It was ironic that I passed up an opportunity to serve in the temple yesterday, and then in the Elders' Quorum today we had a lesson about temples. During the lesson I spoke to a thought I've had before: I never regret going to the temple. And I know I should go very soon.
I've heard the life philosophy that people should live their lives without regret. There's potentially something laudable about this way of thinking and it could potentially also be eternally disastrous. Regret and sorrow are an enabling and motivating factor in repentance, which is crucial to our salvation; some people ignore feelings of regret and thus never right the wrongs they commit, which is detrimental beyond mortal understanding. However, if we're determined to do what we know is right regardless of other consequences, taking action without fear of regret could be a good thing.
A determination to do what is right is what is important. Something I've also heard is that a way to judge our actions is by asking ourselves, "Will I regret this later?", and the other way of living with less regret is to deliberately choose to do what we know God desires of us.
There have certainly been times in the past when I knew I could go serve in the temple, but didn't feel that I wanted to. I felt like doing other things. Admittedly, I'm selfish, and I like to do things that are fun. But every time I choose temple service in spite of those feelings, I'm glad I did. I've never regretted temple service; I've never walked away saying, "Man, I wish I'd done that other thing instead."
I never walk away from the temple with more money, in better shape, or higher in the esteem of the world, but I walk away with a simple peace and certainty that I did what I should.
While I'm on the topic of "never" and the temple, I'll note that despite the fact that temple service is both very quiet and very repetitive, I'm never bored there. Ever. To an outsider looking in, I imagine that would be remarkable.
Last thoughts for now:
The goal, moving forward, will be for me to remember that I'll be glad I went to the temple, and use that knowledge as motivation for me to go. I'll never have to doubt that it's a good way to use my time, and I'll never have to doubt that it's God's will. And I'll never be bored with it.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Fairness
I recently heard a Gospel Doctrine class instructor comment about how she felt bad for the five foolish virgins and the slothful servant spoken of in Matthew 25. I sympathize. Granted, these story characters are fictional, but the reason that the parables are so poignant is that the characters have real-life applicability is that people around us make the choices that these characters make.
So I feel bad for them, too. I don't think what happens to them is unfair or unjust; it's completely fair for an authority to decree terms and reward only those who abide by those terms. I feel bad that they make the wrong choices and earn their just but unpleasant rewards.
(Granted, I fully acknowledge that sometimes I make bad choices and deprive myself of blessings, but I certainly hope to be faithful and fulfill God's plan in my life.)
I would think that the average person would agree that God's judgments are just (and certainly in our own judgment day, faced with full knowledge, it would be pointless to argue), but what some people might say is unfair is that while all ten virgins had an equal chance of succeeding, the three servants clearly had different circumstances to begin with, having been given different amounts of "talents".
Is it unfair?
Prophets have made a comparison stating that this mortal life is merely the second act in a three-act play. What appears to be the beginning is, in fact, not the beginning at all. Similarly, in the parable of the talents, the beginning of the servants' story is really not their beginning. We might ask, "Why would the lord give his servants unequal portions?" The answer is simple: he knew them. These were not servants he had just hired off the street, but probably servants he'd had in his household for years, and "he gave...talents...to every man according to his several ability" (verse 15). He gave five talents to one because, after observing him and coming to know him, the lord knew that he would make good use of those five talents.
Of course, we still are free to choose what we do with the "talents" that the Lord gives us, and sometimes even a five-talent child of God ruins his or her opportunity, but He still gives us an opportunity. How did the lord of the parable treat the slothful servant? He surely didn't expect as much of that one, but still gave him a great opportunity. One talent is no small amount of money. If it is likely that the servant will waste his opportunity, wouldn't squandering five talents be even worse than squandering one?
Another point of fairness is the reward for the faithful. Regardless of the size of the stewardship, the reward is the same. The lord's words to his faithful servants were identical, and they surely would have been the same for the third servant if he'd been faithful also. The end goal of the Plan of Salvation is the greatest possible: "all that [our] Father hath shall be given unto him." (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38) If a five-talent servant and a two-talent servant both end up with everything, neither has anything to complain about.
Last thoughts for now:
I keep going to church, praying with my family, and doing a lot of other things while maintaining a religious focus in all aspects of my life because I know the Plan of Salvation is true and good, and I hope to receive what God wants to give me. I hope he'll say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant". If, however, I failed, I would always admit that His gifts to me and His judgments were fair.
So I feel bad for them, too. I don't think what happens to them is unfair or unjust; it's completely fair for an authority to decree terms and reward only those who abide by those terms. I feel bad that they make the wrong choices and earn their just but unpleasant rewards.
(Granted, I fully acknowledge that sometimes I make bad choices and deprive myself of blessings, but I certainly hope to be faithful and fulfill God's plan in my life.)
I would think that the average person would agree that God's judgments are just (and certainly in our own judgment day, faced with full knowledge, it would be pointless to argue), but what some people might say is unfair is that while all ten virgins had an equal chance of succeeding, the three servants clearly had different circumstances to begin with, having been given different amounts of "talents".
Is it unfair?
Prophets have made a comparison stating that this mortal life is merely the second act in a three-act play. What appears to be the beginning is, in fact, not the beginning at all. Similarly, in the parable of the talents, the beginning of the servants' story is really not their beginning. We might ask, "Why would the lord give his servants unequal portions?" The answer is simple: he knew them. These were not servants he had just hired off the street, but probably servants he'd had in his household for years, and "he gave...talents...to every man according to his several ability" (verse 15). He gave five talents to one because, after observing him and coming to know him, the lord knew that he would make good use of those five talents.
Of course, we still are free to choose what we do with the "talents" that the Lord gives us, and sometimes even a five-talent child of God ruins his or her opportunity, but He still gives us an opportunity. How did the lord of the parable treat the slothful servant? He surely didn't expect as much of that one, but still gave him a great opportunity. One talent is no small amount of money. If it is likely that the servant will waste his opportunity, wouldn't squandering five talents be even worse than squandering one?
Another point of fairness is the reward for the faithful. Regardless of the size of the stewardship, the reward is the same. The lord's words to his faithful servants were identical, and they surely would have been the same for the third servant if he'd been faithful also. The end goal of the Plan of Salvation is the greatest possible: "all that [our] Father hath shall be given unto him." (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38) If a five-talent servant and a two-talent servant both end up with everything, neither has anything to complain about.
Last thoughts for now:
I keep going to church, praying with my family, and doing a lot of other things while maintaining a religious focus in all aspects of my life because I know the Plan of Salvation is true and good, and I hope to receive what God wants to give me. I hope he'll say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant". If, however, I failed, I would always admit that His gifts to me and His judgments were fair.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
A Few First Steps in Member-Missionary Work
I was called to serve as a ward mission leader while we still lived in Logan, Utah, in the Logan University 52nd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On a side note, our ward was miniscule geographically. The congregation lived in apartments within a four square block chunk of town next to the hospital. But, given that there were a lot of married student church members there, our ward was normal-sized for meeting attendance.
Utah is kind of a tricky place for missionary work. One tends to expect that everyone has heard of the Church in some way or another, and some residents who are not members of the Church, who have already decided that they will never want to join, can be frustrated by the continual exposure to Church culture and by the frequent attempts at proselytization. So it's easy to expect that if one is to approach a neighbor with a message about the restored Gospel, the neighbor will know about it already and will either already be a member or will be aggravated by the message. Truthfully, there are still quite a few people who will be glad to hear the message, but it's still a challenge to know how to approach missionary work in the area.
As a ward mission leader I had to create a ward mission plan, hold regular meetings with ward missionaries, and then actively provide guidance during Sunday meetings. There are a few things I did that I truly felt were inspired, and which I believe still are or would be useful today.
I made the ward mission plan in three parts. The first page was a plan for the entire ward, and it was more general. The second page was specifically for ward missionaries, and it including activities and goals for the ward mission. The third page was for me, and it again contained specific goals.
One of my favorite items on the plan was that ward members "3. Meet our neighbors in the immediate neighborhood and know at least their names," which would be made easier as we would "4. Sit with another family at church and know at least their names." It's a simple thing to just know someone's name, yet it's usually a prerequisite to any other extensive conversation, especially about the Gospel. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a reluctance to actively share the Gospel with others was seen first in members' reluctance to merely go out of their way to learn someone else's name. As church members made this first step at church they would become more enabled to do so elsewhere. I always felt very confident that God was pleased with this simple goal.
One action I took during church meetings, specifically during an elders' quorum meeting as I recall, was "Giving each person present a small piece of paper and instructing them to silently pray and meditate for one minute, and to write the name of someone who would be blessed if that Church member shared the Gospel with them." The single minute of silence was invaluable for seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost. It was a low-pressure activity, because everyone knew that they weren't going to have to give an accounting of their thoughts to me or anyone else, and consequently people seemed to feel little or no discomfort at the exercise. At the same time, the simple act of quiet meditation and active seeking of revelation was something I felt had become too rare for many of us. Of course, there are many steps to be taken beyond simply writing down a person's name before that person can be brought into the Church, but again, the simple act is both a useful and largely necessary act that is frequently neglected. I remember feeling very distinctly that I had taken a correct action as the leader of missionary work in the ward.
Last thoughts for now:
I hope to strengthen my faith. Someday I hope to find that I've been instrumental in helping others in their personal conversion to the Gospel. Maybe my thoughts from my old ward mission plan will be useful to others someday, but either way, I hope to always be ready to take simple first steps (and then all the remaining steps as well).
On a side note, our ward was miniscule geographically. The congregation lived in apartments within a four square block chunk of town next to the hospital. But, given that there were a lot of married student church members there, our ward was normal-sized for meeting attendance.
Utah is kind of a tricky place for missionary work. One tends to expect that everyone has heard of the Church in some way or another, and some residents who are not members of the Church, who have already decided that they will never want to join, can be frustrated by the continual exposure to Church culture and by the frequent attempts at proselytization. So it's easy to expect that if one is to approach a neighbor with a message about the restored Gospel, the neighbor will know about it already and will either already be a member or will be aggravated by the message. Truthfully, there are still quite a few people who will be glad to hear the message, but it's still a challenge to know how to approach missionary work in the area.
As a ward mission leader I had to create a ward mission plan, hold regular meetings with ward missionaries, and then actively provide guidance during Sunday meetings. There are a few things I did that I truly felt were inspired, and which I believe still are or would be useful today.
I made the ward mission plan in three parts. The first page was a plan for the entire ward, and it was more general. The second page was specifically for ward missionaries, and it including activities and goals for the ward mission. The third page was for me, and it again contained specific goals.
One of my favorite items on the plan was that ward members "3. Meet our neighbors in the immediate neighborhood and know at least their names," which would be made easier as we would "4. Sit with another family at church and know at least their names." It's a simple thing to just know someone's name, yet it's usually a prerequisite to any other extensive conversation, especially about the Gospel. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a reluctance to actively share the Gospel with others was seen first in members' reluctance to merely go out of their way to learn someone else's name. As church members made this first step at church they would become more enabled to do so elsewhere. I always felt very confident that God was pleased with this simple goal.
One action I took during church meetings, specifically during an elders' quorum meeting as I recall, was "Giving each person present a small piece of paper and instructing them to silently pray and meditate for one minute, and to write the name of someone who would be blessed if that Church member shared the Gospel with them." The single minute of silence was invaluable for seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost. It was a low-pressure activity, because everyone knew that they weren't going to have to give an accounting of their thoughts to me or anyone else, and consequently people seemed to feel little or no discomfort at the exercise. At the same time, the simple act of quiet meditation and active seeking of revelation was something I felt had become too rare for many of us. Of course, there are many steps to be taken beyond simply writing down a person's name before that person can be brought into the Church, but again, the simple act is both a useful and largely necessary act that is frequently neglected. I remember feeling very distinctly that I had taken a correct action as the leader of missionary work in the ward.
Last thoughts for now:
I hope to strengthen my faith. Someday I hope to find that I've been instrumental in helping others in their personal conversion to the Gospel. Maybe my thoughts from my old ward mission plan will be useful to others someday, but either way, I hope to always be ready to take simple first steps (and then all the remaining steps as well).
Thursday, April 2, 2015
The Mighty Man Shall be Humbled
It's been depicted, in film and otherwise, that a person who displays pride and strength is shown to be submissive to a mother or perhaps father (often to comical effect). It's striking in a way, because these people are regarded as people of great presence, and as people who are pursuing a course deemed justifiable by many or perhaps even all, but then they are made very humble due to a natural relationship that existed before they ever came to have strength or influence. The mothers or fathers knew them from when they were at their most weak and dependent point in their lives; beyond simply not being fooled by the image the sons or daughters present, they are also in a position of trust from which they can dispense humbling advice and correction.
Yet there are many in the world who decide to put themselves beyond this kind of vulnerability. They are submissive to no one, and can be humbled by no one--not even parents. Often enough they commit acts of great evil while in pursuit of some sort of worldly greatness.
It seems a fairly simple matter, to me, for people to convince themselves of something. Especially given that we, in general, don't like to be wrong, it's really very common for us to cling all the more fiercely to ideas when they are threatened. I'm reminded of the end of the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I hope to not make this a book spoiler. At the end, a number of characters have effectively passed on to the next life, including a group of dwarves. While others see beautiful countryside around them, the dwarves see only the filthy inside of a stable. Some, including Aslan himself, want the dwarves to see things as they really are, but Aslan explains that they cannot be convinced. The basic scenario, while tragic, is not hard to believe.
I wonder, though, how long such obstinacy can last. It is written many times in scripture that "every knee shall bow" to God and that "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus is the Christ (Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23, Doctrine and Covenants 76:110, Mosiah 27:31, Doctrine and Covenants 88:104, Philippians 2:10-11). It is also written that "the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled" (Isaiah 5:15). I get the idea that no matter how prideful a person may be, no amount of pride and obstinacy will endure forever. Eventually God will give us his perspective on our lives, and we'll see how unimportant some of our supposedly great achievements were, and how terrible our evil acts were that we thought so little of. Eventually we'll have to hear His words that we cannot dispute, and we'll know that they come from someone who is both perfectly wise and loving. We will have no reason to do anything but trust those words. "When our heavenly parents we meet" (Hymn 286, Oh, What Songs of the Heart) we'll know again that we are still children to Them.
Of course, having faced the truth, it always still remains for us to not only accept it but also to act upon it. Many times in these films or other media we get the impression that a humbled villain will never really learn; that simply having their power or influence removed is resolution enough of the problems in the story. Again, it's not hard to believe that some people, after having been humbled, will "be filthy still" (Revelation 22:11, Mormon 9:14, 2 Nephi 9:16, Doctrine and Covenants 88:35, 102). But even if these people do not gain the faith and glory that God would otherwise desire for them, they eventually will no longer be able to deny the truth.
Last thoughts for now:
Someday we will all be brought low. It will be better for us if that happens sooner, rather than later. It will be better for us if we gain knowledge in our humility, and better for us if we use that knowledge to grow in righteousness.
Yet there are many in the world who decide to put themselves beyond this kind of vulnerability. They are submissive to no one, and can be humbled by no one--not even parents. Often enough they commit acts of great evil while in pursuit of some sort of worldly greatness.
It seems a fairly simple matter, to me, for people to convince themselves of something. Especially given that we, in general, don't like to be wrong, it's really very common for us to cling all the more fiercely to ideas when they are threatened. I'm reminded of the end of the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I hope to not make this a book spoiler. At the end, a number of characters have effectively passed on to the next life, including a group of dwarves. While others see beautiful countryside around them, the dwarves see only the filthy inside of a stable. Some, including Aslan himself, want the dwarves to see things as they really are, but Aslan explains that they cannot be convinced. The basic scenario, while tragic, is not hard to believe.
I wonder, though, how long such obstinacy can last. It is written many times in scripture that "every knee shall bow" to God and that "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus is the Christ (Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23, Doctrine and Covenants 76:110, Mosiah 27:31, Doctrine and Covenants 88:104, Philippians 2:10-11). It is also written that "the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled" (Isaiah 5:15). I get the idea that no matter how prideful a person may be, no amount of pride and obstinacy will endure forever. Eventually God will give us his perspective on our lives, and we'll see how unimportant some of our supposedly great achievements were, and how terrible our evil acts were that we thought so little of. Eventually we'll have to hear His words that we cannot dispute, and we'll know that they come from someone who is both perfectly wise and loving. We will have no reason to do anything but trust those words. "When our heavenly parents we meet" (Hymn 286, Oh, What Songs of the Heart) we'll know again that we are still children to Them.
Of course, having faced the truth, it always still remains for us to not only accept it but also to act upon it. Many times in these films or other media we get the impression that a humbled villain will never really learn; that simply having their power or influence removed is resolution enough of the problems in the story. Again, it's not hard to believe that some people, after having been humbled, will "be filthy still" (Revelation 22:11, Mormon 9:14, 2 Nephi 9:16, Doctrine and Covenants 88:35, 102). But even if these people do not gain the faith and glory that God would otherwise desire for them, they eventually will no longer be able to deny the truth.
Last thoughts for now:
Someday we will all be brought low. It will be better for us if that happens sooner, rather than later. It will be better for us if we gain knowledge in our humility, and better for us if we use that knowledge to grow in righteousness.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Receiving and Knowing the Holy Ghost
In teaching youth each Sunday I get to observe them. I've spent quite a bit of time instructing young men over the last seven years. The boys I help teach right now are a bit hard to keep focused on the Spirit. When I talk to them about knowing the Holy Ghost, and what the Holy Ghost produces inside us, I get the sense that they don't know the Spirit as well as they could. They're not used to recognizing the Holy Ghost, and in a sense seem to be unaware of the very real presence that is there when we're correctly testifying of Christ and the Gospel.
It's understandable; I didn't have a full sense of what the Holy Ghost was like when I was young. It took time to develop that sense.
There's also something else. In the Missionary Training Center our teachers taught us of the importance of helping others to recognize and identify the Holy Ghost as we taught them. This made sense to me in a basic way, but I struggled a bit initially. I didn't feel like I was able to do it. I went on with my time there, and one day, in the middle of a class, I thought to myself, "Wow; the Spirit is really strong here right now." Then, I suddenly realized that I had done it. I had recognized the influence of the Spirit. What's more, I had done so many times in the past, but from that point on I learned to be more sensitive to the feelings that the Holy Ghost produces in us.
It's really more than just simple feelings, though we certainly do feel and experience the things described in Galatians 5:22.
My hope for the young men that I teach is that they also gain a greater sensitivity to the Spirit.
While in Afghanistan I had several discussions about science and religion with another officer. I rather enjoyed the discussions, and I hoped in a way that one day he would be interested in seeking a testimony of the restored Gospel. In one discussion he brought up a scientific study he'd heard of that involved people being attached to electrodes (around the brain) and feeling "the Spirit of God", or the same feelings that God produces in us, after being stimulated electrically. He took it as proof that our feelings are not, in fact, from God. I saw it quite in the opposite way; when I've felt the Holy Ghost many times in the past, I'm quite certain I didn't have electrodes hooked up to my brain, so the only other place the feelings could come from is God.
One of my favorite life experiences is to listen to the simple words of an Apostle during General Conference and feeling a strong witness from the Holy Ghost. There's no inspiring music at that moment, no external influence of any kind, and of course no brain-wired electrodes that could possibly provide me a counterfeit feeling like that of the Holy Ghost. The pure and beautiful truth that they speak, inviting the Holy Ghost to testify to us, is the only thing that it could possibly be.
Over the last few years, with some particular struggles, I've grown weaker at times. When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we're instructed with a specific verb: "receive". We have to act in order to stay close to the presence of the Spirit of God. Throughout our lives, we can draw closer to God or let ourselves slip farther away, and it's vital that we make daily efforts to move closer.
Last thoughts for now:
I hope to grow closer to the Spirit of God again and to be strong in service to my Heavenly Father and His children. I hope to assist the young men I help teach to truly know the Holy Ghost, whose power and influence they so definitely need right now and will need in the future.
It's understandable; I didn't have a full sense of what the Holy Ghost was like when I was young. It took time to develop that sense.
There's also something else. In the Missionary Training Center our teachers taught us of the importance of helping others to recognize and identify the Holy Ghost as we taught them. This made sense to me in a basic way, but I struggled a bit initially. I didn't feel like I was able to do it. I went on with my time there, and one day, in the middle of a class, I thought to myself, "Wow; the Spirit is really strong here right now." Then, I suddenly realized that I had done it. I had recognized the influence of the Spirit. What's more, I had done so many times in the past, but from that point on I learned to be more sensitive to the feelings that the Holy Ghost produces in us.
It's really more than just simple feelings, though we certainly do feel and experience the things described in Galatians 5:22.
My hope for the young men that I teach is that they also gain a greater sensitivity to the Spirit.
While in Afghanistan I had several discussions about science and religion with another officer. I rather enjoyed the discussions, and I hoped in a way that one day he would be interested in seeking a testimony of the restored Gospel. In one discussion he brought up a scientific study he'd heard of that involved people being attached to electrodes (around the brain) and feeling "the Spirit of God", or the same feelings that God produces in us, after being stimulated electrically. He took it as proof that our feelings are not, in fact, from God. I saw it quite in the opposite way; when I've felt the Holy Ghost many times in the past, I'm quite certain I didn't have electrodes hooked up to my brain, so the only other place the feelings could come from is God.
One of my favorite life experiences is to listen to the simple words of an Apostle during General Conference and feeling a strong witness from the Holy Ghost. There's no inspiring music at that moment, no external influence of any kind, and of course no brain-wired electrodes that could possibly provide me a counterfeit feeling like that of the Holy Ghost. The pure and beautiful truth that they speak, inviting the Holy Ghost to testify to us, is the only thing that it could possibly be.
Over the last few years, with some particular struggles, I've grown weaker at times. When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we're instructed with a specific verb: "receive". We have to act in order to stay close to the presence of the Spirit of God. Throughout our lives, we can draw closer to God or let ourselves slip farther away, and it's vital that we make daily efforts to move closer.
Last thoughts for now:
I hope to grow closer to the Spirit of God again and to be strong in service to my Heavenly Father and His children. I hope to assist the young men I help teach to truly know the Holy Ghost, whose power and influence they so definitely need right now and will need in the future.
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