Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Yellow Brick Road

Alma 25:16
"Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come."

It seems the more one tries to control their own life temporally, the more the Lord reminds you that your ways are not always His ways. And that His ways for one person are rarely His ways for you. That just because one person's life plays out in a certain way, or that most people's lives seem to play out in a certain way, does not mean that your life will or even necessarily should play out in that same way.  I suppose the best way to look at it is with faith and trust. By understanding that so long as you keep the most important things in life first, that everything else will fall into place for the best. 

So long as you keep things in perspective and listen to the Lord's opinion above the opinion of your peers (or even yourself some times), that the Celestial Kingdom awaits you. After all, it doesn't really matter what temporal status we attain in this life, so long as our heart and our disposition are in the right place, the Lord will take care of you. It certainly takes humility to put that faith into action. Humility to place the "common sense" of how life "should" work out behind the unknown in which the Lord leads you through. It reminds me of a scripture referenece by President Boyd K. Packer, in a recent General Conference talk he gave, which reads: 

"And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are  hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6)

The analogy that he gave was along the lines of being willing to walk your life into the darkness of the unknown a few steps. And after you do that, the Lord will turn the light on and light your path. If we show the Lord that we trust in his guidance, he will take care of us, walk beside us, carry us, whatever it is that he needs to do to guide us towards the Kingdom in which we truly desire. For the Lord desires that we all return to dwell with our Father in Heaven. However, if we do not truly desire to be there, it will be impossible to get there. No amount of wealth or no particular job or life-situation, or church calling... will get us to the Celestial Kingdom. It's all about what's inside of our hearts and whom we become. Obviously if we become a faithful disciple of Christ, we will be willing to let him direct our lives in whichever path that may take us.

Home

Well, I made it home. To sum it up, it was a WONDERFUL vacation. The value of such a trip is immeasureable. I do believe that it has changed me somewhat, and I do believe it is a change for the better. As I collect my thoughts more on this subject, I assume that will be the subject of most of my blogs-to-come.  

It's good to be home. I look forward to continuing on with my life and in further developing the gifts that God has blessed me with and in continuing to pave my path towards the Celestial Kingdom. For that path truly is paved with your own sweat, thoughts, desires, prayers, and such. The works we do are simpy testaments of our spirit.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Hong Kong!

Well, after 26 hours of driving, and a 15 hour flight, I made it to Hong Kong! The time is now 6:55am...

There is only a limited amount of time we are "supposed" to use the free internet zone here, so this will be it for now. Expanded posts to follow!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

blah

well, im blogging from the burbank airport... From my phone. Why you might ask? Details to follow!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Spring Break...

Alma 9:27-28
"And behold, he cmeth to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name.
Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been - if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil."

So, it's rare that events happen in my life before noon that are blog-worthy. And it's even rarer that I find myself needing to blog about them around noon for the reason that I won't be able to access a computer near the close of the day. But, today is such a day.

I was awoken this morning by my father telling me that we needed to go to the airport that moment, because I had to airport-list myself in person and that for some reason it could not be done via computer. So, I threw on sandals, my coat, and we took off. I got to the kiosk and attempted to list myself, when it told me that I needed to wait for someone to come assist me. Well that was certainly odd. When I finally got someone to help, they took me over to another computer and put my information in. Sure enough they gave me my faux boarding pass, but they told me that I needed to contact the government about something.. I later found out that he meant the TSA (Transportation Security Administration).

Why did my Dad wake me up at 7:30am and rush me to the airport? Because apparently EVERYONE AND THEIR DOGS (seriously, I saw a dog at the airport..) are trying to get to Los Angeles this weekend. Something about it being spring break, and that airport happens to be the main trans-pacific airport.. oh and LA has beaches and what not for vacationing. Yeah.. we thought ahead REAL well on this one.. Well, we didn't make the flight, and upon checking other flights, non-reving to Los Angeles today or tomorrow doesn't look like it's going to happen.. at all. Why do we need to get to LA by Sunday night? Oh, just because our PAID tickets have us on a flight leaving LA at 11pm Sunday evening to Hong Kong. Really don't wanna miss that one.

So now we've realized the only way we're going to make it there is by purchasing $600 tickets each.. or going on a 21ish hour long road trip. After a brief, but careful, comparison of the respective prices of transportation given the immediacy of the trip, the Road Trip won. So I now am staring at a day-long drive with my dad to LA. And I'm running on 4 hours of sleep... NAP TIME. Then I'm off!

Back to the TSA thing.. I got home and looked up how to contact them about this frustrating occurrence, and apparently I can't call them. They are only reachable by email, and nothing comes back quicker than 30 days. So I'll just take care of this when I get back. But what is it one might ask?

If you are not able to print a boarding pass from an airline ticketing kiosk or from the Internet as a result of some type of action taken by Homeland Security; or you are denied or consistently delayed boarding; or a ticket agent called someone before handing you a boarding pass, please visit the Travel Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) website.
Woot! I'm on the terrorist most wanted list! Maybe I should look into going to school in the Middle East. I hear Bin Laden's regime pays for your schooling if you sign up for a year or so. And those that have inside information on the United States get extra benefits!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Food For Thought

Alma 8:15
"Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou has been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst they first message from him."

Well, today was my last day at work until April 1st. It was nice to get to spend some time with Jordan and Beth after work, hanging out, laughing, eating, and just having a nice time of it. Had my plans still included moving to Utah, tonight would have been VERY different, emotionally, and all ways otherwise. I really do appreciate the friends I have, and the support group they have been to me for the last few months. I am going to miss them dearly for the next 2 weeks. I can only hope they will miss me as much. I do try to be a good friend, but what does that really mean?

The way in which I try to be a good friend to one person really doesn't differ from the ways in which I try to act towards all mankind. When I meet someone, I generally do so in the same smiling, coridal manner. So why is it that certain people seem to draw closer to me than others? I suppose that if all people reacted the same way to me I would either befriend everyone that I met, or I would not have any friends whatsoever. What draws two people close in a kinship or friendship relationship versus what doesn't create that bond puzzles me whenever I ponder on it. Is it pride on one or both sides? Is it a matching spirit? Is it a natural disinclination to trust? Is it physical attraction? There are so many different things that go into a first impression. Yet I honestly think that I carry myself the same way around everyone that I interact with. I'm not sure there is an answer.. but it's good food for thought! 

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Modern Day Blessings

I chose three verses tonight because the first two go so well together, and the third one just happened to speak about my blog last night, so I thought I'd throw that one in there as well!

Alma 7:7 & 9 & 21
"For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all - for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people."

"But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying - Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth."

"And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness."

It often amazes me how truly blessed I am. And that's not to say that I deserve all that I am blessed with, I simply live a life that is truly one that is a choice life to lead. I have a wonderful job, a car, a computer, access to the internet constantly, an abundance of clothing, a home to live in, the ability to travel by airplane across the world, a television, an Xbox, a cell phone, an iPod, furniture that is stable, access to any book that I want, a piano to play on, plenty of food to eat, a temple nearby, plenty of fellow church members in my area, the fact that I live in the United States of America, and so much more.

Now, obviously I left out a few very important ones, but the ones I chose to mention were for a reason. How many of those blessings that I just listed to I NEED in order to obtain the Celestial Kingdom. The simple answer is none of them. Not one thing on that list would I consider a necessity. The only ones that come close are the nearby temple and the fact that I live amongst a large gathering of saints. But really, I don't NEED those either. I could live in an obscure part of the nation (or heck, the world) and not have many saints around me, and I could have to travel for hours or days to visit a temple - but that wouldn't make me any less able to obtain the Celestial Kingdom in the life to come, their proximity is simply a blessing.

I think of all the good I could do if I led a simplistic, minimalistic life. How much time in the day do I let myself waste by passing the time doing things that are simply not necessary for obtaining salvation? What ways could I convert my relative affluence into helping the less fortunate? If selling my computer meant that I could provide a life-time of shelter for another of God's children that didn't otherwise have a roof over their heads, I would do it in a moment's notice. At least I like to say that I would. I hope that I would. How many of those blessings that I enjoy did the saints in the early church enjoy? Are they any less qualified for the kingdom than I? 

Yes, affluence and technology make life easier, but is that necessarily a good thing? To an undisciplined person, ease of access and ever-improving technology only serves to turn them into slothful and lazy servants. But does that mean that all technology is a bad thing? No. Because those who are disciplined are able to use those advancements in the world for the betterment of those around them and for the betterment of themselves. They are the ones that understand what a blessing modern-technology and affluence are, and they constantly view them through spiritual eyes; in turn they maximize the use of such things for the spreading of the gospel and for the betterment of others. 

It makes me wonder if I really need all that I have. And if not, what do I currently own that is simply a distraction from the things that I should be doing, and what things do I own that I am using for my personal progress spiritually as well as the progress of those around me?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Home and Body

Alma 6:5-6
"Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God.
Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God."

One thing that has been on my mind lately is how I should be living my every-day life. What types of things should I be doing when it comes to the things that most people would deem inconsequential to the overall path of one's life? Well, two things have presented themselves to my mind in a union that I'd never thought about before as being connected. Those 2 things are the need to be inner-driven, and the requirement to live according to the Celestial Law. 

If we desire to live in the Celestial Kingdom, shouldn't we be attempting to live our lives currently as though we were there right now? What do we imagine that place will be like? Will there be things scattered across the floor? Dirty laundry thrown everywhere? Do you imagine the Celestial Kingdom goes undusted and un polished? When I think of the Celestial Kingdom, I imagine a wonderfully beautiful place that is clean, organized, and holy. Shouldn't we pattern our own lives after that? 

Picture the temple. It is always immaculately clean, and whenever you go there, for any reason, you can't help but marvel at the beauty and the holiness that is felt there. Well, in reality, there are 2 other "places" on this earth that are just as sacred and holy to the Lord as the temples are. Those 2 things are our homes and our bodies. 

We need to strive to keep our homes as unspotted from the world as possible. Our home is where our family dwells, and where we rear our young ones, where our family congregates, where we do the majority of our worshipping and growing, it's where we develop. Should we not treat it as though it were a literal temple of the Lord? Could you imagine the Lord walking into your home or *gasp* your room? If he did so what would your reaction be? Would you ask him to wait outside for a few minutes whilst you tidied up and made the place look clean? If a stranger were to walk into your home, would they feel something special and sacred upon doing so? Or would it feel the same as if they had simply walked into any other building? 

The same goes for our bodies. The Lord cannot dwell in any unclean place - that includes US. We must be vigilant about maintaining the holiness of our bodies. Chastity, morality, unhealthy diets, narcotics, and so forth - these are things that easily qualify us for the fleeting of the spirit from us. And not only until our bodies are made clean again can he reside within us. How terrible a feeling would that be to not have the Lord with you at all times? I know the feeling, it is awful and it simply makes you feel worthless. But oh the joy and comfort of knowing that you have kept your body unspotted from the world (there's that phrase again), of knowing that the Holy Spirit resides within you because you are worthy and clean enough for him to do so. 

I need to do a better job of those things, and the only way to accomplish those things is to have an inner desire to do so. Those are not things that the world as a whole will support you on, will agree with, or will even understand. That is the reason that it is only able to be accomplished and maintained through a desire that comes from within, and a testimony of such sanctity to match your desire. 

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Mysterious Ways

Alma 5:14-19
"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body rasied in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?
I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say - Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth - and that he will save you?
Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guild, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?
I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?"


It's interesting how the Lord works. I have firm faith that when he closes one door, he invariably opens another - or more. I checked my BYU-application status tonight when I got home from hanging out with Meagan, Beth, Jordan, Savannah, and Travis at Chili's after work. I have checked it at least once a day for the last week now.. and tonight I finally saw a message other than "completed."  The message that was in it's place was simply:

Denied

I.. was shocked. A feeling came over me that I had not experienced in quite some time. But as my thoughts turned away from the sorrow that I would not be attending BYU, and on to life here in Grapevine, an overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort came over me. 

So many wonderful things have been happening in my life lately. I was honestly contemplating not going simply because I felt as though I needed to be here, and more than anything, this reaffirms that feeling that I had. Thinking about it logically, there is no reason that I should have been denied enrollment at BYU. My grades are good enough, I have family that went there, I have good ecclesiastical recommendations, and everything was in on-time. But, that school is led by the Lord - which leads me to only one conclusion: The Lord needs me to stay here - or at least he doesn't need me in Utah. I have considered re-applying for future semesters or what not, but the story of Martin Harris and the Book of Lehi immediately comes to my head.. and I'd rather not have anything to do with that.

I have made amazing progress in my life over the last year, and it only seems fitting that I should continue that progress here - to continue to develop myself as well as to see through what leaving would have deemed "unfinished business." The thought and idea of leaving has prompted me to do and say things that I probably would not have otherwise gone through with - maybe this was my kick in the butt to stop being reserved, and to say and do the things that I should despite what I may think my future holds in store for me.

This has become an exercise in faith more than anything now - which draws my mind towards Ether 12:6

And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

That, I must honestly say, has been the hardest thing for me to trust. I am so caught up in making my own "straight and narrow path" that I lose sight on the doctrine of faith. I assume that because I am living righteously, and have a decent brain, that things should just make sense, and that those things which I perceive to be "obvious"... don't end up happening. I find myself trusting more in my own personal promptings, than I do making sure that I'm in tune with the spirit, and ready and willing to do the things that I am prompted to do.

Maybe this is all just an exercise in humility. A joke the Lord is playing on me to bring me down a notch, to show to me that he really is the one that is in control - and yet that he still knows what is best for me. Well, I am reminded of a talk given in General Conference this last October given by Elder Wirthlin. He spoke of things in his life that happened, many of which most people would find very upsetting. One example was a road trip he was on, in which they found themselves hundreds of miles away from their destination, in the wrong direction, because of a wrong turn they had taken a few hours back. Instead of moping and complaining, he and his fellow travellers found humor in the experience, and made the best of it. 

Not going to BYU is nothing that I am going to let myself get down about. Rather, I need to find how to make the best of the situtation, learn, and grow from it - and use this experience to make myself a better individual, in as many ways as I can think of. It's time to continue down the path that I have been paving for myself, and to simply leave this in the past where it belongs.

I look forward to tomorrow, and to all the days that will follow - with a steadfast faith AND trust in Christ - despite the mysterious ways in which he works (haha).

Monday, March 9, 2009

Walk the Walk

Mosiah 4:19
"And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them."

I loved the quote that Seth May gave in Elder's Quorum yesterday. It is still resonating with me, and that is something that I have found is rare nowadays, especially with something that I didn't write down. The quote he read (and I don't remember the exact words used, just the gist of it) went something like this:

"Where ever you are, what ever you are doing, constantly bear your testimony. Bear your testimony when you are at school; bear your testimony when you are at work; bear your testimony when you are playing sports; bear your testimony no matter what you are doing. And when you feel it necessary, use words."

That really struck me. We really do have the ability to show someone who we are, simply by the way in which we act, speak, joke around; by our work ethic, what we laugh at, whom we associate with, and the choices we make in our every day lives when surrounded by anyone and everyone.  We don't need to pretend as though we are speaking from a pulpit when we bear our testmony. We say that we strive to have Christ's image in our countenance, but what does that really mean?

To me, that means that when someone looks at us, in our every day lives, they see someone who is obviously a follower of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That if we were to be accused of being a Christian, or a Mormon, or whatever the accusation may be - that upon review of our lives, day in and day out - there would be overwhelming evidence to convict us of that accusation. 

One of the greatest offenses we can do towards another human being, is to let them witness us doing something that would be unbecoming of a member of Christ's true church. For example, and let me use fake names here to illustrate my point. Joe is a member of the church, he works with Hank. Hank is a agnostic person who never really gives much thought to religion, but doesn't reject the idea entirely. He lives a life that suits him, based on his own morals and ideals. Joe knows that Hank wouldn't care if he saw him steal something from work, and there is an item that Joe really wants to have, but wants to be able to use it more than just at work. So, Joe figures out a way that he can steal this item with the only witness being Hank, and since Hank won't really care - definitely not enough to report his good friend - Joe decides to go through with it. 

Years go by, and missionaries knock on Hank's door. They tell him about the gospel and Hank seems very receptive, but then something from his past comes to remembrance. He remembers that Joe stole something from work, and these missionaries are telling him that it is wrong to steal. However, Joe was a member of the church these missionaries are from. What kind of impression did Joe's action leave on Hank in regards to his opinion of those who are of that religion? Is Hank inclined to reject the message of these missionaries because of the actions of his good friend Joe? The answer is yes.

Committing sins in and of itself is a terrible thing, but when you commit them in the presence of others, that is one of the worst influences you can have on a person. Salvation only comes in one way, and what a terrible feeling you would have if you knew that a thoughtless act you committed a long time ago was the reason for another human being rejecting the church.

For more examples:
If you skip church to go to a party with a friend, that friend thinks that church attendance must not be very important to that person or to that religion.
If you watch a show or a movie that is obviously not something a member of the church should be viewing, your friends must then realize that your fellow church members must not take holiness and piety very seriously.
If you use foul language around your friends, your friends must them come to the conclusion that members of your church are not very respectful or thoughtful of others.

In many cases, we are the only member of our church that our friends know. We owe it to them, for their eternal destiny, for our own eternal destiny, to represent the church in the best way we know how - by living what it teaches.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Awesome

Alma 3:27
"For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth."

Today was awesome! I had invited Maritza to come to church with me, and she had accepted the invite. So Garrett went by her house and had her follow him so that she wouldn't get lost. Garrett is such a stud! Well, they got there shortly before it started, and I am so glad because that gave a few people time enough to say hi and help to make Maritza feel welcome, which I know she appreciated. I also got the chance to give her a spanish copy of the Book of Mormon, which she dearly appreciated because her mother is hispanic, and she is looking forward to showing it (and probably giving it) to her mother. 

Today just so happened to be a fast and testimony meeting, and I was glad for that because I know the power of testimonies, and I was excited to see Maritza's reaction to it. I could tell that she was intently pondering on the things that my fellow singles ward members were testifying of, and I could tell that she was feeling the spirit more often than not when they were bearing their testimonies.

I also chose to bear my testimony today, as I have challenged myself to do so EVERY fast Sunday, and since I have made that commitment, I have not failed (I even bore my testimony up in Utah the week that I went to visit haha). I felt inspired to bear my testimony on two things, Eternal families, and modern day prophets. Both of which I have been pondering on a lot for the last month, and both of which are fairly new additions to my testimony. As I was bearing my testimony, I got an overwhelming feeling that what I was saying were exactly the things that Maritza needed to hear. It was wonderful, I felt the spirit so strongly. I asked her if she was willing to let me give her phone number and address to the missionaries, and she answered yes without hesitation. I could feel my spirit smiling. And during Elder's Quorum, I did just that. Hopefully that will lead to a wonderful thing in her life, her eternal life.

She really enjoyed Sunday School as well, which this year we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants. I could tell that she was truly soaking up all of the wonderful things we were discussing today about the restoration of the priesthood, and that she was happy to be learning new and exciting things. Unfortunately she could not stay for Relief Society because she had to take her mother to work, she really did want to stay though - she almost took me up on my offer to take her mother to work for her so that she could stay lol.

After church, I went over to Jordan's house to have a fun dinner with her, Beth, Savannah, and Jordan's family. It was a ton of fun as we hung out listening to music and singing along, and then we played Imaginiff afterwards until it was time to go. I really am going to miss my Chick-fil-A family. They mean the world to me. Though, I know that I am leaving for the right reasons. My education is something that I need to stop putting off, and I need to get on with it. And the only thing that should be worthy of interrupting that until I am done, is a mission.

I look forward to my upcoming life, and I look forward to trusting in the Lord to guide my path as I continue my journey through life. I dont' feel as though I am leaving everything behind me, but that I am seeking new people to add to my personal family (if you will) and new experiences to make me a better and stronger person. I pray for guidance each day, and I believe that with each passing day I learn to follow the promptings of the spirit more and more.

War

Alma 2:21
"And Alma sent spies to follow the remnant of the Amlicites, that he might know of their plans and their plots, whereby he might guard himself against them, that he might preserve his people from being destroyed."

Many people wonder why the war chapters in the Book of Mormon exist. I think this scripture has much to do with one of the answers to that school of question. I like to think of stories as parables, meaning that whenever I hear a story I try to discern an eternal principle from it, learn and grow from it. When I read that scripture I thought to myself. "Hmm, that's very interesting how Alma chose to approach this war-time dilemma that he was in. He was pursuing his enemy in hopes to end the battle quickly, and so instead of just sitting around and waiting for the battle to come to him, he went and investigated his enemy so that he would be better prepared for the next encounter."

This obviously is nothing that is earth-shakingly brilliant, but it's rather quite obvious as far as war-strategy goes. But what I drew from it is that it parallels our battle with sin and temptation. What did Alma do while he was caught up in making sure that he won the battle at hand? He studied his enemy and figured out the best ways to prepare and encounter them. So I got to thinking, why don't we do that? The parallel I drew, as I mentioned, had to do with sin, and more specifically in thinking about what preparations we do in our daily lives to combat sin.

We truly are in the midst of a war, a war with Satan and his devils. Every day we are tempted, who do you think that tempation comes from? Certainly not our loving Father in Heaven, rather it comes from Satan, the father of all lies. He constantly assails us with temptaion in every shape and size, at all times of the day, and from places that we least expect it. So how does all of this tie into Alma's decision to do a little bit of espionage on the Amlicites? Well, simply put, why don't we do a bit of espionage on Satan and his tactics? Why don't we figure out what he's up to so that we can better fortify ourselves from his assaults? Better yet, in what ways CAN we fortify ourselves? And an even better question, if we have the ability to fortify ourselves against temptation, why don't we?

Well, it is late as of now.. I will probably expound on this in more detail in a future blog, but I need time to think and pray about it. I think I'm on to something here, and I want to take time to collect my thoughts on the subject.

Friday, March 6, 2009

The Difference

Alma 1:4-5
"And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.
And it came to pass that he did teach these things so much that many did believe on his words, even so many that they began to support him and give him money."

Well, tonight I went to the third wedding that I've ever attended. I don't remember much about the first one because I was so young, but I remember that it was in our house. The second one was the wedding of my great friend Stephanie. Both of those weddings were not in the temple obviously. And tonight, was Ben and Ashley's wedding. I was excited to attend the wedding, and I am so so so happy for them, but it was... weird. 

I listened very closely and very intently to everything that was said, the pattern in which things took place, what they placed emphasis on, and so forth. The pastor said numerous things that led the marriage towards God, and I was pleased that they were putting the focus of the union where it should be. However, that being said, it just felt like something was missing. When the pastor made the comment towards the end along the lines of "I have felt the presence of God here tonight," I... had to disagree. I really hadn't felt as though anything special had taken place in the sight of God other than two of his children got married for the space of time given to us in which to dwell on earth. Which obviously is a big step, and one that qualifies us for many rights and blessings not otherwise attainable, within the church or not, but it was missing a key ingredient: Priesthood Authority. 

I consider myself better able to tune into the spirit nowadays, thanks to the constancy in which I surround myself with spiritual-enducing media and practices (ie, scriptures, talks, music), and I can honestly say that it would be a stretch to say that God was with Ben and Ashley tonight as far as their wedding being what it should be. 

I love Ben and Ashley so much, and now, more than ever, I hope they find the path towards truth. I want more than anything for them, for their marriage to become an eternal marriage, and not something that ends when Christ comes again. I think about all of the non-temple weddings that have taken place over the course of time, and the pain and sorrow that will be prevalent when people realize that they are not going to be by the side of their earthly partner for the rest of eternity. Or maybe they will be, but not within the glory of the Celestial Kingdom. I don't quite know how the intricacies of the two lower kingdoms work as far as marriage go, but be that as it may, what is a marriage with out the ability to have an eternal increase?

Tonight strengthened my testimony of the sanctity of temple weddings, and the wonderful sealing power that is associated with them. I hope to live every day of mine in accordance with that testimony, so that one day I may be blessed enough to wed within the temple, for time and all eternity. I can't imagine anything on this earth that could bring me more joy than that fateful day.  :)

To Infiniti...

Mosiah 29:20
"...and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him."

I am at peace today, I just hope I can keep it up - no matter what my ever-changing schedule may present as a challenge. With faith and trust in the Lord, anything is possible.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Unwanted

Mosiah 28:3
"Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yes, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble."

Tonight I got a reminder of just how powerful music can be. I tend to think of songs whenever I hear phrases that match the lyrics of a song that I know. Tonight, while I was closing at work, one of my employees said a couple of words that match the lyrics from a song that I used to listen to on occasion a few years ago.. and it is not a very wholesome song in the least, quite explicit lyrics. Well, I have not listened to this song in quite a while, yet when I heard that phrase, it came back to me as though I had just heard it earlier that day, and immediately caused me to have a slightly different spirit about me. 

Can we really risk that? Can we allow ourselves to welcome into our minds things that we wouldn't want there during our most personal moments? If that song happened to pass through my head whilst I was at church, or at the temple... I would really be upset with myself for ever hearing the song in the first place. If I'd never allowed myself to hear it, or if I'd purposefully avoided it after hearing it once, it would never be able to plague me while I am doing something, let alont while I'm having a sacred experience. 

But really, it goes beyond music (though music sure is the most powerful form of media we have, in my opinion). Movies, television shows, internet clips, books, any form of media-intake that we have available to us will always be with us in at least a small sense. Can we really risk having any of that come back to us when we don't want it there? Satan can't plant things into our brain that aren't already there, but he certainly does have the capability of taking what is there, and making it surface. We need to keep ourselves spotless from the world, and that is one of the most important aspects of it. 

I have blogged on this before, but I felt it was important to bring it up again, because I certainly had a shocking reminder of it tonight, and I was beside myself.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Hearken!

Mosiah 27:24-26
"For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.
And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yes, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."

My heart cries out in thanksgiving for the power of the atonement. There is nothing worse in this mortality than the feeling of eternal guilt, for my heart has felt it. However, that feeling has led me to also understanding the joy of eternal forgiveness and happiness. 

"For behold this is my work and my glory; to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

There is no greater feeling that I can imagine, than coming to the realization that you have achieved Celestial Glory. I look forward to that day with earnestness. I yearn for it. Every fiber of my being aches for it. I no longer strive for righteousness out of fear of the alternative, for that can only carry you so far. 

But what I think most people miss in this life, is that God is cheering us on. How can we reject the aid and guidance of someone who is both omniscient and omnipotent? People constantly try to fight and wrestle with God, thinking that their decisions are better than what he would have for us. What an arrogant and prideful viewpoint! God's work and God's glory is to help us and guide us along the path to eternal life. Let him!

He is willing to open door after door for us, all we have to do is give him the opportunity to do so. Through prayer and scripture study, we develop our abilities to discern his counsel and his guidance. So why would we not participate in these things with an open heart and with true intent? 

Monday, March 2, 2009

True Conversion

Mosiah 26:22-24
"For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.
For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a placea t my right hand.
For behold, in my name are they called; and if they know me they shall come forth and shall have a place eternally at my right hand."

So, I have been pondering today about the various stages of conversion to the gospel, and I think I have a grasp on my thoughts now. I look at people in the church, and really, in any religion, and I see various types of people, categorically if you will.

Some seem to be doing all the right things when they're at church and around their church buds, but then you see them out late at night hanging around (and talking differently) with other crowds of kids, and it makes you wonder. Some people openly say they are searching for religion, but don't seem to be making any outward strides to finding a relationship with God. Some people seem to be making very concerted efforts towards righteousness, but always seem to get side tracked and are always making up ground. Some people do mostly a great job of living their religion, and only have a few slip ups here and there. And then there are those people that don't even think about religion, they just go about their day helping people out, constantly smiling, and always seem to love life.

Now, obviously I missed a few descriptions of people, but you get my drift. What is it about people, when it comes to religion and righteousness, that makes us all so different? What goes on in our hearts and minds that differentiates us from the next person? Well, I have come up with the 3 levels of conversion to attempt to illustrate a point.

1) Going through the motions.
This stage of conversion is the first sign of an effort towards righteousness. We figure out what it is that we SHOULD be doing, and even though our psyche may not agree, we do it anyways. Doing so often conflicts with what we may think to be the correct course of action given a decision, but we put aside our instincts in order to get in the habit of doing what we feel we should be doing.

Many people are in this stage of conversion, and often times those people appear to be hypocrites, while that may not be a correct judgment at all. They realize things that should be different in their lives, whether or not their heart is in alignment with this school of thought or not. And in coming to that realization they force themselves to do things they otherwise would not do. This is a hard thing to do constantly, and therefore they find themselves not "going through the motions" some times, and when someone witnesses this, it often times creates the perception of someone who is confused and lost.

However, we all must start at this stage, because the things of righteousness simply do not come naturally. We are naturally selfish beings, so being selfless is often times a foreign concept. We naturally are prideful and want glory, therefore being humble is quite often a task for us when we are first introduced to the topic (some people find out about humility whilst still a young child, others don't see its benefits until much later in their life, we all go through our own experiences and trials). However, it is what it is, and we all spend varying amounts of time in this stage.

2) Obeying because it is "what is right."
At first glance, this seems exactly the same as stage number one, but there is a bit of a difference. In stage number one you are mentally converted to what is the correct course of action or behavior. Here, your heart becomes more closely aligned to righteousness. You choose a faith that makes sense to you, one that you believe is correct, and you begin living according to that faith.

Now that your heart is aligned with the aforementioned religion, it becomes easier to follow in righteousness because you now believe it is the right thing to do, as opposed to just knowing it. This is where you become a more faithful person, you appear to do all the right things, and are honestly a very religious person.

This is where most people, that have chosen a religion, and attend every week (or as often as possible) fall. They fulfill their church callings faithfully, they read the scriptures daily, they do everything that they believe is righteous and holy. These are good people through and through that seem to only have a few faults, but hey, don't we all?

3) True conversion.
This is, I believe, where we should all be striving to end up.

In stage 1, our minds were converted.
In stage 2, our hearts were converted.
Here in stage 3, finally our soul, our every moral fiber, is converted.

I have described this, to a point, in previous blogs, but I want to go into further detail this time. When I talk about converting your soul, you no longer worry about what the "rule set" of your respective religion is. This is where you begin living the standards of the church because the principles of your religion are the same principles in which YOU believe, no just because your church says they are correct. You don't fully reach this stage of conversion until you don't have to think about your actions based on what is "right", but rather you naturally "choose the right" with out having to consciously think about it.

This is where you begin living the gospel in your every action, word, and even thought. Again, not because you are trying to strive towards the model of behavior defined by your church, but because every fiber of your being strives towards it simply because that is what it is programmed to do.

When you are truly converted to the gospel of Christ, your every thought is turned towards the betterment of those around you. You fulfill your church callings because you honestly believe that is the best way you can show your appreciation for the love that Christ gives you, because that is the best way you can reach out to your fellow brethren. You read the scriptures daily because you honestly can't get enough of them. They come alive and jump off of the pages to you. You listen to the prophets and apostles with anxious ears so that you can get to know them better and understand their spirit. You don't even notice 'things of the world' any more because you're so caught up in the spiritual aspect of life and righteousness, that you are no longer enticed by the cheap alternatives Satan gives you.

You may have been doing all of these things already, but there is a new meaning and purpose to them. You are no longer having to remind yourself to get things done pertaining to righteousness, they simply become second nature.

There is a scripture I like that illustrates this vast difference:

Mosiah 3:19
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
Let's break that scripture down a just a little bit.
We are all natural men, we can thank Adam for that, though it's nothing we should be ashamed of. It is part of our test, in order to be rewarded for living a Christ-like life, don't we have to change something about us? What would there be to reward if we were born with the ability to lead a perfect life without difficulty? In the New Testament, Christ often references "rewards in heaven." What are we deserving of if we don't have to overcome something? That obstacle we must overcome is the natural man.

So you might ask, what is the natural man? King Benjamin clearly defines that here, by defining the opposite. He describes things that the natural man isn't: submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and willing to submit to his father. Can you honestly say that as a human being, with carnal instincts that you are humble? have patience? loving towards EVERYONE? meek? I sure can't.

So now how do we overcome the natural man? King Benjamin also explains this. By yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, understanding and accepting the atonment of Christ (for, you have to understand it to be able to accept it), and by becoming as a little child (see: the previous paragraph).

Well, what are the enticings of the Holy Spirit?
He testifies of Jesus Christ and of Truth. Which Truth can only be understood to be the correct way to live our life.

Moroni 7:32
"And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men."

Moroni 10:5
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

Those are quite the enticings! The enticings of faith in Christ, as well as our sacred covenants, and oh wait, the truth of all things! Sounds like someone I should definitely give heed to. We have scriptural evidence here that the Holy Spirit speaks to both our mind and our heart, which equates to our soul. The Holy Spirit really is behind everything we do, he is our constant companion and friend. He, along with the Father and the Son, want the best for us, and is willing to aid us in whatever thing we set out to achieve in righteousness.

Let's let him into our hearts and start living the gospel because it comes naturally, not because we know or feel that it is right! I can honestly say that it has begun feeling natural to me. I'm not perfect by any means, but it is the greatest feeling in the world. :)

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Mortality

Mosiah 25:24
"And they were called the people of God. And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and propsered in the land."

I look out the window and I behold the eternities,
Though my eyes are not what they could be.
What do I behold? What is out there?
I would not be able to see it if it were not for thee.

My hands are busy here, always following commands,
Though slow at first, they eventually keep up pace.
Whom do they serve? Are they the hands of man?
They strive to do nothing but bring a smile to thy face.

Gibberish here, half-uttered words there,
Praise, slander, idleness, silence, they can evoke a tear.
Why so loud? Do they not all count?
Every spoken word should take into consideration thine ear.

Fleeting in, fleeting out, sometimes they stick,
Thinking of that, this can become, thinking not, never is so.
Can he not sense them? Are they not under control?
Through discipline, nothing but good thoughts can grow.

We once had a choice, to continue choosing or to not,
Two choices were presented, life eternal or otherwise.
Why would we go on not choosing? Why give in?
Our choices should be towards him, I do surmise.