wikipedia, Yoke). When we take Christ's yoke upon us, we're hitching ourselves up to work shoulder-to-shoulder with Him, both pulling the same load.

The alternative is to bear a different burden (maybe lighter, maybe heavier), but to receive no reward for it, and to have to do it alone. When we work with Christ, He helps us and strengthens us, and promises the faithful a great reward.

Taking Christ's yoke upon us is starting to sound like a good deal - the easier and more rewarding of two painfully difficult options. I'm still not sure I'd call it "easy" or "light," but it seems to me that it sure beats the alternative.

An Unexpected Answer

A while back, I wrote about "the OTHER Promised Land," and mentioned that I was going to reread 1 Nephi and see what new insights I could gain. I found one in Chapter 7, not so much because of the new perspective, but because of the contrast between what I expected to happen and what actually happened.

In 1 Nephi Chapter 7, Nephi and his brothers went back to Jerusalem to invite Ishmael and his family to go on their epic journey with them. As they were all setting out into the wilderness together, Laman and Lemuel and some of the children of Ishmael wanted to go back to Jerusalem and stay there, but Nephi reminded them that Jerusalem was prophesied to be destroyed, then he said:

Now behold, I say unto you that if ye will return unto Jerusalem ye shall also perish with them. And now, if ye have choice, go up to the land, and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go ye will also perish; for thus the Spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak. 

1 Nephi 7:15 

At this point, if I were Laman and Lemuel, I probably would have said, "Yeah, whatever! We don't believe you, and we don't believe our father. We highly doubt that Jerusalem will be destroyed, no matter what crazy nightmares our father had. You're both crazy for going out into the wilderness, and we were crazy for ever going along with you. We're going back to Jerusalem, and you couldn't stop us even if you wanted to. You may be 'large in stature,' but there are two of us and only one of you. Actually, there are even more than two of us, now that we've got some Ishmaelites who agree with us. We're going back home. Enjoy your 'Promised Land,' loser."

But that's not what they did.

And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts. 

1 Nephi 7:16

Now, that's not the part that surprised me. Laman and Lemuel trying to kill Nephi, even though there's really no need for them to? That's not much of a shock. I was a bit surprised they didn't go back to Jerusalem right after tying Nephi up, but I'm no psychologist. I have no idea what Laman and Lemuel were thinking just then. No, the part that surprised me is what happened next.

But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound. 

And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again. 

1 Nephi 7: 17-18

Nephi asked for a very specific blessing: the strength to burst the bands that bound him ((Is Ben still looking for English tongue-twisters?)). But that wasn't what he got! The bands "were loosed from off [his] hands and feet," with no feat of strength required.

This really surprised me. First, it surprised me that Nephi didn't get exactly the blessing he asked for. He got what he needed - to not be tied up anymore, but not in the way that he asked. Now, there could be a lesson in humility in there, leaning toward the concept of trusting the Lord's will, even when it differs from yours, but haven't we also been taught to pray specifically? Maybe there was a good reason God loosed the bands rather than giving Nephi a bit more strength. Well, of course there was. Otherwise, He probably would have giving Nephi the strength that he asked for.

And here's the other thing that surprised me about what happened there. God doesn't usually remove our obstacles; He typically gives us the strength to overcome them. Nephi didn't ask for God magically remove his bonds. He asked for the strength to burst them himself. Nephi was totally willing to put forth his share of the effort, and really, isn't that why we're here? To overcome difficulties and challenges? Sometimes Heavenly Help is required, but even then, God's not just going to solve our problems for us - except that, in this case, He did. Once again, there must have been a reason. And I still have no idea what that reason was.

Maybe I need to study it out and discover some gem of wisdom. Could it be that God simply didn't want Laman and Lemuel to think of Nephi as being strong? Or maybe He didn't want Nephi to get the impression that he could just get any blessing he asked for, even though he probably deserved it and felt like he needed it. Maybe it was somehow easier for God to untie the ropes than it'd be to increase Nephi's strength, though I doubt that's the reason. Could it be that Nephi simply didn't need the blessing because Laman and Lemuel did a poor job of tying him up? I kind of doubt that because they tied him up pretty well on the boat. Maybe they learned how to handle a rope better between this experience and that one.

Eh, I'm just speculating. If I really want to find the answer, I'll have to prayerfully dig around in the footnotes and related scriptures and Conference Talks. The trouble is, I'm just curious. I'm not sure if I care enough to go searching for the answer, even though I feel like I probably should. Maybe I'll pray to find out for sure whether God wants me to spend some time looking for the reason. If I feel like He wants me to do it, it might motivate me enough to try.

The Furnace of Affliction

Another image stolen off of Facebook. Need a quick spiritual thought? "Like" the right things and "Friend" the right people.

I chose this image partly because the liquid metal looks awesome, but partly because the concept of refining metal is a pretty good analogy for how God makes people better than they were.

The gold is already within us. God knows where it is and is trying to bring it out.

In order to show our true worth, we must lose our impurities and surrender our vices.

The process of removing the impurities is unpleasant. It's too hot, it's too painful, and most of us don't want to go through with it.

The potential results are far greater than we could ever imagine.

In order to retain the value we gained by being purified, we must remain pure.

The Good, The Corrupt, and the "Neutral"

The other night, in family scripture study, we read Matthew Chapter 7, in which Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount. Many sermons, and many blog posts, could be based on what Jesus says in that one chapter, and I'm certain that many have. I'd like to add another, because as I was reading one verse stood out to me, giving me and insight that's easy to overlook.

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 

Matthew 7: 17-20

 Verses 17 and 18 tell us of two types of trees (symbolic of people) that are polar opposites of each other; "good" trees and "corrupt" trees. Good trees produce good fruit, and corrupt trees bring forth evil fruit. Linking this analogy to people, it's basically saying that good people do good things and corrupt people do evil things. Now, without getting into what's suggested by verse 18 (I don't truly understand it myself), I'd like to point out something in verse 19 that caught my attention. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." Or, every person that doeth not good works is hewn down, and cast into "the fire."

A basic understanding of religion tells people that Heaven is a good place for good people who do good things, and hell is a bad place for bad people who do bad things. But what about those who are neutral? Those who are neutral are neither good enough for Heaven or bad enough for hell, so what happens to them?

Verse 19 doesn't leave much room for neutrality. Either you're doing good or you're not. The line has been drawn, and it lies just to the north of neutrality. Neal A. Maxwell has written, "If, in the end, you have not chosen Jesus Christ it will not matter what you have chosen."

So now that we know where the line is truly drawn, where do we stand in relation to it? That's a topic for self-evaluation, so I won't go much into it, but I can speak for myself and say that I could be doing a lot better. I'm not doing evil (at least, I don't think I am) but I could easily be doing better in my own life and more good in the lives of others. I'm on the good side of the line, I think, but I'm a little bit closer to neutral than I feel comfortable being now that I know that neutrality isn't really an option. The bottom line is that I need to shape up, or in other words, Repent. I get the feeling God's been trying to tell me that for a long time.

Revisiting the Vineyard

Another repeat message, but it's a good one.

I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines. 

- Elder Holland, The Laborers in the Vineyard, April 2012

Elder Holland is the best. His messages are always so powerful. This message on hope in he Atonement is very encouraging to me. Sometimes I think that I've messed my life up so badly that there's no hope for me - that I can't be redeemed like I wrote about a few days ago. But this message... "It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines." If that's true, there's still hope - for everyone. Including me.

If I'm going to qualify for the Celestial Kingdom, there are a few things about me that are going to have to change. I'm going to need to change my life, and it isn't going to be easy. Life is painful and difficult and frustrating, and it makes a lot of people want to give up. Yet, Elder Holland says later in this talk, "There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized." There is no need for anyone to give up.

I have a goal to be like a paladin in nearly every way; in purity, in power, in honor, in discipline, and in many other good and god-like traits. I understand that this goal will take an eternity of effort to realize, especially considering how little like a paladin I really am, but if what Elder Holland said about dreams is true, I can be a paladin, or a person very much like one. I can change my life. I can be what I want to be. I can make myself better than I am.

What dreams do you have? Is there a goal you want to meet or an achievement you want to accomplish? I think it's not too late. There is, in my opinion, no good goal that doesn't warrant receiving heavenly help, and there is nothing, given heavenly help, that cannot be done. If you can pray to God with a goal in mind and ask in faith for Him to help you, I believe that there is nothing you can't do. I am going to become a paladin. What are you going to do?

Let Us Never Forget to Pray

Last time I looked for something on Facebook worth sharing here, it took me over an hour. This time, it only took me a few minutes. Here's the image. I hope the size isn't too bad.

"Let us never forget to pray. God lives. He is near. He is real. He is our Father. He is accessible to all who will seek Him." -Gordon B. Hinckley

I'm not sure when he said this, so I can't actually be sure that he did, but it sounds like the kind of thing he would say.

I like this message because it serves two purposes, both of which I regularly need. First, it's a good reminder to pray. I blogged yesterday about having forgotten to pray that morning, and that wasn't the only time I forgot or felt I was too busy or too tired. Sadly, I frequently forget my "daily" prayers. "Let us never forget to pray."

The second purpose this message serves for me is reminding me about my relationship with God. Some would say that in order to have a strong relationship with someone, you need to communicate frequently, and I agree. But God is also my Heavenly Father, and that relationship will endure whether I remember to communicate with Him or not. No matter what I do, or fail to do, He still loves me, He's still my Father, and He still wants to hear from me. Even when I let Him down, He still wants to talk to me, to help me. "He is accessible to all who will seek Him."

I love President Gordon B. Hinckley. He was the President of the church for much of my life. I'm grateful for what he has taught us, and I hope I can remember and apply at least some of it.

Morning Prayers

I woke up at 7, and I'm probably leaving the house around 8, so I really don't have much time for blogging. In my search for a quick Mormon Messages video to post here, I found one titled simply "Prayer." It reminded me that, in my haste, I had forgotten to say a morning prayer. I have since amended that mistake.

Sadly, I often forget to say my morning prayers. Evenings are easier to remember, because I have a pair of scriptures at the foot of my bed to remind me to read them and pray, but somehow, I don't see the foot of my bed in the mornings. I suppose I could put another reminder where I'm sure to see it, but I'm not sure where I'm looking when I wake up, because I'm only half-awake then, and I don't notice which way I'm looking. Maybe I could hang a picture near my alarm clock. I always seem to look at that in the mornings.

I wonder why we say morning prayers. It's important to pray frequently, and the morning's as good a time as any, but I wonder if there are other reasons why we pray in the mornings specifically. Perhaps it's so we can start our days off thinking about the Lord and about spiritual matters. Maybe we're supposed to commit our day to God, to doing good. Maybe the morning is a good time to ask for "our daily bread" and protection against temptation, as well as whatever other blessings we may need during the day.

I know that how a day starts can be a strong factor in how a day goes. If you wake up late, but don't feel rested, stub your toe as you get out of bed, find the bathroom occupied by the time you get to it, and when it's your turn in the bathroom, you accidently drop a tube of toothpaste into the toilet, you can be pretty sure that it's going to be a bad day. And knowing that it's going to be a bad day is what's going to make it a bad day. Attitude is everything.

On the other hand, if you start the day off with prayer, and maybe a hymn, and a good breakfast, you can be pretty sure that the day's going to be alright.

God wants us to be happy, so He asks us to do things that will help us find happiness, here and in the eternities. I'm sure that morning prayers fit into that somehow. Maybe there are many ways morning prayers contribute to our happiness. But I think I've spent enough time blogging about that. Now it's time for me to work on that "good breakfast and maybe a hymn" part.

A special thanks to Mom for cooking enough potatoes to share. =)

You Are What You Do, Not What You've Done

I've covered this topic before, more than once, if I remember correctly, but I want to cover it again from a different angle this time. I just finished watching a story about redemption. A man wakes up with no memories, and he goes around helping others and trying to figure out who he is. He's devastated to learn that he is, or was, a person who did terrible things. But those that he has helped help him understand that he has forged a new identity for himself - a good one. As I watched this story, I was reminded by the quote from President Uchtdorf, "What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become." I'm also reminded of another quote, this one from Oscar Wilde, "Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."

The idea of redemption is very much in harmony with the doctrine of Christ. In fact, it's almost central to it. We see it with Saul and with Alma the Younger, and even with Zeezrom, who was described as being a "child of hell" (Alma 11:23). All of them were able to turn their lives around, from persecuting the saints, seeking to destroy the saints, and accusing the prophets, to becoming great missionaries. A complete 180, made possible through the power of the Atonement.

But what of their pasts? They still did, or had done, terrible things. God is just. You can't just sin, say you're sorry, then pretend it never happened. You can't escape your past that easily, can you?

Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.
By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them.
D&C 58: 42-43

So, no, you can't just say you're sorry and forget it. You have to say you're sorry and stop. Repentance involves a change of behavior and implies a change of heart. That's what happened with the character on the story I watched. He changed his behavior and, in the end, his very identity. Figuratively, he was no longer Saul the Persecutor, but Paul the Proselyter. He was redeemed.

And, just for the record, changing their entire lives wasn't exactly easy. Saul was struck blind for three days, Alma spent a similar amount of time in a nightmarish coma, Zeezrom was driven by his guilt to his sick-bed with a burning fever, and the amnesia guy from the story (and this is much more normal for people like you and me) suffered from a great deal of emotional distress, even after he had changed.

Redemption isn't easy. Or at least, it isn't too easy. And yet, it's also much easier than some people think. It requires you to change your life for good - to confess your sins, forsake them, and (this may be the hardest part) move on. It's something that would be difficult for nearly anyone, but it's also something that anyone could do. Anyone can change their lives, leave their past behind them, and become new, better, people through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Anyone can be redeemed.

Matthew 4:17 - Repent

According to Matthew in chapter 4, Jesus began His ministry by inviting others to repent:

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 4:17

Since we read this in family scripture study last night, I've been thinking about why the Savior would start His ministry with the word "Repent." Though it's one of the first principles of the gospel, it isn't the first. The first principle of the gospel is Faith, so why didn't He start with that? Perhaps it was because the people He was teaching already had faith, but they weren't quite living up to it? That would make sense with the pharisees and the sadducees, already having a knowledge of the scriptures and a belief in them, but not really living up to the spirit of the law. They had the correct teachings; they just needed to repent and live them.

Come to think of it, that condition describes a lot of us as well. Many people, including society as a whole, already know more about God and the gospel and being good people than their actions may reflect. If Jesus Christ came down right now and began preaching, I wouldn't be at all surprised if, after introducing Himself, the first thing He told us was to repent. We, especially we members of the church, have more truth than we regularly live up to, partly because God has blessed us with about as much guidance as a person can be expected to follow. It's only normal for us to not be living up to all of it, but God would still want us to try.

As Elder D. Todd Christofferson said in his October 2011 talk, The Divine Gift of Repentance:

It would mock the Savior’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross for us to expect that He should transform us into angelic beings with no real effort on our part. Rather, we seek His grace to complement and reward our most diligent efforts.

For those of us who know, or at least have some idea, what God wants us to do and who aren't doing it as much as we should, God's most likely counsel to us can be summed up in one word: Repent. If that's true, perhaps the Savior's initial message makes more sense than I thought.

He Conquered

It took me about about an hour, which surprised me, considering the spiritual nature of many of my friends, but I finally found something on Facebook that I felt was worth blogging about:

This isn't my favorite picture of Jesus, but I LOVE the message.

Now, there are a few whispering doubts in the back of my head telling me that this isn't true, 'sure, He conquered, but you can't,' and the nagging doubts are even kind enough to give me reasons why this can't be true. I'll address each concern systematically.

He had an angel helping Him

So do I. Possibly more than one. You remember that talk by Elder Holland a year of two back. Such divine help is never far away - from anyone.

He was the Son of God

So am I (sort of). I am a Spirit Son of God, filled with the divine potential to become just like Him.

He was the Son of God

You've got me there, but what's your point?

He can do things you can't

Of course He can. I can't walk on water or turn it into wine, but that's okay. I don't need to do that. I don't need to bear the weight of the world. I only need to bear up my burdens. And Christ made it possible for me to do that.

By suffering for us in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus took our burden onto His back, and He gives just enough weight back to us to give us enough of a challenge to make us strong. Sometimes, it seems like too much, but that's only because we listen to the nagging voices in the backs of our heads. If we listen to the Spirit, He will tell us You can do this.

I'm grateful for the power God has given me and the example His Son has set. I pray for the courage to use it, and this reminder really helps.

The Parable of the Sunburned Sailors

When I looked on LDS.org for the Parable of the Talents yesterday, the search bar thought I was looking for the Parable of the Sunburned Soldiers, which I hadn't heard of until then. Here is the story, summarized:

Three American Navy sailors thought they'd spend some free time they had getting "a world-class suntan." As they were sunbathing on the top part of the deck, the three of them foolishly fell asleep. They awakened to discover that the sun-facing sides of their bodies were covered in first degree burns. The ship's physician told them that it'd be wise for them to stay in bed for the next few days to allow their skin to heal. When they went to their commanding officer to request sick leave, he had this to say:

"Your request for sick leave is denied. When you signed up for the U.S. Navy you agreed to keep yourselves in good physical condition, to be combat ready at all times. You are now the property of the U.S. Navy. If we had an emergency aboard ship, none of you would be in a position to help. Instead of giving you three days sick leave, I sentence you to three days in the brig for misuse and abuse of government property."

The author of the New Era article in which this story was printed went on to say, "As spirit children of our Heavenly Father we are, in a very real sense, His property. ... 'For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s' (1 Cor. 6:20)".

As in the Parable of the Talents, God has given us many gifts, including our bodies and our lives. He expects us to use them wisely, to do good things with them, or at least not get them burned to a crisp. He wants us to take care of them, to maintain them, or at least not willfully or foolishly render them useless. The three soldiers in the story did not obey such wise counsel, and they paid the price, suffering from sunburns in the brig (in my opinion, a bad sunburn is punishment enough, but they're pretty strict in the military).

Luckily for us, God is more forgiving. I don't think He'd punish us for doing something like that, but I wouldn't be surprised if He stepped back and let nature take its course. If we don't protect our bodies with sunscreen and adequate shade, He'll teach us the importance of such protection by letting us get sunburns. If we don't exercise our bodies enough, He'll show us the consequences of that by letting us become weak. If we don't brush and floss often enough, He may give us a reminder in the form of a pair of cavities.

So remember how lucky you are to have all that God has given you. Take good care of it and use it well. Thank God for your many blessings by treating them with respect, so they may continue to be of use to you for a good, long time.

Becoming Like God - With Great Power...

It seems that other Christians don't like Mormons very much. In fact, some of them insist that we aren't really Christian, because apparently our Jesus is different from their Jesus (somehow). Other problems people have with our religion include the fact that we "added" to the Bible after it was complete. (I'm not going to argue whether the Bible was "complete" at the time Revelations was written - that's for the historians. However, I would argue that the Book of Mormon is a completely separate book. But I digress.)

What I actually want to write about is a controversial belief that we have about God Himself and the destiny of mankind.

"As man now is, God once was; as God is now man may be." -Lorenzo Snow (Really? I thought Joseph Smith had said it.)

I've never seen the Godmakers, which I'm told is some kind of anti-Mormon video, but just by the title, I can kinda guess which part of our theology they have a problem with. The idea is that, as sons and daughters of God, we have the potential to grow to become much like Him. That's the purpose of our being here on Earth - to gain the experience necessary to learn to be like Him. Mostly, it means learning self-control.

You see, God is powerful. He has created the world, and I'm pretty sure He could destroy it just as easily, if not more easily. Have you ever experienced such frustration that you used more force than was wise, like violently shaking on the handle of a drawer that was stuck closed? God can't afford to do that. If He ever lost His cool, He'd probably kill someone (possibly everyone) by accident. Everyone who knows and loves God knows that that's never going to happen, but I believe that's because God has learned to control Himself. His wisdom has more influence over what He does than His anger. I'm sure he must have been tempted once or twice to throw our planet into the sun, frustrated at how consistently we humans screw things up, but He never has and He never will because He has an incredible amount of self-control.

For this blog post, I wanted to share a clip from Spider-Man (2002), but I couldn't find one I really liked, so I'll just type up the oft-repeated quote, "With great power comes great responsibility." -Peter Parker's Uncle, Ben.

God has great power. If He is ever going to trust us with even a small portion of that power, we first need to prove that we can handle the responsibility. So, He put us on Earth and gave us a little bit of power. The power to build, to destroy, to create life, to end life, to think, to speak, and to act, and so on. I think that much of the reason He gave us this power and gave us free reign over our lives is simply to prove what we would do with it. Would we use it wisely? Would we misuse it? Would we even use it at all?

I'm reminded of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25: 14-30, where a certain man gave some talents to three of his servants, and when he returned, to those who used the talents wisely, he said "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25: 21, Emphasis Added)

I believe that God put us on Earth and gave us a few things partly to prove whether we could be trusted  to be made "ruler[s] over many things." Could we handle the amount of responsibility that would come with that much power? I, sadly, strongly identify with the servant to whom was given only one talent, and buried it rather than investing it. I don't feel like I've been given a lot in terms of talents and skills, but I haven't really been using the talents and skills I've been given. If I were given ultimate power right now, I'd probably sit on my thumbs for fear of doing something wrong.

We need to learn to control the abilities we've been given, and to use them for good, then God can trust us with even more ability, until He can ultimately entrust us with the greatest power imaginable, that of being like Him. It's a heavy responsibility - one that I really don't feel ready for yet and am not sure I ever will be, and one that I certainly don't want until I am ready. I don't want to be a god. At least, not any time soon. Fortunately, there's a dual-meaning to the term "Eternal Progression." First that it is "progression" to become like God, who is "Eternal," and second, that we've got an eternity to work on it.

The Role-Playing Adventure Party & Why We Need Jesus

I find my blog each morning by doing a web-search for it, and I often find other gospel-themed blogs posting about the Armor of God while I'm at it. This morning, I found a blog that links the ideas, tactics, and features of a popular, online role-playing game to principles of the Gospel. I spent a good half-hour (or more) reading his very interesting and thought-provoking articles. I'd post a link, but I doubt that you'd enjoy a blog that's half about an online role-playing game, especially when that game is World of Warcraft. (Actually, maybe I should post a link to it. -shrugs- If you want one, as for it in the comments.)

While half of the subject matter of this person's blog has a bad reputation in many circles, the articles he posted on April 2, 6, and 7, 2011 make a VERY good point, and I'd very much like to share what I've learned.

To explain his concepts, first I need you to understand something about role-playing - It's difficult to role-play alone. Even if you have the creativity or insanity to spend hours making up your own characters and adventures in your own little world, it's much more fun in a group. When a group gets together to role-play, each player controls a character, and their characters form a group called a "party" and go on some adventure together.

Since there are multiple members in the party, they each can afford to specialize in what they do. For example, the healer can specialize solely in healing magic, even though that won't protect them from monster attacks, as long as they have a warrior on the team to fight the monsters for them. And the warrior can spend all his resources on making himself a stronger warrior, completely neglecting to buy healing potions, as long as there's someone on the team who can do his healing for him. A leaning stick can't stand up on its own, but when sticks lean against each other in balance, they can stand stable and strong.

So each player controls a character, and each character plays a role in the party. Now, I may be a little biased, but I think some roles are more vital than others. You need a healer on the team or you'll never recover from the wounds you'll receive on your quest. You'll also need a tough warrior to take the bulk of the damage, or you'll end up taking damage faster than your healer can heal. A good paladin could easily fill either of those roles. It's nice to have strong damage dealers on the team to help you win your battles faster, but unless you've got a tough fighter and a skilled healer, I wouldn't count on winning at all.

The authors of the articles (as I've just realized that there are more than one author) link these concepts to the gospel by reminding us of the vital role Jesus Christ plays on our spiritual quest. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus took upon Himself our pains and afflictions. Like a warrior, He took most of the damage for us, so we would be okay. Also, by doing this, He made it possible for us to repent and be spiritually healed, so in that sense, He is our healer as well. Since Jesus Christ shows great skill as both a defender and a healer, that leads me to believe that He may be, figuratively, a paladin.

Just as an adventuring party wouldn't make it very far without fighters and healers, we couldn't make it very far in our spiritual journey without Christ. He plays two vital roles in our party, so we need to make sure we stay with Him, which leads me to another point the blog authors made: Jesus is our leader as well.

Each adventuring party needs a leader to keep all the characters working together effectively and to make the tactical decisions of how and when they fight (that's another thing that some paladins are good at). The leader needs to be someone experienced and wise; someone who knows what they're doing and what the other party members need to do. As long as the other party members listen to and obey their leader, they'll make it through the adventure okay, especially when that leader is Jesus Christ. When we follow Him and stand by Him and do what He asks us to do, He'll protect us from the greater afflictions, heal us when we suffer the lesser ones, and ultimately lead us to victory. Jesus Christ is a Paladin, and I want to be on His team.

King Noah and his Peer Pressure Priests

In the Book of Mormon, there's a prophet named Abinadi, who preached repentance to a bunch of wicked people, but they didn't like that, so they took him before their wicked king so he could be executed, but Abinadi was able to say a few words, or rather a few chapters of words, first.

And now king Noah was about to release him, for he feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come upon him. 

But the priests lifted up their voices against him, and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that he might be slain. 

Mosiah 17: 11-12

King Noah almost had a redeeming moment there. He almost changed. Almost repented. He almost changed the destiny of his people, or at least the destiny of his own soul. But he didn't. His priests, the people he had chosen to be with him, convinced him not to, but to kill the prophet instead.

What are some of the things that we almost do, but our friends influence us to do otherwise, or actually do, because of their influence? I don't know much about people and their behavior, but I think people act differently when they're around different people. You almost certainly act differently at home than you do at work. Do you act differently when you're with your friends than when you're alone? Are the people you choose to be around a good influence, or a bad one?

King Noah almost changed his life - almost saved his soul, but he didn't, because of the influence of his "friends." Now, I don't think any of us would commit murder, no matter how our friends influenced us, but would we use worse language with our friends than we would, say, at church? Would we gossip about people with our friends? Are we more mean when we're with our friends, or more polite? Do our friends make us better people, or worse?

I think it'd be a good idea to pay attention to how we act, and to see if the people we spend time with influence how we act, and whether that influence is for the better, or the worse. Good friends can help us make good decisions. Bad friends can jeopardize our souls.

Doing Good - Feeling Good

Earlier this morning, I felt grungy from working late last night, but then I took a shower, gave myself a haircut, and started a load of laundry. Now I feel pretty good. My current mood in a combination of the sense of accomplishment you get when you're being productive and the feeling you get when you're clean, dry, and wearing comfortable clothes. And I have a cat on my lap. That helps, too.

All in all, I'm feeling a lot better now than I did yesterday, and it can all be attributed to doing good things. President Uchtdorf once said, "at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things." Doing good things makes people happy. I think that's why God "commands" us to do it. He wants us to be happy, and He'd like us to help make other people happy. By doing good, we can accomplish both.

Yesterday, I was upset because the test of life is hard, and it is. But there are some ways we can make life easier for ourselves and for everyone else - by keeping the commandments and basically being good people. Sometimes I forget that God gives us commandments, not just to test our obedience and will-power, but also to guide us on the path of true happiness. Everything God does, He does out of love and a desire for our happiness.

From our mortal perspective, it's hard to understand some things. We see lots of suffering and difficulty, and we sometimes wonder what the point of it all is, or if there even is a point at all. But there is a point. Earth is both a schoolhouse and a gymnasium. We're meant to leave our lives here stronger and wiser than we were when we came. There's a purpose to that, but it's a bit controversial. Perhaps I should save that for another time. Or you could read Barbara's comment to my last blog post.

I'm grateful for my wise, loving Heavenly Father and the knowledge that he has a plan for me (and hopefully a good, long chain of back-up plans for when I mess the first several plans up by accident). I'm grateful for His guidance, though I don't always perceive it and follow it. And most of all right now, I'm grateful for that good feeling I get when I do good and do well. It makes me happy. I'm glad I'm happy right now.

The Hobo Story

I heard a story a while back about a hobo who went to church. He wore raggedy clothes, probably hadn't shaved for a few days; he didn't look like a guy who was going to church - and the congregation agreed. For the most part, they ignored him and tried to forget he was there. Then someone got up to the podium to start the meeting, and he introduced their new teacher. As everyone looked around to see who the new teacher was, the hobo got up. He took his place at the podium and proceeded to give a lesson that went something along the lines of "when saw we thee a stranger?" and everyone felt ashamed of themselves.

It was one of those sappy Facebook stories, but when I heard it, I wasn't thinking 'Oh, I guess I need to be a better person, then.' I thought 'How unfair! Those people weren't ready. People don't come to church to be tested on how well they live gospel principles. They go to church to learn gospel principles, so they can go out into the world and apply them.' But I realized a few minutes later that we are always being tested. All parts of our mortal lives are part of the test, even when we least expect it, like when we go to church. Every waking moment of our lives, we're being tested, and that feels like a lot of pressure, especially considering how important this test is. How we act here, at church, at work, at school, at home, and everywhere else we go, is what we're going to be judged on during the Final Judgement. Our entire lives are THE TEST.

Of course, that doesn't really seem fair either. There's a good portion of the world that doesn't even know there's a test going on, and those who do know still have a lot working against them. This, in my opinion, is a difficult test, and I worry about how badly I think I'm doing. And I can only wonder - Am I doing this badly because I'm human and the test is meant to be very difficult, or am I doing badly because I'm a sinner and I need to repent and do better? And how can I know if I'm "doing my best" (which is all God really asks of us), when I could always be doing better? It's theoretically possible for a person to keep all the commandments perfectly, but in practice, only one person has ever, or will ever accomplish that. Do we need to strive for perfection and repent every time we fail (every freaking day of our entire freaking lives), or is it okay not to be perfect?

I guess I'm upset because I don't think I would have passed the hobo test, and I don't want to feel like that would have made me a bad Christian. Nobody's perfect. I try to be good, but am I good enough, or do I need to repent and try to be better? I guess that it's obvious, when you phrase it that way. But always trying to keep all the commandments perfectly all the time, and having to apologize every time you fall short, knowing that you're going to fall short over and over again for as long as you live, sounds like a fruitless and painfully frustrating struggle to me.

So why bother? Why bother trying to be perfect all the time when you know it's not going to happen? Why bother even having this stupid test when you know that no one is going to pass it?

But wait, people have passed it. People - normal, human people - have gone to the Celestial Kingdom and come back as angels, so we know it's possible. But... how? They weren't perfect. They were human! They couldn't have been perfect. So how did they pass the test?

Maybe we don't have to be perfect. I don't know if we need to try to be perfect, but judging by this, I don't think we need to succeed. We probably do have to try anyway, because even just trying is hard (and painfully frustrating) and this test was meant to be hard. But thankfully, we don't need to succeed. That takes a little bit of the pressure off, but I'm still worried. I'm not doing as well as I'd like to be doing, and I have no idea whether that's a problem or not.