Why Jesus Christ is Important to Me

Why is Jesus Christ important to me?  A lot of that is stated in the scriptures I quoted, but I'll do more to phrase it in my own words:

Jesus Christ is my Savior.  I am His disciple through covenant.  I have sinned (like everyone) and of myself I am not worthy to return to my Father in Heaven, but through the power and grace of Jesus Christ I can be perfected in Him and receive all of the blessings that God the Father desires to give His children.  I owe Him everything.  He knows and loves me.  He loves me enough that He suffered for my sins and even died for me.  But He also lived for me and showed the way that I should live, not only to have peace in this life but also afterward, throughout eternity.  Of course I am not the only one He loves; He loves everyone I know and everyone I don't.  He has commanded me to love everyone, after loving God, and I take that commandment very seriously.  I'm grateful that my "loved ones" among my family and friends have salvation available to them also, and that the mercy of Christ is available to the entire world whom I am commanded to love.  Jesus Christ understands my pain in life.  I really don't expect many people on this Earth to have great understanding of the trials I've known, and I don't expect any mortal person to fully understand, but He does.  He knows the depth of my suffering, even when it has been foolishly self-inflicted, and He indeed knows much more suffering than I've ever known.  But He has lived through the lowest of the lows and in His greatest difficulties He still gave His will to the Father.  That is an example of no small importance to me.  In any moment of weakness or trial, I always know that I can submit to my Father's will as He did, and I know that They both want me to do so in order that I might be one with them and know their joy.  I don't expect to achieve that unity during my mortal life; I expect that full obedience to Christ's commandment to "be perfect" is only possible through Him and won't happen while I'm still subject to mortal weakness.  But I still strive to be like Him.  I invoke His name daily in prayer to my Heavenly Father, both individually and with my family.  I teach my family about Him.  While there are many ephemeral things in the world that I enjoy, I continually keep God's eternal Plan of Happiness in my mind, knowing that Jesus Christ is central to every part of that Plan, and no mortal pleasure could ever compare to what He provides me.  I know that at the day of my final judgment I will stand before Him and the Father, and that in His majesty I will have nothing to offer Him, and I will know my own unworthiness keenly, but I have faith that His Atonement not only gives me strength now but will be sufficient for me at that time.

Last thoughts for now:
I should add that I see the marvelous work of God being carried out in the modern Church of Jesus Christ.  It is an immense blessing to have this Church that exists to bring people closer to Him.

Testimonies of Christ from Scripture: The Bible

One of my favorite passages from the Bible (I'll tend to focus on the New Testament) is Luke 7:6-9 (also related in Matthew 8:5-10).  "Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.  And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.  And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.  Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.  For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.  When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."  I like the respect that the centurion shows toward Jesus, but also the recognition of the Savior's authority over even the physical world around us.

Here are some some passages about Jesus Christ that I've marked in my own Bible during my personal studies:

Matthew 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Revelation 19:16 "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Matthew 20:27-28 "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Revelation 3:20-21 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

1 John 2:3 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Philippians 2:5-6 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God"

Isaiah 49:15-16 "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

Isaiah 53:3-5 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

1 Peter 4:12-13 "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

Revelation 7:17 "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

Those are all passages that have been particularly meaningful to me in the past.

Last thoughts for now:
I love that scripture tells us how Jesus Christ's teachings and Atonement help us personally.

Testimonies of Christ from Scripture: The Book of Mormon

My favorite Book of Mormon passage about Christ is 2 Nephi 9:21-22.  "And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.  And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day."  When we stand with Him at the day of our judgment, He will understand all of our pains and difficulties, and He will be in the perfect position to deal with us mercifully.

Though there are many more, here's a list of passages Book of Mormon, in page order, that I've marked in my own set of scriptures over the years:

1 Nephi 13:40 "And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records...shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved."

2 Nephi 2:8 "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."

2 Nephi 2:26 "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."

2 Nephi 25:26 "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

2 Nephi 26:24 "He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation."

2 Nephi 31:7 "Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments."

Omni 1:26 "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

Mosiah 3:7-10 "And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.  And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.  And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.  And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men."

Mosiah 3:17 "And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."

Mosiah 15:6-9 "And after all this, after working many mighty miracles among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even as Isaiah said, as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.  Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father.  And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men— Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice."

Mosiah 16:13 "And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?"

Alma 34:8-10 "And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.  For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.  For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice."

Alma 34:15-16 "And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.  And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption."

Helaman 3:27-28 "Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God."

Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

3 Nephi 11:10-11 "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.  And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning."

3 Nephi 18:24 "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed."

3 Nephi 27:27 "And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."

Mormon 7:5 "Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up."

Moroni 10:32 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

Last thoughts for now:
I hope for everyone to study the Book of Mormon and thus be blessed by these and other true and inspiring passages that testify of Jesus Christ.

The Word of My Testimony

It has been almost a year since I have posted any spiritual thoughts here.

While studying with the young adults/cadets here, at their Institute of Religion class, we recently discussed the War in Heaven as described by the apostle John.  I was very impressed by a particular verse that describes the victory of the saints over the Devil who was cast out of Heaven; Revelation 12:11 reads, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."  He lists three things that enable victory over Satan: the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the testimony of Christ's disciples, and those disciples' willingness to give up their lives if needed for the cause of truth.

The Atonement of Christ has been accomplished and is a certainty.  Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are not called upon to give up our lives in most circumstances, these days.  But we are often called upon to share the testimonies we've received from God.

Culturally, in the Church, we often use the expression "bear testimony".  It's an interesting expression; I think most people just get used to the phrase and tend to equate it with standing in front of people, saying "I know" a lot, and then following those words with basic spiritual facts.  While there's clearly truth to that, I think we often miss the full meaning of the responsibility we have that is stated in those words.  I've never thought much myself about why we use that expression, but to "bear" means to carry; we are carrying to other people the witness we've received from the God through the Holy Ghost.  Naturally, this means we must first seek and receive a witness from God about the truths of the restored gospel in the first place.  When we say, "I have a testimony," it's really an abbreviated way of saying, "I have received a testimony from God; the Almighty has given a witness of truth to me."  That source of truth, and the echoing witness from that source, is what gives power to our words.

It's not always easy, of course, to bear testimony to others.  It's often difficult, in our daily lives, to know when it's a good time to introduce spiritual or religious thoughts in a conversation.  And by "a good time", I mean that there are simply moments and opportunities when people are desirous or otherwise ready to receive spiritual truth, whereas it seems evident to us that there are also many times when bringing up such things without a listener's desire and readiness simply becomes overbearing and unhelpful for them.

An interesting phenomenon is the way that modern technology enables us to share truth with others.  The Internet is known for having enabled a lot of anonymous vitriol and abuse, but through the great variety of forums it contains, it also provides us with opportunities to give a witness of truth that God can endorse.

As I mentioned above, I haven't been active on this site for quite a while.  Even in the last couple of years, I haven't written much here.  That makes sense, in a way, given that I don't expect to have much of any audience here, but I have still been writing about spiritual topics.  I mentioned a while ago (just over a year ago, evidently) that I've spent quite a bit of time writing to people online in comments for Church videos online.  Specifically, I return to the Now You Know series frequently.  It takes a lot of time.  One reason I return so often is because sometimes people have questions for which I don't receive a notification.  I hope that my words of testimony about the goodness of the restored gospel help people.

It's generally difficult or impossible to anticipate then effect our testimony can have, but I only write because I have real hope for good things to come of it.  I hope that through my words, some people will learn things that strengthen their faith--meaning, that they receive additional witness of truth from God that they recognize.  I hope that some people who really aren't familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ get at least a small taste of the great goodness in it and a sense of the work God is doing through it.  I hope that some people open their hearts a bit and, rather than echoing incorrect and hateful ideas about the Church of Jesus Christ and His disciples, they will consider that perhaps there is understanding for them to gain.  I hope that some people who have turned away from the witness they already received will find reason to reconsider their choices.  And I hope that those who are genuinely hateful and who don't open their hearts are confounded and leave so that others who visit are not distracted from inspiring messages of joy and truth.  I've surely made mistakes, but I've learned much for myself, and despite any mistakes, I really do have these hopes.  (If I didn't, there are definitely other things I could be doing with that time I've been spending.)

Last thoughts for now:
The War in Heaven has continued, and it's clear that the war rages on today.  Jesus Christ, the Anointed, will certainly win in a broad sense, but along the way the ground won or lost comes in the form of individual souls, and "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10).  The power of Christ is eternally reliable, but there's a part for us to play also in the great War; I hope that the word of my testimony is of use to some people as they use the power and grace of Christ to defeat Satan in their own lives.  I hope, as Alma taught in Mosiah 18:9, to live up to the promise I've made "to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places...even until death".

The Will and Unity of the Father and Son

Do God the Father and Jesus Christ have the same desires--the same will?

In recent months, I've been pretty active in the comments for the Now You Know series published by the Church on YouTube.  It's been a very positive experience for me, whether helping to clarify errors stated by other users or answer sincere questions from seekers of truth.  Today the interaction brought me to a thought I'd never had about a subject that I've understood for years.

The interesting comments were in response to a video about the nature of the Godhead.  As could be expected, some Christians of other religions had some disagreements.  Some members of the Church responded and some were more proactive in their comments; one quoted Jesus Christ asking the Father if the metaphoric cup could pass from Him, of course followed by his statement, "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."  The Church member then suggested that it wouldn't make sense for a being to ask permission of itself and then acquiesce to itself.  I agree.  Then, in a reply, another user (whose religion was not stated), asked: "Interesting... if Jesus knew he was God, why would he ask the Father for permission? Why would he put the Father's will before his own? Do their wills differ?"

One of the major aspects of the nature of the Godhead is that They are united in purpose.  That makes it easy to raise the question, "Do their wills differ?"  If Christ subordinated His will to that of God the Father, then Their wills *must* have differed in some way.

I think the key difference in Their wills comes from the very fact that They are separate entities.  Jesus was nearing the end of His mortal experience, but still mortal, and performing an infinite Atonement for our sins that caused Him more emotional and physical anguish than anyone else has ever known.  His body was subject to pain and a natural desire to avoid or end that pain.  Thus, the Man who was experiencing the pain of the Atonement had, within Him, the will that it should stop.  However, because of His great love for His Father and for us, He put that will beneath the will of His Father, who surely empathized with His Son but yet knew that the Atonement of Christ was necessary for the salvation of all.

So during His mortal life, Jesus' mortal experiences in a physical but imperfect body would have given Him desires that, although supremely tempered and controlled by Him, were a part of His will.  That was what made His selflessness and righteousness so great.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I'm grateful for His perfect example to us.  I'm also grateful to be able to continually learn through study and testimony.

Repenting Early Instead of Regretting Later

A poignant line from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Maud Muller" reads: "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'"  What Whittier describes is a fictional account of a judge who loses a potential love for a young woman, because she is of low social status, and both he and the woman throughout their lives remember the other and regret "what might have been".  While the account is fictional, the fact is that we all have only one life to live and as time passes we may well wish that we had made choices differently.

Yesterday, I saw a bit of TV footage of a former celebrity being taken in handcuffs by police officers after receiving a prison sentence for crimes he committed many, many years ago.  The man had been well-known and well-loved almost universally by society for many years, but now he has lost most people's love and respect.  Granted, my basic assumption is that the justice system worked properly and he’s getting a legal punishment that is deserved--I don't doubt that--but it still strikes me as tragic.  Fame and the loss of it is of minor consequence, but what is happening to him personally is something else.  I couldn’t see his face all that well, but he didn’t seem happy or strong.  The man is old, and if anything, the feeling that seemed apparent in his face and his movement was only a recognition of something horrible and an inability to do anything about it.

I imagine that at some point in the past he probably felt guilty about what he’d done, and I think everyone that does wrong either fully repents or finds a way to keep living despite being guilty, whether they feel guilty or not.  That second possibility can be a very bad thing, in that if people find a way to move on without setting things right (as much as is possible), that in itself can prevent them from ever setting things right and restoring the parts of their soul that are damaged.  I can’t help but think that this old man has a very different outlook on life and his own actions, compared to the way he did decades ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he felt like it would have been much better to have had this justice attended to much earlier in his life.  I imagine that he has no desire to hurt anyone now, but regardless, he has to deal with the consequences of his actions and I’m sure he regrets all of this happening at this point in his life (for one reason or another).

I could be wrong about his thoughts; whether or not he really feels any of that, I can’t be sure.  But, I am sure that everyone who doesn’t repent will feel that same kind of regret, though when applied to an eternal judgment I think that feeling will be deeper.  At the same time, I think it will be balanced by a sense of God’s perfect justice.  I imagine that understanding God’s justice cannot be a complete comfort to people, but I think it will in some way balance the regret (the foundations of which will be immutable).  That balance isn't something to hope for, though; I would hope that we would be able to approach our final judgment in a different way, because of how we act following our own wrongdoing.  All of the guilt and regret that we feel early in life will be valuable if it leads us to correct our wrongs.

Last thoughts for now:
What might yet be is that we might be able to gain all that our Heavenly Father has, including the greatest joy possible.  We all will commit sin, but we all have an opportunity to right our wrongs.  Thankfully, during this mortal life it's never too late, but with every day that we let slip by without repenting, we are less likely to choose repentance.  May we all show gratitude for Christ's Atonement by examining our lives and determining to set right those things that we have done wrong, and may we find joy and peace in doing so.

Faith In God, Faith In Science

I recently read the book A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.  I was enthusiastic to get into it; after all, Stephen Hawking is supposed to be one of the finest scientific minds of our day, and modern physics is fascinating stuff.

Well, I was disappointed.

Some of the theory seemed to be based on circular logic.  Having observed forces between matter particles, people search for an explanation as to what creates those forces.  They come up with the idea of force-carrying particles that are emitted by one matter particle and absorbed by another, which would change the velocity of each "just as if there had been a force between" them.  Hawking states that these force-carrying particles "cannot be directly detected by a particle detector.  We know they exist, however, because they do have a measurable effect: they give rise to forces between matter particles."

Really?  It makes me think that I could come up with my own theory for what causes forces between matter particles and use the same justification for believing in them.  Forces are caused by two-headed micro-demons that breath against pairs of matter particles, causing them to move away from each other.  These demons cannot be detected, but we know they exist because they have a measurable effect: the give rise to forces between matter particles.  That idea is facetious, but the logic behind "knowledge" of micro-demons is the same as that used for the "knowledge" of force-carrying particles.

At first the book was a fairly interesting read, but I soon saw that there was little I could do to think through the processes that modern scientists have used to develop their theories.  Hawking basically goes over the ideas they came up with, referring to calculations without showing them.  That's understandable, really; I wouldn't expect to understand in a few minutes or a few pages what very smart and educated people have taken years to develop.  Among the scientific community leading minds can compare notes and evaluate each other's detailed thoughts.  However, as the theories become as far-fetched as anything we read in scripture, what Hawking is telling the average person, through this book, is to accept the theories without seeing how they really work.

What he's asking us to do is to believe without seeing.

Isn't that the essence of faith?

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

More than 99% of all people who have ever lived have no hope of ever understanding modern physics, but everyone who knows how to read can investigate the scriptures and then turn to God in prayer to have their faith rewarded with knowledge.  Even those who cannot read can hear the word of God preached to them.  Anyone can listen to the Holy Ghost within their hearts.

Last thoughts for now:
I don't reject outright the world's best modern ideas in physics; I'm glad to have the technology we have that is based on those ideas.  It would be wildly interesting to study the best theories in depth and contribute to them.  But if the average person is to accept modern science on faith, is it unfair to ask them to accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ on faith?  Not at all.  Indeed, it is a wonderful thing to invite others to seek and test their faith in God and His Son, and to see that faith rewarded with sure knowledge.

The Sacrament and the Gospel

While the sacrament is being administered to us, I generally whisper to one of my children (whichever is closest to me at the time) to ask them about the meaning of the sacrament and explain as necessary.  It makes for a lot of repetition, but I really want them to understand the importance and meaning of the covenant.  They know that when they're eight years old they'll be baptized, and then they'll start taking the sacrament each week also.  (Right now they don't; I don't want them to be taking the bread and water out of habit only, but rather to meaningfully renew covenants as they eat and drink.)

On another topic:

When we used to teach people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ as missionaries, and as I've taught and been taught many times since, some central ideas about the Atonement of Jesus Christ are that He overcame two major obstacles for us: physical death ("the grave") and spiritual death("hell").  Because of the Fall we are mortal and subject to physical death, at which time our spirits will lose the marvelous bodies that God has given us.  Also, with our moral agency we are free to choose our actions, and we all will make choices that separate us from God (and thus causing spiritual death).  Jesus suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, suffering such pain that He bled from the pores of His skin.  He then died and was later resurrected.

Perhaps the connection is already obvious in stating this much.  In any case, here's what my whispered conversation with my kids tends to sound like:

Daddy: "Why do we take the sacrament?"

Child: (waits)

Daddy: "We take the sacrament to renew our covenants.  We make promises to Heavenly Father when we're baptized.  We covenant to be like Jesus, to take His name upon us, and to obey the commandments.  What does the bread remind us of?"

Child: "Jesus' body."

Daddy: "Yes.  Because Jesus died, and his body went in a tomb for three days.  What happened then?"

Child: "He was resurrected."

Daddy: "That's right, and because He was resurrected, we all will be, too."

As the water is being administered:

Daddy: "What does the water remind us of?"

Child: "Jesus' blood."

Daddy: "Yes, because Jesus paid for our sins and it hurt Him so much that he bled.  Because He paid for our sins, we can all repent and live with our Heavenly Father again."

I don't think I've ever heard anyone teach that the sacrament is directly related to Jesus' resurrection and His experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, but it makes sense to me that way.

Last thoughts for now:
I want my kids to be ready for baptism.  I want them to have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Just as elements of teachings in the temple are symbolic, the bread and water definitely are also.  Jesus is the bread of life and the water of life, He died and was resurrected so that we will be too, and He atoned for our sins so that we can repent and be forgiven.  All of us.

The Few That Are Chosen

There are several ways of making a particular distinction; that is, several different appellations: an elect people, a chosen people, a peculiar people.

Doesn't it seem strange to consider some people as "special"?  In principle, God loves us all, right?  And he's no respecter of persons?  Of course.  (Acts 10:34, Doctrine and Covenants 1:35, 38:16)  Then why and more importantly how are certain peoples distinguished in the eyes of the Lord?

I was reading to my children just now before they went to bed.  Because it's Sunday, we were reading from the scripture story picture books produced by the Church.  We read the story of the Jaredites.  Something struck me as interesting, especially in the abbreviated form.  While the Jaredites started out as a righteous people (or at least they were following a very righteous man--the brother of Jared), after they reach the promised land the next thing that happens is this: they become wicked.  Very wicked.  Wicked to the point of being destroyed (by themselves, in this case, but destroyed all the same).

This isn't really surprising, because there is already precedent.  Those of us with extended hindsight can see the same occurrence happening throughout scripture.  The first instance was with Adam and Eve, two of the most trusted of Heavenly Father's spirit children: a bulk of their children became so wicked that they merited destruction by flood.  Another easily remembered example comes from the people of Isreal after the Exodus.  They looked to a prophet for deliverance, trusted him enough to follow him out of Egypt, and received help from God in the form of many wonders, but then committed such abhorrent sins that they had to wander in the wilderness until that generation had died (40 years).

Another example is that of Lehi's family, though in their case it's more clear that the actions of a few people early on had a significant bad influence on their progeny.  In general, however, we see simply that civilizations often have a trend of becoming wicked even if they have the best starting conditions.  I know of only one exception; the city of Enoch was so righteous (a true Zion) that it was taken into heaven (see Moses 7:23).  Even the Nephites, after having had the wicked sifted out from among them through disaster and having received a visit from the resurrected Christ Himself, only maintained their righteousness for a couple of centuries.

Why does this happen?  Because we are granted the ability to exercise our own moral agency, and to maintain the standards of Zion requires full dedication, which most are not willing to give.  God knows that, given our agency, we will use it in different ways, and we're all going to use it poorly at times.  Individuals, families, and nations will often turn to wickedness.  I suppose that God could at a given moment get a report showing what percent of His children, after their final judgment, merited each kingdom; either way, He knows that some will inherit celestial glory, some will inherit terrestrial glory, some will inherit telestial glory, and some will inherit no glory at all.

While God knows we will sin, He has planned for us to succeed.  The key is that we have been provided with a Savior who has atoned for us all:
  "O how great the holiness‍ of our God! For he knoweth all‍ things, and there is not anything save he knows it.
  And he cometh into the world that he may save‍ all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains‍ of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
  And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.
  And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized‍ in his name, having perfect faith‍ in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.
  And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure‍ to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it." (2 Nephi 9:20-24)

How do we receive the grace of our Savior?  By making and keeping covenants.  Without them, human nature will lead us to error (or, put differently, "the natural man is an enemy to God"--Mosiah 3:19).  That's the distinguishing factor, and therein lies the "why" of the distinction as not just the "chosen people" or the "elect" but also as the "covenant people" of the Lord.  We are distinguished in that we are supposed to make a demonstrated willful act to show that we will follow the will of God through His plan.  Sure, we are still imperfect after making covenants; some of us will make mistakes and repent, and others will even fail to repent and lose their reward.  Thus, among the covenant people of God there can still be and sometimes are great problems, and we are ever in need of prophets and other leaders to guide, inspire, and encourage us.  But in each case of an "elect" people they have made covenants.  Even in the passage above we see a necessary covenant: baptism.  It is through baptism that we become the covenant people of the Lord, or, in other words, latter-day saints.

Last thoughts for now:
Making and keeping covenants is how we become the chosen people of God as members of His Church, and He has given us these covenants in order to allow us to be sanctified and justified and thus to fulfill His plan.  That's the "why"; that's why some are "chosen" despite the fact that we all invariably misuse our agency to some degree.  The beauty of it (and this is real beauty) is that "he cometh into the world that he may save‍ all men if they will hearken unto his voice".  We all can receive the greatest blessings of God if we are willing, and if we take care to keep our hearts set on the kingdom of God.  It is my goal to have such willingness in my heart.  It is my goal to encourage others to do the same.

What Christmas Should Be About

(Note: I started writing this before Christmas but never finished until now.)

I was in a bookstore recently and while passing through the children's section I saw a large wall, centrally located, that was dedicated to Christmas-themed books.  I was struck by the fact that the books, toys, and and other items on the wall universally lacked one crucial element of Christmas.  The one truly important part of Christmas was completely absent from the wall.

Understanding that this is one of those times that I'm going to be disagreeing with most of the world again, here is what should not be the focus of Christmas:

1. Christmas should not be about a fictitious flying fat man in red who encourages greed.  It should not be about mythical elves and reindeer.  These are distractions that help a soda company to sell its product but that don't really enrich or inspire us.

2. Christmas should not be about sleigh bells, trees, chestnuts, romance, or any number of other things people sing about in "Christmas" tunes.  These things are mostly harmless and can be parts of fun traditions for the season, but they're ancillary appendages with the potential, like the fat guy, to distract us and our children.  (We have enjoyed Christmas trees every year, though I was recently shown a passage at the beginning of Jeremiah 10 that seems to condemn the practice.  I'd have to study context more to be sure.)

3. People sometimes say that Christmas is about "learning that it's better to give than to receive".  That statement is true, and Christmas is as good a time as any to experience the goodness of giving to others, but I think that under the surface most people support giving because necessarily, receiving occurs along with giving, and if everybody is engaged in the act of giving everybody is also receiving.  Net result: we get spoiled with a lot of presents.  Christmas should not be about giving or receiving gifts, even if we engage in either or both.

4. People also say that Christmas is about peace, love, and kindness.  To me, this is like saying that a hamburger is about mustard and ketchup, or that Mondays at work are about work.  Peace, love, and kindness only have meaning in that in showing these qualities we emulate our Savior who, through His Atonement, gave us hope, because without him, all of our positive thoughts, feelings, and actions would have been meaningless as we would be eternally lost (see 2 Nephi 9:7-10 and the rest of the chapter).  Also, while December is a great month for peace, love, and kindness, so is every other month, too.

What should Christmas be about?  Christmas should be the celebration of the birth of a man who came into the world to teach us, live for us, suffer for us, die for us, and intercede at the judgment bar of God for us.  We refer to this man as the Christ.

So those of us who care about our religion wonder how we can stay focused on what is important.  Often we try to come up with some sort of Christ-centered activity in addition to our regular traditions such as gift-giving, but in these cases I question whether or not we're really focusing ourselves on Jesus Christ.  Even as we include such an activity, people tend to look forward to other parts of our holiday (a word derived from the words "holy day"; that's what it ought to be if it's about Jesus Christ).  Kids invariably look forward most to opening presents, others look forward to the same thing or any of the other things mentioned above.

If it's what we're looking forward to the most, it's what we're focused on, and I'm quite sure that no one is thinking about Christ while pulling apart pretty wrapping paper to see what toy or treat they get.

Matthew 6:20-21 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Where is our heart at Christmastime?

An Army major I know (a concerned Christian man, who showed me the Jeremiah passage above), determined with his wife a few years ago that his family would not celebrate Christmas at all.  I wonder if we're wrong to do so many distracting things in the name of Christmas, and thus in the name of Christ.  Are we thus taking our Lord's name in vain (Exodus 20:7)?

Do our Christmas traditions deserve reconsideration?

Last thoughts for now:
My wife and I keep re-evaluating our Christmas traditions (and Easter, too, for that matter).  I think I want to severely de-emphasize the gift-giving, and maybe even get rid of it altogether or move it to another day.  I like to give my wife gifts (and the kids, too, though they have lots of toys already), but I don't want our Christmas to be about gifts.  We like our kids' re-enactment of the Nativity each Christmas Eve, and I think I like the idea of spending time together on Christmas and reading or singing about Christ every hour.  While I'm still figuring out all of that, I know that I want to keep some traditional stuff away.  I don't want to lose my focus on Christ.

A Mighty Change of Heart

All three speakers in church  today taught about reverence.  It's a theme that the bishop has addressed more than once recently.  The talks were very much of an instructive nature, with particular direction given, such as statements that we should arrive early to our meetings and not carry on casual conversation in the chapel.  In other words, we were told to do something because we (as a whole) need to change what we are doing.

Without a doubt, the following are true:
Only some who heard were really listening.
Only some who really listened identified themselves as needing to change.
Only some who knew they needed to change made a determination to take specific action to cause that change.

I taught the teachers today about the change of heart we need to experience as we give Jesus Christ's Atonement power in our lives.  We read scriptures that taught us that we must have "a broken heart and a contrite spirit" (2 Nephi 2:7), "godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance to salvation" (2 Corinthians 7:10), and "a mighty change in[...]our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2)  Though I don't claim to have experienced this entirely, I have felt the power of the Christ's Atonement in my life as it has changed my disposition to no longer desire things I used to desire, and it's wonderful.  I intend to keep pursuing that change.

It seems to me (though I don't want to misjudge anyone) that many people enter into patterns of living that are comfortable to them and then don't take action to change in any way.  I cannot accept such a thing in my life; I know that I need to change because I'm imperfect and I need to repent.  That's a very broad statement, but I do hear specific words from church leaders or church members, and I feel specific guidance from the Holy Ghost, that make it clear that I need to do something I'm not already doing, start doing something that I'm not doing, or do something differently.  I'd better be changing; if I'm not changing, I'm not progressing--I'm not learning!

Sometimes it's hard to hear that what we're doing is wrong.  Sometimes it's actually very hard to hear that the way we do things somehow *isn't* the best way of doing things.  We have to be of a mind to take instruction willingly and give up habits or methods to which we have become attached, thus possessing the so-important "broken heart and a contrite spirit".  We have to give up our desires and our attachments, and that's why we are told multiple times in scripture that a broken heart and a contrite spirit is the type of sacrifice that we need to make.  (Psalms 51:17, 3 Nephi 9:20, Doctrine and Covenants 59:8)  To be willing to make that sacrifice is to be teachable; it's being humble.  Showing that willingness and humility definitely falls into the category of "pursuits that are difficult but worthwhile".

It can be very hard, but it ought to be hard.  Otherwise, it wouldn't be a "mighty" change of heart.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for God's mercy in teaching me so much in the past and I trust Him to continually direct me in His wisdom.  Sometimes it will be a stinging blow to my pride, but every time He gives me direction I know it will be for my own benefit.  I hope to often make the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  I believe in learning and growing.  I know that it is only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can repent and be like Him.

"That every man might speak in the name of God"

I didn't grow up listening to a pastor or "holy man" preach every week.  I grew up in a church where everyone was expected to contribute, and everyone was expected to keep the commandments.  In hindsight, it's strange to me when I see others' religious experiences in which they are "normal" and some other figure is "holy".  I don't mean to take a shot at other people's faith, but I know what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Every member of the Church has been baptized.  Through that covenant we all have promised to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, keep his commandments, mourn with those that mourn (Mosiah 18:9), and speak with the "tongue of angels" (2 Nephi 31:13-14, 32:2-3).  We are all disciples of Christ who have covenanted to cast off sin and leave worldly ways behind.  We all serve in the Church, and someone who is a mission president one month is a teacher for young children the next.  We all have the same responsibility to have faith and to repent, and if we do so we are all candidates for positions of service that people outside of our religion might see as positions of prominence.  Despite our weakness we are all saints; we are all Latter-day Saints.

I think sometimes we as members of God's Church don't realize what He wants for us.  We are sometimes too content to let others lead.  The truth is that we have all been called to serve and to lead and to be shining examples of discipleship.  No one is inherently better than anyone else; there isn't a division of groups that are meant to be noble and groups that are meant to be prodded along.  Instead, God desires "that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; That faith also might increase in the earth; That mine everlasting acovenant might be established; That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers." (Doctrine and Covenants 1:20-23)

What's more, the breadth of Christ's Atonement itself implies that the glory of God is intended for all of us.  "And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.  And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.  And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God." (2 Nephi 9:21-23--a personal favorite)  We all are supposed to benefit from the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and having been given so much we are then all required to do much.  God desires for us all to receive His joy and glory, or as I mentioned in an earlier post, there's "Only One Destination in the Plan".

Last thoughts for now:
We all deserve to have hope, and we all deserve to know the joy of service.  Heavenly Father wants us all to be righteous and holy.  The Church exists to bring the children of God, every one of us a sinner, close to Him.  I hope for us all to better understand Jesus Christ's Atonement and become better servants of the Almighty God.

With Angel Eyes (Fiction)

The following is pure speculative fiction.  I wrote it a while back and figured it would be good to put here, even though the format is entirely different from my normal blog writing.  I don't claim to have had any experience with this sort of thing, but the narrative illustrates some ideas that make sense to me.

.

With Angel Eyes

Mason watched people moving to and fro, performing everyday tasks while oblivious to his presence and also to the presence of Grant and the other, more distant disembodied spirits.  “I always assumed that it was like this, but it’s unsettling to realize it, to think back on the many things I did that…well, that I wouldn’t have done if I’d realized how many people could see.”

Grant nodded.  “Of course, whether or not someone can see what we’re doing shouldn’t be our motivation to eschew evil and pursue righteous goals.  It’s actually better for us that we aren’t aware of those who observe our mortal experiences, because it allows us to choose righteousness for the sake of righteousness, or for the sake of our acknowledgement of the Atonement of Christ.  So, the physical limitation, our inability to see things with spiritual eyes, actually helps.

“However, remember that those who can observe you don’t want to revel in your unrighteous choices.  So, while our unrighteous actions are still observable, they are generally less observed.  That same limitation that you’ve been used to also has largely hidden something about your own nature.  Look at these people.  Do you see that some shine brighter than others?”

Mason looked at the people everywhere, and for the first time he paid attention to the way that they glowed.  Indeed, some glowed brightly, while others were dim.  “Yes…why is that?”

“I’m sure you can tell me if you think about it.”

“Well, I always understood that when we were judged, we would have more glory if we were more righteous.”

Grant nodded again, smiling.  “Exactly.  So why would we not also have more glory and brightness before our final judgment?  And let me ask you this: where does the light come from?”

Mason had to think for a moment; Grant let him.  Mason finally replied: “From God.  We shine with the light from God.”

“Right again.  Inasmuch as we allow ourselves to reflect the light of truth from God’s Spirit, His light shines forth from us.  It’s always like that, though to mortal eyes it’s often quite hard to discern.  If you think back, though, I’m sure you can remember times when, for no reason that was evident, someone looked different, brighter in some way, and you could tell that he or she was a faithful disciple of Christ.”

Mason looked again at the people, going about their business in the simple ways he had done so often himself.  “Yes, I do remember times like that.  In fact, after a certain lesson from a seminary teacher I had really hoped to give other people the same impression, or rather, just to shine so that they would want to follow Jesus Christ.”

“Good!  That’s the right idea.”

Mason looked at his own spirit-matter hand.  “I’m relieved to see some light in myself.”

“Surely.  And you can take it as a good sign that you’re here associating with someone else who also bears the light of truth.  But we were speaking, before, about others observing our actions.  Like I said, while our unrighteous acts are observable, they are generally less observed.  When we engage in unrighteous behavior, we inherently shield ourselves from the influence of the Holy Ghost, thus reducing the light around us.”

“So when we’re bad we can’t be seen?”

“No, no, it takes a lot of evil to completely block out the influence of God in our lives, and even then we’re still visible, but it’s more a matter of focus.  Those of us who are observing are naturally inclined to observe those who are shining brightly and turn our attention easily away from darkness.  As a person’s light dims because of wickedness, only their personal angels stay with them to help.  When you sin more seriously and the truth becomes dim around you, only those who really are concerned stay near and watch over you.”

Mason became uncomfortable again.  “So for my bigger mistakes, people were probably still watching.  Maybe someone like my grandpa?”

“Perhaps.”

“I hate that.  I hate knowing that someone else knows what I’ve done.  When it was wrong, I mean.”

“Of course.  Shame is natural and can be very helpful.  Don’t worry about other people knowing, though; it’s better for key individuals to know now than to have your sins proclaimed from the rooftops to the whole world later, and the people who watch over you from above are those who really love you anyway.  They forgive you and still have faith in you.”

Mason lowered his head.  “If I knew, I mean really knew, how things were, I know I wouldn’t have done some of the dumb things that I did.”

“Ah, naturally.  But if we had a full knowledge from the beginning, it wouldn’t be a test, would it?  We wouldn’t really be able to learn and grow.”

“I guess I feel like it would be helpful to have this kind of perspective in order to do the learning.”

“I can see why you’d think so, but if you take a bit of time to observe people you’ll find that simply being told a truth isn’t enough to make it powerful in our lives.  In fact, depending on our dispositions, we can very easily blind ourselves to things that ought to be obvious.  Too much information all at once isn’t helpful either, and while you have some extra perspective here, you’re faced with different limitations.  Consider, for example, sacrifice.  Though it’s an incredibly important principle of the Gospel, it’s quite difficult to practice here.  How do you expect to learn the benefit of fasting and giving of your substance to others, when you don’t have much in the way of substance?  There’s really not much that you can learn here that you can’t learn in a mortal experience, and there, you can actually learn most things more fully than you can here.”

They were both silent for a moment before Grant spoke again.  “Come with me.  I’d like to show you something.”

Grant took his hand and began walking, and Mason felt that they were moving very quickly.  When they were still again, Mason found himself in a place he didn’t recognize.  It was a bustling city.

“Look around,” Grant said, “and tell me who those two people are.”

It didn’t take Mason long at all to identify the two people of whom Grant was speaking, for while the crowd of people all around generally only dimly reflected the light of the Holy Ghost, these two particular souls, well-dressed young men shone with a radiance.  Mason figured that there was a natural explanation for this—two young men, walking together and casting light before them.  “Missionaries,” he said.  “They’ve got to be missionaries.”

“They are indeed.”  Grant acknowledged.  “When it comes to light and shining truth, they’re some of the most satisfying to watch.  When the people they teach listen to the Holy Ghost, the light from the missionaries shines out and brightens them as well.  There are other ways by which a given person’s light quickly increases, but the teaching of missionaries is one of the better ways.”

Mason lifted his head and peered toward them.  “Are we going to see that today?”

“These two are pretty reliable, so I wouldn’t be surprised.”

They observed quietly for a brief while, and it gave Mason time to think.  One idea gently nagged him, though he was reluctant to speak it.  “Grant, you said that people don’t get as much attention from angelic observers when they sin,” (and Grant nodded encouragingly,) “but at other times, you do, ah, give people their privacy, right?  Like newlyweds?”

Grant laughed.  “Yes, of course.  Just as we can quickly turn our attention away from the darkness of sin, we are selective about other things as well.  Sacred events are universally considered to by ‘by invitation only’, and something as immeasurably sacred as the physical intimacy of a husband and wife is no one’s business but their own.  It’s quite instinctive to find another place to be, and surprisingly easy to sense when they no longer require privacy.  We’re neither curious about it nor carnal, so it’s not a concern.”

Mason looked down and raised his eyebrows.  “Huh.  Good.  Well, I’d expect things to make sense like that, but I’m glad to hear it.”

Grant still wore a mild smile.  “Though, to bring perspective, those of us that no longer have bodies also don’t get embarrassed like we used to.”

.

The Strategy

I don't know if this strategy actually works, and the strategy for it's own sake would miss the point.  However, I'm willing to keep going on the assumption that it does work to an extent.

Bear with me as I preface the strategy.  I'll start with an age-old philosopher's question: Why do bad things happen to good people?  Or, why do bad things happen to anybody?  Why does God allow it?

Firstly, because ultimately bad things happening to people don't interfere with God's plan.  That is, bad circumstances or events don't really harm them eternally.

In the classic passage of Moses 1:39, we read, "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The immortality part has been taken care of via the resurrection.  We're covered there.  Eternal life is the part that remains.  Eternal life is more than endless living; it's life like that of the Eternal One, with all the glory of God.  It's exaltation.  We can receive it only through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, continual reliance on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and being true to our covenants.

No outside force can stop us from receiving eternal life.  Nothing short of our own choices can harm us eternally.  No illness, injury, or loss, or even death, can take away our exaltation.  Take Job for an example.  He lost his wealth, his home, his family, his credibility with his friends, and maybe even more though I don't remember the whole story, but he stayed strong in his faith.

Hard times are painful for us, and our loving Heavenly Father surely doesn't enjoy seeing us experience that pain, but they don't impede His plan.  (And frankly, no matter how rough the rough times are, they amount to little when viewed from an eternal perspective.)

Secondly, trials give us the opportunity to grow if we bear them well.  We can very effectively gain patience, humility, sympathy, wisdom, purification, and strength through faithfully enduring trials.  So, in addition to tribulations and trials not being really, eternally bad for us, they can be very good for us eternally if we handle them well.

So, to the strategy.  Consider humility.  That's a big one.  I have certainly been humbled more than once by my trials and difficulties, particularly when I recognized that my own mistakes or immaturity brought those trials to me.  Trials also bring purification, at least in the sense that they help us to filter out unimportant things from our life.  However, I have also found that service brings humility, and it also helps us to let go of our selfish pursuits.

Consider, for example, that we go to care for someone who is suffering from a disablingly painful disease.  As we do so, we realize that our own problems are relatively small, and that we have an easy life compared to the poor soul in the hospital bed. Instant and refreshing humility.  Also, by dedicating our time to serving others, we drop less necessary things from our life.  While attending to the sick person, we don't have time for watching sports, or playing online games, or even good and productive activities that are simply less important.

If I'm going to learn to be like God, as I've been commanded (Matthew 5:48), I need to learn humility and be willing to let go of selfish or unimportant pursuits.  My strategy then is to gain that humility and purification through service, rather than having God feel it necessary to give me these things through trials.

Of course, that's not really my reason for dedicating myself to serving others.  The real reason is charity, the pure love of Christ, and a desire to obey my God.  At the same time, though, if I can reduce my personal need for trials, well, I'm all for it.

Last thoughts for now:
I don't know if our dedication to service really causes God to give us fewer trials in life, and I'm sure it won't prevent all of them.  Perhaps, though, it's really a matter of changing the nature of some of our trials.  Service, after all, is still a challenge, and there is plenty of room for sorrow and exhaustion in service, but how much better to experience the difficulties because we're helping others rather than because we're being unwise?  Service to God and His children (Mosiah 2:17) brings us joy and helps us to forget our own problems, but it also helps us to become like Him.  I hope to learn this lesson more and more.

Flawed Heroes

Some of my favorite books are the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. I recently read a review or summary that mentioned "flawed heroes" in the book. It occurred to me that the term "flawed hero" can have two different meanings.

There seems to be a desire these days for flawed heroes, more so than in decades past. I'm not an expert, but from what I know this is seen in comic book heroes among other arenas. Early on, comic book heroes were never seen much to have character flaws. More recently, we have stories including Superman having an illegitimate child. The reason these flawed heroes are more present is because we supposedly can relate to them more. After all, we ourselves are flawed. What the creators of these flawed heroes would have us believe is that these flawed heroes are like us in that they do some bad things in addition to the good (and that it's normal and okay to do some bad things), and that they're different from us in that they have superhuman abilities or are, in the very least, in exceptional circumstances. Otherwise, they would be us. Additionally, we see flawed "heroes" in our everyday life, in the form of adulterous sports stars, corrupt politicians, drug-abusing musicians, and more. People who have the opportunity to show a good example frequently do the opposite, and are excused and even praised for their flaws by many around them.

However, as I said earlier, there are two types of "flawed heroes". Taran, the main character of the Prydain Chronicles, can rightly be described as a flawed hero, but of a different sort. His flaws are clearly illustrated; he is impetuous and foolish, sometimes petty and jealous, and makes many of the mistakes that we all do as he learns. His mistakes, though, come from a lack of maturity and growth, and not from acceptance of doing things he knows are wrong. This flawed hero experiences shame and regret, and then resolves to be better. Over the course of five books we understand that he matures and overcomes his flaws. When we relate to his experiences, we gain hope that we can overcome our flaws and become the people we desire to be.

That's the sort of flawed hero we need.

We should expect to often see flawed heroes; after all, the only true flaw-less hero to whom we can look is Christ. The rest of us are flawed. When we look at other people, either real or fictional, what is important is that we gain hope through the virtues they display and through the difficulties they overcome, including their own character flaws. What this life is largely about is overcoming sin through the Atonement of Christ. What will stop us from accomplishing this is if we accept sin, if we look up to others and say, "Even he does these bad things, so it's okay if I do some bad things also," or in other words, accepting our flaws because our heroes accept theirs. What will bring us to accomplish our goal is becoming a hero despite our flaws.

Last thoughts for now:
Our goal remains the same: exaltation in the kingdom of God. We ought to make sure that our "heroes", our role models, are people who instill in us a desire to accomplish that goal. If we look up to people and through their shameless wrong actions they discourage us from overcoming our own difficulties, well, they're not heroes at all.

Only One Destination in the Plan

Most people within the Church are familiar with diagrams of the Plan of Salvation. As I've prepared my next lesson for the teachers in my ward (I'm the Teacher's Quorum Advisor), I've noticed that the diagram in the lesson manual is slightly different from the diagrams I've often seen in the past. It looks something like this:

Pre-earth life ---Birth---> Earth life ---Death---> Spirit World ---Resurrection and Judgement---> Celestial Kingdom

Usually I've seen this diagram with three kingdoms at the end. It strikes me, however, that these young men need to understand that there is only one kingdom for them. That goes for all of us. Yes, other kingdoms have been prepared, because in a practical sense, there will be plenty of people who will need such kingdoms in which to spend eternity, but that's not what we're here for.

If we have been sealed to our spouse in the temple, there is only one goal in sight: exaltation. Even if we have been endowed in the temple, there is only one goal in sight, which we will achieve after being sealed: exaltation. For the men, if we have received the priesthood, there is only one goal in sight. Even just having been baptized in the true Church, we have only one goal. Beyond that, I would think that even just having taken an early step by coming to earth, there's only one reason we should have done it and only one destination that is good enough for us, though the making of covenants is the key action I want to emphasize. The reason we make all of these covenants is so that we may progress toward and arrive in the Celestial Kingdom.

Back to the teachers to whom I'll give the lesson: if they're not planning on going to the Celestial Kingdom, there's no reason for them to be at church in the first place. It's the reason why we go to church.

Sometimes young folks are unsure of themselves, though. They feel that "I'm not good enough for the Celestial Kingdom." To be honest, older folks also aren't exempt from that uncertainty. However, no one should sell themselves short in envisioning their potential. Frankly, when they say th're not good enough, they're right; none of us are. That's why Christ atoned for our sins, and he did so for all of us, so that all of us have the ability to be exalted.

Last thoughts for now:
There's only one destination with which I'm concerned. The knowledge of the Plan of Happiness, including the Atonement of Jesus Christ, should guide me in everything I do, so that I may reach that destination. I'm going to the Celestial Kingdom.

They Shouldn't Have Been Baptized

I've been a full-time missionary before, so I know how it feels. We set goals, we worked with people, we knew the truth of the Gospel and the Church and we wanted good things for others. Thus, we wanted people to be baptized. We taught them and invited them to be baptized, and they accepted and were baptized. Between those last two steps, there's an interview. The purpose of the interview is to ensure that the person is ready to make this vital covenant. Some people shouldn't make it past this interview but somehow slip through.

Maybe that doesn't sound like a problem to some people. Some missionaries don't see any baptisms during their entire mission, and even those who do still want to see more. Is it a bad thing if some people are baptized when they're not ready?

Absolutely.

In Moroni 7:39, Mormon makes it clear that some people should not be in the Church. "But behold, my beloved brethren, I judge better things of you, for I judge that ye have faith in Christ because of your meekness; for if ye have not faith in him then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church."

That's not to say that the Gospel isn't right and true for everyone, because it is. It doesn't mean that Jesus didn't die for everyone or that God doesn't love everyone, because They did and do. But people should not join the Church until they have sufficient faith in Christ and have made changes in their lives.

Mormon himself addressed this issue in the previous chapter (Moroni 6:1-3):
"And now I speak concerning baptism. Behold, elders, priests, and teachers were baptized; and they were not baptized save they brought forth fruit meet that they were worthy of it.
Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins.
And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end."

I've seen it too many times. Maybe it's because a missionary wants to get one more baptism before he leaves, or maybe it's just general over-zealousness. People get baptized without truly having received a testimony from God of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Without that testimony, they don't have much reason to stay around. Sometimes they don't even last long enough to be confirmed.

Making and keeping covenants is the key to progressing toward eternal life. It's a tragedy for people to make serious covenants like baptism but not understand what they're doing. It's a tragedy for people to make serious covenants like baptism and then turn away from the truth.

Does that mean that kids shouldn't be baptized when they're eight years old? No. It means that parents need to teach their children well so that they'll be ready.

I don't think anyone fully understands how important their baptismal covenants are when they get baptized, but it is vital that we make covenants of our own free will, with knowledge of what we're doing, and with a real knowledge. When that isn't the case for some people, they're doing it for the wrong reasons and it hurts them.

Last thoughts for now:
The Gospel is for everyone. Baptism is for everyone. The Holy Ghost is for everyone. Temple ordinances are for everyone. The Atonement of Jesus Christ and covenants are for everyone, but we have to make ourselves ready.

The Most Important Consequences

Twice in the last week, I've had religious conversations with another soldier while at work. In each case I thought to bring to light a certain point. It begins with a question:

What are the most important consequences of our actions?

It should be obvious that the effects and influence of what we do extends into a great many areas. If we steal a pack of gum, if we beat and rob someone, if we shovel a neighbor's snowy sidewalk, or if we donate money and time to a worthy cause, there are always obvious direct and immediate consequences to the world around us; however, the most important consequences are what our actions do to us. Whenever we act, we become better or worse. At every moment of every day we thrive, fester, or just stagnate.

That doesn't mean that every moment has to be fast paced. We can wear ourselves out quickly if we try. (I'm not in danger of that myself, though; personally, I need to be more fast-paced sometimes.)

Despite all we may do to better ourselves spiritually, what really makes exaltation possible? The Atonement of Jesus Christ. Without Him, we would have no hope.

I don't think I can say much more at this point than Elder Oaks has said in his talk "The Challenge to Become". Here are the audio and text (see Saturday Afternoon Session): http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-138,00.html

Last thoughts for now:
I have yet to fully understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ and what it does for me, how it helps me to become like God. All the same, I know that there is no time when I can sin without consequence and impact on my eternity. I hope I can remind myself of my unceasing obligation to act righteously.