Quiet in Chaos

Sometimes we need to stop and listen

At home alone today, I found myself annoyed. It's muggy today, and I've had a growing headache, but really, it was just too loud. What was too loud? To be honest, the television. I was bored, so busied myself with a late 80's Keanu Reeves, and Alex Winter movie that has the power to numb the mind like no other movie in existence, except maybe it's sequel. Don't get me wrong now, it was an excellent time, but my mood was growing more bogus by the minute. After the movie I kept up the mind numbing going for another 20 minutes before I just turned it off. I needed something else. What was it?

Silence!

Silence is golden they say, and it's true. Man did not evolve in the constant stimuli of the Vegas Strip. No, man evolved in the quiet of forests, deserts, and plains. Even just a couple hundred years ago, your ancestors came home most nights to a dinner lit by the setting sun, and a few oil lamps if they could afford them. The family busied themselves with chores to ready themselves for the coming day, then lay down next to a coal stove with the rest of the family for the night, having prayed, and read a few words of scripture as a family. If that wasn't your family a couple hundred years ago, then go back a few hundred more.

The point of the story is that we are not meant to live with constant stimuli, yet we do. Some of us don't have a choice in the matter, but most of us do. Most of us can have silence, but choose not to. Why? Have we forgotten what our ancestors had to learn centuries before us; To live with their own thoughts? Maybe so. This is why so many of us can't sleep at night, and why all our best thoughts come to us in the shower. Those few moments of silence we find are the only times our brains have to think for themselves!

It's also the only time that the Holy Ghost isn't competing for our attention. Yes, these are the moments that we can allow God to speak to us, and are the perfect times for prayer, and contemplation.

The Manhattan Temple: Quiet among chaos

I also want to suggest another place to find that much needed silence. That is, the Temple of the Lord. When we enter the Temple we are asked to turn off our phones, and other devices. This isn't only for the sake of others, but for us, to foster a spirit of reverence, meditation, and contemplation within ourselves. Throughout most of the Temple we whisper when we speak, and in most cases, we don't speak at all.

My favorite room in the Temple is the Celestial room. For those who don't know, the Celestial room is a large room, beautifully, yet simply decorated. This is the room that, after making covenants with the Lord, we (Latter-day Saints) take time to sit, pray, meditate, and contemplate. This is a special place, set apart from the world. Temples are mostly built from granite, and the walls are all about 3 feet thick, so the silence of the celestial room, where nigh a whisper is heard, is a profound silence, even when nestled in snugly next to a 6 lane interstate.

This silence gives us an opportunity unlike any other to commune with the Holy Spirit. The Temple is God's house. The Holy Spirit is strong in his house. Compounded with almost complete silence, the silence truly does become profound. It is in the silence of God's Holy House that the Spirit can reveal God's deepest secrets, and desires for us. It is here that many of often come to contemplate big decisions, or come for confirmation of spiritual truths. It is in his Holy House that so many Latter-Day Saints come to simply feel that they have come home to their loving Father.

If you can, I encourage you to go to the Temple, and commune with your Heavenly Father. Linger longer in the Celestial Room, with the intent of embracing the silence, and letting the Lord's Spirit settle into your heart there. Give the Lord the time you would give an old friend you're meeting for brunch at a quiet diner downtown, after all, going to the Temple is a lot like meeting an old friend for brunch in a quiet diner downtown.

If you can't go the Temple, I encourage you to strive to do so. Whether you need some long talks with your bishop, or have yet to enter the waters of Baptism, you will be blessed for every effort in getting into the Lord's Holy House.

Insignificant

Sometimes we all feel small, unimportant, or insignificant. It's a big world we live in, and an even larger universe. When Moses was taken into his vision of the the whole Earth, and everything upon it he felt to exclaim, "Now for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed." (Moses 1:10)

This is how I've felt more recently. I am 1 person in 6 billion and growing. My body mass, while growing, takes up an even smaller percentage of total mass in the known universe. Little tiny me is nothing. If I stopped existing the universe would move on without so much as a blink.

This feeling makes me not want to stick out. If I'm so unimportant, then why would anyone want to hear me. Why would anyone want to read this blog? Why would anyone want to hear me play my saxophone? Why would anyone care about me? This is why I've been silent lately, why you haven't heard from me. I don't feel like my opinions are of worth. However....

It's all a lie!

Satan wants us to believe that we really are insignificant. He wants us to feel that we are of so little worth that there is no reason for us to make anything of our existence.

The truth is that we are a small part of God's creation. We don't take up much space. We are little by comparison, but we are also the most important part of God's creation. Ponder God's statement to Mosess later in the same chapter, "For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) WE, human beings, who each (by comparison to the universe) take up less space than a quark in a proton in an atom on the far side of the moon are THE MOST IMPORTANT of all God's creations. It is enough to bring us the gifts of great humility, and great inspiration at the same time.

God created planets, stars, galaxies, the whole universe. He created black holes, and dark matter (if it really does exist). Everything he has built is amazing in scope, breadth, and beauty, yet you, yes, little old you, who can barely open her eyes in the morning to take a shower; you, who doesn't like peas because they squish when you eat them; you, who works hard day in and day out to cover most of his bills; Yes, YOU, reading this blog right now are among God's most favored creations. You are more important than the moon, the stars, and the planets in their orbits. You are his work and his glory. Jesus didn't suffer and die for the stars in the sky. He rose on the third day for his children.


...for you.


Next time you feel insignificant, remember it is only in mass that you are small, for you are big in the eyes of God.

Post Conference: Follow Through

As conference comes to a close today I find myself reflecting on the things I've learned. Since I approached this Conference with questions, here are some answers:

Please accept my apology that I am horrible at quotes, so I won't be using many quotes in this post, just principles.

Why am I so much more excited for this conference than previous conferences?

I don't know exactly why I was more excited than previous years for this conference, but I know that it has been a spiritual conference. Maybe it's more a sign of where I am today, than anything else. I am truly grateful that I was able to watch this conference, and am grateful for all the testimonies born, and the principles taught.What I have to say covers very little of what we heard in conference.

How can I be a better husband?

There is a lot to be said on this one subject but three things stick out above all others.

1. Marriage is a FULL partnership (Elder Oaks)
2. Serve
3. Be in the present.

How can I be a better Elder's Quorum teacher?

Again, a lot of material but some good bullet points:

1. Seek not thine own glory
2. Learn of Christ. Teach of Christ.
3. Serve.
4. Be the example, not just the mouthpiece.
5. Seek personal revelation.

How can I be a better LDS example at work? (Includes improving my attitude, and not murmuring)

1. Strengthen your testimony.
2. Be the same person at work as you are at church.
3. Be courageous and stand up for the truth.
4. Serve without complaint
5. Be grateful

How can I help in the missionary work of my ward?

1. Just do it.
2. Get to know your neighbors.
3. Have compassion.
4. Serve.
5. Be courageous and teach the word.
6. Strengthen your testimony.

What work does the Lord want me engaged in right now?

1. The lord wants me to be the best Elder's Quorum teacher I can be.
2. He wants me to be a missionary.
3. He wants me to stop being scared of mortal consequences but to be courageous and stand for truth.
4. He wants me to serve my fellowman.

How do I find more purpose in prayer?

This is a big one.

1. Strengthen your testimony of the Living Christ.
2. Strengthen your testimony of the church.
3. Seek him out in prayer.
4. Don't just pray, but follow through.
5. Love and serve.

Is President Monson the Lord's prophet?

As I pointed out, I've struggled with my testimony of Thomas S. Monson as the prophet since President Hinckley died.

I gained a testimony of President Monson as Prophet of the church at the end of the Priesthood Session. President Monson spoke with such power, and such truth that I stopped taking notes so I could listen. He spoke with the power of God, and it was amazing.

How do I inspire myself to get of the couch, and get out into the world and do the work of the Lord?

I've started to think this is the curse of our generation, or one of them. How many of us waste our time on Buzzfeed, FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, watching TV, and so on? So here are some bullet points for combating our laziness.

1. Have courage to go and do.
2. Be present in the now.
3. Find joy in the mundane.
4. Be grateful for the good and the bad.
5. Turn it off.
6. Educate your desires.

How do I get out of debt while paying my current obligations?

This wasn't spoken of directly, but I think there are things that can be garnered from conference that apply:

1. Be focused on getting out of debt.
2. Remember there is more to life than debt.
3. Do not seek things of the world.
4. Have hope that you can be free.
5. Work in concert with your spouse to get out of debt.

In closing

Maybe the most important thing to get out of conference is to learn to be more like Christ, and follow our leaders as examples of Christ. They should be the heroes we emulate.

I want to add my testimony to those we've heard today. Mine is small in comparison, and comes with much less backing of knowledge, and experience, but it is mine nonetheless.

Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior. He is that we may be also. He suffered so that he could succor us. He died so that we could live. He is the way, the truth, and the light. Joseph Smith restored the gospel as the Lord's Prophet. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's true church on the Earth today. It is our purpose to bring about God's greater purposes amongst the children of men.

In Jesus's holy name, Amen.


Now, I turn it over to you: What did  you learn in Conference?

The Balm of Gilead for our Souls

The Atonement is the Balm of Gilead for our souls, and to apply the Balm of the Atonement to our souls we have to bare our wounds to our savior, and let him apply his atonement to us. When we do this, we not only open the doors to repentance, but we begin the process of repentance, or the process of changing our hearts. Read on:

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, then will I make weak things strong unto them." Ether 12:27

What I've learned from years of pondering, prayer, study and experience:

As I've said before, it is my belief that the reason we sin is because we are trying to cover up feelings we don't want to feel. This isn't applicable only to addicts, this is applicable to all of us. When we act sinfully we are trying to hide our unwanted feelings with stronger, more pleasurable feelings. At first we don't realize what we are doing, but some introspection gives us clarity, and we see patterns emerge. It isn't apparent at first, but when you see it, you really see it.

So, here are the steps of repentance, as laid out in this verse:

1. Come unto Christ

When we find ourselves in temptation, and I really think that's what this verse is talking about, we have a choice to make: 1. white knuckle it and force yourself to be righteous. 2. Sin 3. come unto Christ in your weakness, that he may show unto you your weakness. Your weakness isn't just your propensity to sin; your weakness is those feelings you are trying so hard to not feel, those things that are SO hard on you that you would rather push them down to the depths of your soul than ever feel them again.

2: Humble yourself before Christ

Once you've turned to Christ, and he has shown you your weakness, you, once again have a choice. 1. Push the feelings down again and white knuckle it til you can't take it anymore 2. push the feelings down and give in to temptation 3. Accept the emotions you are feeling, open yourself up to them, and let Christ apply the balm of the Atonement to your soul.

Remember, his grace is sufficient, not just for the whole of the human race, but FOR YOU! This takes faith, gratitude, fortitude, patience, and a few stumbles as you learn to walk on your own. Don't get down when you stumble, get back up, and start the process over, you have a head start this time.

3. Become strong again

Now that you've come this far, it is time to strengthen yourself in Christ. To strengthen yourself in Christ, you must continue too lay your emotions bare, and allow yourself to heal. No more closing  up, and letting your wounds fester. Just as a flesh wound (it's just a flesh wound) has to heal over time, grow, and become strong again, so does your soul. This isn't Arnie strength, but healthy strength. Your tissue becomes healthy, closes up, and becomes smooth again. It is clean, and healthy underneath a layer of skin that protects it from it's previous infector. Your soul is the same. Once you let those wounds heal, and you have sufficiently rehabbed your spiritual tissue you find that it is much harder for Satan to infect you again. 

4. Perform Maintenance:

When we are wounded again (and we will be) are we going to cover our pain with booze, drugs, pornography, sex, food, and anger? Or are we going to tend the wound, apply the atonement, and let it heal before Satan has the chance to get in there and destroy us from the inside again? Please, no, perform the maintenance, and continue to let Christ in so you can be happy and free of sin.

Symbolism of the Sacrament

I want to talk about the symbolism of the Sacrament, and give my readers some things to consider when they next partake of the Sacrament. I hope that this discussion on the Sacrament will convey its sacredness. As you read this envision the ordinance of the Sacrament being performed, and the very real experiences you have each week as you partake of it.

*Remember, as you read, that everything I am saying is symbolic, or in representation of the Atonement. If I do not say that in the narrative, it is only for effect.*

IT IS A VOLUNTARY ORDINANACE

The Sacrament is an unusual ordinance in the church. The Sacrament is not a saving ordinance, but is instead a growing ordinance. If we, or our ancestors, never partake of the Sacrament we/they will not be docked Celestial brownie points for it. It is not like baptism, sealing, or other Temple Ordinances that must be performed in order to receive the highest glory. The Sacrament is entirely voluntary.

The atonement is also voluntary. We are not, and will not be forced to take advantage of the atonement. If we would rather spend eternity in outer darkness, our Savior will let us go to outer darkness, rather than saving us when we don’t want to be saved. Consider this when the Sacrament trays come to you. Are you going to partake of this symbol of Salvation, or let it pass you by? What will you do when Christ stands for you at the last day? Will you accept his sacrifice, or will you hide your eyes from him in shame, refusing to partake?

SALVATION AND THE ATONEMENT

As symbols of Christ’s body, and blood, the Sacrament is a symbol of Salvation. When we partake of the Sacrament we are symbolically accepting salvation.  We are choosing to remember Christ, repent, come unto him in humility, and follow his precepts to the best of our ability. What more sacred symbol can we have than partaking of salvation itself?

Maybe this is also why we are instructed to not partake of the Sacrament unworthily, for if we are unrepentant, then are we choosing to not partake of salvation? This would be worth reader’s comments. Hint Hint.

Also, consider the size of the bread and water that comes to you. As silly as it sounds I sometimes look for the biggest piece of bread so I can get a bigger piece of salvation. After preparing this lesson though, I am looking at the size of the Sacrament differently. The amount of bread and water we receive is the tiniest portion of a meal. It isn’t even enough to take the edge off our hunger when we’re fasting. This is also in similitude of the Atonement. The proverbial portion of the atonement we receive from Christ is but a small portion of the total atonement. It is but a small thing to save us, to forgive us, and to bring us home.

IT’S ABOUT RIGHT NOW

We receive the atonement almost weekly. This isn’t only a reminder that we are continually striving to improve ourselves, but it is also a reminder that we are offered to partake of the Atonement in the here and now, not just at the Judgment Seat. Consider this when you take the Sacrament, when you consider repentance, and when you consider your relationship with God. Christ’s hand isn’t stretched out only at the last day, but is stretched out still, meaning it is stretched out now, and he is offering to let us partake of the atonement right now, if we will accept it.

SERVICE

The Sacrament allows us to serve, and others to serve us. If we are passing the Sacrament, or blessing the Sacrament we are directly acting as the Savior’s representatives in offering our brothers and sisters symbols of the salvation of Christ. Consider the Sacredness of that calling, and when you do, I would encourage each of the brethren to volunteer to bless, or pass the Sacrament, and when you do, think about the service you are providing. I can almost guarantee your eyes will not be dry when you sit down again.

In our families, on our pews, in our chairs we pass the sacrament to each other. This not only represents us sharing the Atonement with others, but represents us doing missionary work. We are commanded to teach our loved ones sitting next to us, our friends a few spots down, and the stranger at the other end of the pew. When we pass the Sacrament to the next person on our bench we are offering them to partake with you, and be filled with joy with you. When we do missionary work we are offering the same thing to our friends, families, and complete strangers, hoping they will accept.

Lastly, don’t forget that the Sacrament is being served to you by the Lord’s representatives, which is in similitude of Christ serving the Atonement to you. Will you deny the gift of the Atonement? Will you casually take your piece of bread and water, and casually pass it on? Or will you partake of it, considering your covenants, and the opportunity you are being given to repent, and come unto him? Will you choose to take it casually this time, promising in your heart to be more sincere next week? Or will you stop putting off the love of God, and partake in the now, when it is right in front of you, with full purpose of heart?

 CLOSING

These are just a few things that the Sacrament represents. There are so many more and I implore you to search them out. A quick Google search will give you a ton of ideas, but nothing will compare to what the Lord teaches you personally through the Holy Ghost.

So, when you notice symbolism, write it down, and consider what it means to you. Why did the Spirit point out this particular piece of symbolism to you today? Before long you’ll have a lengthy list of things to focus on during the Sacrament, and a personal growth chart of sorts. Teach these things to your family. If you have children, make a game of it (a reverent game). Have them write down the symbolism they noticed in the Sacrament, and have everyone share their experiences during FHE. Bare your testimony about the Sacrament during fast and testimony meeting. Do whatever it is you feel inspired to do that makes the Sacrament more meaningful to you, and your family. I can guarantee that you will grow from the experience quickly, and in ways you never thought possible. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen

Elders Quorum Pre-Lesson: Faith and Repentance 3/9/14

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith

Chapter 5: Faith and Repentance

This week's Elder's Quorum lesson is on faith and repentance. I appreciate this lesson because faith and repentance are two things we can all benefit from understanding better.

I want to preface my comments by saying that repentance is more complicated than it looks. Sure, it's easy to say, "stop that!" But it's not always easy to "stop that." Anyone who's ever truly repented of serious sin knows it's not easy. Repentance involves tough emotions, faith, hope, willingness, vulnerability, humility, and a number of other "things", for lack of a more creative word. So, as you read, examine your own emotions, faith, hope, and willingness.

Faith

I love that we are studying faith and repentance together for this lesson. Why? Because faith gives us reason to repent. Paul of Tarsus truly stated, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1Corinthians 15:19) Look at all the commandments we have in the church: Don't drink, don't smoke, don't drink coffee, keep the Law of Chastity. If we didn't have faith, then what reason would we have to do any of these things. Heck, we'd be missing out on the party!

But the truth is, we have reason to keep God's commandments. We have faith that if we keep God's commandments we will be blessed in this life, as well as the next.

Faith 2.0

Faith isn't only about being blessed for our efforts. Faith is also about having trust in the atoning power of Jesus Christ. Christ's power isn't only the power to forgive, it is the power to teach, and heal us. We learn from Alma 7 11:13:

1. He suffered pains, afflictions, and temptations so that he could understand us in our trials, and afflictions.
2, He takes our punishment upon himself that we don't have to do it ourselves. (See also D&C 19:16-17)
3. He took upon himself death so that he could loose the bands of death
4. He took upon him our infirmities so that he could have mercy, and know how to succor us according to the flesh
5. He took upon him our sins so that he could blot them out, and deliver us.

So, if we turn to Christ and rely on him, trust on him, and put our faith in him then he will help us in our efforts to repent. And if we have faith in Christ then we must also be thankful, and this piece is requisite to faith. Being thankful means that we appreciate his hand in our repentance, appreciate his willingness to forgive us our sins, and recognize his power to change our hearts. (Read D&C 59:21)

Repentance

The Dictionary.com entry for repentance reads:

Repentance
noun
1. deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like.
2. regret for any past action.

Sometimes repentance, thanks to those complicated emotions mentioned earlier, can have a bad connotation. If you have need of repentance then you've sinned, if you've sinned then maybe you're not as good a person as you pretend to be, and have to fix yourself. So the call to repentance becomes an insult of sorts, because the sinner is a bad, and broken person. That is not a welcome feeling. If you doubt me, then look into your heart and think how you felt last you were called to repentance.

When I was younger I used to feel this way. I also had some serious iniquities to repent of, and didn't know how to repent of them. I would ask how to repent. The simple definitions just weren't enough. So, I prayed, and studied.

At first I asked, "What would Jesus do?", and God responded, "He wouldn't get himself into this situation!" That didn't help much at the time, but over the years I've thought on that answer as I've studied, pondered, and prayed. I've since created for myself a different definition of repentance that is simpler, less intimidating, more powerful, and wider in scope.

Repentance:
noun
1. The act of becoming more like Christ
2. The lifelong pursuit of becoming a Christ like person

Ponder that for a moment...

I prefer this definition because it means that repentance isn't just a stop gap measure for when we screw up. Repentance is a way of life, a way of improving our selves all the time, every day. It means that we never stop repenting, we are never done, and we never give up. If we are always repenting, then we are always becoming men of Christ.

Repentance makes bad men good, good men better, and better men great. If we have an eye toward Christ, and the spirit of repentance always in our hearts then we will one day find that we are that man of Christ we've been striving to become. We will be as Captain Moroni, and shake the powers of hell forever (Alma 48:17)

Homework: (Ponder and pray)

Read: Teachings of Presidents of the Church Joseph Fielding Smith Chapter 5.
Read: Ether 12:27 and ponder how you can apply this to repentance in your own life.

Pondering, a Lifetime Affair

In the October 1971 General Conference Bruce R. McConkie stated, “To worship the Lord is to study the gospel, to treasure up light and truth, to ponder in our hearts the things of the Kingdom, and to make them part of our lives. It is to pray with all the energy of our souls, to preach by the power of the spirit, to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving.” I love how he tells us to ponder in our hearts, and make them a part of our lives. This alludes to us not just to pondering for a little while, but to pondering for a life time. Pondering lasts our whole lives. When we ponder something, we are really interested in it, and we ponder that subject multiple times throughout our lives as the Spirit touches us, and as we learn, that knowledge enhances, and is enhanced by other knowledge.

Pondering is the key by which I understand most things, and come to many conclusions. My mind is often left unsatisfied with the typical answers to life’s most important questions, so I ponder them a lot. Questions like, “Why is it important for us to have the gospel?”, “How did God create the universe?”, and “How does one choose their favorite football team?” I am often alleviated at first with a spirit of comfort to know that God is in charge of these things, or of their level of importance in the scheme of things. Then it is usually some time later that I come back to the question, mostly because I’ve been introduced to new knowledge from the scientific community, or elsewhere. Then I study the new learning, and compare it to scripture, and pray for answers on how the two connect.

He's got your six

The oldest son of two of our cohort members was killed in combat yesterday (4/12/14) in Afghanistan. I didn't know their son but I'm being deeply affected by it because of BYU-I. The term "I've got your six" is a military term. Where 12 o'clock is straight ahead, 6 o'clock is directly behind you, so "I've got your six" is the military version of "I've got your back." We learned about this in our class 2 weeks ago when the soldier's father taught our lesson, and I asked him about his 6 pin, which he was wearing to support his son. No phrase has taken on more meaning for me than this phrase did tonight for me when our cohort stayed 20 minutes late discussing what we can do for them.

So, I wanted to incorporate this into my post. (Originally a post for school)

When God told Samuel to return to the Lamanites he knew it would be dangerous. However, God had his six. When Samuel was upon the wall "they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows." Hel 16:2

I think this is true for all of us when we do the Lord's will. I remember being in the MTC in 1999. One of our instructors was teaching us something in the Book of Mormon to teach to investigators. Just as I was going to sarcastically ask if she could just come with us to do our teaching, I heard, in my mind, "Why would you need her when you have me?" I immediately shut my mouth, and have since pondered that statement over and over. I'm starting to think that means that God has our back, in whatever way we need it. Whether to help us teach, or to protect us from harm, he's there for us. We just have to have the courage to do his will.

This doesn't mean that we will not come to harm, but if we do, we will have other blessings at his hand, and if we perish in his service, then he's got our six in the next life.

The Plan of Salvation

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith

Chapter 3: The Plan of Salvation

The lesson from the manual is good, and I would ask each of you to read it independently. You can find it online at LDS.Org

I won’t go over the whole lesson, but would like to provide some commentary, and give you some things to ponder.

The plan of salvation is the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It gives us hope, purpose, and meaning.  Without the plan of salvation all would be for naught. There would be no more meaning to life than what we do with it now, and what we can do for our progeny.  There would be nothing for us to work for more than carnal security, and fulfillment.

As the plan of salvation is the foundation of the gospel, I would like you to take a moment to consider your own foundation? What are your motivations? What do you treasure most? What causes you the most disappointment? What are your goals? How much of a role does the gospel play in your life? Is your foundation in line with the gospel of Jesus Christ? If not, how can you realign it?

President Smith tells us. “The Gospel is the sole hope of the world.” This is a powerful statement, and I want you to all consider that we are the only church in the world with the true gospel, or in other words, we are the only ones who can provide the hope our world needs. Church membership takes up less than 0.2% of the world’s population, and active membership even less. That means that 99.8% of the world (or just about 7 billion people) does not have the gospel, does not have the truth, and does not have the hope provided by the plan of salvation. Take a moment to consider the enormity of missionary work ahead of us.

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth them unto me – the fountain of all righteousness.” – Ether 12:27-28

We all have different lives. We are all different people, but each of us has at least one thing in common, each of us has weaknesses. However, the plan of salvation is such that we can overcome those weaknesses, and that is the beauty of the plan, of the atonement! It is because of the atonement that we can have the gift of the Holy Ghost, and can repent. Jesus doesn’t only provide the way to Eternal Life, he leads us along the way. He is the ultimate guide to life, and will help us when we fall, veer down the wrong path, or eat poisonous mushrooms. Remember, that Jesus loves us, each and every one of us, and has our best interests in mind. He is not here to lord over us, and subject us to his will. He is here to make us free, and wants to ease our journey. His yoke is light, so when we join our yoke to his, he will pull our load with us, easing our way.

In closing, I would ask each of you to take some time to ponder the atonement. Don’t ask the question, “How can I become perfect?” or “How can God make me perfect?” but ask, “How can I work WITH my Savior toward perfection?”

Building our Relationship with God

Prayer is one of the most important parts of the gospel plan, which is why Satan tries so hard to make us complacent about saying any prayers, much less meaningful prayers. Without prayer, man would never commune with God, and the work of God could never progress. Satan knows this, and tries his best to turn us away from prayer. If the avenue of prayer were not open, then the prophets would never have talked to God, the scriptures would never have been written, and man would be as the animals. However, God did provide a way for man to talk to him, and he talks back to us. His work moves forward by the hands of faithful men, who counsel with him daily.

Joseph Smith once stated, “It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, to know that we may converse with him as one man converses with another.” (Documentary History of the Church.) Without prayer, we cannot converse with God; we have closed the proverbial door on him, and are not inviting him in. If we have closed the door on God, then we cannot know him.

If we do invite God in then we can begin to know him, and know his character, and we can begin to understand our relationship with him, as our Heavenly Father. It is then that prayer becomes the most powerful, as the Bible Dictionary states, “Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the Child are brought into correspondence with each other.” When we understand this perspective we are able to counsel with the Lord. Note the word “with.” When we counsel with the Lord we make covenants. We are able to “secure for ourselves and others blessings that God is already willing to grant but are made conditional on our asking for them.” (Bible Dictionary) Counseling with the Lord isn’t the same as simply asking for blessings though, it is making promises that you intend to keep, in order for God to bless you, and others.

Lastly, it is important to ask in faith, “nothing wavering.” (James 1:6) Joseph Smith asked in true faith, nothing wavering, which church to join, and he was visited by God the Father, and Jesus Christ, his Son. Though we rarely have such spectacular experiences when we pray in faith, God blesses us nonetheless, and it is important to recognize the answers God gives us. Sometimes the answers take time, or take our conditioning, and understanding, but they come. It is the nature of God to give us our answers in the way we need them, not necessarily in the way we prefer them. If we are faithful and watch, our understanding will be opened, and our faith filled to overflowing.

By Prayer many great things can happen, our understanding can be opened, and the heavens can be opened upon us. If we do not pray, we are left in the darkness, ever wandering, ever lost, ever unaware that God is ready to pour his blessings out upon us.

Love and Indifference

Alma 31:2 "For it was the cause of great sorrow to Alma to know of iniquity among his people; therefore his heart was exceedingly sorrowful because of the separation of the Zoramites from the Nephites."

I noted in these verses how Alma feels about his fellowman, and our contrast (in general) in our day.

In American culture we try to let others find their own happiness. We don't worry whether they find that happiness in sin or righteousness, as long as their happiness doesn't step on our rights, or in some cases, offend us.

If somebody unrelated to us is living wickedly we tend to just plain forget about them. We may make snide remarks, or judge their choices, but within minutes we've moved on without another thought.

In other instances we take great offense. We grow angry, and our hearts become inflamed with indignation. We are so proud of our own righteousness that we make the grave error of playing God by passing judgment upon our brethren.

In contrast, Alma worries over the sins of his brethren, not out of indignation, but out of love. He's concerned that the judgment of God will come down upon them because of their wickedness. He wants them to repent, and not because of some imaginary offense against him.

He also doesn't ignore the problem. He doesn't look upon sin and inequality with a blind eye to what he doesn't want to see. He wants his people to be happy, all of them. He wants them to live righteously for their sake, not his own.

So, the question I pose is how can we use Alma's example in our present day? How can we change our perspective and approach to today's political climate so that we don't look like a bunch of radical haters?

Our God, Our Deliverer

Mosiah 25:16 "And he did exhort the people of Limhi and his brethren, all those that had been delivered out of bondage, that they should remember that it was the Lord that did deliver them."

Remember that it is the Lord that delivers us from bondage, and once you are delivered from bondage, do not forget that it was the Lord who delivered you. This is true for temporal bondage, as well as spiritual bondage. This isn't to say that we don't have our own part to do. We need not only faith; we need to work. Doing our part to free ourselves from bondage, whether through repentance, making debt payments, finding appropriate representation, etc., is requisite to God doing his part to free us.

The gospel is a gospel of work, of us learning, and growing. We don't grow from being bailed out every single time we're in trouble. If we were we'd all be spoiled rotten brats. Our Heavenly Father will supplement our efforts with his efforts. He will give us peace and help us to find and use the tools he has provided to set us free.

That being said, there are situations that some are not freed from. Some of those are consequences of our own actions, and some are from circumstances beyond our control. Others are the result of tyranny, such as during the holocaust, the Rwandan genocides, or any number of horrible things that happen in our world. In those situations the Lord can provide peace to the heart and mind, and he will punish those tyrants for their sins against the people. Many times the peace the comes for people in those extremes is an end to suffering. I really don't want to go further into that right now. These situations are too painful, and unimaginable for me to ponder too deeply.

For those in other anguish, such as depression, and abuse remember that the Lord is the one who can, and will deliver you. Be sure to do your part, which is using the tools provided us, i.e. medication, therapy, friends, spiritual leaders, legal authority, etc. It may be a hard road, but remain faithful and you will find peace.