These Latter Days

Mosiah 24:14

"And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions"

So much for the audio cd's I was making.. I caved in and bought myself a 16GB iPod today haha. That's going to make it so much easier porting my music around, as well as shuffling through it in the car (less dangerous, yay!). Technology is simply amazing these days. The day or so after a talk is given in General Conference, you can download it to your computer, and then onto a small 8 ounce device that can hold thousands of simliar audio recordings, and then listen to it whenever or wherever you want to. Astounding! 

When I think of things like that I think back to the days of King Benjamin and his address to his people. He had to build a tower simply so that more people could hear his speak than otherwise would be able to. In addition they had people writing down and/or repeating the address so that all those who were gathered 'round could hear (or read) the message. People spent days or even weeks preparing to hear the words of the prophet, and here we are with the ability to sit in the comfort of our own homes and listen to the same type of message. Yet some of us are too caught up in the world around us to even pay attention to that. 

People in the past had to travel for weeks on end to visit the temple, even now some people have a day or more worth of driving to do to visit a temple. And some people have a temple almost literally in their back yard, yet are too lazy (or whatever) to make the effort to go when the opportunities arise. 

What is it about our current generation that seems to put such little effort or desire into feasting upon the words of our prophet and apostles? Just because things are more readily available doesn't mean the message is any less applicable or meaningful. Instead of being complacent with the availability of such powerful messages, we should be capitalizing on the ease of it by taking the small amount of time required to be edified and uplifted by these words. 

I think the problem is with the numerous media avenues that are readily available 24/7. We get distracted by the television, by less than inspiring music, by books that do us no good, by movies that do nothing but numb the mind and so forth. These replacements for quality use of time, time which could be spent striving to feel the spirit, lead us down nothing but a downward path.

All that being said, I didn't use to think this way once, nor did these perceptions cross my mind. I find myself almost instantly holding everyone around me up to a different standard that I used to, and I've realized that I shouldn't be doing so necessarily. My life used to be completely different, and it took me a while, but I turned it around. I shouldn't be expecting others to live up to the standards I have for myself simply because one day a thought came to me, and not to them. All I can do is accept my own current state of mind and my own current desires, and continue to live them to the best of my abilities, while at the same time extending a hand of fellowship and love to my brothers and sisters. Words of encouragement and inspiration are what should be coming out of my mouth as opposed to words of accusation and beratement. That is how Christ would do it, therefore that is the example I should be following.

Modern Prophets

Mosiah 23:10-11

"Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth.

Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself."

Well, I have begun my goal of making audio CD's for all of the General Conference talks given by the prophtes and apostles since 2003. Unfortunately, only 4 (5 if one of the talks is short, and we all know how often a general authority gives a "short" talk!) of them fit onto one CD, so I've used 16 CD's for just Hinkley, Monson, Faust, Eyring and Uchtdorf. Oh well, it is awesome to listen to these talks while I drive to and from work, and wherever else I travel. It helps keep me focused on things that matter throughout the day. I think I finally have a solution to my problem in finding a "spiritual lunch" to complement my spiritual breakfast (1 chapter out of the Book of Mormon) and dinner (this blog). 

I love the words of the leaders of the church. They truly are inspired of God. I do not consider myself a crier, but I was brought to tears by one of President Monson's talks on the way to work today. It was such a touching story, and I felt the spirit so strongly as I listened to it. I look forward to more moments such as that one. When you surround yourself with things that help to facilitate the presence of the spirit, your testimony can not help but be strengthened.

I would encourage all members of the church to download the general conference addresses, and listen to them as often as time permits. They are not simply meant to be heard once, and only on the day they are given, but they stand as testaments of our time. These leaders of our church address us only a handful of times each year, what they say is of such great importance that we should try to listen to them daily. I'm sure we all would love to hear them speak to us daily, to give us counsel each and every day on how we should live that day. So why not allow them to do so by re-visiting the words they have given to us daily (or, at least as often as time permits)? 

Amos 3:7

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

D&C 1:38

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth shall pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

And who are the Lord's servants? As Amos himself said, the Lord's servants are the prophets. Many times members of the church get so wrapped up in understanding every fine detail of the standard works that they lose sight of the importance of revelation, modern-day revelation. Yes, the scriptures are wonderful, and without the Book of Mormon and the Bible, the world would be far worse off than it is today. But the wonderfulness of a living prophet that receives direct guidance from God, for our day, and for OUR futures? That is irreplacable and incomprable. We should not only be feasting from the scriptures, but we should also feast from the words of our living prophet and apostles. They are in tune with the current struggles and needs of the church, as well as those of the world. If I were to choose someone to help me make the right choices in my life, I sure as anything would prefer someone who loves me, cares about me, and recieves direct influence from God himself!

KISS

Mosiah 22:7

"And I will go according to thy command and pay the last tribute of wine to the Lamanites, and they will be drunken; and we will pass through the secret pass on the left of their camp when they are drunken and asleep."

Institute was great as always tonight. I really enjoy the topics we cover this semester, especially since they are what the apostles have been speaking about recently. Tonight we discussed L. Tom Perry's recent talk about simplicity. I really enjoy that topic because I have such a testimony of it. My testimony has been strengthened so much by that principle. There are 4 things we discussed today that are all we need in life (as discovered by Henry David Thoreau years ago).

1. Food

2. Clothing

3. Shelther

4. Fuel

The first 3 don't take explanation, but they can all have both positive and negative influences on our life, in various forms. I won't discuss these too much because they are not what are directly on my mind at the time, but I still want to say something briefly about each of them.

Food is obviously vital for our existence, but we need to make sure we are eating the right foods. This is where the Lord's guidance comes in to play, specifically names the Word of Wisdom. There is a really cool video about that found here. 

Clothing is vital as well, for various reasons. But thanks to the adversary, even this basic need has to be governed as well. Far too many people of this day and age use clothing in inappropriate ways to attract members of the opposite sex. Doing so does nothing but disrespect the fact that our bodies are temples, and should be treated as such.

Shelter is what keeps us safe and protected from much of the world around us. However, even this has become something of an idol in this day and age. Many people view their home as their "status" for others to see, and in turn strive to have as large a house as they can, or have as many nice and expensive things in it despite what might be a subpar income for the standard of living they desire. Living within your means truly is a principle that must be adhered to. Without doing so how can you ever plan for the future or expect to be able to provide for more than just yourself?

Fuel, that is the one that has been on my mind more lately. We know we that are both a body and a spirit, so it stands for reason that both need nourishment (as I have discussed in a previous post.) Returning to our Father in Heaven requires spiritual fuel, and constant and daily attention to that fact.

And that's it. Those are the only 4 things we need. Everything else comes as extra. Now, obviously, the 4th one (being fuel) is pretty all encompassing as it entails pretty much the entirety of our religious practices (church meetings, service, scripture study, etc), but so many people miss the bar here. They fill their lives with things that, eternally, just do not matter. This is something I have been working on in my life for a while now, and as I have gotten better about it, I really have come to enjoy the added peace that I have received due to it.

Computer games, avid sports watching, superfluous music, mindless tv-programs, mindless movies, hobbies that don't benefit any body, loud parties, and so forth. These things (for the most part) do nothing but take time away from you, time which could be spent strengthening your testimony, giving service, spending time with your family, etc. If something can't be classified as Food/Shelther/Clothing/Fuel - then is it really worth your time? Worth the time of a son or daughter of God? Worth the time of someone who will hopefully inherit all that their Father has, and needs to be as spiritually sound as possible to do so?

We are held to such a high standard by our Father in Heaven, should we not hold ourselves to that same standard? Christ led a very simple life. He truly did set the example in all things. In what ways can we simplify our lives and find more time for those things that really do matter? 

Ammon

Mosiah 21:33

"...And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant."

Really? Ammon considered himself unworthy to do baptize king Limhi? Ammon is a staple of righteousness for us to follow, but this shows documentation that even he had struggles in his life that prevented him from being able to excercise his priesthood at times. However he still had the moral fortitude to not dishonor his authority and his priesthood. King Limhi was SO desirous to be baptized, it would have been so easy for Ammon to lie to himself and to God and perform the ordinance that he had the authority to be able to do. However he lacked the worthiness to do so, and therefore humbled himself before king Limhi and did not baptize him. 

How painful an experience that must have been for both parties:

1) The sorrow that I'm sure king Limhi felt, that finally there was a man of God that had come to liberate them from their predicament, and who had also brought the message of the gospel with him! But that same man could not give him the one thing he truly desired at that moment in time: baptism into the true church. Which baptism would have entitled king Limhi to the gift of the Holy Ghost as well as all of the other blessings which follow with it, which most likely would have made ruling his people under the guidance of the Lord a bit easier as well. 

2) I'm sure that Ammon's soul was tormented with sorrow and regret for whatever sin it was that he committed which caused him to be unworthy to perform an ordinance that would have meant so much to not only king Limhi, but all of Limhi's followers that also yearned for baptism. But what an example he was despite his period of tribulation. To be able to look king Limhi in the face and apologize that he could not baptize him. How many of us make the decision to take the sacrament unworthily, simply because our friends might be watching and we wouldn't want them to think less of us. Ammon stared an entire nation in the face and told them he was unworthy to do for them the thing that had become the most important thing on their agenda, every single person's agenda!

The Lord truly looks on the heart, and Ammon remembered that. Even if we have struggles in our lives with worthiness, or whatever our struggle may be, the Lord will always judge us based on our intentions and our desire to do what is right. Not what may seem popular, or will make the most amount of people happy (whether it be a temporary happiness or a longer-lasting one), but that which will make the Lord happy. We must strive to keep that close to our heart.

What Matters Most

Mosiah 20:11

"And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight."

Where on earth can I find heaven? The answer lies in that verse right there. In my family. My current family, and my future family - those are honestly the only 2 things in the world that mean more than anything else. If you live your life so that those 2 things are in order, and are always first in every choice you make. It is very hard to go wrong.

Friendly Surmising

Mosiah 19:20

"And the king commanded them that they should not return; and they were angry with the king, and caused that he should suffer, even unto death by fire."

It's odd that as I am preparing to leave the area/state, those that I have been spending my time with here in the Grapevine/Colleyville/Lake Worth areas.. are getting far closer to me than at any other point in time previously.  I feel as though I am just now making close friendships with those that have seemingly been my good friends for the last little while. And not simply the sort of friends that you forget a couple of months after moving away either, but the type of friends that you remain close to for the entirety of your lives. Then again, maybe it's the prospect of me moving that is causing the bonds to be formed. I'm not saying that is definitely the case, but the correlation certainly is there. 

Maybe it's me. Maybe I am finally being the friend I always should have been because I'm trying to squeeze in time with friends that I might have been neglecting in the past? That would certainly follow a trail of logic. 

Also, on the topic of friends, I find it quite interesting that my best friends at this point in time are far younger than me. (24, 24, 21, 21, 20, 19, 19, 18, 17, 17 - averages out to 20 exactly).  Is there something to that? I really don't know. I've always considered myself comfortable with those in the older crowd of things (thanks to my family), but I always tend to find myself mingling more often with those of a younger generation. And if and when I do move to Utah, I don't see that necessarily changing. I'm not quite sure why this is, but it simply is.

Happiness Is A Choice

Mosiah 18:21

"And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another."

Well, today I gave a talk in church for the first time in about 9 or 10 years, so I figured it would be fun to post the whole talk. I have received much positive feedback about it, far more than I expected, and far more than just cordial feedback, which completely caught me off guard. Anyways, here is what I worked on for the last week.

Happiness is a choice 

Everyone close your eyes, picture happiness, what do you see?

•  Green fields
• Butterflies
• Clear sky
•  Mother and Father
•  Siblings
•  Children
•  On vacation
•  At work
•  In schools
•  At the temple
•  At church
•  Taking the sacrament
•  Praying
•  Serving a mission
•  Eternal life
•  Singing, or playing a musical instrument
•  Playing baseball, volleyball, basketball, or your sport of choice
•  Hanging out with friends, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company
•  Or maybe you’re not picturing any of these things, and that’s perfectly all right, Happiness is different for each person, and that is divine.

Keep your eyes closed, but I’m going to change this up a little bit, are you happy when you think of these things?

• Talking behind others’ backs
• Feel too lazy to help someone in their time of need
•  Lie to someone
• Don’t work as hard as you could at your respective jobs
•  Use language that you know Heavenly Father wouldn’t approve of

I don’t want to beat too long on the negative side of things, but I assume the difference between these 2 lists is obvious. There may not be an apparent difference in how we act or think when choosing things from these 2 lists to do, but I would go as far as to say that at one point in time throughout the day, we always recognize the effect such activities have on our spirit.

2 Nephi 2:25-27
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy.
“And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”

Is not the purpose of this life to exercise our free agency and be able to stand before God at the judgment bar and say that we used our free agency for righteousness, and for the betterment of not only our standing, but for the betterment of the lives of those around us? It all centers on choice.

[Rainbows in Great-Grandma’s Bedroom] – Ray Goldrup

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=7ab78bf6248ad010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

That’s the key. To be happy despite events that would otherwise make us sad, and to always think of others in nothing but a positive light. For we are all children of the same Heavenly Father, are we not all entitled to such a high estimation from our eternal siblings?

 So, in my preparing for this talk, I thought about how one successfully chooses to be happy. And through much pondering and searching I came up with 6 things, I call them the 6 Keys to Eternal Happiness – and they are all centered on our own personal choices, and not the choices of others.

But before I read them, I want to pose 2 questions.
“Why is it that there are so many popular and wealthy people in this world that are not happy?
“Why are there numerous poor and physically-suffering people that are always smiling?

6 Keys to Happiness 

1. (Most important) Plan to be happy.

Alma 27:16-18
“And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting.
“Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth.
“Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.”

We must seek out happiness, for how can we obtain something that we aren’t looking for? We aren’t simply going to stumble across something that means that much to us. We must not only search for happiness, but we also must prepare our minds and our spirits so that when we do find something that makes us truly happy, we are able to receive it. George Burns once posed a question: “Am I living a life I love, and one that allows me to be happy?”

He didn’t ask “are things happening in my life that cause me to be happy? Are those around me dragging me out of my sorrow and lifting me up?” No, he focused on our own personal accountability for the way in which we view our own lives. We must plan to be happy; we must shape our own lives around things that make us, respectively, happy. These things that we must shape our lives around could be those things we imagined just a few moments ago. And that’s where happiness is different for each person. The things that make me happy aren’t necessarily the same things that make you happy, nor should they necessarily be.  We all lead different lives and have different struggles, and therefore we all are inspired in different ways and we all have different ways of becoming happier people. That being said, one simple way to define a “happiness plan” is to do things we love to do, be with people we love to be with, and think things that uplift us – not things that drag us down.

2. Become comfortable with yourself and who you are.

This is probably the hardest one of the 6, but it is so vital. We must come to an understanding of who we are. We ARE children of God, and therefore we are entitled to blessings and the comfort of the spirit. Can anything else bring more happiness than that?

It always amazes me when I see people get upset, truly and honestly upset, over things that really just do not matter. Many people raise their voices out of anger when their favorite team makes a dumb play, or when someone makes a degrading comment about them, for whatever reason. Those who react angrily to comments about them must not understand who they are. What cause do I have to take offense and continue an argument with someone who is insulting me? For I am a child of God, and therefore should understand that no matter what this person may think or say, God knows who I am, and He loves me, and that should be enough.

That bring me to a scripture in 3 Nephi 11:29-30:
“For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.
"Behold, this is not my doctrine to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.”

Do away with your anger towards others. Find within yourselves the ability to discern that which is worth bring upset about, as opposed to the small and insignificant irritants of your daily lives. I will expound more on this in key #6.

3. Surround yourself with happy people, and partake in uplifting activities.

Do things such as read your scriptures, pray always, go to church, pay your tithing, listen to wholesome and uplifting music, spend time with your family as often as time permits, be active, and so forth. Now, if that is good advice, so apparently is the admonition to avoid the alternative.

4 Nephi 1:16
“And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, no lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.”

Really? Let me read that again. “There could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” That includes everyone! Everyone on this world, as well as any world God may have ever created. The Nephites and Lamanites went through respective cycles of righteousness, as well as those of wickedness, but this moment in time, about 38 years after Christ appeared to them, they were so righteous and prosperous that they were doing better at being happy than anyone else, ever, in the history of the word ever.  And what is remarkable about it is that it all stemmed from the choices they made. So let’s figure out what those choices were.

4 Nephi 1:15
“And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.”

The love of God. That is what we need to seek after, that is what we need to choose to have. And is not charity the pure love of Christ? That leads me to key #4.

4. Serve Others.

It amazes me how this works. Whenever I am feeling down, or sad, or any negative emotion, the thing that helps to reverse that more than anything is to give unselfishly of myself, to serve whomever I can. Whether it be doing the dishes for my Mother, or giving someone a ride to church that doesn’t have another means of transportation, or mowing the yard for an elderly couple that has difficulty doing so, or even baking cookies or muffins for a family that might need a lifting of spirits. We cannot help but feel good about ourselves, and we cannot help but be happy when we unselfishly help another one of God’s children. Additionally, when we think on the problems other people have, our own problems seem less serious, and are less apt to affect us negatively.

We must always remember just how much we have to give to others; our knowledge, wisdom, experience, advice, our time, our strength, our laughter, our abilities to make other people smile, and so forth.

There is a common misconception about the order of things when it comes to happiness and action. Many people think it is logical that we act based on how we feel. That if we feel sad, we will sit about our house and not do much of anything, that if we feel energetic we’ll go outside and jog around the block, that if we feel happy we will find ourselves smiling and giving service. I disagree. I believe that it is actually the opposite.

We feel based on the way we act. If we want to be happy, then do things that make you happy, no matter what mood you may currently be in. If we want to be sad, then we will find ourselves avoiding things that make us happy, which seems completely odd to me. I can relate from personal experience, there have been times that I have been sad and sorrowful, and crying, and it doesn’t really matter what it was about. But I have distinct memories of pushing my family members away that were attempting to comfort me in my time of need. Why was I doing that? Why was I rejecting something that would make me happy? It’s because I desired to be sad, and I would not let myself make the choice to change my attitude at that specific point in time.

And that’s exactly what it is, our choice. We choose to act in ways that bring us happiness, or we choose to be sad and wallow in our own imperfections and shortcomings.

5. Show gratitude.

You cannot help but be happy when you find yourself thanking someone for something they did. It goes completely against the nature of being thankful. Think about it, when you are thanking someone, are you frowning, or are you smiling? But we need to not only thank those around us; we also need to thank the Lord. We must count our blessings and in doing so we will realize just how much in our lives we have to be thankful for, no matter how sorrowful we may be at that moment in time. In fact, we are commanded to do so.

Alma 34:38
“That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.”

Keeping things in perspective will truly show us that no matter how difficult our life may seem, or how rude some people may appear, we always have reason to be thankful, and reason enough to love. And that brings me to my final Key to Happiness.

6. Have and maintain an Eternal perspective.

Alma 41:5-6 (Alma speaking to his son Corianton)
“The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.
“And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness.”

That scares me to death. That the level of happiness that I desire here on earth will be the same level of happiness I shall obtain in the world to come. If that is true, how can anyone be fooled into thinking that happiness isn’t our own decision? Why would God base such an eternal and everlasting principle on something that is not in our complete control? Our test in this life is to see how we will use our free agency, and to see what we will seek out given our own personal time and ability to choose. Yet, it is that very thing that will either lead us towards eternal happiness or eternal misery. We truly will have those things that we seek after, and the things that we desire.

Mosiah 2:41 (King Benjamin)
“And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”

I want never-ending happiness! Who’s with me? The choice is ours. Just as I read in 2 Nephi, we are free to choose liberty and eternal life, or captivity and death, and the choice starts with our hearts.

So why is it that a poor man can be truly happy, while a wealthy man finds no comfort in his riches? There are 2 answers:
1) Because, to find happiness, you must make the choice to focus on others, instead of on yourself.
2) Because things of this world, things we leave behind when we die, are not the things that we should be choosing as our avenue of obtaining happiness. Those who truly understand who they are, and what awaits them in the kingdoms of glory after this life passes; those are the people that have zero reason to ever not be happy. They choose to keep their eternal perspective on life at the forefront of their mind, for when you know the Celestial Kingdom awaits you, what reason do you have to mope about the trials of today?