Mistakes of People Who Lose (or Never Had) Faith

There are two types of opponents of the Church of Jesus Christ.  There are some who are former members of the Church who have lost their faith, and there are others who never were members of the Church but who have been told bad things about it and consequently feel a need to combat an evil they perceive.  In either case, they tend to make the same types of mistakes when considering and discussing various aspects of the doctrine, practices, and history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We should always remember the second great commandment and show love to everyone, including those who have bad things to say about our religion.  But we needn't make the same mistakes they are making.  After examining many complaints of people who either doubt or aggressively attack the Church of Jesus Christ, I find that each generally falls into one of five categories:

1. Sometimes, the information they present has an element of truth or historic basis, but ignores a lot of other truth and history in order to present a negative view of the Church or its leaders.  Again, sometimes this is done out of ignorance, and I think this happens quite often.  People talk about "doing research" without having done enough research themselves, because what is presented to them appears, at first glance, to be solid and adequate.  In the other cases, it seems clear that much of the history is being ignored because it doesn't support their position.  To be clear, serious historians do have to evaluate the reliability and consistency of various records, and we're not automatically obligated to accept any particular piece of information as fully authoritative and accurate, but there's a difference between questioning the validity of some information and completely disregarding a lot of information.  One example of incomplete information I've encountered was a person complaining about Joseph Smith being taken to court for "treasure digging" while employed by Josiah Stoal/Stowell.  I wasn't inclined to give great heed to the accuser, but I got curious about what the real situation was, so I looked up the court record, which is included in the Joseph Smith papers made available online by the Church; as it turns out, Josiah Stoal originally wanted Joseph to find treasure, but was dissuaded from the effort by Joseph.  The complaint came from a relative, but Josiah Stoal was always happy with Joseph Smith, whom he continued to employ for other work.  The court didn't find Joseph to be at fault.  So while I could have initially assumed something bad about Joseph Smith based on the negative report I heard, after examining information for myself I found nothing to worry about.  As I've listened to multiple faithful latter-day saint scholars it's clear that they are giving unbiased consideration to all available information and that it ends up strengthening their faith in Jesus Christ and His work in our time through His restored Church.

2. Sometimes, the information they present is simply false.  We can't trust everything that everyone claims.  Sometimes people unknowingly pass on bad information, and sometimes they're deliberately lying.  Sometimes they actually think it's okay to lie for what they consider is a righteous cause.  Ironically, I've heard people accuse members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of practicing something they call "lying for the Lord", which of course is absolutely contrary to what the Church really teaches, and it seems that it is exactly what they are doing in the moment.  I've also heard people claim to be former members of the Church, with the assumption that it lends more credence to their criticism of the Church, and while this is true in some cases, it appears to not be in others; it ends up looking like a complete fabrication after they evince little knowledge about the Church.  There are cases when there may have originally been some truth to a statement, but in the manner of the Telephone Game, after multiple biased retellings it is so distorted that no truth remains.  It doesn't hurt to fact-check people before devoting extensive consideration to their claims.

3. Sometimes, their information is outdated.  Opponents of the Church have been publishing their opposition since before the Church was actually founded.  Some information they present--such as Fawn Brodie's early biography of Joseph Smith or lists of supposed anachronisms in the Book of Mormon--just don't hold up when compared with additional information that has been discovered in the many years since they were written.  It is easy to assume that they're valid without taking into consideration the large amounts of newer information and analysis, but to do so is a mistake.  Scholars who are faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ do reshape their understandings based on their own and others' new scholarly work.  Granted, by definition, physical evidences alone are never an adequate foundation for faith, but it is pleasing to find multiple discoveries that actually do support the ideas we hold about the Restoration.

4. Sometimes, people make unwarranted assumptions and come to unwarranted conclusions based on unknowns.  There's a lot we don't know about doctrine and history.  Unknowns are the norm in any scientific endeavor; they're why science exists.  Unknowns are also normal in anthropological studies.  There is simply a lot about the past that we don't know.  Scholarly efforts in history and archaeology provide us glimpses and snippets that require some interpretation.  Beyond changing our minds about some ideas, there are others that we just can't formulate with high confidence.  Any scholar should be comfortable with some unknowns, and any disciple of Christ has the privilege of not only revelation but also comfort through the Holy Ghost.  In many cases, we learn things, years down the road, that answer questions we first had much earlier.  For many other questions, we just can't expect to learn the answers during our mortal lives, and that's okay.  We know that God will provide everything we need in order to fulfill our purpose here on Earth and to be prepared for eternity.  One example of this is the translation of the Book of Abraham; there's much we don't know about it--partially because Joseph Smith was murdered.  If he had lived longer, he would have had more opportunities to speak and to write, and we would doubtless have had more explanations about a number of topics.  When we don't have a particular answer, God will tell us, through the Holy Ghost, something along the lines of, "I know you don't have that answer.  I'm glad you want to learn and I know you'll be okay in the meanwhile.  Keep going with what I've already given you; you still have plenty to learn and do that is immediately available."  (Granted, the reassurance is unlikely to be anywhere near that wordy.)  In a related scenario, sometimes there is information available that supports positive ideas about the Church more than negative ideas, but we don't have access to all of it or don't have the analytical background needed to make sense of it all.  Other people succeed in figuring things out, and if we had access to them we would see that there are good answers available, but we don't have access to them (at least yet) and don't yet see that good answers do exist.  This puts us in essentially the same situation as when no answer will ever come before we die.  In all of these cases, faith and seeking revelation from God helps us stay on the right track, but people are subject to influences that undermine our faith and our decisions to seek revelation, and sometimes people allow themselves to be affected by those influences, thus missing out on the best ideas and the comfort that God gives when we have to be left, at least temporarily, with some unknowns.

5. Sometimes people just choose faithless conclusions.  Our evaluation of evidence is always impacted by our choices to exercise or abandon faith.  I love the movie 12 Angry Men (based on a play), in which there is a consensus that a young man accused of murder is obviously guilty based on the available evidence.  Over the course of the film/play, people experience beautiful moments of moral concern and mental reevaluation, and eventually they unanimously declare the young man to be Not Guilty.  The same evidence, when viewed differently, leads them to a different conclusion.  In matters of Church history, practice, and doctrine, sometimes people oversimplify the situation.  Sometimes biased language contributes to this problem.  A person might ask, for example, "Why does the Church hoard money?"  The word "hoard" is chosen instead of "save" only for the sake of putting a pejorative spin on the conversation.  Many people were surprised to learn that the Church had saved so much money from donations.  It is always easy for one person to accuse another of not doing enough good.  The actual financial situation of the Church of Jesus Christ is wonderful; it's great that we're not struggling like we have in the past, that we're keeping the Church running and building more temples, that we're able to do so much good to meet people's material needs on both a local level and also supporting thousands of global relief projects, and that we were able to do so without going broke during a pandemic that caused worldwide financial strain.  It's easy for people to merely accuse without thinking through all of that, but a faithful response allows us to be open to larger realization, and again, to hold to the goodness God provides while we're still thinking through things.

Last thoughts for now:
Everyone has different beliefs in some ways--even within a given religion and even within the Church of Jesus Christ--and it's okay to be unsure about some things.  We should tolerate some uncertainty.  What we should never doubt is what comes to us from God.  He is both wise and loving to the greatest degree, and he wants to give us truth.  We should never let uncertainty undermine our confidence in Him, His Son, and His Spirit.  We should keep learning and allow our beliefs to change at times, but considering all that God gives us, we should never allow our faith in God and in Jesus Christ to be undermined.  We should be aware of faith-damaging mistakes and avoid making them for ourselves.  We should show the greatest love to everyone, including people who do struggle with their faith, and we should help others to build their faith.

The Great Things I Hope For

When singing special musical numbers during sacrament meetings, I am always wary; I want to make sure the focus of the meeting is on Christ and His Gospel, and not on people's musical ability.  That being said, my family apparently received many, many compliments last Sunday after six of us sang "Sleep, Little Jesus" together.

I had a couple of coughing children to take home, so I was able to dodge the acclaim.  And I don't know how much we succeeded in inviting the Holy Ghost more than showing off singing ability; that's hard to tell.  But apparently we sang very well.  People told my wife more than once that day that they love it when our family sings.

What makes that kind of singing possible?  Sure, my wife and I are musically competent, though very far from being as skilled as a professional.  We're not wealthy enough for personal vocal instruction for the kids, though we have been able to get some piano lessons for them.  We definitely did some practicing throughout the week, but the kids have enough musical ability already that we can put together a decent song as a group.  What has brought that about?

If our family being able to sing together is a "great thing", then I think what makes it possible is one of those "small and simple things" (Alma 37:6).  Specifically, we sing together (almost) every night as part of our Family Time tradition I wrote about previously.  Each night we sing a hymn or a children's song--just one song, usually.  Over the years, that little bit of continual practice must have had an effect.  My wife considers us to finally be in the "reward" period, where we get to really enjoy singing together with the children, after years of small efforts.

But that daily singing is the least important part of our Family Time tradition.  While I believe music is important, the more important counsel we're trying to follow is the daily family scripture study and prayer.  If daily singing slowly builds our musical ability so that now we can rejoice in the "great thing" of family musical numbers, what great things will come from our small and simple daily scripture study and prayer?

I'm not sure what those great things will be, but I do believe Alma's words that, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass".  As I said last time, I think that this simple nightly tradition is the most important thing I do, and I believe that it really will bless my children.

Last thoughts for now:
Daily scripture study and prayer are "small and simple things"; we have promises from the Creator of the Universe that they will bring about great things.  Perhaps the great thing they will bring is a solid faith in Christ that will guide my children throughout their lives.  Maybe it will be the traditions that they carry on with their own families.  Maybe it will include greater ability to meaningfully ponder God's word and to converse with others about it.  Maybe it will be all of that and more.

The Most Important Thing I Do

 A while back, I was sitting in on a class held for United States Military Academy cadets by the Church Educational System's Institute of Religion.  I don't remember what the lesson was that evening, but at some point I was thinking about my family's nightly Family Time tradition.  I wrote a post about this back in October 2013, and we still do largely the same thing almost every night.  Essentially, we sing together, we study scripture together, and we pray together.  Recently, we've also often been reviewing personal goals, and of course, we have an extended Home Evening with a lesson, which we now have on Sundays, following a suggestion from Elder Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the October 2018 general conference.  It may seem a simple thing for me, my wife, and my children to take a few minutes for reverence and devotion to God, but as I sat in the Institute class, somehow the thought came to me that Family Time is the most important thing I do.

I hadn't really considered it like that before.  Of course, I know it has been important to me, or I wouldn't have kept up such a tradition for so long.  But when I think about the real, lasting impact of everything I do in life, I don't think anything else will be more important than this simple tradition.  Through it, we're able to learn together and grow spiritually; we're able to provide our children with the knowledge they need to navigate through the trials and confusion of life.  Through it, we find greater unity as a family.  Through it, we remind ourselves daily of how to live as disciples of Christ.

I do other good things in life, whether in Church service, at work, other activities with my family, or just by taking advantage of opportunities when they arise at random, but I don't think the real, lasting impact approaches what I achieve through daily singing, scripture study, and prayer with my family.

It was fascinating to consider.  In the days that have followed, I haven't changed my mind.

Last thoughts for now:
Someday my family will start shrinking as my adult children move out and begin their own lives.  Eventually, we presumably won't have any children remaining at home.  Family Time will be a bit different then as we don't have any children to teach.  In one sense, I think I will have a feeling of, "Mission Accomplished" when that day comes.  I expect that my wife and I will carry on the tradition, but simply focus more on what interests the two of us.  I hope that our children will have similar traditions with their future spouses and children, and I expect that my wife and I will want to join our children's family traditions when possible.  For now, I happily carry on the event each night.  I love it.  And I truly believe that it's the most important thing I do.

Seeking Revelation Leads Us to Unity With God

 A passage I love sharing with others is John 17:20-22.  In John 17, the Savior prayed to the Father (in what we sometimes term the "intercessory prayer), and in verses 20-22 He said this: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one".  It is our Savior's great desire that we, His followers, be one with Him and the Father as they are united.  One of the most important aspects of such unity is submission of our will to that of the Father, modeled by our Redeemer in the Garden of Gethsemane as He said, "not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)

Perhaps it seems to be not immediately related at first, but in recent years, President Nelson has put a lot of emphasis on seeking personal revelation.  In the April 2018 general conference, in what I would consider the most profound statement to have been made in the last decade (at least), he said, "in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.  My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation."  (from the talk Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives)  In the general conference that was broadcast less than a month ago, he spoke of the importance of full-time missions work for young people (and the responsibility young men have to serve), and encouraged them to pray about it.  "Pray to know if the Lord would have you serve a mission, and the Holy Ghost will respond to your heart and mind."

He also referred to it as a "decision", because it always is, but encouraged us to pray to know God's will about it.

I remember being encouraged to pray to God about the same thing, and I remember my response.  I don't remember who I was speaking with or what else occurred in that conversation, but the general question was along the lines of "are you going to serve a full-time mission?"  The other person said I should pray about it.  In response, I basically said, "Well, I already know what the answer will be."  I don't think I had as much familiarity with seeking answers to pray at that younger age, but I did recognize that God would give me an answer to my prayer, and in that case I knew what it would be.  But knowing God's will isn't all that we need; the choice remained for me then, and still remains for me now, whether I will choose to do His will.  It is definitely a crucial decision to demonstrate our faith and submissiveness to God through such choices.

As Jesus Christ said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)  And as King Benjamin taught, "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)

Even in merely considering the act of discovering God's will through prayer, I begin making a decision about whether I will follow my own desires or submit to that higher will.  Seeking revelation from God tends to provide us not merely with general knowledge, but especially a knowledge of what we should do.  As we seek and open ourselves to His answers, we find opportunity to follow His will, and thus we make steps toward greater unity with Him and with our Savior, who enables us to repent and become more than we already are.  Earnestly seeking revelation is thus a major part of exaltation.

Last thoughts for now:
I intend for personal revelation to constantly be a part of my life.  There will be times when it will be easier or more difficult in some way for me to do things I know God desires of me, but I know that I can seek God's will through prayer in the name of Christ, and that in doing so I can reform my own will.  I hope to do so often.

A Short Series on the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ

 In a recent dialogue I had online, a woman asked about who Jesus Christ was to me and why He is important to me.  I shared a number of scriptural passages I've identified and then also wrote from my own heart.  In these three posts, I have mostly just copied what I provided to that woman.  I would hope that, for anyone who ever reads them, there will be no question about the center of my faith and my daily worship.

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.

Infinite Love; Infinite Pain

Loving other people opens our hearts not only to joy but also to pain.  I think we all learn this lesson multiple times in life.  I’ve learned it when being rejected by a fiancée, when seeing people I care about turn away from the Church of Jesus Christ, when family members are insensitive or deliberately distant, when I’ve given something of myself or something else I value but the gift was rejected, and in many smaller cases.  Prophets feel this pain for the sorrow of the world.

Does infinite love mean being potentially infinitely hurt?  The Savior loves us and certainly has felt pain for us.  He felt infinite pain during His infinite Atonement for us; perhaps the depth of that pain was really possible because of His infinite love for us.

Last thoughts for now:

I don’t think I have particularly deep conclusions about this, but I think that as we grow in love, we also, in a sense, grow in our capacity to be hurt.  Yet, I think that as we grow in love and thus become more like God the Father and Jesus Christ, we also gain more of an eternal perspective that helps frame that pain in the context of eternity.  God wouldn’t have given us His plan if the joy wasn’t worth all the pain.  I expect to be hurt at times, but it’s okay.

My Own Story (a short version)

I often like to inquire with others about their beliefs and the foundation of their faith, if they profess any.  I find value in what they say.  I believe it helps open up mutually beneficial conversation.  I learn things from people, and I hope that they'll want to hear from me, because after being given so much from God I certainly have things to share.  The other day, someone in a video comments section asked me about my own experiences.  They didn't ask specifics, so I have to summarize a bit.  I doubt that anyone will ever want to read a full biography that would be drastically longer, but here's a short version of my history with my religious faith and knowledge:

I was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  My parents were divorced when I was three years old.  I was baptized at the standard age of eight years old.  As I grew up, I had many positive (if probably very typical) experiences with the Church, including study, friendship, and service opportunities.  Another part of being in the Church was commonly eating food from the Bishop's Storehouse that my mother didn't have to pay for.  When I got older and went off to college, I got a bit lazy when it came to religion.  For example, sometimes I just didn't go to church on Sundays, for no particular reason.  All young latter-day saint men were expected to serve as missionaries upon turning nineteen, but as I thought about it, I knew I didn't want to go just because other people expected me to.  So I went back to college for another year, and then began to serve.  I also began to want more of a relationship with my father, and at my request he supported me financially when I left to serve as a full-time missionary.

Both before and after my missionary service, at times I came across information about Church procedures or Church history, perhaps relating to individual leaders, that seemed strange.  Broadly speaking, I found a way to be patient with not completely understanding some things immediately.  One morning, when I was 18 or 19 and I was playing hymns on the piano in an empty classroom in the Institute of Religion at the college, some words in the second verse of "Be Still, My Soul" really struck me: "Be still, my soul, thy God doth undertake / To guide the future as He has the past. / Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake / All now mysterious shall be bright at last."  As the years have passed, I've had opportunities here and there to learn more or gain better insights from people who have shared them with me, and many things that felt mysterious or strange before turned out to not be worrisome at all.  When dealing with information from opponents of the Church, I also realized that, at least partially because they don't have the Church's best interests in mind, they sometimes promote information that is partially or wholly untrue, but even when only relying on reliable facts they frequently choose the worst possible conclusion from available data instead of the best possible conclusion.  I have found that while seeking truth and answers to questions, sometimes it comes quickly and sometimes not, but I always eventually learn more and I find great reason to trust what God has given me.

Trust in God is one of the great life lessons I learned as a missionary, but I also became much more able to recognize God's influence in my life, particularly through the Holy Ghost.  When at the missionary training center, our teachers (former missionaries themselves) taught us about how important it was to help people to recognize the Holy Ghost as we taught them.  I remember struggling with this; I wasn't sure that I knew how to do this.  I asked one of my teachers about it, and he suggested that because I had grown up with the Church, perhaps I was accustomed to it so much that I sometimes took it for granted.  He spoke to reassure me, and I wasn't fully satisfied, but I hoped to figure it out.  Several days later, as I was being taught again by a different teacher, I thought to myself, "The Spirit of God is very strong here today."  And then I realized what I had just done; I had listened to God in my heart and felt Him there, and recognized it.  As I did so, I realized that it was indeed something I had felt and known many times in my life.  I then gladly taught others about it and have enjoyed God's joy and peace not only during my mission but also many, many times since.

I will share one particular experience I had with the Holy Ghost during my mission.  I lived and taught in the city of Yamoussoukro for five months.  One day, while walking through a corridor of a housing area, I looked to the side and noticed one of the housing units and its number.  (I think it was 157 or 152, but it's been two decades ago and I don't have a great memory.)  That was all, at first; I just noticed it.  Some time later--maybe a few days or weeks--my companion and I had some time available in the evening, and he asked me what I thought we should do.  I mentioned the door I'd seen before and suggested that we could visit the people who lived there.  So we did.  Either that evening or upon making an appointment and returning (I don't remember which), we were greeted by the couple who lived there and we taught the first missionary lesson to them.  The husband was somehow employed by a local church and accommodated us more out of patient courtesy than anything else, and in the end didn't seem particularly interested.  I imagine that he later discouraged his wife; in any event, we didn't end up teaching them further and I don't know the end of her story.  But I do remember very well what happened during the lesson.  We spoke of God, of Jesus Christ, of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and then of the Holy Ghost.  After teaching, I turned to the woman and asked her (in French, the local national language), "What do you feel right now?"  She paused, with an almost troubled or slightly perplexed look on her face, and I asked her again, "What do you feel inside right now?"  With little more pause, she answered with these exact words: "La joie du cœur."  Translated into English, that means, "joy of heart."  Her husband looked directly at her with evident surprise.  I don't think she was even literate, but she knew what she felt inside.  I told her it was the Holy Ghost, and I knew that she knew that we had spoken truth from God.

One other major life lesson I learned as a missionary was that God is merciful.  I have long considered myself the most blessed person I know, and I realize that while I've tried to do good things in life, nothing I've done could merit the many blessings I've received.  I'm blessed far beyond what I feel I deserve by my own worthiness.

In the decades following my mission, I've had a great many other experiences that continue to shape my faith and knowledge.  I've seen other people grow in faith or abandon faith, I've seen people die, I've witnessed the Church as a worldwide body with the same spirit of fellowship and Spirit of God everywhere, I've had glimpses into Church administration, and I've learned more about Church history.  I have had very difficult trials that would require much more space to write about.  I've been blessed to know many disciples of Christ and many other good people across the United States and the world; I've been served by them and I've done what I could to serve them.  I've seen the Church help people with material needs, and I've been blessed to be able to give now instead of receiving.  I have had witness after witness from God about the truth of the gospel and his desire for me to participate in His Church, despite my many failings and the many failings I've witnessed in other people even as we try to follow our Savior.  I have hoped to be of service to the people around me and I've certainly hoped to show love in everything I do.  I think I'm learning that love better; it sure means a lot to me to learn it.  I am happy to extend an offer of support to anyone, and if you ever think I can help you in any way, whether to answer questions or even just as a listening ear.  If I were without you in person, I would offer a hug also, but alas, that's not possible over the Internet.  But I hope you know that I find myself with the best of reasons to follow the two great commandments, and though I can't express it as perfectly as God can, I am happy to say that I love you, and I hope that you seek and receive God's greatest blessings.

Last thoughts for now:
To anyone who ever cares enough to read these things, please know that I share them with the utmost sincerity and a real, if imperfect, desire to share truth and love.  Reach out to me any time, and as a disciple of Christ, I will reach back out to you.

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.

Borne of Four

Today I was surprised by how much I appreciated our Sunday School lesson about Jesus' miracles in the early chapters of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Having heard the stories so many times over the years, I didn't expect anything particularly new or good, but it was really quite sweet.  One of my favorites is the story of the healing of the centurion's servant in Luke 7 (and Matthew 8), but today I was struck very much by the story of the man healed of a "palsy" after being lowered through a roof.

In many of the miraculous healings, individuals approached Jesus and asked for healing for themselves or on behalf of loved ones, but in this case, the person was not able to.  Instead, as we read in Mark 2:3, he was brought by others: "And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four."

We don't know much at all about these four people.  We can assume that they cared a lot about this man, but I think it's more than that.  I imagine that there must have been quite a bit of effort involved, some convincing, and some coordination and ingenuity in order to get a paralyzed person up onto a roof and then lower him down through it.  Their efforts definitely demonstrated faith, and it was their faith that brought about the miracle; see verse 5 where Jesus responded "when [He] saw their faith".

Of course we should seek our own blessings from God.  We've been instructed many times to ask for those things that we need.  I think, though, that sometimes we're unable to do so or perhaps, for some reason or another, not in the best position to seek and receive blessings by our own faith.  Maybe in those cases we need to be "borne of four", or maybe more people than that, who devote time and energy to helping us.

Conversely, I truly believe that sometimes we need to be among the four.  There are often people nearby who are in need.  Sometimes they aren't able to do everything they need; at other times, maybe they can--strictly speaking--but in a practical sense they might not receive blessings if not for our efforts on their behalf.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for the people have have metaphorically carried me at times in the past.  I'm also grateful for the opportunities I've had to serve others and bring them to blessings of the Gospel.  I especially hope that I will yet have many occasions in which I can be among the "four".

Our Covenant to Weep

I've seen some good advice in recent years about helping others who are grieving.  When tragedy strikes, it is very natural that we feel sadness, and it's a mistake to try to avoid feeling that sadness or prevent others from feeling it.  In fact, it is part of our covenant as disciples of Christ to do just the opposite.

Among other things, Alma spoke as part of the baptismal covenant dealing with helping others during their times of trial.  Specifically, (in Mosiah 18:8-9) he listed that those who make the covenant "are willing to":

1. "bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light"
2. "mourn with those that mourn"
3. "comfort those that stand in need of comfort"

We're explicitly given a very interesting instruction in the Doctrine and Covenants (42:45): "Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die".

(So while I think my thoughts before were valid in an earlier post on 07 December 2008, I guess I can cut that one guy in the picture a little bit of slack when he was mourning the loss of President Hinckley.  But only a little, because I think that mourning with others is meaningful when we actually know them and can communicate directly with them about their loss.  Anyway...)

Jesus himself, the ultimate exemplar, wept for someone He knew He was going to raise from the dead.  It's the shortest verse in scripture: "Jesus wept."  (John 11:35)  Even though Jesus knew that Mary and Martha's mourning would not last long, He took the time to weep with them--to mourn with them.

Last thoughts for now:
We all will have cause to mourn at times.  To me, an important way of showing love to others is to recognize that their feelings are real and valid, and we can do so effectively by sharing those feelings.  More than that, taking time to weep with others is also part of being a covenant disciple of Christ.  I hope to always remember that.

Peace, Not As the World Giveth

I'm a blessed man.  Downright spoiled right now, in fact.  That's what I tell everyone.  Beyond being blessed by the restored gospel and having a wonderful family, I have a good income and I'm able to pursue good professional opportunities.  I have an extremely flexible schedule at the moment.

I have a lot of little things that bring me some measure of happiness, like books and movies.  I'm able to chat with distant friends via text message.  I'm in good health.  I have clean water to drink and bathe in and access to a wide variety of food that is either healthy, good-tasting, or both.  I have a comfortable home.  (And carpet; my standard for being rich, on a global scale, is having carpet, so overall I'm doing really well.)  I live in a land that values and preserves a great deal of personal liberty.

Being blessed as I am and being currently free from severe stress makes it easy to feel happy.  I think that sometimes similar conditions have led people to overlook the source of true, lasting happiness and real, eternal peace.

What if I were to lose the things I have?

People experience loss.  There is a limitless amount of precedent for misfortune and loss, and it's entirely plausible that I could lose almost all of the things I listed above, and much more.  I doubt that I would lose them all together, like Job, but it's possible that any day I could experience significant loss on any given day.  Tragedy sometimes occurs on a personal level, and sometimes with much larger scope.  Nations fall.  Natural disasters, war, and other problems displace thousands and millions.  I could break a limb or get cancer or otherwise fall ill.  My house could burn down, with all of my possessions in it.  I sincerely hope it will not happen, but my wife or children could experience grave injury.  But what if?  What if I were to lose these things that bring me happiness?

I know that regardless of any particular blessing or the loss of it, no matter how much misfortune may come my way, I can still be right before God.  No matter what I could lose, I could still dedicate myself to righteousness and service to God and others.  And that would bring me peace, "not as the world giveth" (John 14:27), but as Jesus Christ gives to all those who earnestly follow Him.

To say this is the sort of thing that would have superstitious people knocking on wood.  Indeed, I do not ask for trouble or loss to enter my life.  But, having mentioned Job, I know that any of us can show the same commitment to following Christ that he showed, despite any loss.

Last thoughts for now:
It's easy to say that I could be committed like that.  But I know it's possible.  I know that we can make that kind of choice.  In the meanwhile, I hope to make that kind of commitment without needing tragedy to spur me on.  But if tragedy should befall me, I know that I can still receive the peace that our Savior brings.

Crises of Faith

Sometimes fast and testimony meetings end up having themes.  Today's meeting was kind of like that, with a theme being the right way to handle a questions about the Church.  One sister bore her testimony of how she had harbored doubts for a while, but had eventually had them alleviated essentially through true doctrine.  One of my favorite parts of the Gospel is that we can pray to Heavenly Father for a witness of truth from Him, especially when troubled, and for me, the simple answer for any crisis of faith is to pray.  Once we receive a witness from the Holy Ghost, we can know whatever we really need to know.

There's something else that qualifies as a crisis of faith in a very different sense but with the same solution.  At times we may be in quite a different situation; we may know exactly what we need to do but lack the faith to do it.  The answer again is to pray for a witness of the Holy Ghost, though in this case what's more important than new knowledge is the inspiration to act on our knowledge.

Even Jesus Christ prayed for strength to do His Father's will when in a difficult situation, and when he would have preferred another way, as he prepared himself for the Atonement.  That probably doesn't qualify as a "crisis of faith" for Him, but He did show us what to do when we are in the middle of our own crises.

Last thoughts for now:
The great test of life is how we will submit ourselves to God's will.  Jesus Christ gave an amazingly powerful example to us, and we can follow it.  Prayer can bring us knowledge and inspiration from the Holy Ghost.

Love, Charity, Truth

Mark 12:29-31 -- "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength...And the second is...Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

John 13:34 -- "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

Moroni 7:47 -- "...charity is the pure love of Christ"
Moroni 7:46 -- "...if ye have not charity, ye are nothing"

I've heard it said more than once that despite the commandment we've been given to love everyone, it's not possible.  I think it was spoken with a sense of practicality by people who readily acknowledged that there were people they knew whom they definitely did not love.  I understand that, and I appreciate their candor, but what they said wasn't true.  The fact is that we can love everyone.  Maybe we can't all to do so all at once, without growing and exercising ourselves to gain that love, and sometimes there are people who are particularly difficult to love and who may have injured us seriously in some way.  But we have great examples of others, Jesus Christ being the foremost but many more mere mortals as well, who have shown great love to others who were the most difficult to love or the least deserving.

I try to love everyone.  I sure don't always succeed.  But I have felt that love for everyone before, and I try to keep it with me.  Interestingly, some of the times when I've most strongly felt the emotion of love for all were times when I was experiencing great trials.  Otherwise, when I feel the greatest love is when I am engaged in service toward them.  That service is a key component, and without taking the time for others I'm sure it would be impossible to gain or keep a love for them.

While service is essential, there are many good things which are not sufficient in and of themselves.  The words of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 strike me particularly: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

One way to serve others is by declaring truth in this world so full of falsehood and deception.  If we love those around us, we'll want the best for them.  We'll want to speak the truth to enlighten them, if we happen to have light to share.  (And we'll want to gain that light so that we can share it.)  However, we run a certain risk.  When we speak to what is true or right we either explicitly or implicitly speak to what is false or wrong.  In doing so, some will feel as if we're condemning ("judging") them.  Perhaps it's a rare thing these days for people to speak the truth while still genuinely loving those who don't seem to live by it, but I don't think that's the real problem.  I think instead the real problem is the underlying but widely prevalent message that to disagree with someone's actions or lifestyle is to hate them.  Love is preached to be synonymous with complete acceptance of not only the basic person but of everything they do.

The real challenge for me is to live in such a way that people know I love them.  When the situation arises in which they could interpret my words as either condemnation or encouragement, they won't just see me as a "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."  They will know that I really do want what is best for them and that I still love them even with their incorrect choices, just as I hope others will still love me despite my choices that either are wrong or seem wrong to them.

Last thoughts for now:
I know that some people will never feel the love I have for them even when I'm doing my very best to have that love.  I know that I haven't overcome selfishness and have certainly not achieved perfect charity in my heart.  But I know that it is right and good that I should have that love.  I know that I need to keep that love as a constant goal in my life and that without it, nothing else matters.  I hope that I can teach it to my children and encourage it in all those around me.  Charity is greater than hope, but I'll keep hope in a world that knows real charity.

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.