Seek to Serve

It's hot tonight in Oregon, and Oregon doesn't believe in AC, just box fans in the window. When its this hot I can't sleep. When I can't sleep I either listen to the Helen Jane Long radio station on Pandora (calm piano), or listen to the scriptures/conference talks on the Gospel Library app for Android.

Tonight, I chose the October 1997 General Conference. I got through the first two talks before I had to move to a cooler location. (I.e. the couch) So here I am, on the couch blogging from my smartphone.

Before I started this though I was stalking my measly 200 friends on Facebook. One of them posted this meme:

Found here

This meme went perfectly with those first two conference talks. In the second talk, "Called to Serve", President Boyd K. Packer talks about our service in the church, not just serving in callings, but serving with our hearts, and spirits, not just when called by revelation from Priesthood Authority, but when revelation from the Holy Ghost calls us to serve.

This goes in line with the meme above because we don't know the fight others are putting up, but our Father in Heaven does, and he gives each of us the Gift and inspiration of the Holy Ghost to serve our fellow creatures.

The first steps are the hardest. We don't always know the voice of the Spirit if we aren't accustomed to listening to it. So we don't know if we are on a wild goose chase, or following the Spirit until we've tested our inspiration.  However, we can learn to hear that voice, and discern its origin.

Elder Packer tells us to " cultivate a spirit of service." And this may be the best advice. We need to first show the Lord that we are willing to serve, and will follow his inspiration. When we have proven that he can trust us with his revelations, then he can send us where he needs us.

How do we cultivate the Spirit of service? Just do it. Get out there, and serve. Start with helping set up chairs before church, prepare your lessons, talks, etc. Carefully and with your class in mind. Pray for guidance. Talk to your bishop about your desire to build your desire to serve.

There is also an unintended consequence of service. I've seen it more times than I know. That is friendship. When you serve others you learn to love them, and you make strong bonds based on mutual respect, and love.

This, I think, is an important lesson for our day. We live in a world that is perpetually more and more inward facing. Many people care only for themselves, and their conveniences. Few take their headphones off to listen, talk, or serve. It is a sad state of affairs.

Let us not forget the two greatest commandments, to love God first, and our neighbor second. I pray that we haven't yet forgotten, and if we have, that we can remember again.

Remember, you don't know the struggle of another, so be prepared to listen to the Spirit, and serve with all your heart. If you are prepared, the Lord will trust you to follow his guidance.

My Conversion Story

Disclaimer: Normally, I don't get all too personal on my blog. I have an aversion to feelings in general. Feelings are often uncomfortable, painful, and most disagreeable to the lacrimal glands, so I avoid them, much like rational people avoid asphyxiation, rattlesnakes, poisonous spiders, bears, dark alleys, and canned peas. So, consider this a special occasion, if you will.

Canned Pea Monster

MY CONVERSION

I remember my own baptism well. The date was October 19, 1997. I was living in the small town of Farmington, New Mexico. I was 19 at the time. My father, in the midst of a difficult battle with hepatitis C, had committed suicide just over a year earlier. My family took it hard. Our lives had been turned upside down.

In search for answers I chose a comfortable set of beliefs. I chose to believe that when my father died he just stopped existing. He would never return. I would never have to see him again, and he could never hurt me again. (See the disclaimer). So, death was ultimate, unimaginable nothingness. There was no hope, no misery. No pain, no relief. The absence of being, the absence of consciousnesses. Nothing.

Through a train of influences and conversations I found myself talking with Elder Orr from small town Idaho, and his odd, violin playing, trunky companion. Over the next two weeks I would read from 1 Nephi through 3/4 of Alma, and the books of 3 Nephi, 4 Nephi, and Moroni. (I read the rest later) The Spirit was strong with me at that time, enough to throw out all doubt that anything else could be true. It was truly amazing.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had the answer to every significant question I had about life, death, and deity. There was no question I couldn't answer by searching for it in the scriptures. One of those questions was answered in Alma 40:11. This scripture told me what happened to us after death. My Father, the unbeliever, the monster, dad, had been "taken home to that God who gave [him] life." 

Not since my father died had I experienced such strong emotions about his death. I cried as I read, and reread this verse. All of a sudden the death that released me from my own personal h*ll became the death that released my father from his own personal captivity. I could see Heavenly Father pulling my Earthly father in with a warm embrace. There was joy. There were tears (as much as a spirit can shed tears). There was no more unbelief. 

Heavenly Father would then have a frank conversation with him. He would show appreciation for his honest heart, and attempts to help those who couldn't help themselves. He would chastise him for his errors, and counsel with him on the work he needed to do. My Father would then get to work on his own repentance. The sweet out-weighed the bitter for the first time in at least 12 years.

My father in the army in the early 70s.
"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers"
Malachi 4:6

So, two weeks after my first meeting, Elder Orr stood next to me, held my arms, said those magic words, and baptized me. I died. Then I was pulled out of the water, my old self gone. A new man rose from that warm, watery grave. A man of doubt, unbelief, and contention was buried, and a man of hope, love, and belief was given new life. An animal took it's last breath, and seconds later, a child of God took it's first. Like a newborn babe, my eyes were set to wonder. Life had taken on new meaning. Even the smallest, most mundane activity was in similitude of Christ's life, death, or resurrection. My life had new meaning. It was no longer about my Earthly success, but it was also about my spiritual success.

A year and a half I would return Elder Orr's favor and serve in the Idaho, Pocatello mission.

In two weeks my life was changed forever, quite literally, forever.

The Dangerous Filth of the Internet

I find myself increasingly saddened by the wickedness I've seen recently online. We live in a wicked world, and it is sad to see such vileness, and wickedness spread across the internet.

In your mind, you may have already consigned this to a blog post condemning pornography, well you would be wrong. There is another pernicious filth being spread across the internet. Like pornography, it is also a dangerous and disgusting habit. It may just as great of a danger to members of the church as digital smut.

This particular sin is brought into our homes through internet users emboldened, and made courageous by the anonymity of the internet. Many are well-meaning church members just trying to do what is right. Others intentionally spread their filth like butter and syrup on bad pancakes, blaming their actions on the rights and duties of the priesthood, or their righteous indignation.

What is this filth I speak of? It is the same filth Jesus rebuked in his mortal ministry. It is hypocrisy, hate, and bullying. I have seen it in memes, comments, blog posts, and passing comments all across the internet. Sometimes it comes in light humor, such as a recent post I saw about linger-longers, and the awkward conversations we've all had with people we weren't comfortable with. It was meant to be humorous, but instead condemned the lonely, needy, and brokenhearted. Some come in pure meanness, such as multiple comments made in recent blogs about dating, sexuality, and other hot topics. One church member even responded to a post saying he would "punch in the face" anybody who disagreed with his beliefs.

Yes, we have been called to preach repentance to the world, but what does that mean? The answer can be found in the way Jesus treated people when he was here on Earth. I've heard it justified that Jesus said some particularly harsh words, but it is important to look at who he spoke those harsh words to. Study the New Testament if you are unsure. Did he condemn the awkward, unkempt guy who has a hard time speaking to girls? Did he condemn the homosexuals and lesbians? Did he condemn those seeking equality among their fellow humans?

No, he condemned the bullies, the haters, and the indignant. He condemned those who would stand between God and his children. He condemned those who only chose the right so their neighbors, wives, children, and bishops could honor their works. He condemned the "vipers" who laid in wait to accuse somebody of grievous sin, and demand that they be stoned to death.

Brothers and sisters, when Jesus comes to Earth, he won't turn first to the stoners, the druggies, the drunks, the LGBTs, the inactives, the non-RMs, or whatever group doesn't follow every commandment to the letter and demand repentance. No, he will turn to the members of the church, and ask why we have alienated so many of his children. He will ask why we have not loved our neighbors, why we have not clothed the beggars, why we have not fed the needy. He will ask why we have condemned so much of the world, instead of putting our arms around them, and showing them the way. We, as members of God's true church, are held to a higher standard than the rest of the world, that means that we will be held accountable first. That means that all of our unkind words, our bullying, our shunning, and ostracizing will be upon our heads. I daresay that it will be better at that day to have lived sinfully as a nonmember than to have spread hatred and injustice as a member.

Paul truly spoke that men in the latter days would be "lovers of their own selves," (2 Tim 3:2) but we know better, and need to love our neighbor instead.

From the scriptures:

Matthew 5 and 3 Nephi 12
Matthew 7:4-5
Matthew 23:13
Mark 12:38-40
John 13:34-35
John 17
2 Timothy 3
Mosiah 2:32
3 Nephi 1:24
3 Nephi 11:29-30
4 Nephi 1:3

EQ Lesson: Joseph Fielding Smith Manual Chapter 7

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith

Chapter 7: Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Witnesses of Christ

Since we just talked had a lesson about Joseph Smith, and the importance of having a testimony of Joseph Smith in December I wanted to take this lesson in a different direction. First, I would like to thank ClassicMormon Mom for her post on this same lesson, which provided me some direction.

Witnesses of Christ

Joseph Fielding Smith states, “Two themes stand out uppermost in my mind. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet called and appointed to usher in the dispensation of the fullness of times.”

We can hardly speak of Joseph Smith without Speaking of Jesus Christ. When we speak of Joseph Smith we talk about his first vision, and the work he did to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the men of this generation. Joseph smith’s witness and testimony of the Risen Savior is the foundation upon which we stand. Without the first vision, Joseph Smith is just a boy from upstate New York. Maybe we would have known him for something else, but that isn’t what happened. Joseph Smith, a boy of 14 was visited by God the Father, and his son, Jesus Christ. Because of this event, this witness, and this testimony Joseph Smith restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in its fullness to the Earth.

That is the testimony this great work stands on.

Brotherhood

Though I don’t know a lot about the relationship between Joseph and Hyrum, I know they were more than brothers. They were best friends, and brothers in Christ. They loved and supported each other, and trusted each other with their lives.  Joseph Smith had so much respect for his brother, he is quoted as saying, “I could pray in my heart that all my brethren were like unto my beloved brother Hyrum, who possesses the mildness of the lamb, and the integrity of a Job, and in short, the meekness and humility of Christ and I love him with that love that is stronger than death, for I never occasion to rebuke him, nor he me.” (JSF Manual, page 112)

In 1841, Hyrum was called to be Assistant President of the Church. In his ordination he was told, “That he may act in concert with my servant Joseph; and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and priesthood,  and gifts of the priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery. That my servant Hyrum may bear record of the things which I shall show unto him, that his name may be had in honorable remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever.” (D&C124:94-96) Working so closely in the Church Presidency together only strengthened their bond of brotherhood, which would continue to grow until they were both martyred in Carthage Jail.

 

                             Joseph and Hyrum Smith's Last Ride - Memorial in Nauvoo, Ill

Brothers in Christ

In February of 1999 Gordon B. Hinckley, in an address to the Salt Lake Tabernacle, declared that the first thing every convert needs is “a friend.” Look at your Quorums, your wards, your stakes, and the church as a whole. We have strength and a bond that goes beyond this life. The priesthood connects us. It strengthens our bond as sons of God. When we consider the Priesthood, we think of worthiness, honesty, and integrity. Though not all men who hold the Priesthood have these attributes, we know that their incidence is higher than in the rest of the world, and that most are working to overcome their shortcomings. So, through the Priesthood our trust is strengthen, and our love deepened because we know the manner of men which stand by us.

So, look to your quorums first. Who among your brethren stands in need of a friend? Is it a new convert? Is it a returning member? Is it a struggling member? Is it you? Don’t be afraid to approach start a friendship with that person in need, or if it’s you, search out a friendship. Sure, your bond may feel artificial at first, even forced, but over time your bond will deepen. If you continue in this friendship, your bond may even be as close as Joseph and Hyrum’s bond once was. Imagine the love and respect you are leaving behind by letting these opportunities pass you by. Imagine having somebody you can trust that much.

Strength in Companionship

Humans need interaction. Satan knows this, which is why he likes to get you alone. When we are alone we are at our weakest, and when we are weak, he can entice us with “goodies.” We may indulge in a goody, then another, and another. Each time we do we are being rewarded for being alone, and since we don’t get any goodies when we are not alone, we get the equivalent of a punishment until we ARE again alone. (Do you see the cycle here?) P.S. There is research to support this. All you have to do is Google any kind of addiction and the word loneliness to find it.

Sin causes man to seek darkness, and loneliness. It is in the empty darkness that they can hide their darkest deeds. That is why the Savior commands us to almost always have a companion. We have companions in parents and siblings as a child. We have companions when we go on missions. We have a companion when we Home Teach. We are commanded to marry, which adds an eternal companion. So then does is not make sense to add to your list of companions through friends, and brothers in the Gospel?  When God said of Adam, “it is not good that man should be alone,” (Gen 2:18) he wasn’t kidding. When we have a companion, one who will see that we are “nourished by the good word of God,” (Moroni 6:4) we will not be left alone to the darkness, to be dragged down by the wiles of Satan.

In closing

The lesson here is actually simple. 

1.       Seek to gain, or strengthen your testimony of the atonement, and the restoration of the gospel in these latter days.

2.       Seek out friends(s) whose testimony and resolve you can strengthen, OR seek out friend(s) who can strengthen your testimony and resolve.

3.       Strengthen that friendship(s), and support each other in Christ, not in sin.

Remember, when you make friends that the goal isn’t retention. We aren’t looking to bolster numbers. The goal is to grow in love for somebody so much that you want nothing more than for them to be saved, for the Gospel is about the pure love of Christ, not numbers.

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.

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?”

Testimony and Conviction

Most apparent in the first chapters of 1 Nephi is the principle of testimony. 1 Nephi begins with Lehi’s vision, followed by Lehi calling his people to repentance. Without a testimony, Lehi’s vision would have meant very little to him. Though we think that if we had such an experience we would also have a testimony, Laman and Lemuel prove us wrong when the angel visits them outside the walls of Jerusalem. Despite seeing an angel, they continue to murmur, and do not gain a testimony of the gospel. Lehi, however, holds true to his testimony, even when his life is in danger. Nephi also gains a testimony, and does so by praying about his father’s experience to ask if it is true with faith that he will receive an answer.

Lehi testifies of the truth despite persecution. His life is in danger, and he sticks to his guns. I know that I don’t have that much conviction. I usually clam up when people talk badly about the church in fear of being singled out. However, that is not the Lord’s way. Even as a ward missionary I find it difficult to face the persecution.