I've discovered something interesting: I can't save my progress halfway through writing a blog post. In most games and processes, you can hit certain milestones where you can save your progress and start from that point later. For example, when you're doing research, you can save the location of good information, which will make it that much easier to find that information again if you have to pause and resume your search. If you're writing an essay, you can write down some brainstorming and maybe an outline and then build on those ideas later. But this is not an academic blog. This is a spiritual blog. And spiritual impressions are much harder, if not impossible, to save.
This morning, I started to blog about Elder Koichi Aoyagi's Conference-ending talk, Hold on Thy Way. I copied some important quotes and started to write an introduction, but that's as far as I got this morning, so I saved what I had written, trusting that I would be able to resume blogging when I got back from school. But I've found that, whether it's the penalty of procrastination, or whether it's that the waters of my mind have been muddied by the events of the day and need time to settle before they can clear, I just don't have the same spirit with me right now that I had this morning. So, even with the notes I left myself, I can't quite get myself into the mindset I know I was in when I first read that talk.
What this means for me is that, in the future, I will have to commit to blogging about a Conference talk as soon as I review it. If I don't have time to blog about it, reading it ahead of time probably won't help me, and if I do choose to read the talk at a certain time, I need to make sure I'll have enough time to blog about it, because quitting halfway through a blog post and trying to return to it later doesn't work out as well as I would have thought.
The spiritual interpretation of this message is that the Spirit works on His own timetable, not on ours. We can't put spiritual impressions on hold until a more convenient time, so we need to follow them while they're still fresh. Tomorrow morning, I hope that my mind will be fresh enough to gain new insights into Elder Aoyagi's talk, or to gain the same insights again, but I know now that it would have been much better if I had blogged about my first impressions of Elder Aoyagi's talk before I lost left.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
The Spirit and the "Why" of the Gospel
Elder Kim B. Clark of the Seventy spoke about the need to have the Spirit with us. He spoke about those who didn't recognise Jesus Christ during His mortal ministry because they didn't have His Spirit in them to testify of Him. We need to have that Spirit in us just as much today as they did back then, if not more so. Elder Clark reminded us, as if we needed reminding, that "Our time is a dangerous time—a time of great evil and temptation, a time of confusion and commotion." In this time of trouble, we need the guiding voice of the Spirit to show us what paths to take, and we need the inspiring and testifying voice of the Spirit to remind us both that and why it all matters.
In the past, some people failed to follow Jesus because they were more interested in the things of the world than the things of the Spirit. Today, the world is more interesting than ever before. We need to cultivate the Spirit inside us to inspire us to keep following the path of Jesus Christ. We don't need reminding that we live in a troubled world, but we do need reminding that the solution to all of life's troubles is Jesus Christ.
In times when I've lost my connection to the Spirit, I've felt myself drift into apathy, wondering why and even if anything in life really mattered. Thankfully, through the guiding and teaching voice of the Spirit, I've been reminded, repeatedly, that there is a purpose to life, and we need to follow the teachings of Christ in order to fulfil it. I'm thankful for the Spirit showing me not only how to follow the path of Christ, but why it's important to.
In the past, some people failed to follow Jesus because they were more interested in the things of the world than the things of the Spirit. Today, the world is more interesting than ever before. We need to cultivate the Spirit inside us to inspire us to keep following the path of Jesus Christ. We don't need reminding that we live in a troubled world, but we do need reminding that the solution to all of life's troubles is Jesus Christ.
In times when I've lost my connection to the Spirit, I've felt myself drift into apathy, wondering why and even if anything in life really mattered. Thankfully, through the guiding and teaching voice of the Spirit, I've been reminded, repeatedly, that there is a purpose to life, and we need to follow the teachings of Christ in order to fulfil it. I'm thankful for the Spirit showing me not only how to follow the path of Christ, but why it's important to.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
He Can Fix Anything - He Will Fix Everything
You know the drill. I should have blogged in the morning, but I didn't. Now it's late, and I'm tired, so I went on Facebook to find an inspirational picture quote that I can blog about quickly before I go to bed. Fortunately, with the recent General Conference, there has been an explosion of blogworthy picture quotes, so finding this one wasn't difficult.
I am so grateful for the power of God and His ability to heal us mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I'm thankful for the Conference Messages which remind us that God can redeem us, no matter what we've done. No one is hopeless. No one's life is so messed up that God can't set it right. It may take time, but it's never impossible. There is no life so shattered that it cannot be restored. There is no soul so wayward that it cannot be redeemed. There is no hardship, trial, or affliction so severe that it cannot be overcome through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Atonement, God can fix anything and anyone, even us. I'm grateful for that knowledge, and I'm especially grateful to know that God is going to set everything right in the end, no matter how messed up it is now.
I am so grateful for the power of God and His ability to heal us mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I'm thankful for the Conference Messages which remind us that God can redeem us, no matter what we've done. No one is hopeless. No one's life is so messed up that God can't set it right. It may take time, but it's never impossible. There is no life so shattered that it cannot be restored. There is no soul so wayward that it cannot be redeemed. There is no hardship, trial, or affliction so severe that it cannot be overcome through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Atonement, God can fix anything and anyone, even us. I'm grateful for that knowledge, and I'm especially grateful to know that God is going to set everything right in the end, no matter how messed up it is now.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Ponderize - 3 Nephi 27: 20
The scripture I've chosen to ponderize this week is 3 Nephi 27: 20:
The punctuation is interesting, too. The colon implies that repenting, coming unto Christ, and being baptized are all part of "the commandment," and the way the following phrases are structured, it seems that standing spotless before God is a result of being sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, which is a result of keeping this commandment.
I should check out the surrounding verses for context clues as well.
This is going to be an interesting verse to ponder and study. I look forward to really digging into it and reporting what I find. Also, it should be a nice challenge to try to write the verse from memory, punctuation and all, at the end of the week. If there are any errors in my recitation, it should be informative to compare the differences as well.
This is a nice scripture. It's going to be a good week.
Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.Already, a few words stand out to me. Sanctified. Reception. Stand. Spotless. The Last Day. I look forward to thinking about what these terms mean, especially in the context of each other.
The punctuation is interesting, too. The colon implies that repenting, coming unto Christ, and being baptized are all part of "the commandment," and the way the following phrases are structured, it seems that standing spotless before God is a result of being sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, which is a result of keeping this commandment.
I should check out the surrounding verses for context clues as well.
This is going to be an interesting verse to ponder and study. I look forward to really digging into it and reporting what I find. Also, it should be a nice challenge to try to write the verse from memory, punctuation and all, at the end of the week. If there are any errors in my recitation, it should be informative to compare the differences as well.
This is a nice scripture. It's going to be a good week.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
2 Nephi 4:31 - Would You? Will You?
For about half a week, I've been ponderizing 2 Nephi 4:31, which I will now type from memory.
O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
As I've been pondering this verse, I've discovered that, depending on the punctuation, there could be as many as three ways to interpret Nephi's prayer. Firstly, it's pretty clear that Nephi is praying for blessings. I said about as much when I started ponderizing this verse. Nephi would love for God to redeem his soul, to deliver him out of the hands of his enemies, and to make him that he may shake at the appearance of sin. He wants to be more righteous, so he is praying for help.
Another way to read this is incorrect, but when I started ponderizing this verse, I couldn't remember how the verse was punctuated. I couldn't recall whether it used question marks or periods at the ends of the sentences. If it used periods, which it doesn't, then we could have interpreted Nephi's prayer as confident statements of truth rather than requests. In that sense, Nephi would effectively be saying "I know in whom I have trusted. I know that you will redeem my soul. I know that you will deliver me from sin. I know that my moral struggle against my sinful flesh is only temporary. I know that, in time, I will no longer have the problems that trouble me now." In this sense, Nephi's statements would be full of confidence and faith. It is important to have faith in the Atonement and salvation of the Lord.
However, the sentences were actually punctuated with question marks, which means that these sentences are actually questions. They can be interpreted as requests, and I think that it the correct interpretation, but you could also look at the questions at face value. "Will you redeem my soul? Will you deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Will you make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?" These questions, especially the first two, are essentially asking "Is there any hope for me? Am I going to be saved?" God knows the future, including the future of each soul. Theoretically, He knows whether or not a person is ultimately going to be saved. Even though the answer depends largely on our actions, God knows what the answer is, and He could tell us, if we ask.
However, He might not tell us. If He knows that we're not going to choose salvation, He isn't going to tell us that because He doesn't want us to give up or to think that He has already consigned us to hell (though it's really ourselves taking us there through our actions). If we are going to be saved, He might not tell us because He knows that telling us that we're guaranteed to succeed might make us stop trying as hard. I've seen many video clips of people who were sure they would win a race even before they crossed the finish line, so they started celebrating prematurely, allowing the person in second place to surge ahead of them. Becoming perfect takes a significant amount of effort, and God wouldn't want to tell us anything that may cause us to slack in our efforts prematurely.
On the other hand, He might tell us, if it would encourage us. Some people already believe that their cause is hopeless, and they're already close to, or beyond, the point of giving up. Those people, God may tell that they will succeed, to let them know that they're not hopeless, to let them know that their struggle is not in vain. However, He will still want to be careful not to move someone from hopelessness to complacency, so whatever our situation is, He probably won't tell us now whether we are going to be saved eventually or not. Besides, I'm pretty sure the answer to on of those questions is going to be "no," no matter who you are.
God doesn't usually just remove problems from people or release people from their problems. Facing problems and learning to overcome them is one of the purposes of life. Especially, learning to resist temptation and reject sin is one of the primary goals of mortality, so I don't think that God would simply deliver us from sin, just because we ask Him to. What He probably will do is give us (or help us develop) the strength and wisdom to deliver ourselves.
What I've learned from this experience is that scriptures can be interpreted in many different ways, so it makes sense to ponder them over long periods of time. Also, I think it's most likely that the correct interpretation of this particular verse is that Nephi is asking for help from God, and we should too, so long as we remember that God's help will most likely come in the form of giving us the power to help ourselves.
I'm glad I ponderized this verse. I think I am going to keep turning to it as my "delete key," unless I find a better "delete key" later on. I'm not sure which verse I'm going to ponderize next. Maybe a verse will stand out to me during Conference. If not, I'll just pick one before the end of the day, and I'll announce my choice tomorrow. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the last two sessions of Conference and that we all feel spiritually recharged by the end of them.
O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
As I've been pondering this verse, I've discovered that, depending on the punctuation, there could be as many as three ways to interpret Nephi's prayer. Firstly, it's pretty clear that Nephi is praying for blessings. I said about as much when I started ponderizing this verse. Nephi would love for God to redeem his soul, to deliver him out of the hands of his enemies, and to make him that he may shake at the appearance of sin. He wants to be more righteous, so he is praying for help.
Another way to read this is incorrect, but when I started ponderizing this verse, I couldn't remember how the verse was punctuated. I couldn't recall whether it used question marks or periods at the ends of the sentences. If it used periods, which it doesn't, then we could have interpreted Nephi's prayer as confident statements of truth rather than requests. In that sense, Nephi would effectively be saying "I know in whom I have trusted. I know that you will redeem my soul. I know that you will deliver me from sin. I know that my moral struggle against my sinful flesh is only temporary. I know that, in time, I will no longer have the problems that trouble me now." In this sense, Nephi's statements would be full of confidence and faith. It is important to have faith in the Atonement and salvation of the Lord.
However, the sentences were actually punctuated with question marks, which means that these sentences are actually questions. They can be interpreted as requests, and I think that it the correct interpretation, but you could also look at the questions at face value. "Will you redeem my soul? Will you deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Will you make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?" These questions, especially the first two, are essentially asking "Is there any hope for me? Am I going to be saved?" God knows the future, including the future of each soul. Theoretically, He knows whether or not a person is ultimately going to be saved. Even though the answer depends largely on our actions, God knows what the answer is, and He could tell us, if we ask.
However, He might not tell us. If He knows that we're not going to choose salvation, He isn't going to tell us that because He doesn't want us to give up or to think that He has already consigned us to hell (though it's really ourselves taking us there through our actions). If we are going to be saved, He might not tell us because He knows that telling us that we're guaranteed to succeed might make us stop trying as hard. I've seen many video clips of people who were sure they would win a race even before they crossed the finish line, so they started celebrating prematurely, allowing the person in second place to surge ahead of them. Becoming perfect takes a significant amount of effort, and God wouldn't want to tell us anything that may cause us to slack in our efforts prematurely.
On the other hand, He might tell us, if it would encourage us. Some people already believe that their cause is hopeless, and they're already close to, or beyond, the point of giving up. Those people, God may tell that they will succeed, to let them know that they're not hopeless, to let them know that their struggle is not in vain. However, He will still want to be careful not to move someone from hopelessness to complacency, so whatever our situation is, He probably won't tell us now whether we are going to be saved eventually or not. Besides, I'm pretty sure the answer to on of those questions is going to be "no," no matter who you are.
God doesn't usually just remove problems from people or release people from their problems. Facing problems and learning to overcome them is one of the purposes of life. Especially, learning to resist temptation and reject sin is one of the primary goals of mortality, so I don't think that God would simply deliver us from sin, just because we ask Him to. What He probably will do is give us (or help us develop) the strength and wisdom to deliver ourselves.
What I've learned from this experience is that scriptures can be interpreted in many different ways, so it makes sense to ponder them over long periods of time. Also, I think it's most likely that the correct interpretation of this particular verse is that Nephi is asking for help from God, and we should too, so long as we remember that God's help will most likely come in the form of giving us the power to help ourselves.
I'm glad I ponderized this verse. I think I am going to keep turning to it as my "delete key," unless I find a better "delete key" later on. I'm not sure which verse I'm going to ponderize next. Maybe a verse will stand out to me during Conference. If not, I'll just pick one before the end of the day, and I'll announce my choice tomorrow. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the last two sessions of Conference and that we all feel spiritually recharged by the end of them.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
"No Unclean Thing Can Enter"
In his Conference talk, Remembering in Whom We Have Trusted, Elder Allen D. Haynie shared a story from when he was a young man. He, his brothers, and his friends got together to dig a hole, just for fun. In the process of digging, Elder Haynie became so dirty that his grandmother wouldn't let him into the house, which she had just cleaned, until he, too, had been cleaned. After a short time of being locked outside, filthy and cold, Elder Haynie allowed himself to be washed off with a garden hose, after which he was allowed to come inside, change into dry, warm clothes, and be comfortable.
And so it is with us. We all, at some points in our lives, find ourselves covered in mud, and the only way for us to enter our Heavenly Father's house is to be washed and pronounced clean. Jesus Christ said in 3 Nephi 27:19 "no unclean thing can enter into his [God's] kingdom," so we all need to be washed and cleansed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The cleansing process of repentance may be temporarily unpleasant, like being hosed off, but the results are that we can be once again welcomed into our heavenly home.
I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes it possible for me to be cleansed of my sins so I can return to live in the presence of my Heavenly Father. It is such a blessing to know that, after having been soiled by sin, I can be washed clean and re-enter my heavenly home.
And so it is with us. We all, at some points in our lives, find ourselves covered in mud, and the only way for us to enter our Heavenly Father's house is to be washed and pronounced clean. Jesus Christ said in 3 Nephi 27:19 "no unclean thing can enter into his [God's] kingdom," so we all need to be washed and cleansed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The cleansing process of repentance may be temporarily unpleasant, like being hosed off, but the results are that we can be once again welcomed into our heavenly home.
I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes it possible for me to be cleansed of my sins so I can return to live in the presence of my Heavenly Father. It is such a blessing to know that, after having been soiled by sin, I can be washed clean and re-enter my heavenly home.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Love and God's Laws
Carole M. Stephens told of an experience she had with her granddaughter Chloe. Sister Stephens was driving Chloe somewhere, but Chloe would not keep her seatbelt on. No matter what Sister Stephens said or did, Chole could not be convinced to stay seated, until Sister Stephens said a silent prayer and felt impressed to "teach her." Sister Stephens then showed Chloe her own seatbelt and explained that she wore it for protection. She said that she didn't want Chloe to get hurt, and asked her again to stay in her seatbelt. This time, Chloe understood, and she said "Grandma, you want me to wear my seat belt because you love me!"
Yesterday, I blogged about how God's barriers and restrictions exist to protect us, but at the time, I didn't consider the fact that God wants to protect us because He loves us, but of course, everything God does, He does because He loves us.
Sister Stephens went on to say:
I am thankful to know that God's laws were given out of love, that He's not just trying to rule over us, but that He's trying to keep us safe. That knowledge makes it easier for me to accept His commandments, even the ones I don't fully understand, and that makes it easier for me to avoid pitfalls and claim promised blessings. I know that my life has been blessed by the knowledge that God's commandments are manifestations of his love and that I can show my love for God by keeping them.
Yesterday, I blogged about how God's barriers and restrictions exist to protect us, but at the time, I didn't consider the fact that God wants to protect us because He loves us, but of course, everything God does, He does because He loves us.
Sister Stephens went on to say:
After my experience with Chloe, I searched the scriptures for verses that mentioned commandments and love. I found many. Each of these verses reminds us that His commandments are a manifestation of His love for us and obedience to His commandments is an expression of our love for Him.I know that God's commandments are evidence of His love for us, and our obedience to His commandments is evidence of our love for Him. It has never been about an set of arbitrary rules that God demands that we follow "because I said so." Each of His commandments ahs a good reason behind it, and even when we don't know the reason for a commandment and God asks us to accept it on faith, we can exercise faith in God by trusting that we will learn the reason for the commandment in due time.
I am thankful to know that God's laws were given out of love, that He's not just trying to rule over us, but that He's trying to keep us safe. That knowledge makes it easier for me to accept His commandments, even the ones I don't fully understand, and that makes it easier for me to avoid pitfalls and claim promised blessings. I know that my life has been blessed by the knowledge that God's commandments are manifestations of his love and that I can show my love for God by keeping them.
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