Fear

2 Nephi 20:33

"Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down; and the haughty shall be humbled."

What is fear?  The best definition I have for fear (better than Webster's in my opinion) is not a definition that I received on my own accord.  But it is a definition that I have yet to disprove.  Fear is, simply put, the absense of faith.  Though, to understand that definition, you need to understand what faith is.  Faith is belief in something that is not seen, but is true.  

You might say that faith is hope that is acted upon.  Hope on its own accord is worth nothing, but if you have faith, you have no reason not to strive for something, because once your hope has turned into faith, you perceive it as truth.  And if something is true, what is the point of not seeking after it?  But what are the operative words that have been used to describe faith?  Truth, striving, seeking, action.  So, without those operative words, faith means nothing.  Faith on its own accord benefits you nothing if you do not act upon it.

I'm reminded of a lesson that a good man named Eric Anderson taught for Sunday School a few weeks ago.  He had me come up to the front of the class, and he put a marker on the desk.  Then he told me to use my faith to get that marker into my hand.  Knowing what he was after in the lesson, I reached out and grabbed the marker without hesitation.  He then asked me (something along these lines) "How did you get that marker into your hands?"  To which I replied "By acting on my faith."  After I sat down, he kept going with the object lesson.  He put the marker back on the table and said "I am now going to try to get that marker into my hand using nothing but my faith" in which he proceeded to start intently at the marker for about 30 seconds... to no avail.

So, if the marker represents our eternal goals, what good does it do to simply have faith that we will eventually achieve them through no effort of our own?  Our goals are right there infront of our faces, all we have to do is reach out there and grab them.  Now, it may not be as easy as picking up a marker off of a table... but if we truly desire the Celestial Kingdom, and we know the path (thanks to the scriptures, Christ, and prophets), then if we truly accept the life-principles that get us there and truly become what He wants us to be, is it really so much harder than reaching out and taking it?

So that's faith in a nutshell, and if fear is the absense of faith, what then is fear?

Faith implies action and motion, therefore fear must imply non-action and freezing.  Fear is hesitation, fear is not trusting in the truth, fear is doubt.  Why would a child be afraid of the dark?  Because he doesn't trust in the truth his parents tell him, that there is nothing bad going to happen.  And what does the child do while he's afraid?  He tightens up, he freezes, he clutches his blanket.  He takes no action.  When a deer is "caught in the headlights," it freezes, it doubts its ability to get away from the oncoming car, it hesitates.  None of those emotions or reactions are present when one has faith.

Satan, the master of fear, traps us in the headlights, immobilizes our thoughts and morals, and then ensnares us.  That's what we should be fearful of.  If there is anything to fear, it really is fear itself.  (I really did not mean to quote that just now.. it actually kind of just came out haha)  Should we ever find ourself doubting the teachings of the gospel, or our own ability to perform righteous acts, we must recognize that for fear and then realize that Christ does not operate out of fear, but out of faith.

There is a scripture that struck me when I read it today, it sums up many of my thoughts on this topic (thank you jimmy for reminding me about it today).

"Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for it ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."

The Intricacies of Joy

2 Nephi 19:10

"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars."

So, since Beethoven's 9th was on my mind all day.. and I took the time to type out that entire poem last night.. Joy has been somewhat on my mind as of late (specifically today). So I got thinking, what really is the difference between happiness and joy?  Or are there more degrees to the feeling of "happiness" than those 2?

A few [literal] definitions:

Happy - delighted; pleased; glad

Happiness - good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy

Joy - the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation

Eternal - without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing

Temporal - enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory

You can probably alread see what I'm getting at by the words I chose to define just now.  But for the sake of what has been on my mind, I'm going to delv a little bit further.  

There are many things in life that bring us happiness and joy.  Things such as doing well on a test, making someone smile, being complimented, going on a date (well, a good one anyways haha), spending time with family and/or friends, and so on.  But as common as it is for those specific things to bring people joy, do they bring everyone joy?  Unfortunately the answer is no.  There are some people out there that really don't care about test scores, they'd rather see people in bad moods for whatever reason (usually because it makes them feel better about their own terrible state of mind?), people that can't accept or believe in compliments, and so on. 

What an atrocity!  Are there really people out there that can't find joy in those few things I listed!?  Unfortunately the answer is (in my opinion) yes.  Which stands for reason that there are people (probably those same people) that find joy in things that would bring others down.  Things like violence, rudeness, coarseness, being alone, pre-marital sex, drugs, pornography, and so on.  The common thing that comes to my mind in relation to those few things I just mentioned is that of respect.  Violence disrespects others' lives.  Rudeness disrespects others' kindness.  Coarseness disrespects others' importance.  Being alone disrespects others' ability to care about you and share in your life.  Pre-marital sex disrespects' others holy virginity.  Drugs disrespect others' and your own free will.  Pornography disrespects' the sanctity of the body, I could go on...

So what really is the difference between the first list I mentioned and the second?  Obviously there is the respect factor that I mentioned, but also underneath that layer is that of the eternities.  Anyone can seek after temporal joy and happiness: wealth, vacations, possessions, solitude, carnal passions.  But do those things bring you joy in the world to come?  Do they make other people around you happy, or just yourself?  

When we leave this world, what do we take with us and what do we leave behind?

Things we take with us:

 - Our habits

 - Our beliefs

 - Our thoughts

 - Our emotion

 - Our righteousness

 - Our knowledge

 - Our demeanor towards others

 - Our desires (things that bring us joy)

Things we leave behind:

 - Others' memories of us

 - The impact we had on others' lives (the joy we brought to others)

So, in the end (mortally) what type of joy really matters?  The type of joy that effects our actual person and the persons around us.  If I keep my talents to myself and bring myself as much inward happiness as possible, will that do as much good eternally as if I were to share my talents with others and bless their lives as well?  No.  And really, shouldn't we gain the most amount of joy by bringing joy to other people anyways?  Isn't that a higher law than the temporal law?  

I am going to make a concerted effort to change the way I think about my daily routine.  When I wake up in the morning, I am going to try to have my first thought be: "What can I do today to bring as much joy to those I come in contact with as possible?"  Or maybe I can start simple: "What can I do today to bring my mother and father (the people I live with and see every day) as much joy as possible?"  Or later that day "How can I bring as much joy as possible to my co-workers?"  

Because really, isn't that what it's all about?

An die Freude

2 Nephi 18:20

"To the law and to the testimony; and if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

I was listening to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, specifically the 5th movement where the poem "Ode to Joy" was immortalized.  So I thought to myself "you know, I have no idea what that poem says or what it's about (other than joy)," so I decided to look it up.  It really is an amazing poem!

Joy, beautiful spark of Gods,

Daughter of Elysium,

We enter, fire-imbibed,

Heavenly, thy sanctuary.

Thy magic powers re-unite

What custom's sword has divided

Beggars become Princes' brothers

Where thy gentle wing abides.

Be embraced, millions!

This kiss to the entier world!

Brothers - above the starry canopy

A loving father must dwell.

Whoever has had the great fortune,

To be a friend's friend,

Whoever has won the love of a devoted wife,

Add his to our jubilation!

Indeed, whoever can call even one sould

His own on this earth!

And whoever was never able to must creep 

Tearfully away from this circle.

Those who dwell in the great circle,

Pay homage to  sympathy!

It leads to the stars,

Where the Unkown reigns.

Joy all creatures drink

At nature's bosoms;

All, Just and Unjust,

Follow her rose-petalled path.

Kisses she gave us, and Wine,

A friend, proven in death,

Pleasure was given (even) to the worm,

And the Cherub stands before God.

You bow down, millions?

Can you sense the Creator, world?

Seek him above the starry canopy.

Above the stars He must dwell.

Joy is called the strong motivation

In eternal nature.

Joy, joy moves the wheels

In the universal time machine.

Flowers it calls forth from their buds,

Suns from the Firmament,

Spheres it moves far out in Space,

Where our telescopes cannot reach.

Joyful, as His suns are flying.

Across the Firmament's splendid design,

Run, brothers, run your race,

Joyful, as a hero going to conquest.

As truth's fiery reflection

It smiles at the scientist.

To virtue's steep hill

It leads the sufferer on.

Atop faith's lofty summit

One sees its flags in the wind,

Through the cracks of burst-open coffins,

One sees it stand in the angels' chorus.

Endure courageously, millions!

Endure for the better world!

Above the starry canopy

A great God will reward you

Gods one cannot ever repay,

It is beautiful, thought, to be like them.

Sorrow and Poverty, come forth

And rejoice with the Joyful ones.

Anger and revenge be forgotten,

Our deadly enemy be forgiven,

Not one tear shall he shed anymore,

No feeling of remorse shall pain him.

The account of our misdeeds to be destroyed!

Reconciled the entire world!

Brothers, above the starry canopy

God judges as we judged.

Joy is bubbling in the glasses,

Through the grapes' golden blood

Cannibals drink gentleness,

And despair drinks courage--

Brothers, fly from your seats,

When the full rummer is going around,

Let the foam gush up to heaven.

This glass to the good spirit.

He whom star clusters adore,

The whom the Seraphs' hymn praises,

This glass to him, the good spirit,

Above the starry canopy!

Resolve and courage for great suffering,

Help there, where innocence weeps,

Eternally may last all sworn Oaths,

Truth towards friend and enemy,

Men's pride before Kings' thrones--

Brothers, even if it meant our Life and blood,

Give the crowns to those who earn them, 

Defeat the pack of liars!

Close the holy circle tighter,

Swear by this golden wine:

To remain true to the Oath,

Swear it by the Judge above the stars!

Delivery from tyrants' chains,

Generosity also towards the villain,

Hope on the deathbeds,

Mercy from the final judge!

Also the dead shall live!

Brothers, drink and chime in,

All sinners shall be forgiven,

And hell shall be no more.

A serene hour of farewell!

Sweet rest in the shroud!

Brothers -- a mild sentence

From the mouth of the final judge!

Why Procrastinate?

2 Nephi 17:12

"But Ahaz said: I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord."

Something that just came to my mind is the pernicious, yet stealthy, vice called procrastination.  What really is the point?  If you plan to do something eventually, and you have time to do it now, and it really doesn't make things any better (honestly) if you do it later, then why put it off until later?  Infact, in most cases if you do things that need to be done first, you will have time to do those things you "really" want to do after the fact.  The other upside to getting things done early is that it also opens up your time and your life to be filled by the things the Lord wants to fill them with.  

Take for example, doing your taxes.  If you see that you have time on a given day to do your taxes, but instead you blow it off for something like.. going to a baseball game.  And then the next day something tragic happens that literally gives you zero time to file your taxes before they are due, then you'd feel pretty silly about not doing them when the opportunity arised eh?  That example seems a bit over the top, but it works in all cases I think.

Or for a more every day situation, doing homework.  You honestly never know how long it's going to take, if you're in school it is one of if not the most important things you have to do that day, why not do it as soon as it's possible to be done, and then get on with the rest of the day you might have left to do other things, or possibly find yourself being prompted by the Lord to do things you might not have otherwise been asked to do?

Procrastination is one thing that I have always struggled with in my life, and something I continue to struggle with to this day.  And I really can't make sense of why I continue to do it.  If you simply put the most important things in your life first, or the things that you "have to do," everything else really will fall into place afterwards.  With technology where it is today, you never really have to miss a tv show or a game because of other things that need to be done first, you never really have to forgo fun in order to accomplish that which you need to get done.  And honestly, anyone who asks you to do something that forces you to procrastinate, is doing you a disservice and only asking you to compromise that which is best for you.

But what causes procrastination?  A myriad of things come to mind, namely: laziness, apathy, misunderstanding of priorities, pride, rebellion, immaturity and so on.  But I honestly think the #1 culprit, even above laziness, is apathy.  Not really caring that something may be important to do now, because something else is so much more appealing at the time.  Not caring about possible future consequences because the elation of the "here and now" blinds us to responsibilities we may have to get important things done now, instead of later.  Apathy towards the Lord in regards to filling up our lives and our "schedules" with things that are temporal and worldly and fun, as opposed to accomplishing the things we NEED to accomplish in the time we are first given to accomplish those things.  

I once heard a thought on the subject that is closely along these lines.  "If you need something accomplished, that has to be done, but you have to delegate it to someone to do for you, would you rather give it to someone who runs a busy schedule, but always gets everything done he sets out to do, or to a known procrastinator that has a completely open schedule for the next few days?"  I personally would pick the busy person who knows how to get things done and move on to the next item on his agenda.  So why wouldn't I want to be that person as opposed to the procrastinator?  I can't think of any good reasons.

Worldy Fun

2 Nephi 16:8-10

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me.

And he said: So and tell this people - Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes - lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed."

As much fun as tonight was, for some reason it left me feeling empty.  I admit that the food was amazing, playing pool with my brother and dad is always fun, and the movie was great.  But, it still left me wishing it had been more fulfilling.  And I can't help but wonder why.  Things that come to mind are that it kept me out past when I have been trying to commit to go to bed, I spent way more money than I should have simply to "have a fun evening," and for the first time in a while, I really saw tonight how worldly the world really is.

While we were at Boi Na Braza, obviously alcohol is served, strike one.  

While we were at main event, there were music videos playing of "new hit songs," one of which being Britney Spears' "Womanizer."  I had never previously heard the song (to my recollection), but just seeing snipets of the music video (yay for the tv being right next to the basketball game that was showing...) I unfortunately caught bits and pieces here and there of Britney posing for the camera in convenient ways to hide parts of her body despite her nakedness.  How far the "Disney girl" has fallen.. strike two.  

And the movie "Australia."  Overall it was a really good movie with a great premise.  But do they really have to show "everything but" when it comes to the love-making scenes?  Can they not simply elude to what is obviously about to happen, and then just switch scenes?  While that scene was playing out I really couldn't help but think "if Christ were watching this movie, would He stop watching right now, get up, and walk out?"  My answer was a resounding yes, but I did nothing of the sort unfortunately.  Our generation has become desensitized to a point to things of that nature, strike three.

So really, what did I accomplish other than "quality time with my father and brother, and a wonderful wonderful meal?"  I accomplished putting myself in the path of the temptation of alcohol.  I accomplished surrounding myself with people that were drinking and tv shows that were anything but wholesome to the spirit.  I accomplished subjecting myself to watching play out the great lie of this generation: pre-marital sex.  

I really need to learn to choose my time more wisely and safeguard myself from the wiles of Satan and his ever present angels of darkness.  As I stated (in other words) in previous posts, if we don't willingly subject ourselves to temptation, knowing that it will be present before we even show up, then we'll have less of a chance to succumb to temptation and less of a chance for the images and music we hear to trickle through our minds at unopportune times.

We must stand in holy places, with no exceptions.

The Intricacies of Service

2 Nephi 15:20-24

"Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!

Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;

Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, their root shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel."

I can't help but be amazed at how people who don't ask for recognition, people who don't "do good" simply to look good in others' eyes, rather they do so because they honestly care about the well being of their fellow man... almost always get recognized in the best ways possible.  Much better ways than they would be recognized had they sought the recognition as a precusor to their service and selflessness.  

But really, isn't that what this life is all about?  Are we not asked to "feed my sheep?"  

So if we are supposed to give whatever we have and whatever we can to those in need, what is "good enough" as far as service goes?  What are we supposed to do to qualify to be worthy of His approval?  Is helping out at a homeless shelter good enough?  Is visiting a friend in the hospital what we are supposed to do?  Are we supposed to give unpaid service to family members who may not be able to easily do something that needs to be done?  Do we need to volunteer at church? at food banks? at hospitals?  What does He want us to do?

After doing much thinking on this, I would answer that we are supposed to do whatever we can.  All of the above are good answers, and there are still more that aren't listed.  So long as it's from the heart, and is truly selfless (the thought of "oh, I'm doing this because it's a good resume builder" comes to mind), then that's all He really asks of us.  Now, how should we go about accomplishing that?  Simply desiring to do so and making it a priority really should be enough.. 

Like I've mentioned in previous posts, we need to make time for the things the Lord has asked us to do.  Instead of finding excuses to not attend church meetings, institute, going to the temple and such, we need to make sure that our schedule is worked around those institutions of the Lord, and if so done, our lives will be made happier and more fulfilled.  I think the same thing should be thought of with service.  We need to do "premeditated service."  Find something that you truly want to do to help out where you can, and then put it down on your schedule, and fill in the rest of your schedule around such activities.  That really is the only way to make sure that we do the most good that we can.  

Now that's not to say that simply doing what we've "scheduled to do" is all that we need to do.  That simple act (or not so simple for others) doesn't mean that we should be turning down other opportunities to serve, but that it is a great starting place.  Obviously Christ centered His life around service, so even if we find a way to fit service into a regular schedule, thing just how much better our lives would be if we also stepped up to the call to serve whenever we're asked to, no matter what the request might be?  To truly be service-centered, and not let service become a hinderance to our daily lives or thoughts or desires.

We have been commanded to "be ye therefore perfect."  Service truly is one of those divine principles that, in my mind at least, separates those who are truly striving to be perfect, and those who keep "being perfect" as an ideal that sure is nice to think about.

A poem on my mind

2 Nephi 14:4

"When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning."

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;

But the eternal summer shall not fade.

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,

Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,

When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

-William Shakespeare