It hasn't even been a week yet, and I've already had a few good moments with the scriptures since I decided to use my puzzle game to keep track of whether I've read the scriptures or not on a given day, and the puzzle game has certainly helped me remember to read my scriptures and say my prayers.
This evening, as I was trying to fit dishes into the dishwasher as efficiently as possible, I remarked on how fun a puzzle it was, which reminded me, at 9pm, that I hadn't done my daily puzzle yet, which meant that I hadn't read my scriptures yet. I corrected that situation shortly thereafter, and I just now extended my streak to 370 days. Only 360 to go to reach my current goal.
Now, I understand that I may fail. I may simply forget to read my scriptures and say my prayers, and my puzzle game may not be enough to remind me. It's possible that my 370-day streak will become a 0-day streak, simply because it slipped my mind.
But if that happens, so be it. I'll probably deserve it. Communing with God shouldn't be something that can just "slip my mind." Then again, I shouldn't need a puzzle game to remind me to do it periodically, but it is what it is.
And thankfully, it's working. My game reminded me to read my scriptures today. Let's hope it keeps working.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Monday, April 29, 2019
Our Latest Tradition
We had Family Home Evening this evening. Now, this isn't terribly remarkable, since we've been having Family Home Evening every week for a few months now, but that's what makes it remarkable. In my home, we have always had Family Prayer and Scripture Study, every night, for as long as I can remember. Having weekly Family Home Evening is relatively new, but it's already a regular occurrence, thanks entirely to my mother. She works hard to make sure we have good family traditions, and it's been working. Adding Family Home Evening to our list of traditions is just the latest way my mom has improved our family. President Henry B. Eyring recently spoke about how we can cultivate A Home Where the Spirit of the Lord Dwells. My Mom has been doing that for all my life and for most of hers. I'm grateful to her for establishing good traditions like Family Prayer and Scripture Study and Family Home Evening, and for regularly striving to establish additional traditions. She makes our home a better place simply by being a member of it, and she continues to improve our home and our lives by establishing and maintaining good, gospel-oriented, family traditions.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Could We Have Known?
I sometimes wonder whether we knew what we were getting ourselves into when we decided to accept God's plan and come to Earth. At first, it seemed to me that we couldn't have known. After all, how can a being that has never had a body possibly know what having a body feels like? However, I have realized that there might have been a way.
There was at least One Person who knew what mortality was like. God, Our Heavenly Father, had experienced mortality before. If He had any way to explain to us what it was like, or to communicate directly to our spirits what it would feel like, there's a chance we could have understood.
Of course, that would only have told us about His experience. It wouldn't necessarily have told us about ours. However, I think there's a way God could have done that, too. God knows the end from the beginning. He perceives time differently than we do. It may be that He knows the future well enough that it's as though He had already experienced it. And it's certainly true that He has a great deal of empathy. Perhaps, after our earthly experience, He will use His great empathy to understand exactly what we went through, perhaps even feel it Himself. If He does, then it could be said that He will experience everything we are now experiencing, and if He ever will experience it, it would have been as though He already had.
Back in the Pre-Mortal Council, He could have looked toward the future to the time when we would help Him understand exactly what we will have gone through in this life. Then, with that future experience fresh in His mind, He could have transfered it into our minds. Thus, God could have let us understand everything that we were going to experience, and we could then make an informed decision whether or not to go through with it.
I understand that this method is convoluted, especially compared to a much simpler method. God, being omniscient, would have known what we were going to go through, and He, being omnipotent, could have transfered some or all of that knowledge to us. Granted, the only thing that changes in that scenario is how God came by the information of what we would experience, but it involves less future-sight, so it's a bit easier to grasp.
Personally, I think we did know what we would be getting ourselves into. God could have helped us understand what mortality was going to be like, and I think He would want us to know what we were signing ourselves up for. In a way, it wouldn't have been fair if He hadn't explained it to us. I may be wrong, and, given the veil, I can't know for sure, but I think we had some idea what life would be like before we agreed to experience it first-hand. Given how difficult life is, it's tempting to think that I wouldn't have agreed to it if I had known how hard it would be, but I think I did know, and I agreed to it anyway. It's hard to say exactly how much we knew about mortality before we signed up for it, but I like to think God let us know what kind of experience we were in for.
There was at least One Person who knew what mortality was like. God, Our Heavenly Father, had experienced mortality before. If He had any way to explain to us what it was like, or to communicate directly to our spirits what it would feel like, there's a chance we could have understood.
Of course, that would only have told us about His experience. It wouldn't necessarily have told us about ours. However, I think there's a way God could have done that, too. God knows the end from the beginning. He perceives time differently than we do. It may be that He knows the future well enough that it's as though He had already experienced it. And it's certainly true that He has a great deal of empathy. Perhaps, after our earthly experience, He will use His great empathy to understand exactly what we went through, perhaps even feel it Himself. If He does, then it could be said that He will experience everything we are now experiencing, and if He ever will experience it, it would have been as though He already had.
Back in the Pre-Mortal Council, He could have looked toward the future to the time when we would help Him understand exactly what we will have gone through in this life. Then, with that future experience fresh in His mind, He could have transfered it into our minds. Thus, God could have let us understand everything that we were going to experience, and we could then make an informed decision whether or not to go through with it.
I understand that this method is convoluted, especially compared to a much simpler method. God, being omniscient, would have known what we were going to go through, and He, being omnipotent, could have transfered some or all of that knowledge to us. Granted, the only thing that changes in that scenario is how God came by the information of what we would experience, but it involves less future-sight, so it's a bit easier to grasp.
Personally, I think we did know what we would be getting ourselves into. God could have helped us understand what mortality was going to be like, and I think He would want us to know what we were signing ourselves up for. In a way, it wouldn't have been fair if He hadn't explained it to us. I may be wrong, and, given the veil, I can't know for sure, but I think we had some idea what life would be like before we agreed to experience it first-hand. Given how difficult life is, it's tempting to think that I wouldn't have agreed to it if I had known how hard it would be, but I think I did know, and I agreed to it anyway. It's hard to say exactly how much we knew about mortality before we signed up for it, but I like to think God let us know what kind of experience we were in for.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Varying Spoon Costs
I've been learning things about spoons. Spoons are sometimes used as stand-ins for mental/emotional energy. If you're too tired to do something, even if you're not physically tired at all, it may be because you don't have enough spoons.
What I've learned recently is that the same activity may cost different people different numbers of spoons. Washing dishes, for example, isn't always a two- or three-spoon task. For some people, washing dishes might only cost them one spoon. For some people, it might cost them four.
Activities may also have different spoon costs at different times of day. Some people are morning people and have an easier time getting things done in the morning than in the evening. Some people are evening people and can keep doing things late into the evening.
People are different. We have different strengths and weaknesses, different abilities and disabilities. Something that's easy for one person at one time might be more difficult for another person or at another time. So we should try to be patient and understanding with each other, especially when people seem to be running low on spoons. The easiness or difficulty of any task is relative, and it may change by the hour, so even though we may think we know how many spoons a certain action should cost a certain person, we shouldn't be too sure.
What I've learned recently is that the same activity may cost different people different numbers of spoons. Washing dishes, for example, isn't always a two- or three-spoon task. For some people, washing dishes might only cost them one spoon. For some people, it might cost them four.
Activities may also have different spoon costs at different times of day. Some people are morning people and have an easier time getting things done in the morning than in the evening. Some people are evening people and can keep doing things late into the evening.
People are different. We have different strengths and weaknesses, different abilities and disabilities. Something that's easy for one person at one time might be more difficult for another person or at another time. So we should try to be patient and understanding with each other, especially when people seem to be running low on spoons. The easiness or difficulty of any task is relative, and it may change by the hour, so even though we may think we know how many spoons a certain action should cost a certain person, we shouldn't be too sure.
Friday, April 26, 2019
Never Too Late, Never Too Early
Many parts of Bishop W. Christopher Waddell's April 2019 talk, Just as He Did, reminded me of the famous quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's April 2012 talk, The Laborers in the Vineyard:
However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.Bishop Waddell repeatedly shared a similar sentiment, with the resemblance, in some places, being almost uncanny:
We must remember that it is never too late and no one has ever wandered so far from the path that he or she is beyond the reach of the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ, which is limitless in its duration and scope.However, Bishop Waddell added something that I feel is very important. He said that, "Just as it is never too late for the Savior, it is never too soon for us to extend [or, I might add, accept] an invitation." It's comforting that it's never too late to repent, but it's important to remember that it's also never too early. In fact, Amulek warned us not to "procrastinate the day of [our] repentance" (Alma 34:33). The success of our repentance can depend on how soon we begin the repentance process and how long we put it off. Besides, sin keeps us from enjoying many spiritual blessings. Sure, we might be able to earn those blessings later, but why wait? Why take the risk? We can secure some of those blessings now, and ensure that we'll receive all the others later, by repenting as soon as we realize that we need to. God will give us all the time we need to complete the repentance process, but it may be vital that we begin that process as soon as possible. It may never be to late to finish repenting, but it is also never too early to start.
Thursday, April 25, 2019
365-Day Streak
On my phone, I have a game called Flow Free (I think it's just the free version of a game called Flow, though I'm not sure about that). It's a puzzle game, and each day, it generates a new set of simple puzzles. As of today, I have a 365-day streak of completing those daily puzzles. This means that I have played this game, for maybe a minute or two each day, every day, for a year.
Unfortunately, I have not been this consistent about everything. I certainly haven't read from the scriptures daily, unless you count family scripture study, which I don't. And I can't say for certain that I've prayed daily, unless you count family prayer, which I don't. I've blogged daily (at least, I highly doubt that I've missed a day), so that's worth something, but I certainly have room for improvement.
Perhaps I should make a new rule that I cannot complete each day's daily puzzle until and unless I've said a prayer and done at least some reading from The Book of Mormon. That way, I'll be forced to either do my daily prayer and scripture reading or give up a 365+ day streak. That should provide some incentive. Half the reason I blog each day is because, after all these years (has it really been years?) or relative consistency, it'd be an utter shame to stop now.
So, I'm going to use my silly puzzle game to encourage me to build a habit of paying and reading scriptures daily. With a little bit of luck, discipline, and diligence, I may be able to blog about my new 365-day streak (or 730-day streak by then) next year.
Unfortunately, I have not been this consistent about everything. I certainly haven't read from the scriptures daily, unless you count family scripture study, which I don't. And I can't say for certain that I've prayed daily, unless you count family prayer, which I don't. I've blogged daily (at least, I highly doubt that I've missed a day), so that's worth something, but I certainly have room for improvement.
Perhaps I should make a new rule that I cannot complete each day's daily puzzle until and unless I've said a prayer and done at least some reading from The Book of Mormon. That way, I'll be forced to either do my daily prayer and scripture reading or give up a 365+ day streak. That should provide some incentive. Half the reason I blog each day is because, after all these years (has it really been years?) or relative consistency, it'd be an utter shame to stop now.
So, I'm going to use my silly puzzle game to encourage me to build a habit of paying and reading scriptures daily. With a little bit of luck, discipline, and diligence, I may be able to blog about my new 365-day streak (or 730-day streak by then) next year.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
What Is In Your Heart
The title of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's April 2019 General Conference talk is " in Sunday School. For a testimony to have an impact, it has to be personal. In April 1973, President Harold B. Lee said, "You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul." That's why I think that the first and most important step of missionary work is to cultivate a personal testimony, which will both give you something to share and fill you with a desire to share it.
I don't often feel like sharing the Gospel. If I had to guess, I would say that may be because my testimony isn't very strong. If I had a strong enough belief in the Gospel, I would probably recognize how vital it is to each person's well-being and how important it is to share it. People need the gospel, and if I fully understood that, I think I would have an easier time sharing the Gospel with them. Gospel teaching is supposed to come from the heart. If I want to light fires of testimony in the hearts of others, I should make sure that it's burning brightly in my heart first.
I don't often feel like sharing the Gospel. If I had to guess, I would say that may be because my testimony isn't very strong. If I had a strong enough belief in the Gospel, I would probably recognize how vital it is to each person's well-being and how important it is to share it. People need the gospel, and if I fully understood that, I think I would have an easier time sharing the Gospel with them. Gospel teaching is supposed to come from the heart. If I want to light fires of testimony in the hearts of others, I should make sure that it's burning brightly in my heart first.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Death for Life
I'm trying to accept the fact the Jesus was okay with suffering and dying for us, that our eternal welfare was more important to Him than His mortal well-being. One of my earliest memories of Primary was learning the Hymn "I Stand All Amazed," and not wanting to sing the chorus "Oh, it is wonderful that He should care for me enough to die for me! Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!" I felt that I couldn't sing that because it wasn't true. It's still not. I don't think that it's wonderful that Jesus, the only person who ever lived who didn't deserve any punishment, endured the greatest punishment in the history of the world (past or future), partly because of me. I'm not okay with Him dying for me.
Granted, I understand that the hymn isn't really saying that it's wonderful that Christ had to die. It's saying that it's wonderful that He loved us enough to be willing to. Try explaining those semantics to Eight-ish-Year-Old me. But anyway, while I am eternally grateful for Christ's love, I'm not fully okay with the sacrifice that that love drove Him to make. I wish there had been another way. Come to think of it, so had He.
But, unfortunately for both of us, God's plan, as unpalatable as I may sometimes find it, was and is perfect. No one could have made a better plan, and no other plan could have been as good. Christ's sacrifice was necessary. Someday, I may find out why and become okay with that. In the meantime, I just have to trust God and accept that His plan was and is perfect, Atonement and all. I would rather that Christ didn't have to die for me, but that's not up to me. The plan has been decided on and already carried out. The price has already been paid for me. The only thing I can do now is accept Christ's sacrifice and try not to worsen it.
Jesus Christ had to die for me. Now I have to make sure He didn't die in vain.
Granted, I understand that the hymn isn't really saying that it's wonderful that Christ had to die. It's saying that it's wonderful that He loved us enough to be willing to. Try explaining those semantics to Eight-ish-Year-Old me. But anyway, while I am eternally grateful for Christ's love, I'm not fully okay with the sacrifice that that love drove Him to make. I wish there had been another way. Come to think of it, so had He.
But, unfortunately for both of us, God's plan, as unpalatable as I may sometimes find it, was and is perfect. No one could have made a better plan, and no other plan could have been as good. Christ's sacrifice was necessary. Someday, I may find out why and become okay with that. In the meantime, I just have to trust God and accept that His plan was and is perfect, Atonement and all. I would rather that Christ didn't have to die for me, but that's not up to me. The plan has been decided on and already carried out. The price has already been paid for me. The only thing I can do now is accept Christ's sacrifice and try not to worsen it.
Jesus Christ had to die for me. Now I have to make sure He didn't die in vain.
Monday, April 22, 2019
One Part I Dislike About The Atonement
I'm not 100% sure how The Atonement works, but I'm pretty sure I wish it worked differently. I understand that, when someone sins, there has to be some sort of justice, usually taking the form of some sort of punishment. I also understand that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins, with the understanding that we won't have to face the penalties for our sins if we meet Jesus' condition: repentance. However, the part of this program that I don't like is what happens if we don't repent.
If we don't repent, we have to suffer the consequences of our sins. That part's fine. That's justice. I have no problem with that. The part I have a problem with is that, even if we don't repent of a particular sin, Christ still also paid the penalty for that sin anyway. This means that we cannot choose to spare Christ some pain by choosing to accept the penalty for our own sins. Christ's suffering was entirely unjust, and there's little, if anything, we can do to make it right. Sure, we can suffer for our own sins if we want to, but that only means that Jesus suffered in vain.
However, I think I understand why the plan was arranged that way. Jesus doesn't want us to suffer, and He knew that many of us wouldn't want Him to suffer, so He (or God) made sure that we wouldn't have the opportunity to spare Christ by taking our own sins upon ourselves. Instead, the only way we have to reduce (or prevent some of) Jesus' suffering is to not sin in the first place. The only way we can reduce the amount of suffering Christ had to face on our account is to reduce the number of sins He would have to have paid for. We can't reduce His burden through non-repentance, but we can reduce it through righteousness.
Like I said, I wish it worked differently. I appreciate that Jesus made a heroic sacrifice for me, but a part of me wishes that I could make a heroic (and just) self-sacrifice for Him. Unfortunately, the price of our sins has already been paid, and the only way we can "reduce" that penalty is by trying not to add to it. As for our past sins, there's nothing we can do about that now except to thank our Savior and try not to squander His gift. We cannot spare Him by not repenting, but if we do repent, He can spare us. That's His plan. And, unfortunately for those who'd rather not let an innocent man suffer for our misdeeds, I don't see any way around it.
If we don't repent, we have to suffer the consequences of our sins. That part's fine. That's justice. I have no problem with that. The part I have a problem with is that, even if we don't repent of a particular sin, Christ still also paid the penalty for that sin anyway. This means that we cannot choose to spare Christ some pain by choosing to accept the penalty for our own sins. Christ's suffering was entirely unjust, and there's little, if anything, we can do to make it right. Sure, we can suffer for our own sins if we want to, but that only means that Jesus suffered in vain.
However, I think I understand why the plan was arranged that way. Jesus doesn't want us to suffer, and He knew that many of us wouldn't want Him to suffer, so He (or God) made sure that we wouldn't have the opportunity to spare Christ by taking our own sins upon ourselves. Instead, the only way we have to reduce (or prevent some of) Jesus' suffering is to not sin in the first place. The only way we can reduce the amount of suffering Christ had to face on our account is to reduce the number of sins He would have to have paid for. We can't reduce His burden through non-repentance, but we can reduce it through righteousness.
Like I said, I wish it worked differently. I appreciate that Jesus made a heroic sacrifice for me, but a part of me wishes that I could make a heroic (and just) self-sacrifice for Him. Unfortunately, the price of our sins has already been paid, and the only way we can "reduce" that penalty is by trying not to add to it. As for our past sins, there's nothing we can do about that now except to thank our Savior and try not to squander His gift. We cannot spare Him by not repenting, but if we do repent, He can spare us. That's His plan. And, unfortunately for those who'd rather not let an innocent man suffer for our misdeeds, I don't see any way around it.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
The Hope of Easter
It has occurred to me that the lesson of Easter is mostly about hope, though the surety of that hope varies. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ has guaranteed that everyone will be redeemed from physical death. We will all be restored to life, all of our physical infirmities will be alleviated, and we will become immortal. That's a future we hope for, and we can be certain of it.
However, our hope for redemption from spiritual death depends on our actions. Through the Atonement, Jesus Christ made it possible for us to repent and be forgiven of our sins, but it does not make it certain that we will. While our redemption from physical death is guaranteed, our redemption from spiritual death depends on our repentance. So, while Eastertime gives Christians a good deal of hope, it's partially up to us to make sure that our hope is realized.
However, our hope for redemption from spiritual death depends on our actions. Through the Atonement, Jesus Christ made it possible for us to repent and be forgiven of our sins, but it does not make it certain that we will. While our redemption from physical death is guaranteed, our redemption from spiritual death depends on our repentance. So, while Eastertime gives Christians a good deal of hope, it's partially up to us to make sure that our hope is realized.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Many Easter Lessons
There are so many lessons to learn from Easter and the week that preceded it, it's hard for me to pin down any one lesson to focus on. I could emphasize Christ's love, courage, or mercy. I could focus on hope through The Atonement. I could share any of the lessons Christ taught that week and my thoughts on how we should apply them. But the problem for me is that none of those thoughts or messages stands out to me more than any of the others, and I'm sure that any message I could share about Easter has already been shared by people much better-equipped to talk about it than I am. I'll try to focus on one aspect of Easter and try to gain some new insights about it, but mostly, I'm just glad that Easter happens, and I'm glad there are so many different lessons one can learn from it.
Our Wants and His Wisdom
Elder Brook P. Hales of the Seventy opened his talk, Answers to Prayer, with the following words:
The first reason is that it may not ultimately matter. God has a perfect plan for each of us, but some elements of that plan may be nonessential or flexible, allowing us the freedom and leeway to seek our own path within the bounds The Lord has set. In fact, God might specifically plan for this. God values our agency. Perhaps our choices and preferences factor into His plans for us. He wants what's best for us, but there may be times when having opportunities to exercise our agency and get what we want ultimately is what's best for us.
Another reason God might let us have what we want, despite Him wanting what's best for us, is that what we want is what's best for us. I don't imagine this happens often, and it may be pure coincidence when it does, but it's possible for our choices to, coincidentally or not, align with God's will, especially when we seek to follow God's will. God wants what's best for us, but perhaps we sometimes want what's best for us, too.
God gives us many blessings, and He'll certainly never give us anything that's not going to be good for us, but I find it interesting that God blesses us not only according to our needs and His wisdom, but also, occasionally, according to our desires.
An important and comforting doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that our Heavenly Father has perfect love for His children. Because of that perfect love, He blesses us not only according to our desires and needs but also according to His infinite wisdom.What I find interesting about this is that, while God doesn't always give us what we want, He sometimes does. This seems somewhat odd to me. If God knows what's best for us, why not only give us that, regardless of what we want? At the moment, I can think of a handful of reasons why God sometimes gives us what we want.
The first reason is that it may not ultimately matter. God has a perfect plan for each of us, but some elements of that plan may be nonessential or flexible, allowing us the freedom and leeway to seek our own path within the bounds The Lord has set. In fact, God might specifically plan for this. God values our agency. Perhaps our choices and preferences factor into His plans for us. He wants what's best for us, but there may be times when having opportunities to exercise our agency and get what we want ultimately is what's best for us.
Another reason God might let us have what we want, despite Him wanting what's best for us, is that what we want is what's best for us. I don't imagine this happens often, and it may be pure coincidence when it does, but it's possible for our choices to, coincidentally or not, align with God's will, especially when we seek to follow God's will. God wants what's best for us, but perhaps we sometimes want what's best for us, too.
God gives us many blessings, and He'll certainly never give us anything that's not going to be good for us, but I find it interesting that God blesses us not only according to our needs and His wisdom, but also, occasionally, according to our desires.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Raising Standards
In her talk, Careful versus Casual, President Becky Craven, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, warned us against lowering our standards to match others'. Instead, she advised us to elevate others and encourage them to raise their standards. I see some wisdom in this. People would do well to hold themselves, if not also others, to high standards. We should all strive to exhibit great moral character, not just "good" or "acceptable" moral character. And sadly, some people's behavior is unacceptable, by God's standards. We should do better, and we should urge others to do better. The world regularly lowers its standards of personal moral conduct. We should do what we can to reverse that trend.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Making Sacrifices for Blank-Check Blessings
In our D&D game tonight, we encountered a dragon. Normally, a dragon would be a pretty tough fight, but this dragon approached us in the form of a human and subsequently became an ally of ours. Now, it's uncertain how genuine this alliance is our how long it'll last, but for now, we have a draconic ally, and my character, Krusk, believes he has Besmara to thank for that.
Shortly before the dragon encounter, Krusk prayed to Besmara and made her an offering of 50 Gold Pieces and his wedding ring. (Krusk no longer considers himself married to the woman who cheated on him and attempted to kill one of his friends and steal a whole hoard of treasure from him.) When Krusk made that offering, he wasn't asking for anything specific. The was no favor he was especially trying to seek. He was merely devoting himself to the worship of Besmara and hoping that she'd choose him to be (one of) her champion(s).
He had no idea a dragon might get involved. He would never have dreamed of asking for anything that great. The dragon was a complete surprise, but it was a welcome one.
When we Fast and contribute Fast Offerings, we sometimes have specific blessings in mind. There are often particular trials or challenges we want to overcome or particular blessings we want to get. We are encouraged to pray specifically, since that makes it at least a little bit more likely for us to get what we want.
Yet, God knows our wants and needs better than we can imagine, and there are certainly times when what we want isn't actually what's best for us. Perhaps we should occasionally ask God to bless us with whatever He wants to give us. Maybe we should sometimes make sacrifices to and for God "just because." God wants to bless us, and He knows which blessings would help us most. So, while we can certainly pray and fast and sacrifice for whatever blessings we think we need, perhaps we should also pray and fast and sacrifice for whatever blessings God knows we need. We may not know what blessings we're making sacrifices for, but I'm sure that God will make sure that whatever blessings He gives us will be well worth the sacrifices.
Shortly before the dragon encounter, Krusk prayed to Besmara and made her an offering of 50 Gold Pieces and his wedding ring. (Krusk no longer considers himself married to the woman who cheated on him and attempted to kill one of his friends and steal a whole hoard of treasure from him.) When Krusk made that offering, he wasn't asking for anything specific. The was no favor he was especially trying to seek. He was merely devoting himself to the worship of Besmara and hoping that she'd choose him to be (one of) her champion(s).
He had no idea a dragon might get involved. He would never have dreamed of asking for anything that great. The dragon was a complete surprise, but it was a welcome one.
When we Fast and contribute Fast Offerings, we sometimes have specific blessings in mind. There are often particular trials or challenges we want to overcome or particular blessings we want to get. We are encouraged to pray specifically, since that makes it at least a little bit more likely for us to get what we want.
Yet, God knows our wants and needs better than we can imagine, and there are certainly times when what we want isn't actually what's best for us. Perhaps we should occasionally ask God to bless us with whatever He wants to give us. Maybe we should sometimes make sacrifices to and for God "just because." God wants to bless us, and He knows which blessings would help us most. So, while we can certainly pray and fast and sacrifice for whatever blessings we think we need, perhaps we should also pray and fast and sacrifice for whatever blessings God knows we need. We may not know what blessings we're making sacrifices for, but I'm sure that God will make sure that whatever blessings He gives us will be well worth the sacrifices.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
The Purpose of Playing
This evening, I played a game of D&D with my siblings, but we didn't do much of what I had planned.
I had planned for us to track down a giant hoar, overcome an obstacle or two, and charm the boar into performing at an event we were invited to attend. Instead, we spent the entire session talking to some soldiers, pointing them in the direction of a dungeon we had cleared out, and following them to the dungeon and then back to their base of operations.
We did eventually get to the part where we found boar tracks, but that was about as far as we got along the line of events I had planned. Most other games would tell us that we had not accomplished our objectives, and had therefore failed.
However, this is D&D. The objectives can be whatever we want them to be. If we want to spend our whole gaming evening sneaking around some soldiers, chatting with them, and sneaking around them some more, so be it.
One of the main objectives of any game is to have fun. As long as we're having fun, we're playing the game just fine.
But more importantly, I play D&D with my siblings largely as an excuse to get together and hang out with my siblings. As long as we're spending time together, enjoying each others' company, that's what really matters.
I like D&D for many reasons. I like the stories we get to tell and experience, I like the wacky shenanigans we get into, and I like spending time with my friends and family (in manageably small groups; I'm still fairly introverted). Of those reasons, I generally count the last one as the most important. As long as we're all together, having a good time, I'd say it hardly matters how we're playing D&Dor even whether or not we're actually playing the game at all.
I had planned for us to track down a giant hoar, overcome an obstacle or two, and charm the boar into performing at an event we were invited to attend. Instead, we spent the entire session talking to some soldiers, pointing them in the direction of a dungeon we had cleared out, and following them to the dungeon and then back to their base of operations.
We did eventually get to the part where we found boar tracks, but that was about as far as we got along the line of events I had planned. Most other games would tell us that we had not accomplished our objectives, and had therefore failed.
However, this is D&D. The objectives can be whatever we want them to be. If we want to spend our whole gaming evening sneaking around some soldiers, chatting with them, and sneaking around them some more, so be it.
One of the main objectives of any game is to have fun. As long as we're having fun, we're playing the game just fine.
But more importantly, I play D&D with my siblings largely as an excuse to get together and hang out with my siblings. As long as we're spending time together, enjoying each others' company, that's what really matters.
I like D&D for many reasons. I like the stories we get to tell and experience, I like the wacky shenanigans we get into, and I like spending time with my friends and family (in manageably small groups; I'm still fairly introverted). Of those reasons, I generally count the last one as the most important. As long as we're all together, having a good time, I'd say it hardly matters how we're playing D&Dor even whether or not we're actually playing the game at all.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Sharing and Learning Together
In his talk, How Can I Understand?, Elder Ulisses Soares reminded us that one of the purposes of the new(ish) Come, Follow Me curriculum is to give us opportunities to teach and learn from each other. The Gospel has many layers and messages. Different people, after hearing the same parable or reading the same scripture, will sometimes see different lessons in them. As we share the gospel and our insights on it with each other, we will gain additional insights and perspectives, and we will be able to build on each others' insights and all learn more together. Studying the Gospel on one's own is important, but it can also be beneficial to get together after our personal studies and share what we've learned.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Stepping (or Storming) Out for Some Air
I kinda lost my cool at a family gathering this evening. I'm not good with noise and stress, and came really close to losing control of myself. Arguably, I did lose control for a moment there. Fortunately, not much came of it. When I reached my limit, I abruptly excused myself (perhaps a bit too abruptly) and went outside, closing the door behind me (certainly a bit too hard). The quiet, cool air helped me a lot, and after a few minutes, I eventually calmed down enough to rejoin the party, grateful that I had taken a moment to recenter myself.
Life is stressful, and the stress of life can sometimes take a toll on one's emotions. If left unchecked, this stress can influence a person to the point where they do things they regret, like walking out so suddenly and practically slamming the door behind me. It's important that we apply some self-care, preferably before we reach the point were it becomes vital.
Tonight didn't go perfectly, but it didn't go terribly. Next time, I think I'm going to try to get some alone time sooner and be more tactful about how I get it. It's understandable to need some fresh air after a while, but I could have gotten it in a less-rude way. I want to apologize to my family for that. I'll try to be less-impolite next time.
Life is stressful, and the stress of life can sometimes take a toll on one's emotions. If left unchecked, this stress can influence a person to the point where they do things they regret, like walking out so suddenly and practically slamming the door behind me. It's important that we apply some self-care, preferably before we reach the point were it becomes vital.
Tonight didn't go perfectly, but it didn't go terribly. Next time, I think I'm going to try to get some alone time sooner and be more tactful about how I get it. It's understandable to need some fresh air after a while, but I could have gotten it in a less-rude way. I want to apologize to my family for that. I'll try to be less-impolite next time.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Krusk Should Not Kill Holly
The other day, I mentioned that Krusk has recently received a shocking revelation about, and from, his wife. Krusk has spent much of the last two in-game months trying to reunite and reconcile with his wife, Holly. Recently, he accomplished just that, or at least he thought he had, but on the night after the crew took in A LOT of treasure, Holly attempted to steal that treasure, leaving behind a note revealing that she had betrayed him in more ways than one.
Naturally, Krusk feels betrayed and enraged, and the next time he sees his wife, he may not be able to restrain himself from trying to kill her. However, as I've thought about the situation, I've come to the conclusion that even though what Holly did was both immoral and illegal, she probably doesn't deserve to die for it.
Holly's letter revealed to Krusk that she had betrayed him, maritally. She had been unfaithful to him. Now, Krusk probably could have forgiven her for that. In fact, had they agreed to have an open relationship, he might have been perfectly fine with that. It still would have been immoral by our standards, but while infidelity is adequate grounds for divorce, it's not quite a capital offense.
Neither is robbery, especially not merely attempted robbery. Sure, Holly tried to steal a ridiculous amount of money from him, but she didn't actually get a penny of it, and she ended up escaping empty-handed. Holly might have earned some kind of punishment for trying to steal Krusk's treasure, but certainly not death.
Holly has a few other crimes and sins on her record now, but they're all fairly minor. She lied to Krusk, or at least withheld important information about herself, for about as long as he knew her (or thought he knew her). That is a violation of one of God's commandments, but it's not something one could justifiably punish her for, unless her lie somehow caused more harm than merely emotional harm. She also manipulated Krusk, which made her betrayal feel all the worse, but that's still not legal grounds to punish her.
However, Krusk doesn't care much whether he has legal or moral grounds for killing her. She betrayed him, and he is incredibly angry about it, so if he gets a chance, he will probably kill her, even though she doesn't actually deserve to die.
Morality exists on a sliding scale. Some good acts are better than others, and some evil acts are worse than others. Generally, the reward or punishment for any deed should be proportional to the goodness or badness of that deed. Major sins invoke major punishments and minor sins invoke minor punishments. Or at least, they should. Holly did things that were evil and/or illegal, and she deserves to be punished for them, but the punishment she deserves is not as great as the one she has coming to her.
Krusk should not kill his now-ex-wife, but he's probably going to, and he's certainly going to try. However, given an analysis of the situation, I've determined that killing Holly would be an evil act. Holly has wronged Krusk, but in this situation, killing her would also be wrong.
Unlike Krusk, we should learn to control our emotions and exercise wisdom and restraint. We should seek justice, not vengeance. It isn't easy to treat someone fairly after they've betrayed us, but we should certainly try, not because they deserve mercy, but because they deserve justice (as do we), and because, regardless of the circumstances, we should never answer others' sins with sins of our own. People will sin against us, but we should never use that, or our emotional response to it, to attempt to justify sinning against them. Instead, Krusk should forgive Holly, just as we should forgive those who sin against us, even in those rare cases when those sins render them worthy of death, and especially in the far-more-common cases when they don't.
Naturally, Krusk feels betrayed and enraged, and the next time he sees his wife, he may not be able to restrain himself from trying to kill her. However, as I've thought about the situation, I've come to the conclusion that even though what Holly did was both immoral and illegal, she probably doesn't deserve to die for it.
Holly's letter revealed to Krusk that she had betrayed him, maritally. She had been unfaithful to him. Now, Krusk probably could have forgiven her for that. In fact, had they agreed to have an open relationship, he might have been perfectly fine with that. It still would have been immoral by our standards, but while infidelity is adequate grounds for divorce, it's not quite a capital offense.
Neither is robbery, especially not merely attempted robbery. Sure, Holly tried to steal a ridiculous amount of money from him, but she didn't actually get a penny of it, and she ended up escaping empty-handed. Holly might have earned some kind of punishment for trying to steal Krusk's treasure, but certainly not death.
Holly has a few other crimes and sins on her record now, but they're all fairly minor. She lied to Krusk, or at least withheld important information about herself, for about as long as he knew her (or thought he knew her). That is a violation of one of God's commandments, but it's not something one could justifiably punish her for, unless her lie somehow caused more harm than merely emotional harm. She also manipulated Krusk, which made her betrayal feel all the worse, but that's still not legal grounds to punish her.
However, Krusk doesn't care much whether he has legal or moral grounds for killing her. She betrayed him, and he is incredibly angry about it, so if he gets a chance, he will probably kill her, even though she doesn't actually deserve to die.
Morality exists on a sliding scale. Some good acts are better than others, and some evil acts are worse than others. Generally, the reward or punishment for any deed should be proportional to the goodness or badness of that deed. Major sins invoke major punishments and minor sins invoke minor punishments. Or at least, they should. Holly did things that were evil and/or illegal, and she deserves to be punished for them, but the punishment she deserves is not as great as the one she has coming to her.
Krusk should not kill his now-ex-wife, but he's probably going to, and he's certainly going to try. However, given an analysis of the situation, I've determined that killing Holly would be an evil act. Holly has wronged Krusk, but in this situation, killing her would also be wrong.
Unlike Krusk, we should learn to control our emotions and exercise wisdom and restraint. We should seek justice, not vengeance. It isn't easy to treat someone fairly after they've betrayed us, but we should certainly try, not because they deserve mercy, but because they deserve justice (as do we), and because, regardless of the circumstances, we should never answer others' sins with sins of our own. People will sin against us, but we should never use that, or our emotional response to it, to attempt to justify sinning against them. Instead, Krusk should forgive Holly, just as we should forgive those who sin against us, even in those rare cases when those sins render them worthy of death, and especially in the far-more-common cases when they don't.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Help to Hold the Line
This morning, I had a conversation with someone on the topic of how people can wait in line for days, or even weeks. It seems impossible. Eventually, the person in line would have to go to the bathroom or get something to eat or drink. I'm pretty sure a person would die if they stayed in line that long. That is, unless they have help. If one stands in line with a partner or two, staying in line for days becomes much more possible. With a group, one or more people can hold the group's spot in line while one or more people go to fetch food or use the restroom. With two or more people supporting each other, and sufficient resources available nearby, a group of people can hold their spot in line basically indefinitely.
There are probably many activities in life that would be virtually impossible to accomplish alone but that become almost easy with adequate help. For example, none of us can become perfect on our own. That kind of improvement requires instruction; we need a Teacher to help us learn how to be prefect, or even what "perfect," in this context, means. But even if one managed to become a perfect person on their own, they would still be held back by the imperfections in their past; therefore, we'll also need a Savior to help relieve us of our past imperfections, including the ones we struggle with now. Both as a Teacher and as the Savior, Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to become perfect, which is something we could not possibly do on our own.
But even in more mundane circumstances, mortal aid can help a lot, too. That's why it's so vital for friends, family members, and church members to support each other and help each other with both their temporal and their eternal goals. This help may be absolutely necessary. Even with help, life isn't easy. Without help, it may even be impossible. Many people can stand in line on their own for a few hours, but if we're talking about a time period any longer than that, it will likely become essential to get somebody to help hold the line.
There are probably many activities in life that would be virtually impossible to accomplish alone but that become almost easy with adequate help. For example, none of us can become perfect on our own. That kind of improvement requires instruction; we need a Teacher to help us learn how to be prefect, or even what "perfect," in this context, means. But even if one managed to become a perfect person on their own, they would still be held back by the imperfections in their past; therefore, we'll also need a Savior to help relieve us of our past imperfections, including the ones we struggle with now. Both as a Teacher and as the Savior, Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to become perfect, which is something we could not possibly do on our own.
But even in more mundane circumstances, mortal aid can help a lot, too. That's why it's so vital for friends, family members, and church members to support each other and help each other with both their temporal and their eternal goals. This help may be absolutely necessary. Even with help, life isn't easy. Without help, it may even be impossible. Many people can stand in line on their own for a few hours, but if we're talking about a time period any longer than that, it will likely become essential to get somebody to help hold the line.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Relishing Peace
So, I don't actually like hardship. It's necessary, and I sometimes look forward to the growth it brings, but I'd really rather avoid it when I can. Instead, I prefer peace. Action, conflict, and drama can be very exciting in fiction, but I'd rather not deal with them in reality. Peace and rest are far more comforting, and they offer a good reprieve from our normal, everyday experiences. So while hardship is interesting in fiction and necessary in reality, I don't actually relish the prospect of facing it.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Relishing Hardship
In the D&D game I play at Comics and Collectibles, my character, Krusk Bloodfist, is having a pretty bad day, and I am loving it. Early in the day, the ship he captains was attacked by shark-riding sea monsters, but that was fine with me because it was a fun combat encounter. Later, he and the other officers entered the sea monsters' lair in search of treasure. They got into a fight with the sea monsters, and the strongest of them nearly killed Krusk, but I wouldn't have minded that much because it was an epic moment, and since he survived, I loved it. Having defeated the sea monsters, Krusk and the other officers returned to their ship carrying LOTS of loot, but much of it was almost stolen by his wife, who left behind a note revealing that she had been lying to him, that she had cheated on him, and that she had manipulated him in hopes of stealing an enormous amount of treasure from him. Naturally, Krusk is devastated and enraged, but I, in stark contrast, am absolutely thrilled at this, not because I'm some kind of emotionally-sadistic sociopath, but because I love a good story, and good stories almost always put their heroes through moments like this.
Heroes are often tested. Heroes are often placed in difficult circumstances and sometimes have their whole worlds turned on their heads. Heroes go through intense experiences because those experiences help the heroes become invested in their own stories and help them grow as characters. Krusk may not be a hero, but these experiences are certainly helping him grow as a character and solidify his personal investment in the progression of the story. We may not be heroes, but our difficult experiences can help us become heroic.
Some of the greatest heroes are the ones who have overcome the greatest hardships. Their stories are stories of triumph against fierce odds and great opposition. We can hope that our stories won't be much like theirs, but they probably will be. Everyone faces challenges. My hope is that we will become heroic by overcoming them. Krusk Bloodfist is not likely to become a hero by overcoming the challenges he now faces, but I hope he overcomes them anyway. His story is getting very interesting, and I can't wait to see where things go from here.
So, yes, I like to see fictional characters face hardship, but that's because I like to see people, real and fictional, overcome their challenges. I don't like to see real people struggle, but it is inspiring when people overcome their struggles, and that would never be possible if there wasn't a struggle in the first place. We have to experience hardship in order to grow. That's why difficulty is important, and it's a part of why I'm excited to see Krusk experience it. I look forward to seeing him (and us) face difficult challenges and still win anyway.
Heroes are often tested. Heroes are often placed in difficult circumstances and sometimes have their whole worlds turned on their heads. Heroes go through intense experiences because those experiences help the heroes become invested in their own stories and help them grow as characters. Krusk may not be a hero, but these experiences are certainly helping him grow as a character and solidify his personal investment in the progression of the story. We may not be heroes, but our difficult experiences can help us become heroic.
Some of the greatest heroes are the ones who have overcome the greatest hardships. Their stories are stories of triumph against fierce odds and great opposition. We can hope that our stories won't be much like theirs, but they probably will be. Everyone faces challenges. My hope is that we will become heroic by overcoming them. Krusk Bloodfist is not likely to become a hero by overcoming the challenges he now faces, but I hope he overcomes them anyway. His story is getting very interesting, and I can't wait to see where things go from here.
So, yes, I like to see fictional characters face hardship, but that's because I like to see people, real and fictional, overcome their challenges. I don't like to see real people struggle, but it is inspiring when people overcome their struggles, and that would never be possible if there wasn't a struggle in the first place. We have to experience hardship in order to grow. That's why difficulty is important, and it's a part of why I'm excited to see Krusk experience it. I look forward to seeing him (and us) face difficult challenges and still win anyway.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Emulation Advice
Today, I saw a Youtube video in which emulation was simultaneously discouraged and encouraged. Emulation was encouraged in the sense of learning from others, testing their methods, and using their wisdom to improve oneself, but it was discouraged in the sense of merely copying what others are doing and comparing oneself to them. This advice makes sense when applied to art or other skills, but I wonder how well it applies to emulating Jesus Christ.
By my estimation, the encouraged form of emulation works very well when applied to Christ. We are absolutely encouraged to learn from Him, we are expressly commanded to apply His methods, and using His wisdom to improve ourselves is one of the primary purposes of our existence. So, yes, we are definitely encouraged to emulate Jesus Christ.
But what about the discouraged version of emulation? Is there anything wrong with merely copying Christ? On the surface, it doesn't seem like there would be anything wrong with blindly following Christ. After all, He followed the correct course. If we follow Him closely, we will follow the same path, even if we can't see it. But blind obedience isn't really what God wants from us, as far as I understand it. God wants us to learn and grow as individuals. We won't accomplish that by merely copying Christ. We may be able to keep the commandments that way, but we won't really progress. To accomplish God's purposes, we need to make our own decisions, not blindly copy Christ's.
It is also a bad idea to compare ourselves to Jesus Christ. While it may seem like a good benchmark, since His perfection is literally the standard we are striving to reach, I don't think it's entirely wise to set our sights that high just yet. Jesus is perfect, and we are still very, very far from perfect. If we compare ourselves to Jesus Christ, we will see how far we still have to go, how much improvement we still have to make. Gaining a measure of the gap between us may be more discouraging than informative. Once we're a little bit further along, we might begin to compare ourselves to Christ as a way of saying "what lack I yet?" But the way it stands right now, we can probably list plenty of answers to that question off the tops of our heads, and those alone will probably be enough to keep us busy for one lifetime. We can compare ourselves to Jesus Christ once we're a little bit closer to His level. In the meantime, it's probably better to just learn from Him without dwelling on how much we still have to learn.
So, yeah, I think that emulation advice is pretty solid. We should learn from great people without comparing ourselves to them, and we can adopt parts of their style without copying them completely. We can learn from Christ's example without merely copying Him or getting overwhelmed by His perfection. We'll get there eventually, but only if we learn to emulate the Savior in appropriate, responsible ways.
By my estimation, the encouraged form of emulation works very well when applied to Christ. We are absolutely encouraged to learn from Him, we are expressly commanded to apply His methods, and using His wisdom to improve ourselves is one of the primary purposes of our existence. So, yes, we are definitely encouraged to emulate Jesus Christ.
But what about the discouraged version of emulation? Is there anything wrong with merely copying Christ? On the surface, it doesn't seem like there would be anything wrong with blindly following Christ. After all, He followed the correct course. If we follow Him closely, we will follow the same path, even if we can't see it. But blind obedience isn't really what God wants from us, as far as I understand it. God wants us to learn and grow as individuals. We won't accomplish that by merely copying Christ. We may be able to keep the commandments that way, but we won't really progress. To accomplish God's purposes, we need to make our own decisions, not blindly copy Christ's.
It is also a bad idea to compare ourselves to Jesus Christ. While it may seem like a good benchmark, since His perfection is literally the standard we are striving to reach, I don't think it's entirely wise to set our sights that high just yet. Jesus is perfect, and we are still very, very far from perfect. If we compare ourselves to Jesus Christ, we will see how far we still have to go, how much improvement we still have to make. Gaining a measure of the gap between us may be more discouraging than informative. Once we're a little bit further along, we might begin to compare ourselves to Christ as a way of saying "what lack I yet?" But the way it stands right now, we can probably list plenty of answers to that question off the tops of our heads, and those alone will probably be enough to keep us busy for one lifetime. We can compare ourselves to Jesus Christ once we're a little bit closer to His level. In the meantime, it's probably better to just learn from Him without dwelling on how much we still have to learn.
So, yeah, I think that emulation advice is pretty solid. We should learn from great people without comparing ourselves to them, and we can adopt parts of their style without copying them completely. We can learn from Christ's example without merely copying Him or getting overwhelmed by His perfection. We'll get there eventually, but only if we learn to emulate the Savior in appropriate, responsible ways.
Monday, April 8, 2019
How Much for Happiness?
While I'm waiting for the full texts of the General Conference talks to be released, I can still blog about Sister Becky Craven's experience with the shop that advertises Happiness on sale for only $15. This is, by any measurement, a ridiculous price for happiness because happiness is simultaneously priceless, costly, and free.
Happiness is priceless by its very nature. The aim of human existence and all human endeavor is happiness. Whenever anyone does anything, they are doing it because they believe it will make them happy. I would guess that even God, who only ever does anything for our benefit, is also driven by happiness, and not just ours. He promotes our eternal happiness because (or at least partially because) our happiness is His happiness. When we are truly happy, so is He. Every sentient creature seeks happiness, and since the demand for happiness is so ludicrously high, the law of supply and demand insists that the price of happiness be high as well.
And it is. The price of any good can be measured by the number of hours one must work to pay for it. If someone who earns $10 an hour (after taxes) wants to buy something that costs $10 (also after taxes), that item will cost that person one hour of work. Similarly, anything that takes time and effort to obtain "costs" that amount of time and effort. By this measure, fleeting happiness is as cheap as enjoying some pleasant experience, while ultimate happiness is arguably the most expensive prize in existence. Ultimate happiness is experienced only by those who gain Eternal Life, and Eternal Life is obtained only by those who have become perfect. As anyone who has ever tried can tell you, becoming perfect at anything takes a while. Becoming a perfect person takes especially long. By the measure of the sheer amount of time and effort it takes to gain true happiness, happiness is terribly expensive.
Yet, by the measure of how much money it costs, happiness is basically free. Happiness isn't for sale. However, one still might have to spend money to get happiness. Happiness comes as a result of keeping the commandments, which include the Law of Tithing. If one has money, one has to pay at least a tenth of it to God in order to keep all of His commandments, which one has to do to earn ultimate happiness. Yet, if one has money, that money was a gift from God, if for no other reason than that money was earned using the time and bodies God gave us for free. Our bodies were free, so the money we earn with them is also free, as is the happiness which we can supposedly buy with the free money we "earned" by using our free bodies. Besides, both our bodies and our money is only borrowed anyway; we can't take them with us when we pass on. So even if we have to buy happiness, we can buy it using money we were just going to lose anyway.
So, despite being the most sought-after prize in existence, and despite the countless hours of work that has to go into obtaining it, happiness is actually free, since it can be bought with borrowed time and money. Happiness is, paradoxically simultaneously priceless, costly, and free. One thing's for sure, though: you definitely cannot buy happiness at a store for $15.
Happiness is priceless by its very nature. The aim of human existence and all human endeavor is happiness. Whenever anyone does anything, they are doing it because they believe it will make them happy. I would guess that even God, who only ever does anything for our benefit, is also driven by happiness, and not just ours. He promotes our eternal happiness because (or at least partially because) our happiness is His happiness. When we are truly happy, so is He. Every sentient creature seeks happiness, and since the demand for happiness is so ludicrously high, the law of supply and demand insists that the price of happiness be high as well.
And it is. The price of any good can be measured by the number of hours one must work to pay for it. If someone who earns $10 an hour (after taxes) wants to buy something that costs $10 (also after taxes), that item will cost that person one hour of work. Similarly, anything that takes time and effort to obtain "costs" that amount of time and effort. By this measure, fleeting happiness is as cheap as enjoying some pleasant experience, while ultimate happiness is arguably the most expensive prize in existence. Ultimate happiness is experienced only by those who gain Eternal Life, and Eternal Life is obtained only by those who have become perfect. As anyone who has ever tried can tell you, becoming perfect at anything takes a while. Becoming a perfect person takes especially long. By the measure of the sheer amount of time and effort it takes to gain true happiness, happiness is terribly expensive.
Yet, by the measure of how much money it costs, happiness is basically free. Happiness isn't for sale. However, one still might have to spend money to get happiness. Happiness comes as a result of keeping the commandments, which include the Law of Tithing. If one has money, one has to pay at least a tenth of it to God in order to keep all of His commandments, which one has to do to earn ultimate happiness. Yet, if one has money, that money was a gift from God, if for no other reason than that money was earned using the time and bodies God gave us for free. Our bodies were free, so the money we earn with them is also free, as is the happiness which we can supposedly buy with the free money we "earned" by using our free bodies. Besides, both our bodies and our money is only borrowed anyway; we can't take them with us when we pass on. So even if we have to buy happiness, we can buy it using money we were just going to lose anyway.
So, despite being the most sought-after prize in existence, and despite the countless hours of work that has to go into obtaining it, happiness is actually free, since it can be bought with borrowed time and money. Happiness is, paradoxically simultaneously priceless, costly, and free. One thing's for sure, though: you definitely cannot buy happiness at a store for $15.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Defense
Many of the General Conference talks this weekend were particularly interesting to me, and a few of them reminded me of why I titled my blog The Armor of God. We are in a spiritual war, and we need to fortify ourselves in order to survive. Satan is fighting as hard as ever, if not harder, and we need to be well-fortified in order to withstand his attacks. As I review these talks over the next six months, I'm going to think about practical ways to increase my ability to resist and escape temptation, knowing that Satan's attacks will only become more frequent as he exerts his influence on the world. Fortunately, the scriptures and some of the recent General Conference talks include tips and strategies for defeating Satan. We can withstand all of his attacks, but only if we act carefully and make sure we have strong defenses.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Noting My Impressions
As usual, I've been taking notes in Conference. The benefits of doing this are obvious. When I review my notes later during these next few months, I'll have some idea what my impressions were as I watched these Conference talks.
However, I think there is also a trade-off to taking notes. As I typed my notes, I tended to focus more on the words that were being said than on the messages that were being shared. Sometimes, I would hear a quotable line and focus on copying it down, missing whatever the speaker said next.
There has to be a better way. In previous Conferences, I've made a point to only take notes on my impressions and feelings about the talks, not any of the words or quotes from the talks. This makes sense to me because my impressions are fleeting; I need to record them quickly, or I'll lose them forever. Meanwhile, if I want to quote the speakers later, I can do so using the written text of their talks rather than using my own faulty notes.
So, for the rest of this Conference, I'm going to try to focus my notes on my impressions and leave the quote-copying to other people. There may be a few quotes worth noting, but I'll mostly want to focus on recording my own impressions so I don't lose them. Besides, I think I'm having a problem where I can't see the forest through the trees. I'm focusing so much on the words that I'm not sure I'm getting the messages, so I'll try to focus on the messages for the rest of Conference, especially the messages the Spirit sends to me directly.
However, I think there is also a trade-off to taking notes. As I typed my notes, I tended to focus more on the words that were being said than on the messages that were being shared. Sometimes, I would hear a quotable line and focus on copying it down, missing whatever the speaker said next.
There has to be a better way. In previous Conferences, I've made a point to only take notes on my impressions and feelings about the talks, not any of the words or quotes from the talks. This makes sense to me because my impressions are fleeting; I need to record them quickly, or I'll lose them forever. Meanwhile, if I want to quote the speakers later, I can do so using the written text of their talks rather than using my own faulty notes.
So, for the rest of this Conference, I'm going to try to focus my notes on my impressions and leave the quote-copying to other people. There may be a few quotes worth noting, but I'll mostly want to focus on recording my own impressions so I don't lose them. Besides, I think I'm having a problem where I can't see the forest through the trees. I'm focusing so much on the words that I'm not sure I'm getting the messages, so I'll try to focus on the messages for the rest of Conference, especially the messages the Spirit sends to me directly.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Conference Time Again
I'm looking forward to General Conference this weekend. I plan on taking a lot of notes and reviewing them regularly over the next six months. I hope to learn many spiritual truths from this Conference and sharing at least some of them here. We're lucky to have Prophets and Apostles who speak to us regularly, sharing the messages God would share with us Himself, if he were here. Of the many ways to receive messages from God, listening at Conference is one of the clearest. I'm looking forward to listening to some clear messages from God.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
The Morality of Jewelry
Today, I had a conversation regarding the morality of jewelry.
A student was writing a paper about the morality of jewelry, but he didn't seem to have a clear idea of what moral question he wanted to try to answer. One question that came to mind was whether or not it's morally acceptable to buy and wear jewelry. Jewelry is expensive, and it serves no real purpose. The money that is spent on jewelry would probably be better spent elsewhere, especially if it's spent charitably. Is it morally acceptable to waste money on jewelry when that money could otherwise be spent on helping the poor instead?
This question could easily extend to any luxury good or service. Do I have any right to spend money on myself, on things I don't really need, when there are others who could use my help? I suppose that the question ultimately boils down to what it means to be my brother's keeper. What obligations do I have to help my fellow man? Certainly, I have some obligation to help the poor, and I do help some, through my fast offerings, but I probably should do more. The question is: how much more? How much of my money should I spend on the poor, and how much can I justifiably spend on myself?
This is a difficult and probably personal question to answer. It may be that the optimal luxury to charity ratio is different for each person. At any rate, I don't think I'll find clear guidelines for how much money I should spend on the poor and how much I'm allowed to spend on myself. I may have to seek personal revelation on this topic. Still, I'll venture a guess that at least some amount of luxury is acceptable, so I'd say that at least some amount of jewelry is probably acceptable as well.
A student was writing a paper about the morality of jewelry, but he didn't seem to have a clear idea of what moral question he wanted to try to answer. One question that came to mind was whether or not it's morally acceptable to buy and wear jewelry. Jewelry is expensive, and it serves no real purpose. The money that is spent on jewelry would probably be better spent elsewhere, especially if it's spent charitably. Is it morally acceptable to waste money on jewelry when that money could otherwise be spent on helping the poor instead?
This question could easily extend to any luxury good or service. Do I have any right to spend money on myself, on things I don't really need, when there are others who could use my help? I suppose that the question ultimately boils down to what it means to be my brother's keeper. What obligations do I have to help my fellow man? Certainly, I have some obligation to help the poor, and I do help some, through my fast offerings, but I probably should do more. The question is: how much more? How much of my money should I spend on the poor, and how much can I justifiably spend on myself?
This is a difficult and probably personal question to answer. It may be that the optimal luxury to charity ratio is different for each person. At any rate, I don't think I'll find clear guidelines for how much money I should spend on the poor and how much I'm allowed to spend on myself. I may have to seek personal revelation on this topic. Still, I'll venture a guess that at least some amount of luxury is acceptable, so I'd say that at least some amount of jewelry is probably acceptable as well.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Looking for Messages
I don't really have any excuse for feeling like I don't have anything to blog about. Inspiration is everywhere, if we take the time to look for it. Some of my better blog posts explore spiritual lessons learned from everyday life. If I don't have a new spiritual lesson at the end of each day, it's because I haven't been looking for it or thinking about it. Apparently, I haven't been spending enough time reflecting on spiritual matters. Sure, I sometimes pick up on obvious analogies, but I rarely look at ordinary things and think "Huh, I bet there's a lesson in there." At least, not anymore. I should try to change that. I should ponder more. The world is full of spiritual messages (and blog post ideas). I just need to look for them.
On a related note, there's a good deal of light in the house right now, despite it being night time, mostly because we haven't turned the lights off yet. It's wonderful that we can have light in the midst of darkness, but in real life, it's not as easy. We can't expect to keep light around us merely by forgetting to turn it off. We have to continually remember and work to keep the light on. Fending off the darkness takes constant effort, not a lack of it.
There. That was a half-decent spiritual message, and all I had to do to get it was spend a few minutes thinking about it. I should do that more often.
On a related note, there's a good deal of light in the house right now, despite it being night time, mostly because we haven't turned the lights off yet. It's wonderful that we can have light in the midst of darkness, but in real life, it's not as easy. We can't expect to keep light around us merely by forgetting to turn it off. We have to continually remember and work to keep the light on. Fending off the darkness takes constant effort, not a lack of it.
There. That was a half-decent spiritual message, and all I had to do to get it was spend a few minutes thinking about it. I should do that more often.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Three Wars
It may not be a coincidence that two franchises I follow, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Magic: the Gathering, are simultaneously depicting cataclysmic wars. In each franchise, several heroes, almost too many to count, now stand against an overwhelming foe whose power is apocalyptic and who has already claimed countless lives. In part, these stories illustrate the terrible struggle the heroes face and the losses they've been forced to endure, but these stories also emphasize the power of hope, even against all odds.
Both Thanos and Nicol Bolas are tremendously powerful. They've both beaten our heroes easily in the recent past. Yet, if I know anything about storytelling, and if the traditions of storytelling are upheld, our heroes will ultimately win. Whatever form that victory will take, and however many losses they'll have to face along the way, good will ultimately triumph over evil. It may seem hopeless, but I am (relatively) certain that the good guys will win.
Of course, the same holds true in real life as well. We are at war against an immortal evil, a being older than the earth itself, a being who has already claimed far too many souls for anyone to count. Every day, this foe attacks us with relentless endurance and lethal ferocity. It is difficult to survive. In fact, it could be said that all of us have suffered at least some measure of spiritual death. Yet, regardless of how many people have fallen to the enemy's attacks and have been corrupted into fighting on the enemy's side, and regardless of how many times we, ourselves, have fallen, we know for a surety that good will ultimately triumph over evil. It seems hopeless, like the world is doomed to destruction and the heroes are doomed to fail, but they're not. We know, from revelation and from our knowledge of storytelling conventions (and the existence of certain sequels), that the good guys are going to win.
I find this encouraging. If the Avengers can defeat Thanos and bring back those who were killed by the snap, and if the Gatewatch and their allies can defeat Nicol Bolas and win The War of the Spark, maybe I can win my war, too.
Naturally, I know that the writers of fiction may buck storytelling tradition and portray the tragedy of inevitable failure instead of the glory of impossible success, and I know that, whether or not the heroes win in stories has no bearing on whether or not heroes can win in real life, but whether these two wars end in victory for the heroes or not, they have already reminded me that the real, spiritual war will end in victory for Jesus Christ and everyone who sides with Him, no matter how long or how bleak this spiritual war will be.
It will be a tough fight. It has already been a tough fight. And there have been countless painful losses along the way. But I know for certain that the forces of Good will ultimately win this war.
Both Thanos and Nicol Bolas are tremendously powerful. They've both beaten our heroes easily in the recent past. Yet, if I know anything about storytelling, and if the traditions of storytelling are upheld, our heroes will ultimately win. Whatever form that victory will take, and however many losses they'll have to face along the way, good will ultimately triumph over evil. It may seem hopeless, but I am (relatively) certain that the good guys will win.
Of course, the same holds true in real life as well. We are at war against an immortal evil, a being older than the earth itself, a being who has already claimed far too many souls for anyone to count. Every day, this foe attacks us with relentless endurance and lethal ferocity. It is difficult to survive. In fact, it could be said that all of us have suffered at least some measure of spiritual death. Yet, regardless of how many people have fallen to the enemy's attacks and have been corrupted into fighting on the enemy's side, and regardless of how many times we, ourselves, have fallen, we know for a surety that good will ultimately triumph over evil. It seems hopeless, like the world is doomed to destruction and the heroes are doomed to fail, but they're not. We know, from revelation and from our knowledge of storytelling conventions (and the existence of certain sequels), that the good guys are going to win.
I find this encouraging. If the Avengers can defeat Thanos and bring back those who were killed by the snap, and if the Gatewatch and their allies can defeat Nicol Bolas and win The War of the Spark, maybe I can win my war, too.
Naturally, I know that the writers of fiction may buck storytelling tradition and portray the tragedy of inevitable failure instead of the glory of impossible success, and I know that, whether or not the heroes win in stories has no bearing on whether or not heroes can win in real life, but whether these two wars end in victory for the heroes or not, they have already reminded me that the real, spiritual war will end in victory for Jesus Christ and everyone who sides with Him, no matter how long or how bleak this spiritual war will be.
It will be a tough fight. It has already been a tough fight. And there have been countless painful losses along the way. But I know for certain that the forces of Good will ultimately win this war.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Belief, Doubt, and Truth
Today was April Fool's Day, a day in which lies are told and pranks are played. In other words, it's just like any other day. People always have to be careful whom they trust and what they allow themselves to believe. New information should always be checked against the truths that are most certain. In fact, all of our beliefs and doubts should be checked against what we know is true. No matter what day it is, one should always be careful about what one allows oneself to believe or doubt. Every day is a day of falsehood. Test everything you hear against the light of certain truth.
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