I'm not sure how much I want this blog to be like a regular blog, with updates on how my life is going and stuff like that. Usually, I try to find something spiritual to blog about, but nothing's coming to my mind. I haven't been having many blogworthy experiences lately, mostly because there's been so much other stuff going on around here.
We've been moving all the rooms around, my sister has moved in, and my brother is getting married. Big changes. Certainly, these changes are bigger for my brother and sister than they are for me, but the changes in their lives are also changes in our lives, partly because we live together (now, anyway), and partly because we're family.
Recently, I wrote about how our family works well together. That efficiency exists partly because we're so connected. We have a great deal of love for each other, and that love encourages a sense of unity. I'm sure that most families are unified like that, which may be partly why families even exist.
God intends for us to love and care about each other. In families, we learn how to do that. I know that my brother is happy, and I'm glad about that. I hope my sister is happy staying here. I hope that we can all be happy with our decisions and circumstances and the changes that come into our lives - and that doesn't just go for members of my family. It goes for all of you.
A person doesn't need to be a family member for a change in their life to affect you, and they don't need to be a family member for you to care about them. Families teach us how to love and care, but they're not the only ones we should love and care about. (Then again, we're all related, if you trace the genealogy back far enough, so I guess family members really are the only people we're supposed to care about, as long as we're including extended family.) God intends for us all to love and care about each others, and though our love should extend far beyond our immediate relatives, families are a great place to start.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Keep Trying
This "early to bed" thing doesn't seem to be working too well, but I'll keep trying. That's what it takes sometimes. When you fall short of a goal, sometimes the best thing you can do is to simply keep trying. No one ever became perfect overnight. Some habits take time to develop (or kick). If you're not where you want to be right now, keep trying to be. Sure, you might need to try a new strategy or reevaluate the goal altogether, but often that's not really necessary. Usually, all you really need to do is to keep trying.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Many Hands and Light Hearts
Over the last several days, and the last few days especially, my family and I have been making some major changes around the house. We've cleaned out the room that used to be called the office, putting the office stuff into the family room, we've cleared out my brothers' and my room, moving our stuff into what used to be the office, and we've cleaned out my mom's room, putting her stuff into the room that used to belong to my brothers and me. Through it all, there has been lots of cleaning, sorting, and organizing. We've filled both the garbage bin and the recycling bin, and we have piles of stuff to donate to Deseret Industries. We've taken beds apart and put them back together more times than I can count. We've all gotten dusty, sweaty, and worn out. It hasn't all gone as well as we'd hoped, but still we've managed to stay positive, mostly because we've been working together as a family.
We're all familiar with the phrase, many hands make light work. This is because when more people work on a project, there's more muscle and manpower going into getting it done. Also, it allows for strong people and smart people to work together, using their individual talents in complementary ways.
But Team Robarts is more than a well-oiled machine of strong, wise, strategic, and diligent people. We're also a family. We love and support each other. We lift each other's spirits with good humor and occasionally music. When we work together, the work is easier, not just because we make a good team, but because we also make a good family.
I suppose that's just another way of saying that we use our talents to work together. Some of of make plans, some of us do the heavy lifting, and some of us use our good attitudes to keep the team working well together. But I think that good attitudes are a trait that's often overlooked when evaluating the capability of a team, and I think that's unfair, and not just because it's a trait my team has in spades. I think it's smart to make sure each team has at least one member that can keep morale high. Even a team of highly capable people can perform poorly if they grind each other's gears. Many hands may still come up empty. Many hands and light hearts make work move smoothly.
We're all familiar with the phrase, many hands make light work. This is because when more people work on a project, there's more muscle and manpower going into getting it done. Also, it allows for strong people and smart people to work together, using their individual talents in complementary ways.
But Team Robarts is more than a well-oiled machine of strong, wise, strategic, and diligent people. We're also a family. We love and support each other. We lift each other's spirits with good humor and occasionally music. When we work together, the work is easier, not just because we make a good team, but because we also make a good family.
I suppose that's just another way of saying that we use our talents to work together. Some of of make plans, some of us do the heavy lifting, and some of us use our good attitudes to keep the team working well together. But I think that good attitudes are a trait that's often overlooked when evaluating the capability of a team, and I think that's unfair, and not just because it's a trait my team has in spades. I think it's smart to make sure each team has at least one member that can keep morale high. Even a team of highly capable people can perform poorly if they grind each other's gears. Many hands may still come up empty. Many hands and light hearts make work move smoothly.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Early to Bed...
There's one piece of advice that, while generally accepted as good advice, is also broadly detested and seldom followed. This article talks about it in detail, lists specific blessings for following, and gives scriptural examples of those who have. According to popular verse, the advice is "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
I must admit that I don't follow this advice often. I am frequently guilty of staying up too late, and as a result, I tend not to be very well rested when I wake up in the morning. Thankfully, I'm blogging now, so I won't have to stay up late blogging. I'm also planning on shutting the computer down when it's time for family prayer this evening and not turning it back on afterward, so I won't have the internet to distract me. Plus, my family and I have been doing a lot of work today, so we should be good and tired when it's time to go to bed.
I'm going to try to follow this time-tested and prophetically-endorsed advice this coming week. Hopefully, it'll help me improve my ability to receive inspiration, and thus help me gain more blogworthy insights so I can blog about them rather than reblogging ideas posted online by others. I know it's not guaranteed too greatly improve my blog posts, especially not quickly, but according to various prophets and apostles, it'll probably improve my life.
I must admit that I don't follow this advice often. I am frequently guilty of staying up too late, and as a result, I tend not to be very well rested when I wake up in the morning. Thankfully, I'm blogging now, so I won't have to stay up late blogging. I'm also planning on shutting the computer down when it's time for family prayer this evening and not turning it back on afterward, so I won't have the internet to distract me. Plus, my family and I have been doing a lot of work today, so we should be good and tired when it's time to go to bed.
I'm going to try to follow this time-tested and prophetically-endorsed advice this coming week. Hopefully, it'll help me improve my ability to receive inspiration, and thus help me gain more blogworthy insights so I can blog about them rather than reblogging ideas posted online by others. I know it's not guaranteed too greatly improve my blog posts, especially not quickly, but according to various prophets and apostles, it'll probably improve my life.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Inspire Your Angels
Yesterday, in Gospel Essentials class, our instructor, Moroni, shared the first verse of a primary song with the class.
One thing we need to remember is that angels are always watching over us, cheering us on and keeping an honest record of all our actions. To avoid embarrassment (ours and theirs), we should be careful not to do things we'd be ashamed if others knew about. Instead, we should try to do good, and to "do it so bravely, so kindly, so well, Angels will hasten the story to tell."
Our angels will tell our stories. I believe they have to - they have to give their reports. So let's try not to make that an unpleasant experience, for them or us. Let's use our lives to write stories worth telling. Our stories can be encouraging, impressive, and inspiring, even to the angels. Since we know they're watching us anyway, let's try to remember that, and make the stories of our lives good enough to be worth sharing.
Dare to do right! Dare to be true!It's hard to think of angels or anyone wanting to share my story, but I sometimes forget how many angels there are. Those who are angels now include every human being who has ever lived and has died and everyone who hasn't been born yet, including almost all of my ancestors and all of my descendants. By my estimate, there's got to be at least one angel out there that's interested in me as a human being and who wants to learn my story. And if my story is good enough, that angel may want to share my story with his or her friends.
You have a work that no other can do;Do it so bravely, so kindly, so well,Angels will hasten the story to tell.
One thing we need to remember is that angels are always watching over us, cheering us on and keeping an honest record of all our actions. To avoid embarrassment (ours and theirs), we should be careful not to do things we'd be ashamed if others knew about. Instead, we should try to do good, and to "do it so bravely, so kindly, so well, Angels will hasten the story to tell."
Our angels will tell our stories. I believe they have to - they have to give their reports. So let's try not to make that an unpleasant experience, for them or us. Let's use our lives to write stories worth telling. Our stories can be encouraging, impressive, and inspiring, even to the angels. Since we know they're watching us anyway, let's try to remember that, and make the stories of our lives good enough to be worth sharing.
Pioneers - Struggles and Strength
Today, I went Home Teaching, and in reading the First Presidency message, I found a quote that I'd been looking for:
So, perhaps it isn't just a different kind of trials the pioneers might have been concerned about facing, but a lack of trials altogether. Perhaps they might have been worried that if their lives were as easy as ours, they wouldn't have gained the strength that they eventually came to rely on. The pioneers became as strong as they were by facing terrible trials. Without facing such trials, we might easily remain weak.
But we don't have to. Even though we aren't forced to fight for our survival or freedom of religion (yet), we should still stand up to defend them, and defending the merits of our beliefs and practices will probably enough of a challenge to give us an opportunity to grow from it. Our circumstances aren't forcing us to climb mountains, but the mountains are still they, and we know that we really ought to climb them and plant our banners on them. If we do, we may be able to develop the same kind of courage the pioneers had gained.
We have it relatively easy, compared to the pioneers. In fact, we have it so easy that we aren't regularly forced to develop moral courage and strength, like the pioneers were. But we still have opportunities to exercise moral strength and courage, and as we do so, we can gain more courage and strength. We can become as strong as the pioneers were. We just have to go a little bit out of our way to do it.
We sometimes look back on what the pioneers endured and with relief say, “Thank goodness I didn’t live in that time.” But I wonder if those courageous pioneers, had they been able to see us today, might not have voiced the same concern.I noticed that President Uchtdorf didn't say that the pioneers would have felt the same way about our trials as we feel about theirs; he just wonders if they might have. But still, I wondered why they might have, until I looked more closely at another part of his article:
In our time—when so much of what we desire is so easily within our reach—it is tempting to turn aside or give up whenever the road ahead seems a little bumpy or the slope tends to rise steeply before us. . . .
The pioneers learned that doing hard things deepened and strengthened body, mind, and spirit; magnified their understanding of their divine nature; and heightened their compassion for others. This habit firmed their souls and became a blessing to them long after their trek across the plains and mountains had ended.By facing the hardships that many of us (thankfully) never have to face, the pioneers drew closer to the Lord and gained the strength they needed to overcome their challenges. If they were to look at our lives of relative ease after gaining the wisdom they could only have gained on the trail, they might have wondered how we could possibly gain the same strength they did without also facing such intense trials. Exercise works by pushing a person to their limits. If our experiences aren't pushing us to the limits of our strength, they won't have the capacity to make us stronger.
So, perhaps it isn't just a different kind of trials the pioneers might have been concerned about facing, but a lack of trials altogether. Perhaps they might have been worried that if their lives were as easy as ours, they wouldn't have gained the strength that they eventually came to rely on. The pioneers became as strong as they were by facing terrible trials. Without facing such trials, we might easily remain weak.
But we don't have to. Even though we aren't forced to fight for our survival or freedom of religion (yet), we should still stand up to defend them, and defending the merits of our beliefs and practices will probably enough of a challenge to give us an opportunity to grow from it. Our circumstances aren't forcing us to climb mountains, but the mountains are still they, and we know that we really ought to climb them and plant our banners on them. If we do, we may be able to develop the same kind of courage the pioneers had gained.
We have it relatively easy, compared to the pioneers. In fact, we have it so easy that we aren't regularly forced to develop moral courage and strength, like the pioneers were. But we still have opportunities to exercise moral strength and courage, and as we do so, we can gain more courage and strength. We can become as strong as the pioneers were. We just have to go a little bit out of our way to do it.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Good Friends and Good Attitudes
For me, it's not so much what you do, but with whom you do it, and with what attitude you do it, that makes an activity fun. I didn't do anything wild or crazy tonight. I mostly just hung out with my brothers and a few of my brother's friends, but that was fun enough for all of us to have a good time. Heck, even just riding in the car with two of my brothers to get to the party was fun, mostly because we had a good attitude about it. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to get up a little early (for a Sunday) to do something that most people wouldn't consider especially fun, but I know that I'm going to have a great time doing it, most;y because I know who I'm going to do it with. Good friends and good attitudes make for good times. That's really all it takes to make me happy.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Comparing Challenges
When I think about the pioneers, I think I'm really glad that I don't have to face the same challenges that they did, but I also remember hearing somewhere that if the pioneers could have seen our day, they'd have been glad that they lived in their time and not ours. This is a rare variation of the old expression that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, only this time, both we and the pioneers believe that the grass is browner on each other's sides. I wonder why that is.
I suppose it's a matter of perspective. We see the physical suffering the early saints went through, and we marvel that they endured it so well, while I think they saw things from a more spiritual perspective. I believe that they cared more about their souls and their God than about their comfort or even their safety. Comparing our situation to theirs, the question of which set of circumstances is preferable may depend on which is more important - a person's body or their soul.
In our day, we have more spiritual dangers than physical ones. Temptations surround us and the voices of the world blur the line between right and wrong. If we're not careful, we can easily become distracted and lost, and our spirits suffer when we do. We have little physical pain or danger to endure, but in this world, our spirits are in grave danger. I think that that is the danger that the early saints would have chosen to avoid, even though such a choice would have cost them great physical hardship.
The bad news is that neither of us got a choice anyway (at least, not that we recall). We each have our own burdens to bear in life. The pioneers bore their burdens remarkably well. Now it's our turn to bear ours. Even though our challenges are different, we can look to the pioneers for examples of courage, strength, and faith, which are traits that we are certain to need, perhaps even more than the pioneers needed them. Our trials may or may not be as challenging as those of the pioneers, but the stakes are certainly higher. They had to fight for survival. We have to fight for our souls.
I'm still not jealous of the hardships the pioneers had to face, but I think I understand why they wouldn't have been jealous of ours. I'd rather endure physical harm than spiritual harm, and, given the choice, I'd rather lose my life than my soul, but it's not always easy to make right choices, especially in the world we live in today. I still don't wish I had the pioneers' challenges, but I think I now know better than to underestimate mine. We're not being asked to die courageously; we're being asked to live righteously. We both have to endure faithfully, but I think that, in our world, doing that is just a little bit harder. For us, the challenge is not to endure, but to be faithful. But just as the pioneers were able to overcome their challenges in the strength of the Lord, so can we overcome ours. With God's help, we can face the challenge of our day, just as they did with theirs.
I suppose it's a matter of perspective. We see the physical suffering the early saints went through, and we marvel that they endured it so well, while I think they saw things from a more spiritual perspective. I believe that they cared more about their souls and their God than about their comfort or even their safety. Comparing our situation to theirs, the question of which set of circumstances is preferable may depend on which is more important - a person's body or their soul.
In our day, we have more spiritual dangers than physical ones. Temptations surround us and the voices of the world blur the line between right and wrong. If we're not careful, we can easily become distracted and lost, and our spirits suffer when we do. We have little physical pain or danger to endure, but in this world, our spirits are in grave danger. I think that that is the danger that the early saints would have chosen to avoid, even though such a choice would have cost them great physical hardship.
The bad news is that neither of us got a choice anyway (at least, not that we recall). We each have our own burdens to bear in life. The pioneers bore their burdens remarkably well. Now it's our turn to bear ours. Even though our challenges are different, we can look to the pioneers for examples of courage, strength, and faith, which are traits that we are certain to need, perhaps even more than the pioneers needed them. Our trials may or may not be as challenging as those of the pioneers, but the stakes are certainly higher. They had to fight for survival. We have to fight for our souls.
I'm still not jealous of the hardships the pioneers had to face, but I think I understand why they wouldn't have been jealous of ours. I'd rather endure physical harm than spiritual harm, and, given the choice, I'd rather lose my life than my soul, but it's not always easy to make right choices, especially in the world we live in today. I still don't wish I had the pioneers' challenges, but I think I now know better than to underestimate mine. We're not being asked to die courageously; we're being asked to live righteously. We both have to endure faithfully, but I think that, in our world, doing that is just a little bit harder. For us, the challenge is not to endure, but to be faithful. But just as the pioneers were able to overcome their challenges in the strength of the Lord, so can we overcome ours. With God's help, we can face the challenge of our day, just as they did with theirs.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Evaluating Advice
As a sort of Final Presentation for the Math class I'm taking for Pathway, I'm supposed to give an oral presentation about a financial book review I wrote for the class and share thoughts about it based on Elder Richard G. Scott's April 1998 General Conference talk, Removing Barriers to Happiness. For the book review, I was supposed to select five main points from a financial self-help book and weigh them against the teachings of the gospel. In his talk, Elder Scott quoted President Howard W. Hunter as giving similar advice:
It's important that we make sure that the advice we follow lines up with the counsel our Saviour and His servants gave and give. Following them is the only way to real and permanent happiness. disregarding their counsel in favor of someone else's is sure to reduce our eventual, if not our immediate, happiness. We should be cautious in whose advice we choose to follow, and perhaps the best way to evaluate their counsel is to measure it against that of those we know we can trust.
Measure whatever anyone else asks you to do, whether it be from your family, loved ones, your cultural heritage, or traditions you have inherited—measure everything against the teachings of the Savior. Where you find a variance from those teachings, set that matter aside and do not pursue it. It will not bring you happiness.Thankfully, the financial book I read, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom by Suze Orman, seemed to line up with the Gospel fairly well, especially where Orman counselled her readers to listen to their inner voices and to give money to charitable causes. After having evaluated several pieces of advice Orman gave against the teachings of the prophets, I feel sure that most of what she teaches is in harmony with the Gospel.
It's important that we make sure that the advice we follow lines up with the counsel our Saviour and His servants gave and give. Following them is the only way to real and permanent happiness. disregarding their counsel in favor of someone else's is sure to reduce our eventual, if not our immediate, happiness. We should be cautious in whose advice we choose to follow, and perhaps the best way to evaluate their counsel is to measure it against that of those we know we can trust.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
A Good Reason to Make Blogging a Priority
Thinking about my decision to blog twice today and how it was inspired by my failure to blog yesterday because I was distracted, I had mixed emotions when I saw this photo on Facebook:
That was a burn. While I'm not sure that blogging daily is one of "the things that matter most" to me, I do count it among my sacred duties. I asked God years ago what He wanted me to do, and I believe that He told me to blog. Since that moment, I've blogged almost daily, as I told Him I would. Now, I haven't asked Him recently how important He thinks my blog is, but even if the blog isn't important to Him anymore, it's still important to me.
I think it helps me. It forces me to look for spiritual insights to share. It gives me opportunities to share my testimony. It gives me a reason to try to draw closer to the spirit. I fear that, if it wasn't for my blog helping me maintain my spirituality, it would gradually diminish. One of my better traits is my ability to see spiritual insights in everyday things. I think I would lose that if I stopped blogging.
Blogging is one of the things that matter to me, and I want to keep doing it daily as much as I can. Yesterday, I guess I didn't consider it a priority. Maybe I forgot why I do it. It's not something I have to do because God told me to do it. It's something I have to do because I really need, and really enjoy, the blessings that come from it. I blog daily because blogging daily improves my life. Perhaps now that I've been reminded of that, it'll motivate me to make blogging a priority again, and I'll go back to blogging first thing in the morning rather than last thing at night, or not at all.
That was a burn. While I'm not sure that blogging daily is one of "the things that matter most" to me, I do count it among my sacred duties. I asked God years ago what He wanted me to do, and I believe that He told me to blog. Since that moment, I've blogged almost daily, as I told Him I would. Now, I haven't asked Him recently how important He thinks my blog is, but even if the blog isn't important to Him anymore, it's still important to me.
I think it helps me. It forces me to look for spiritual insights to share. It gives me opportunities to share my testimony. It gives me a reason to try to draw closer to the spirit. I fear that, if it wasn't for my blog helping me maintain my spirituality, it would gradually diminish. One of my better traits is my ability to see spiritual insights in everyday things. I think I would lose that if I stopped blogging.
Blogging is one of the things that matter to me, and I want to keep doing it daily as much as I can. Yesterday, I guess I didn't consider it a priority. Maybe I forgot why I do it. It's not something I have to do because God told me to do it. It's something I have to do because I really need, and really enjoy, the blessings that come from it. I blog daily because blogging daily improves my life. Perhaps now that I've been reminded of that, it'll motivate me to make blogging a priority again, and I'll go back to blogging first thing in the morning rather than last thing at night, or not at all.
No Backspace After Enter
Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me, though I'm sure that's no excuse for not managing to blog. I guess the reason I didn't blog yesterday was because I was caught up in doing other things. I did laundry and dishes, I finished up some homework, I ran a few errands, I tackled a small communications challenge, and then was tackled by a larger one. All day, my mind was on the things I was doing or the things I still needed to do, forgetting that blogging was on the list of things I needed to do.
So, I didn't blog yesterday. Maybe I'll blog twice today to make up for it. The trouble is that the few blogworthy thoughts that are going through my mind right now are things I don't want to talk about in such a public space, even though the few people I most don't want to read what I almost feel like saying don't read my blog. I'd prefer not to take that risk and say something I might regret. Is that thought, in itself, blogworthy enough? Sure, let's run with it.
In the third season of Avatar, the Last Airbender, a character named Sokka goes to a blade master to gain some sword-fighting skills. The sword master, Master Piandao, had a few interesting training techniques, including asking Sokka to write his name. Just as Sokka's brush was about to touch the paper, Master Piandao told him to "Remember, you cannot take back a stoke of the brush or a stroke of the sword."
It was wise for Master Piandao to urge caution, for one's actions are irreversible. Once something is done, it cannot be "undone." You might be able to fix the problems rash actions cause, but you can't change the fact that those problems existed. Apologies can heal friendships, but they can't change the past. I've done things that I regret - I'm sure we all have - but regret doesn't fix anything. One thing we can do about our past mistakes is learn from them so you don't repeat them. We can't go back and change the past, but changing the way we act now can help us avoid feeling regret in the future.
That's why I try to be careful about what I say when I'm blogging. Once I say something, here or anywhere, I can't unsay it. Once I publish something on my blog, it's there for all the world to see. I might be able to delete a blog post, but there'll still be a record somewhere, and by the time I delete the post, I'm sure at least some people will have seen it, and by then, it'll be too late to take my words back. You cannot take back a stroke of the keys or the stroke of the tongue. Bear that in mind when your emotions are up. I'm sure we'd all hate to say or do anything that we'd later regret.
So, I didn't blog yesterday. Maybe I'll blog twice today to make up for it. The trouble is that the few blogworthy thoughts that are going through my mind right now are things I don't want to talk about in such a public space, even though the few people I most don't want to read what I almost feel like saying don't read my blog. I'd prefer not to take that risk and say something I might regret. Is that thought, in itself, blogworthy enough? Sure, let's run with it.
In the third season of Avatar, the Last Airbender, a character named Sokka goes to a blade master to gain some sword-fighting skills. The sword master, Master Piandao, had a few interesting training techniques, including asking Sokka to write his name. Just as Sokka's brush was about to touch the paper, Master Piandao told him to "Remember, you cannot take back a stoke of the brush or a stroke of the sword."
It was wise for Master Piandao to urge caution, for one's actions are irreversible. Once something is done, it cannot be "undone." You might be able to fix the problems rash actions cause, but you can't change the fact that those problems existed. Apologies can heal friendships, but they can't change the past. I've done things that I regret - I'm sure we all have - but regret doesn't fix anything. One thing we can do about our past mistakes is learn from them so you don't repeat them. We can't go back and change the past, but changing the way we act now can help us avoid feeling regret in the future.
That's why I try to be careful about what I say when I'm blogging. Once I say something, here or anywhere, I can't unsay it. Once I publish something on my blog, it's there for all the world to see. I might be able to delete a blog post, but there'll still be a record somewhere, and by the time I delete the post, I'm sure at least some people will have seen it, and by then, it'll be too late to take my words back. You cannot take back a stroke of the keys or the stroke of the tongue. Bear that in mind when your emotions are up. I'm sure we'd all hate to say or do anything that we'd later regret.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Will WE Win?
I saw this picture quote on Facebook the other day, and of course, it reminded me of Elder Soares' talk, even though this quote came from Elder Holland.
In this quote, Elder Holland expresses the same confidence that Elder Soares did when he titled his talk "Yes, We Can and Will Win." Our victory in the war against sin is assured, no matter how bad the odds look right now, because it's not really our victory we're so sure of; It's the Lord's.
We are not gods. We are not superhuman. Some of us aren't very persuasive or strong-willed at all. We, ourselves, are no stronger than anybody else. Yet, even though the world seems to have us outnumbered and outmatched, we know that we're going to win because we know that God is going to win and that we are on God's side. The victory of which we can be sure does not belong to us, but to the Lord.
So Elder Holland's question of whose side we want to be on becomes a very important one for each of us, not because our allegiance might affect the outcome - as Elder Holland pointed out, it's already clear which side will win - but because we each need to decide which team we're going to be on, the world's or the Lord's.
I agree with Elder Holland; it is a strange thing that this is still a question in the minds of so many people. When given the choice between assured victory and guaranteed defeat, you would think that the choice would be easy. But it's not. The world can offer us many attractive things; not victory, but money, prestige, power, popularity, political correctness, ease, and (temporary) freedom. Yet, the world doesn't realize, or at least doesn't admit, at what cost those things will come. On the Lord's side, we're promised eternal happiness. We're not promised temporal happiness, but we are promised eventual happiness. The world offers us temporary happiness now, followed by eternal misery hereafter. The choice is really whether we want to be happy for now or forever.
It sometimes is a surprisingly tough decision, and Satan is doing everything in His power to convince us to make the wrong choice, but we can win. We can resist his temptations and the offers of temporary peace, pleasure, and happiness, firm in the knowledge that we will gain all of the blessings of God if we are faithful. We all know that Satan and his forces cannot defeat the Almighty God is His forces. The only question now is whether we will be among God's forces or Satan's? We know that God is going to win, but will we?
In this quote, Elder Holland expresses the same confidence that Elder Soares did when he titled his talk "Yes, We Can and Will Win." Our victory in the war against sin is assured, no matter how bad the odds look right now, because it's not really our victory we're so sure of; It's the Lord's.
We are not gods. We are not superhuman. Some of us aren't very persuasive or strong-willed at all. We, ourselves, are no stronger than anybody else. Yet, even though the world seems to have us outnumbered and outmatched, we know that we're going to win because we know that God is going to win and that we are on God's side. The victory of which we can be sure does not belong to us, but to the Lord.
So Elder Holland's question of whose side we want to be on becomes a very important one for each of us, not because our allegiance might affect the outcome - as Elder Holland pointed out, it's already clear which side will win - but because we each need to decide which team we're going to be on, the world's or the Lord's.
I agree with Elder Holland; it is a strange thing that this is still a question in the minds of so many people. When given the choice between assured victory and guaranteed defeat, you would think that the choice would be easy. But it's not. The world can offer us many attractive things; not victory, but money, prestige, power, popularity, political correctness, ease, and (temporary) freedom. Yet, the world doesn't realize, or at least doesn't admit, at what cost those things will come. On the Lord's side, we're promised eternal happiness. We're not promised temporal happiness, but we are promised eventual happiness. The world offers us temporary happiness now, followed by eternal misery hereafter. The choice is really whether we want to be happy for now or forever.
It sometimes is a surprisingly tough decision, and Satan is doing everything in His power to convince us to make the wrong choice, but we can win. We can resist his temptations and the offers of temporary peace, pleasure, and happiness, firm in the knowledge that we will gain all of the blessings of God if we are faithful. We all know that Satan and his forces cannot defeat the Almighty God is His forces. The only question now is whether we will be among God's forces or Satan's? We know that God is going to win, but will we?
Sunday, July 19, 2015
How Fasting Blesses Others
I had an opportunity to teach Fasting again today, but really, the class taught me. I started the lesson from the perspective of "What can Fasting do for me?" while the class changed the focus to "What can our Fasting do for others?" and the answer was "A lot."
A big part of how our fasting can help others is by our contributing Fast Offerings. When we give Fast Offerings, the money we donate goes to feed and shelter the poor and the hungry. And unlike some other charities, our organization is staffed almost entirely (if not entirely) by volunteers, so all of the money we contribute in Fast Offerings goes to where it's needed.
But even greater than the financial blessings Fast Offerings can provide are the spiritual blessings that the Fasting itself can provide. Fasting gives our prayers greater power, and when we fast for blessings, especially for blessings for others, our prayers are often answered in a strong way. Miracles have been performed because saints have fasted for them. When we pray and fast for the blessing of others, they will be blessed.
Of course, Fasting holds blessings for us, too, even when we aren't praying for ourselves. All of the lame blessings I started teaching about, like teaching us self-control, still apply, and God blesses us whenever we do anything that blesses others. But one of the better blessings we can get from Fasting is the feeling that we played a role in helping God bless others. Securing blessings for ourselves is good and all, but it feels even better to be a blessing in the lives of others.
A big part of how our fasting can help others is by our contributing Fast Offerings. When we give Fast Offerings, the money we donate goes to feed and shelter the poor and the hungry. And unlike some other charities, our organization is staffed almost entirely (if not entirely) by volunteers, so all of the money we contribute in Fast Offerings goes to where it's needed.
But even greater than the financial blessings Fast Offerings can provide are the spiritual blessings that the Fasting itself can provide. Fasting gives our prayers greater power, and when we fast for blessings, especially for blessings for others, our prayers are often answered in a strong way. Miracles have been performed because saints have fasted for them. When we pray and fast for the blessing of others, they will be blessed.
Of course, Fasting holds blessings for us, too, even when we aren't praying for ourselves. All of the lame blessings I started teaching about, like teaching us self-control, still apply, and God blesses us whenever we do anything that blesses others. But one of the better blessings we can get from Fasting is the feeling that we played a role in helping God bless others. Securing blessings for ourselves is good and all, but it feels even better to be a blessing in the lives of others.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Playing a Paladin
Yesterday, I felt torn between what I wanted to do today. I had been invited by my friends to play D&D with them, and of course I wanted to, but I also knew that my family has a lot of work to do with some renovations we're doing. I knew that the right thing to do would be to stay home and help, but what I wanted to do was to go play D&D with my friends. However, once I acknowledged that staying home was the right thing to do, I really had no choice. And you know what, I'm okay with that. In fact, it's kind of what I wanted to happen when I started playing D&D.
Before I ever started playing D&D, I had been warned that this game changes people, that players of this game start to become their characters, but that didn't deter me - it encouraged me. Since before I wanted to play D&D, I wanted to be a Paladin. I wanted to be a good person with a deep sense of honor and a devotion to do what's right. Apparently, I got what I wanted.
Sure, it would have been fun to play D&D with my friends, but I feel like I made the right choice. I acted in-character according to the character traits that I want to have. I feel like I am becoming a Paladin, and for me, that is an awesome feeling. I didn't get to play a Paladin in D&D today; I was too busy playing that role in real life.
Before I ever started playing D&D, I had been warned that this game changes people, that players of this game start to become their characters, but that didn't deter me - it encouraged me. Since before I wanted to play D&D, I wanted to be a Paladin. I wanted to be a good person with a deep sense of honor and a devotion to do what's right. Apparently, I got what I wanted.
Sure, it would have been fun to play D&D with my friends, but I feel like I made the right choice. I acted in-character according to the character traits that I want to have. I feel like I am becoming a Paladin, and for me, that is an awesome feeling. I didn't get to play a Paladin in D&D today; I was too busy playing that role in real life.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Lessons Seldom Sung
I love our hymns. I love the messages that they share, and that we're reminded of those messages every time we sing those hymns at church or our other meetings. However, many of our hymns have more verses (and thus, more lyrics and messages) than we often sing. One of those hymns is Hymn 116, Come, Follow Me. When we sing that hymn, we usually sing the first four verses, completely ignoring that fifth and sixth verses. Today, I'd like to share those two less-frequently repeated messages, and share my thoughts about them.
It's also worth noting that this verse encourages us to follow Jesus, "Whate'er our lot or sphere may be." Followers of Christ come from all walks of life. We all have difference strengths and weaknesses, different challenges and talents. Despite our differences, the commandments and standards are the same for all of us. Certain commandments may be harder for us than for others, but God's plan is fairer than it sometimes seems. God tailors our challenges and His expectations to our abilities, and He judges us more on our efforts than on our accomplishments, so no matter where we start or how little we're given, we can follow God's plan successfully. And it's totally worth it if we do.
I consider it somewhat tragic that we don't sing these truths very often. By only singing the first three or four verses of the more popular hymns, we miss out on many precious lessons. So, the next time you sing hymns out of the hymnal, I'd encourage you to look to the bottom of the hymn to see if there are any verses you may not sing often or be very familiar with. Read their lyrics and ponder them, just as you do with the other verses. There may be messages and lessons in them that you might have otherwise missed.
5. We must the onward path pursueAs I interpret it, the "wider fields" represent the many choices we can make in life. There are hundreds, if not thousands of paths available to us, but we're asked to follow the straight and narrow one. This seems restrictive, and it kind of is, though we still have a great deal of freedom while we follow that path, and the results of following the straight and narrow path are worth any sacrifices.
As wider fields expand to view,
And follow him unceasingly,
Whate'er our lot or sphere may be.
It's also worth noting that this verse encourages us to follow Jesus, "Whate'er our lot or sphere may be." Followers of Christ come from all walks of life. We all have difference strengths and weaknesses, different challenges and talents. Despite our differences, the commandments and standards are the same for all of us. Certain commandments may be harder for us than for others, but God's plan is fairer than it sometimes seems. God tailors our challenges and His expectations to our abilities, and He judges us more on our efforts than on our accomplishments, so no matter where we start or how little we're given, we can follow God's plan successfully. And it's totally worth it if we do.
6. For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow'rs,This is a little-mentioned doctrine in the church, but it's one of my favorites. God has promised that as we follow the example of His Son, we can become as He is, not just in attributes, but also in status. Of course, it's going to take a lot of work, on both His part and ours, to get us worthy and ready to receive that status, but I believe that if we strive to be righteous and follow Christ "throughout eternity," there won't be any blessing that we won't eventually qualify for.
And glory great and bliss are ours,
If we, throughout eternity,
Obey his words, "Come, follow me."
I consider it somewhat tragic that we don't sing these truths very often. By only singing the first three or four verses of the more popular hymns, we miss out on many precious lessons. So, the next time you sing hymns out of the hymnal, I'd encourage you to look to the bottom of the hymn to see if there are any verses you may not sing often or be very familiar with. Read their lyrics and ponder them, just as you do with the other verses. There may be messages and lessons in them that you might have otherwise missed.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Gather Round the Standard Bearers
In Elder Soares' talk, he shared the story of a young man who stood firm in his beliefs, even though it seemed like he would have to stand alone. When his friends were looking at pornography on their cell phones, he had the courage to warn them to stop or it would addict them. most of them didn't listen, but remarkably, one of them did. In his talk, Elder Soares mentioned that he was sure that the two of them face ridicule as a result of their decision. I would add that I think it's likely that the two of them were able to support each other during the times when they were mocked.
Later in the talk, Elder Soares gave us this counsel, which concludes with an encouraging promise:
As we uphold our standards, we may have to stand alone (in terms of earthly friends) briefly, but we won't always have to. If we boldly take a stand, others will stand with us. The other side of this coin is that, when we see other people standing up for their beliefs, we should support them in doing so. We may not agree with them on every point of doctrine, but we can at least respect their moral courage. As we stand up for our beliefs, we will find that there is more than one person who's willing to hold on to the iron rod, and we can all hold on together.
Later in the talk, Elder Soares gave us this counsel, which concludes with an encouraging promise:
As we stand firm in defending the Lord's doctrine, we will undoubtedly make a few enemies, and we may lose some fair-weather friends, but Elder Soares seems certain that we will also make friends - friends which I believe will help us stand up for our beliefs.My dear brethren, because of the wave of confusion and doubt spreading throughout the world today, we must hold ever more tightly to our testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then will our ability to defend truth and justice greatly increase. We will win the daily battles against evil, and, rather than fall on the battlefields of life, we will rally others to the Master’s standards.
As we uphold our standards, we may have to stand alone (in terms of earthly friends) briefly, but we won't always have to. If we boldly take a stand, others will stand with us. The other side of this coin is that, when we see other people standing up for their beliefs, we should support them in doing so. We may not agree with them on every point of doctrine, but we can at least respect their moral courage. As we stand up for our beliefs, we will find that there is more than one person who's willing to hold on to the iron rod, and we can all hold on together.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Stand Firm
It's been so long since I blogged from a General Conference talk, it took me a few minutes to figure out what talk I'm on. As it turns out, it's Elder Ulysses Soares' Priesthood Session talk, Yes, We Can and Will Win! (At least, I think that's where I left off, and it looks like a good place to pick back up.) Because it is, once again, late, I'll just share a picture quote and a few of my own thoughts for now. I'll blog more about the talk tomorrow morning.
This echoes what I said the day before yesterday. This is the season in which we Christians need to stand up for our beliefs and our right to practice our beliefs, even if they become unpopular in the eyes of the world. As the world drifts farther and farther away from the Lord's standards, and as more and more Christians try to be "open-minded" or "politically correct" for the sake of their friendships, those who stand firm will find that they have fewer and fewer friends who are willing to stand with them. At times, it may seem that we stand totally alone. But we are never alone. There is one Friend who'll stand by us through it all, as long as we are still standing by Him. Ironically, those who "have the moral courage . . . to stand alone" are the ones who will never have to. We will have to stand against the world, but that doesn't matter as long as we are still standing with God.
This echoes what I said the day before yesterday. This is the season in which we Christians need to stand up for our beliefs and our right to practice our beliefs, even if they become unpopular in the eyes of the world. As the world drifts farther and farther away from the Lord's standards, and as more and more Christians try to be "open-minded" or "politically correct" for the sake of their friendships, those who stand firm will find that they have fewer and fewer friends who are willing to stand with them. At times, it may seem that we stand totally alone. But we are never alone. There is one Friend who'll stand by us through it all, as long as we are still standing by Him. Ironically, those who "have the moral courage . . . to stand alone" are the ones who will never have to. We will have to stand against the world, but that doesn't matter as long as we are still standing with God.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
The Most Important Signature
Earlier today, I attended the temple for the first time in months. In order to enter one of our temples, you need a Temple Recommend, which you can get by having an interview with your Bishop, followed by your Stake President (another member of the Stake Presidency may be able to conduct the interview in his place. I'm not sure). During each of these interviews, your Priesthood leaders will ask you questions regarding your worthiness to enter the temple. If you pass both interviews, the interviewers will sign your Recommend. However, there's one more signature your temple recommend needs before it's complete, and it may be the most important signature of the three - yours.
After your Temple Recommend Interview with your Bishop, you'll be asked to sign your own Temple Recommend. When you do so, if you do so, you are basically signing a document stating that you're worthy to enter the temple. You are affirming, to the church, to your Bishop, to the Lord, and to yourself, that you think you're worthy. This is a bold claim, and one that you have to make with a perfect knowledge of your personality and past, and with the knowledge that God knows better than anyone whether you're worthy or not. If you can sign your Recommend confidently, then either you have no idea what you're getting yourself into, or you truly feel ready to stand before the judgment bar of God (in which case, you probably are).
It's important that our Bishops and our Stake Presidents feel that we're worthy to enter the temple, but it's even more important that we feel that we are. Sometimes, we judge ourselves too harshly. Sometimes, not harshly enough. It's important to truly ponder our standing with God until we know how worthy or unworthy we are. If we find ourselves lacking, we should ask God what He wants us to work on. But if we deeply reflect on ourselves and our choices, and find that we really are worthy to enter the house of the Lord, that is a really good feeling. It's a feeling that, if you don't feel it now, is worth working toward, not just for the sensation of inner peace, but for the personal knowledge that you are on good terms with God. It's good to know.
If you haven't done so recently, I would recommend taking a moment or two for self-reflection. Think about the Lord's standards and think about yourself (remembering to factor in the power of the Atonement). Do you measure up? If so, you're in pretty good shape. If not, then there's something you need to repent of, and odds are you already know what it is. Either way, it's important to know where you stand. It's one thing for other people to judge that you're worthy to enter the temple. It's a much more powerful thing to know for yourself.
After your Temple Recommend Interview with your Bishop, you'll be asked to sign your own Temple Recommend. When you do so, if you do so, you are basically signing a document stating that you're worthy to enter the temple. You are affirming, to the church, to your Bishop, to the Lord, and to yourself, that you think you're worthy. This is a bold claim, and one that you have to make with a perfect knowledge of your personality and past, and with the knowledge that God knows better than anyone whether you're worthy or not. If you can sign your Recommend confidently, then either you have no idea what you're getting yourself into, or you truly feel ready to stand before the judgment bar of God (in which case, you probably are).
It's important that our Bishops and our Stake Presidents feel that we're worthy to enter the temple, but it's even more important that we feel that we are. Sometimes, we judge ourselves too harshly. Sometimes, not harshly enough. It's important to truly ponder our standing with God until we know how worthy or unworthy we are. If we find ourselves lacking, we should ask God what He wants us to work on. But if we deeply reflect on ourselves and our choices, and find that we really are worthy to enter the house of the Lord, that is a really good feeling. It's a feeling that, if you don't feel it now, is worth working toward, not just for the sensation of inner peace, but for the personal knowledge that you are on good terms with God. It's good to know.
If you haven't done so recently, I would recommend taking a moment or two for self-reflection. Think about the Lord's standards and think about yourself (remembering to factor in the power of the Atonement). Do you measure up? If so, you're in pretty good shape. If not, then there's something you need to repent of, and odds are you already know what it is. Either way, it's important to know where you stand. It's one thing for other people to judge that you're worthy to enter the temple. It's a much more powerful thing to know for yourself.
Monday, July 13, 2015
"The Challenge of Our Day"
Yesterday, in Sacrament meeting, one of the hymns we sang was As Zion's Youth in Latter Days. This isn't my favorite hymn, but it is a good one. One of the thing's I love about this hymn is how well it applies to our present circumstances. Verse two begins, "The truths and values we embrace are mocked on every hand," and they certainly are, and it's only going to get worse, but As Zion's Youth in Latter Days isn't about how bad our situation is. It's about "fac[ing] the challenge of our day . . . triumphant, pure, and strong." It's about resolution. In fact, the hymn is to be sung "resolutely."
As I sang the hymn yesterday, I felt like it didn't matter how confused or wicked the world got - we Latter-Day Saints would stand our ground, hold on to our standards and the word of God, and eventually overcome. Continuing to embrace our values may get more difficult, but we can do it, especially since we'll have God's help. The world may grow more wicked, but we don't have to. Remaining righteous in a less-righteous world is the challenge of this era, but we are, most of us, most certainly up to the challenge.
As I sang the hymn yesterday, I felt like it didn't matter how confused or wicked the world got - we Latter-Day Saints would stand our ground, hold on to our standards and the word of God, and eventually overcome. Continuing to embrace our values may get more difficult, but we can do it, especially since we'll have God's help. The world may grow more wicked, but we don't have to. Remaining righteous in a less-righteous world is the challenge of this era, but we are, most of us, most certainly up to the challenge.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Another Procrastination Post - (Not) Learning From Mistakes
This is going to be another blog post about me being bad at blogging. This morning, I couldn't think of a thing to blog about, and I said as much to my family with whom I live, but I wasn't really worried about it. I figured I'd hear something blogworthy at church, or at least that I'd have more time to think and blog later, so I put all thoughts of blogging onto the back burner, and there it sat until about 9:45 this evening. I had almost completely forgotten about it.
I say "almost completely" because I had, in fact, thought about blogging while I was at church. I heard a bloggworthy thought in one of the hymns we sang, and I made a note in my phone that I should blog about it when I got home, and then I mostly forgot about it.
I say that I "mostly forgot" because, when I got home, I remembered that I had made that note - that I had a blogworthy thought that I needed to blog about. But we had to make dinner, and then I got into a conversation with my brother, then I watched a few Youtube videos, all while thinking that I'd have time to blog "later," but of course, by then, I had forgotten.
In many of my blog posts, I point to myself as an example of why we shouldn't procrastinate, so I apologize that this blog post doesn't tell you anything you haven't heard before. But actually, this allows me to look at any even deeper problem than chronic procrastination and highlight a fundamental aspect of the meaning of life.
We are here to learn from our mistakes.
Over the course of our lives, we will undoubtedly make many mistakes. Those of us who are wise enough to recognize those decisions as mistakes are given an opportunity to show and develop even greater wisdom by learning from the mistakes we've made, and hopefully learn to stop making them.
I am a horrible procrastinator when it comes to blogging, but I'm wise enough to recognize that. I am wise enough to know that procrastination is a mistake and that I need to learn to stop doing that. Am I wise enough to act on that knowledge and stop procrastinating? Evidently not. But every time I make this mistake, and recognize it as such, gives me more reason to learn and change. I am fully confident that, one day, I will possess and apply enough wisdom to stop procrastinating. Hopefully, that day will be tomorrow.
I say "almost completely" because I had, in fact, thought about blogging while I was at church. I heard a bloggworthy thought in one of the hymns we sang, and I made a note in my phone that I should blog about it when I got home, and then I mostly forgot about it.
I say that I "mostly forgot" because, when I got home, I remembered that I had made that note - that I had a blogworthy thought that I needed to blog about. But we had to make dinner, and then I got into a conversation with my brother, then I watched a few Youtube videos, all while thinking that I'd have time to blog "later," but of course, by then, I had forgotten.
In many of my blog posts, I point to myself as an example of why we shouldn't procrastinate, so I apologize that this blog post doesn't tell you anything you haven't heard before. But actually, this allows me to look at any even deeper problem than chronic procrastination and highlight a fundamental aspect of the meaning of life.
We are here to learn from our mistakes.
Over the course of our lives, we will undoubtedly make many mistakes. Those of us who are wise enough to recognize those decisions as mistakes are given an opportunity to show and develop even greater wisdom by learning from the mistakes we've made, and hopefully learn to stop making them.
I am a horrible procrastinator when it comes to blogging, but I'm wise enough to recognize that. I am wise enough to know that procrastination is a mistake and that I need to learn to stop doing that. Am I wise enough to act on that knowledge and stop procrastinating? Evidently not. But every time I make this mistake, and recognize it as such, gives me more reason to learn and change. I am fully confident that, one day, I will possess and apply enough wisdom to stop procrastinating. Hopefully, that day will be tomorrow.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Three More Pieces of Conventional "Wisdom"
Yesterday, I shared a piece of conventional wisdom and a few examples of why it's wrong. Today, I'd like to share three more pieces of conventional wisdom that have been misinterpreted and/or called into question.
I'm not sure if I can count on that image remaining forever, so I'll say now that Dalekitsune, Consultingmoosecaptain, and Espurr-roba were the originators of the quoted thoughts. I'll correct the punctuation and grammar as well as I can.
"The phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' is actually not the full phrase. It actually is 'curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.'"
I'm not sure how the emotion of satisfaction could bring a creature back to life, but the thought is clear enough. The phrase "curiosity killed the cat" is frequently used to discourage people from asking too many questions, and it's certainly wise to exercise caution, but the extended phrase suggests that, despite the risks involved, we should remain curious about the world around us, continually seeking the answers to life's many questions.
I haven't decided, personally, whether I would promote people to be more curious or more cautious. I think that each person should make that decision themselves.
"Blood is thicker than water. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."
Talk about changing the meaning of a phrase! "Blood is thicker than water" suggests that family relationships (blood ties) are stronger than the bonds of friendship (which is somehow represented by water). The extended version of the phrase conveys the exact opposite meaning. As Consultingmoosecaptain explained it, "Relationships formed by choice are stronger than those formed by birth."
Once again, I'm not sure how well I agree with that. On one hand, my first reaction to the extended phrase was to think that it sounded like something a gang might say. I could see a group of men gathered in a dark room making some kind of creepy blood oath to work together to do wickedness, like the "secret combinations" we sometimes hear about. On the other hand, the church used animal sacrifices and burnt offerings in covenants in Old Testament times, and converts were encouraged to feel a stronger connection and loyalty to God than to their unbelieving relatives. Still, family ties are, and are supposed to be, very strong. Certainly no mere friendship should be "thicker than the water of the womb." But "the blood of the covenant" symbolizes no mere friendship. Over-all, the feeling I get from this phrase is "choose your friends wisely." Some bonds may or may not be stronger than the bonds of family, but I'd say that others are certainly not.
"Let's not forget that 'Jack of all trades, master of none' ends with 'But better than a master of one.'"
As far as I know, this phrase has always spoken in favor of the "jack of all trades," even without the extension. Still, I'd say that it's fair to remember that the opposite is sometimes true. Yes, in general, being a "jack of all trades" is good in most situations, but sometimes you really need a master of one particular trade. For example, if I were about to go under major spinal or cerebral surgery, I wouldn't want a "jack of all trades" kind of surgeon to be the one to work on me. I would rather have a master of spinal or cerebral surgery do the job. Still, if the zombie apocalypse were to occur and I could only have either the "jack of all trades" doctor or the spinal/cerebral surgery master doctor on my apocalypse-survival team, I'd pick the "jack of all trades" doctor over the "master of one." Being a "master of one (trade)" is situational. If the situation calls for that trade, great. If not, you're better off being a "jack of all trades" instead.
Considering the multiple versions and interpretations of these phrases, I'm not sure how much I trust the wisdom of conventional wisdom. Several of these phrases seem not to be entirely true, at least, not in all cases. I'm grateful that we have better sources of wisdom that's more reliable. The prophets and scriptures may not give advice on all subjects, but they certain;y chime in on many, and the Holy Ghost can help us remember their words, correctly interpret them, and fill in the blanks when our situations require special guidance. Now more than ever, I'm glad that, thanks to revelation, we don't have to rely on the wisdom of the world.
I'm not sure if I can count on that image remaining forever, so I'll say now that Dalekitsune, Consultingmoosecaptain, and Espurr-roba were the originators of the quoted thoughts. I'll correct the punctuation and grammar as well as I can.
"The phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' is actually not the full phrase. It actually is 'curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.'"
I'm not sure how the emotion of satisfaction could bring a creature back to life, but the thought is clear enough. The phrase "curiosity killed the cat" is frequently used to discourage people from asking too many questions, and it's certainly wise to exercise caution, but the extended phrase suggests that, despite the risks involved, we should remain curious about the world around us, continually seeking the answers to life's many questions.
I haven't decided, personally, whether I would promote people to be more curious or more cautious. I think that each person should make that decision themselves.
"
Talk about changing the meaning of a phrase! "Blood is thicker than water" suggests that family relationships (blood ties) are stronger than the bonds of friendship (which is somehow represented by water). The extended version of the phrase conveys the exact opposite meaning. As Consultingmoosecaptain explained it, "Relationships formed by choice are stronger than those formed by birth."
Once again, I'm not sure how well I agree with that. On one hand, my first reaction to the extended phrase was to think that it sounded like something a gang might say. I could see a group of men gathered in a dark room making some kind of creepy blood oath to work together to do wickedness, like the "secret combinations" we sometimes hear about. On the other hand, the church used animal sacrifices and burnt offerings in covenants in Old Testament times, and converts were encouraged to feel a stronger connection and loyalty to God than to their unbelieving relatives. Still, family ties are, and are supposed to be, very strong. Certainly no mere friendship should be "thicker than the water of the womb." But "the blood of the covenant" symbolizes no mere friendship. Over-all, the feeling I get from this phrase is "choose your friends wisely." Some bonds may or may not be stronger than the bonds of family, but I'd say that others are certainly not.
"Let's not forget that 'Jack of all trades, master of none' ends with 'But better than a master of one.'"
As far as I know, this phrase has always spoken in favor of the "jack of all trades," even without the extension. Still, I'd say that it's fair to remember that the opposite is sometimes true. Yes, in general, being a "jack of all trades" is good in most situations, but sometimes you really need a master of one particular trade. For example, if I were about to go under major spinal or cerebral surgery, I wouldn't want a "jack of all trades" kind of surgeon to be the one to work on me. I would rather have a master of spinal or cerebral surgery do the job. Still, if the zombie apocalypse were to occur and I could only have either the "jack of all trades" doctor or the spinal/cerebral surgery master doctor on my apocalypse-survival team, I'd pick the "jack of all trades" doctor over the "master of one." Being a "master of one (trade)" is situational. If the situation calls for that trade, great. If not, you're better off being a "jack of all trades" instead.
Considering the multiple versions and interpretations of these phrases, I'm not sure how much I trust the wisdom of conventional wisdom. Several of these phrases seem not to be entirely true, at least, not in all cases. I'm grateful that we have better sources of wisdom that's more reliable. The prophets and scriptures may not give advice on all subjects, but they certain;y chime in on many, and the Holy Ghost can help us remember their words, correctly interpret them, and fill in the blanks when our situations require special guidance. Now more than ever, I'm glad that, thanks to revelation, we don't have to rely on the wisdom of the world.
Friday, July 10, 2015
The Best Things in Life Aren't Free
I heard on the radio yesterday that the best things in life are free. Actually, I heard it well before yesterday. In fact, it's one of those sayings that you've heard so early and so often that it's practically something that you've always known.
The trouble is that it's wrong. The best things in life are not free. Sure, they may not cost money, but that doesn't mean they come freely. In reality, the best things in life come at a great and sometimes terrible cost.
For example, I strong family with loving relationships is one of the greatest things a person could have, yet, maintaining strong relationships with family members sometimes takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of patience and forgiving. It takes humility and willingness to compromise and apologize. Even if it took no money at all to support a family, it would still take a great deal of work to maintain one. Families are expensive, in terms of money, time, energy, and emotions, yet they are still one of the best things in the world.
A solid testimony is also something that, while not costing any money, still carries a great cost in time and effort. A testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ often starts small and needs to be nurtured and grown over time. At some points in our lives, our testimonies will be challenged, and we'll need to remind ourselves why we believe what we believe. Over time, our testimonies grow stronger until they become unshakable, and rather than needing us to protect them, they can support us in times of trial. Strong testimonies take time to develop, but they can be great sources of strength.
A strong connection to the Spirit is much like a strong testimony in how we have to nurture it and defend it, and it, too, can be a great blessing in our lives. The Holy Ghost can guide us and protect us, but only after we've put in the effort to develop a sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit and trust in its directions. A good connection with the Spirit doesn't come easily, let alone freely, but is one of the most important things a person can have.
But the greatest thing of all is the Atonement, and heaven knows that wasn't free! The power of Christ's Atonement came at a horrendous cost, yet it is probably the single greatest blessing in our lives. By accessing the power of the Atonement, which isn't completely free either, we can be forgiven of our sins and cleansed so we can return to live with God again. The Atonement never cost anyone so much as a penny, but it came at a great cost in personal pain and obedience.
So, the best things in life, while not costing much or anything financially, are still not completely free. Most of them take a good deal of time and effort to obtain and maintain. It's true that some things, such as laughter, are good and practically free, but the best things almost always come at some kind of cost. Thankfully, they're worth their costs. After all, they are the best things, even if they aren't really free.
The trouble is that it's wrong. The best things in life are not free. Sure, they may not cost money, but that doesn't mean they come freely. In reality, the best things in life come at a great and sometimes terrible cost.
For example, I strong family with loving relationships is one of the greatest things a person could have, yet, maintaining strong relationships with family members sometimes takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of patience and forgiving. It takes humility and willingness to compromise and apologize. Even if it took no money at all to support a family, it would still take a great deal of work to maintain one. Families are expensive, in terms of money, time, energy, and emotions, yet they are still one of the best things in the world.
A solid testimony is also something that, while not costing any money, still carries a great cost in time and effort. A testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ often starts small and needs to be nurtured and grown over time. At some points in our lives, our testimonies will be challenged, and we'll need to remind ourselves why we believe what we believe. Over time, our testimonies grow stronger until they become unshakable, and rather than needing us to protect them, they can support us in times of trial. Strong testimonies take time to develop, but they can be great sources of strength.
A strong connection to the Spirit is much like a strong testimony in how we have to nurture it and defend it, and it, too, can be a great blessing in our lives. The Holy Ghost can guide us and protect us, but only after we've put in the effort to develop a sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit and trust in its directions. A good connection with the Spirit doesn't come easily, let alone freely, but is one of the most important things a person can have.
But the greatest thing of all is the Atonement, and heaven knows that wasn't free! The power of Christ's Atonement came at a horrendous cost, yet it is probably the single greatest blessing in our lives. By accessing the power of the Atonement, which isn't completely free either, we can be forgiven of our sins and cleansed so we can return to live with God again. The Atonement never cost anyone so much as a penny, but it came at a great cost in personal pain and obedience.
So, the best things in life, while not costing much or anything financially, are still not completely free. Most of them take a good deal of time and effort to obtain and maintain. It's true that some things, such as laughter, are good and practically free, but the best things almost always come at some kind of cost. Thankfully, they're worth their costs. After all, they are the best things, even if they aren't really free.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
My Conference Topic Spreadsheet - Eternal Truths
For an institute class on the teachings of the living prophets, I've been compiling a spreadsheet that shows how many times particular Gospel topics are covered in each General Conference. For example, in the April 2000 General Conference, there were three talks that focused on the Atonement, so if you start at the top of the column labeled "Apr'00" and follow that down to the row labeled "Atonement," you'll find a number three. When the spreadsheet is completed, I hope that it'll show me trends of changes in what the General Authorities thought was important to talk about at the time. As times change, pertinent General Conference topics would change, too.
Yet, according to what I've recorded so far, there are some things that don't change. Some topics, such as Faith, Family, the Atonement, and Jesus Christ, come up every General Conference, or at least almost every General Conference. This tells me that, despite changing times, there are a few constants that we can rely on and a few things that will always be important, even as other things wax and wane in importance. Faith will always be the first principle of the Gospel. Families will always be central to God's plan. The Atonement will always be the greatest thing that ever happened to us. And Jesus will always be the Savior of the world and the leader of this church. These are eternal truths. We hear about these things every General Conference because they're always that important. Other topics may come and go, but these topics, along with a few others, will always come up in General Conference, because these are some of the most important things we could ever learn.
Yet, according to what I've recorded so far, there are some things that don't change. Some topics, such as Faith, Family, the Atonement, and Jesus Christ, come up every General Conference, or at least almost every General Conference. This tells me that, despite changing times, there are a few constants that we can rely on and a few things that will always be important, even as other things wax and wane in importance. Faith will always be the first principle of the Gospel. Families will always be central to God's plan. The Atonement will always be the greatest thing that ever happened to us. And Jesus will always be the Savior of the world and the leader of this church. These are eternal truths. We hear about these things every General Conference because they're always that important. Other topics may come and go, but these topics, along with a few others, will always come up in General Conference, because these are some of the most important things we could ever learn.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
We Obey out of Love
Of course, there are many good reasons, but this is one of them. God's commandments aren't just rules. They're instructions for how we can return to live in heaven with our Heavenly Father. If we love God, we'll naturally want to be with Him, and we can prove that by doing things that bring us closer to God and that ensure that we can live with Him forever after death. We keep the commandments not because we have to or because we're afraid we'll be punished if we don't, but because we know that, if we do, we can be with those we love, including our Heavenly Father, for all eternity.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Don't Worry - Even When Work Doesn't Work
Piggybacking on what I wrote last night, I just found this quote this morning.
Sorry if the colors clash.
This quote came from zenpencils.com, which has a lot of good quotes illustrated by comics, most of which have more panels and tell richer stories than this one. If you've got a minute, you might check it out.
Yesterday, I blogged about how working on an assignment can reduce your level of worry about it, which is pretty close to saying that if you can solve a problem, there's no need to worry about it, so I'll skip that part of the quote.
The other part of the quote talks about the pointlessness of worrying about problems you can't solve. There are always going to be some things we can't do. Despite some of Zenpencils's other quotes, and my own quote about the only hopeless cause being the one we don't attempt, there are limits to human ability. If something you want to or "have to" do is literally beyond your ability, don't let that stress you out. Worry is self-defeating, whether you're worried about something you can change or something you can't.
If there's an insurmountable obstacle in your path, don't let it stop you. Go around it. Or, if that's not an option, choose another path. Banging your head against a wall is nowhere near as productive as walking along the wall until you find somewhere else you can go.
Now, I'm not trying to advocate giving up, except in cases where giving up on something is the most practical thing you can do. Usually, diligence and persistence are admirable traits that are necessary for success. If you're faced with a challenge, you should take a couple of stabs at it rather than immediately running away from it. However, in those cases where even an unlimited amount of diligence and persistence wouldn't be enough, other virtues, such as flexibility and contentment, may serve you better.
If an obstacle defeats you and there's nothing to be done about it, there's still one thing that you can and should do - move on. Continuing to worry about a problem you can't solve is only going to distract you from the problems you can solve. Let go of that worry. Take a deep breath and let it flow out of you. Then find some other mountain to climb. This world is full of problems. Some of them are too big for us to handle. Our job is to do what we can about the rest of them. If you find yourself faced with a problem you can't solve, give that problem to the One who can solve it, and find some other problem to solve. There are a lot of problems that you can solve with God's help. As for the other problems, it's probably best to leave those ones to Him.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Don't Worry - Work
I was recently asked by a teacher of mine what my educational goals were for this week as pertaining to her class. I responded that I planned to have a fully-formed first draft of a paper written by the end of the week, thinking that I had at least another week after that before it was due. As it turns out, the paper is due by the end of the week. When I received that news this morning, my stomach dropped. I began to panic. The paper, which hadn't been at all troubling to me prior to that moment, was suddenly a source of stress and fear.
As it turned out, I needn't have worried. After a few moments of being paralyzed by fear, I did the only sensible thing I could have done; I went to work. I double-checked the rubric for the assignment (which I had already read some weeks ago), brainstormed some ideas of what to write about, formed a simple outline, and began typing. What had suddenly become a terrifying challenge gradually became a manageable one. All because I stopped worrying and got to work.
In life, there are plenty of challenges, and some of them seem terribly hopeless and intimidating, yet, the only causes that are truly hopeless are the ones we don't attempt. When we're faced with such a challenge, we could choose to give up, letting the challenge defeat us before we even try, or we could rise to the challenge, and work to overcome it. We may still fail, but at least we'll have known that we tried, and if we hadn't made that effort, we certainly would have failed. As Wayne Gretsky once said, "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take." We owe it to ourselves to at least take the shot.
And once we begin to work on our challenges, we may begin to see them in more realistic terms. Tasks that seemed intimidating at first may begin to seem less challenging. Sure, a good essay can't be written overnight, but once I divided the assignment into steps, it became much easier to work on. Once I started working on the paper, my fears about it began to subside. Now, I am once again confident that I can write a fully satisfactory, well-worded essay and have it completed well before the deadline, even though the deadline is coming up sooner than I had thought. I'm not worried about my paper; I'm working on it.
As it turned out, I needn't have worried. After a few moments of being paralyzed by fear, I did the only sensible thing I could have done; I went to work. I double-checked the rubric for the assignment (which I had already read some weeks ago), brainstormed some ideas of what to write about, formed a simple outline, and began typing. What had suddenly become a terrifying challenge gradually became a manageable one. All because I stopped worrying and got to work.
In life, there are plenty of challenges, and some of them seem terribly hopeless and intimidating, yet, the only causes that are truly hopeless are the ones we don't attempt. When we're faced with such a challenge, we could choose to give up, letting the challenge defeat us before we even try, or we could rise to the challenge, and work to overcome it. We may still fail, but at least we'll have known that we tried, and if we hadn't made that effort, we certainly would have failed. As Wayne Gretsky once said, "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take." We owe it to ourselves to at least take the shot.
And once we begin to work on our challenges, we may begin to see them in more realistic terms. Tasks that seemed intimidating at first may begin to seem less challenging. Sure, a good essay can't be written overnight, but once I divided the assignment into steps, it became much easier to work on. Once I started working on the paper, my fears about it began to subside. Now, I am once again confident that I can write a fully satisfactory, well-worded essay and have it completed well before the deadline, even though the deadline is coming up sooner than I had thought. I'm not worried about my paper; I'm working on it.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Prepare for Judgement
Today's lessons were about the Sacrament and the Sabbath, but I'm still thinking about the supreme court's decision and how it's going to affect the world we live in. The world was already a scary place in terms of how little society cares about following God's laws. Now, society as a whole is venturing farther and farther away from God's counsel. Those who support one of the most fundamental elements of God's plan are being belittled as bigots, while those who actively fight against God are being hailed as heroes. How long will it be before God sets the record straight? I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not sure I'm ready for God to pass judgment on the Earth. I don't think it would go well for the Earth in general, it certainly won't go terribly well for the country I live in, and I'm not even sure how well it would go for me personally. We're not ready.
Luckily, the world hasn't ended yet, so we still have time to prepare. There's not much we can do about the country, let alone the whole world, but at least we can prepare ourselves. The world may be slipping away from God's standards, but we don't have to. We need to stand our ground and stay strong. We need to keeping acting according to our own consciences and, when necessary, fighting for our right to do so. We can't force others to accept our standards, but we can uphold those standards ourselves, and we can help all those who are willing to listen.
I'd hate to be one of those guys on a street corner waving a giant "REPENT" sign, but the end is coming and we need to prepare for it. Natural disasters seem to have picked up during the last few years, wars continue to plague the Earth, and God's not going to let this downward trend to continue forever. I can't promise that the Millennium is going to begin within any of our lifetimes, but practically everyone who knows about agrees that it's going to happen soon. The world in general may not be ready when that day comes, but we should be. The world may or may not choose to repent, but we should. And judging by the state of the world at the moment, we should probably repent pretty soon.
Luckily, the world hasn't ended yet, so we still have time to prepare. There's not much we can do about the country, let alone the whole world, but at least we can prepare ourselves. The world may be slipping away from God's standards, but we don't have to. We need to stand our ground and stay strong. We need to keeping acting according to our own consciences and, when necessary, fighting for our right to do so. We can't force others to accept our standards, but we can uphold those standards ourselves, and we can help all those who are willing to listen.
I'd hate to be one of those guys on a street corner waving a giant "REPENT" sign, but the end is coming and we need to prepare for it. Natural disasters seem to have picked up during the last few years, wars continue to plague the Earth, and God's not going to let this downward trend to continue forever. I can't promise that the Millennium is going to begin within any of our lifetimes, but practically everyone who knows about agrees that it's going to happen soon. The world in general may not be ready when that day comes, but we should be. The world may or may not choose to repent, but we should. And judging by the state of the world at the moment, we should probably repent pretty soon.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
What We're Fighting For
The Inspired Cashier
This post is late. Sorry about that. I need to get back into the habit of blogging first thing in the morning. Otherwise, I forget.
This afternoon, Mom and I got a pair of sandwiches at a Subway restaurant. They were having a special where, if you buy a $25 gift card, you get a sandwich free, so Mom had the idea of buying a gift card to get one free sandwich, then using the gift card to pay for the other sandwich. It was a good idea, except that the cashier didn't know how to do the gift card special. He had never done it before, and his manager. What was funny was that, earlier that day, he had felt impressed to ask his manager to show him how do it, but his manager had thought that it wasn't likely that the cashier would need that information while he was out. When my Mom heard that story, she remarked that the cashier had likely been inspired to ask his manager, which I think is really cool.
I think it's awesome that you don't need to be a member of this church or any other church, in order to be led by the Spirit. The Spirit can touch anyone's heart and offer them guidance. A person doesn't need to be a member of any religion in particular or even any church at all - We just need to be listening. The cashier had listened, which is how he knew to ask for the information he had a feeling he might need. We should follow his example by acting on the promptings we receive. We should also follow my mom's example by pointing out inspiration when we recognize it. I'm going to try to do that more often, especially now that I've been reminded that anyone can be inspired.
This afternoon, Mom and I got a pair of sandwiches at a Subway restaurant. They were having a special where, if you buy a $25 gift card, you get a sandwich free, so Mom had the idea of buying a gift card to get one free sandwich, then using the gift card to pay for the other sandwich. It was a good idea, except that the cashier didn't know how to do the gift card special. He had never done it before, and his manager. What was funny was that, earlier that day, he had felt impressed to ask his manager to show him how do it, but his manager had thought that it wasn't likely that the cashier would need that information while he was out. When my Mom heard that story, she remarked that the cashier had likely been inspired to ask his manager, which I think is really cool.
I think it's awesome that you don't need to be a member of this church or any other church, in order to be led by the Spirit. The Spirit can touch anyone's heart and offer them guidance. A person doesn't need to be a member of any religion in particular or even any church at all - We just need to be listening. The cashier had listened, which is how he knew to ask for the information he had a feeling he might need. We should follow his example by acting on the promptings we receive. We should also follow my mom's example by pointing out inspiration when we recognize it. I'm going to try to do that more often, especially now that I've been reminded that anyone can be inspired.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Will of God - Will of Man
“There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'” -C.S. Lewis
I think that, with the amount of agency we're given, we must be careful not to seek for things that are contrary to God's will. God has given us His perfect counsel, but has left it up to us to decide whether we heed or ignore that counsel. He lets us choose, even when we choose poorly. One famous example of this is when Joseph Smith repeatedly asked for permission to lend the first 116 translated pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript to Martin Harris, despite getting repeated 'no' answers. Eventually, at Harris's and Smith's insistence, the Lord finally said something along the lines of "all right, then, have it your way," but it went rather badly for Joseph Smith and Martin Harris.
We should be careful not to make the same mistake. Those who insist on following their own paths, despite the Lord's counsel, are eventually left to their own wisdom, and it often leads them astray. Because God loves us, He offers us inspired guidance, but because He respects our agency, He lets us make our own decisions,even when they lead us to bad places. I'm not saying that a certain number of individuals made such a decision recently, but I am saying that we should each be careful not to make such decisions ourselves, no matter what other people are saying or doing.
God makes it rather clear, through the voice of His servants, what His will is concerning us. I hope that I have the courage to say "Thy will be done" rather than "my will be done." I have a feeling I know which course of action will work out better for me in the end.
I think that, with the amount of agency we're given, we must be careful not to seek for things that are contrary to God's will. God has given us His perfect counsel, but has left it up to us to decide whether we heed or ignore that counsel. He lets us choose, even when we choose poorly. One famous example of this is when Joseph Smith repeatedly asked for permission to lend the first 116 translated pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript to Martin Harris, despite getting repeated 'no' answers. Eventually, at Harris's and Smith's insistence, the Lord finally said something along the lines of "all right, then, have it your way," but it went rather badly for Joseph Smith and Martin Harris.
We should be careful not to make the same mistake. Those who insist on following their own paths, despite the Lord's counsel, are eventually left to their own wisdom, and it often leads them astray. Because God loves us, He offers us inspired guidance, but because He respects our agency, He lets us make our own decisions,even when they lead us to bad places. I'm not saying that a certain number of individuals made such a decision recently, but I am saying that we should each be careful not to make such decisions ourselves, no matter what other people are saying or doing.
God makes it rather clear, through the voice of His servants, what His will is concerning us. I hope that I have the courage to say "Thy will be done" rather than "my will be done." I have a feeling I know which course of action will work out better for me in the end.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Scatter Sunshine
One of the sappiest hymns in the LDS hymnal is Hymn 230, Scatter Sunshine, but earlier this evening, I found myself humming it because that is exactly what we had done weeks before, and boy did it pay off! The birdseed we sometimes buy has lots of sunflower seeds in it, which our pet cockatiel doesn't eat. I took to sifting the sunflowers seeds out from the other seeds, and over a period of months, we had collected several buckets full of sunflowers seeds. As a family, we decided that what we wanted to do with the seeds was to scatter them in a vacant lot near our neighborhood, so that's what we did.
That was some months ago, and the conditions of that lot haven't really been conducive to growing things. The drought has been terrible, and the lot had been mowed a few times. Though we had once fantasized of seeing rows and rows of sunflowers, we had all but given up on seeing any of our sunflowers grow. However, earlier this evening, Mom spotted one, and our whole family was happy that at least one of our sunflowers had grown.
Now, it may be that our sunflower might soon get mowed down along with the weeds that grow in the lot, or maybe the drought will kill it; I'm not sure. But I am sure that those few minutes of scattering sunflower seeds paid off in the happiness we felt when we saw that one of them had grown. It was only a little thing, but it made us happy.
Scatter Sunshine recommends doing "little kindly deeds" because "slightest actions often meet the sorest needs." I don't know if what we had done met any "sorest needs," but it certainly brought joy to my heart, making it well worth the few minutes it took to scatter the sunflower seeds. Similarly, we may not change many people's lives very dramatically by doing "little kindly deeds," but we might make a few people a little bit more happy, and when we do, we'll find that it was definitely worth the effort.
That was some months ago, and the conditions of that lot haven't really been conducive to growing things. The drought has been terrible, and the lot had been mowed a few times. Though we had once fantasized of seeing rows and rows of sunflowers, we had all but given up on seeing any of our sunflowers grow. However, earlier this evening, Mom spotted one, and our whole family was happy that at least one of our sunflowers had grown.
Now, it may be that our sunflower might soon get mowed down along with the weeds that grow in the lot, or maybe the drought will kill it; I'm not sure. But I am sure that those few minutes of scattering sunflower seeds paid off in the happiness we felt when we saw that one of them had grown. It was only a little thing, but it made us happy.
Scatter Sunshine recommends doing "little kindly deeds" because "slightest actions often meet the sorest needs." I don't know if what we had done met any "sorest needs," but it certainly brought joy to my heart, making it well worth the few minutes it took to scatter the sunflower seeds. Similarly, we may not change many people's lives very dramatically by doing "little kindly deeds," but we might make a few people a little bit more happy, and when we do, we'll find that it was definitely worth the effort.
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