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.

A "Testimony", or Faith and Knowledge?

I think that members of the Church of Jesus Christ sometimes use the word "testimony" in a way that is less helpful than we think.  We talk about a "testimony" as if it's a thing we carry around with us.  In scripture, I don't think I've ever found that kind of usage.  Rather, what we refer to as a "testimony" is known simply as either faith or knowledge.

What is a testimony?  It is the act of testifying--of speaking or otherwise sharing what we know through personal experience.  This is the meaning both in law and in scripture.  Rather than being a thing to be possessed, it is an action.

When someone gives you a reprimand, do you "have a reprimand"?  When God gives us a testimony of some truth, what we have as a result is greater faith and knowledge.

Rather than saying, "I have a testimony of X," when we say, "I know X", the very action of saying such a thing is our testimony.  Rather than stating that someone's "testimony" isn't as strong as it used to be, is it not much more direct to say that their faith is less strong than it was?  If they're not sharing their faith and knowledge with others, at least intermittently, then by definition, it isn't a testimony.

I don't think the saints' common usage is evil, but I do think it is harder for people to understand, whether they're outside or inside the Church.  Though it may sound paradoxical to suggest, it's better for us to refer to a testimony as what is given, rather than something that is possessed.

Here's what scripture tells us: Peter encouraged us to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."  (2 Peter 3:18)  In a revelation given through Joseph Smith, we were similarly told, "ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth." (Doctrine and Covenants 50:40)  Helaman related that "the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God".  (Helaman 6:34)  King Benjamin said that as we remember God's greatness and humble ourselves before Him, "ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true."  (Mosiah 4:12)  In Alma 32, Alma used a great parable to teach that as we nourish the word of God in ourselves, as it grows, out faith will increase and become knowledge.

According to Alma, sometimes our faith, in some respects, becomes "dormant" as we gain knowledge.  But even as our knowledge increases, we must continue to increase in faith, because faith includes action; through faith we demonstrate that knowledge of truth really means something in our lives.

I don't mean to be too condemning; the common usage of "testimony" as a noun that suggests something that can be possessed appears even in the current temple recommend interview questions.  But I do think there's a better way to express truth.

Last thoughts for now:

I hope that my testimony to others is powerful; that is to say, I hope that I am able to testify powerfully through the power of the Holy Ghost, who will testify with me as I speak truth.  I also hope that my faith and knowledge will continue to grow, year by year.  I hope that when I speak of any of that, those around me will understand with clarity.

A Short Series on Love

I have had several thoughts related to love bouncing around in my head for some time now, and I’ve wanted to add them to my blog here.  Thus, in the posts that follow, here’s a short series about the meaning and impact of the ideas encompassed in that simple, four-letter word.

One Message for the Entire World

My wife has an embroidery machine and makes good use of it.  While I was attending graduate school for my Master's degree, I generally carried my computer with me in a briefcase-style black, fabric bag that had a flap at the top of one side that is roughly four inches wide.  At some point I determined that I wanted my wide to embroider a message on it; this message would be visible to everyone as I walked from place to place, as I sat doing homework, as I waited for the bus, as I sat on the bus, and essentially as I did anything else.

I had pondered something: If I had an opportunity to say one thing to anyone I met, or to the entire world all at once, what should I say?  This embroidered message would serve as well as any to communicate with the world, especially given that I would never have a chance to actually speak with many people who saw me (perhaps driving by in a vehicle or merely being part of a large group that I would have no reason to address verbally).  What message would be the most important?  In accordance with principles of good marketing (I assume, given that I'm not a true student of marketing), any message must be short to get and hold people's attention for the duration of the message.  In any event there was only so much space on the flap where the message was to be put.  So, I needed something that was, as the pithy expression goes, “short and sweet”.  And in a world where so many ideas are promoted and so many of them are misguided or simply false, I wanted my message to echo core a truth.

If the world is to know one thing, there are perhaps several candidates, including the knowledge that we are all children of God.  More specifically, we are children of an all-loving God.  His love is manifest the most in the existence of our Savior, Jesus Christ (see John 3:16).  As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have promised something: “...the second [great commandment] is ... Thou shalt love thy neighbour” (Matthew 22:39), and my “neighbor” is everyone else on the earth.

I want to be a good brother to God’s children and a good disciple of Christ, so, I chose my message and my wife placed it on the flap of my bag:

I love you.

I chose a simple, light-blue font that I hoped would be visible from quite a distance.  And I carried that message about, from day to day, visible to anyone and everyone.

The prospect of giving even one person such a potentially powerful and intimate message can be daunting, and surely, despite all of my best efforts, I do not always succeed in showing love as I ought to.  But as I carried my case and message, it struck me that I really was giving people a promise, and it was no small promise.  It’s easy to say, “I will love everyone,” when we’re in a small room occupied by only a few people we already like.  It’s easy to say, “I will love the entire world,” when we don’t have to and in any practical sense cannot demonstrate it.  It was something else to physically carry that message and promise to hundreds and thousands of people, most of whom I wouldn’t even be able to see or acknowledge, either at all or perhaps for only a few seconds in passing.

In giving anyone and everyone that message, I potentially exposed myself to ridicule, but a far greater concern to me was that anyone I saw could call me out on the promise.  Anyone could say, “Prove it!” and to be true to myself, to them, and to God, I would have to really act and speak in accordance with the words I was professing.  I was highly conscious of this.  I knew that if I were to say it, I would have to live it.  And I was willing, because it really is crucial for a disciple of Christ.

Realistically, I didn’t expect that “calling out” and proving to happen often.  In practice, only two people ever commented verbally to me about the message, and in both cases I was caught off guard and I failed to clarify that it was my message to the world, as opposed to my wife’s message to me.  In a funny sort of way, it wasn’t immediately easy to speak about.  I think that if I had the opportunity again, it would now be easier for me to say that yes, I love you, and even if I do so imperfectly I’m determined to do so truly.

While almost no one ever spoke to me about the message, I know that many people saw it.  I think that it brought a smile to some.  Perhaps it caused some people to ponder.  I have to assume that it was also offensive in a way to some, though I certainly couldn’t feel bad about that.  I wonder if, maybe, there might have been people who saw it who really needed to receive that message from someone.  Did I pass anyone who was feeling alone in the world, who felt less so for seeing me?  Was there anyone in the lower depths of despair, perhaps even suicidal, who rose a bit higher for knowing that at least one person out there loved them?  I don’t know.  I hope that my message was felt and helped people.

I later heard mention of a bus driver who had a habit of announcing over the P.A. system that, “Even if no one else loves you, I love you,” and I was both touched by the overtness and glad that I had chosen my message.

When I decided to leave a final message in my social media profile, I was able to make it longer, but I began and ended with a slightly longer version of those same words: I love you.

Last thoughts for now:

I love you.  I promise to show it.  I will fail in that promise at times, but I believe that there are few things more important that I can say or show, so I will do what I can to say it and show it.

Not “But”; Rather, “And”

People use and misuse the word “love” quite a bit, and there are a great many related thoughts.  It’s easily one of the most common themes in poetry and song.  Among those related thoughts are some related to homosexuality; some people are attracted to others of the same sex, and some people act physically according to those desires, and the word “love” is often used in conjunction with either.  Conversely, members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ are taught to show love to others but are also taught principles about sexual morality that do not align with common ideas about homosexuality.

Sometimes groups of people argue about it.  Some say, “If you love me, you must accept me as I am, and in turn, you must accept what I do,” even though they are actively promoting behavior and ideas that are contrary to God’s will.  In turn, I have many times heard or seen the statement that as disciples of Christ, we are to “love the sinner but hate the sin.”

That doesn’t always sit quite right with me.  In a sense, it’s true, and it’s essentially in accordance with what God has said in scripture, but hatred is seemingly opposed to what God is all about.  John (in John 4:8, 16) repeated a short but very strong statement: “God is love.”  (Emphasis added.)

If love is so central to godliness, ought we to use the theme of “love sinners but hate sin”?  Is there a better message to send, and one that is less able to be misinterpreted or twisted into a message of hatred?

Yes, there is.  President Dalling H. Oaks highlighted it in a general conference address in October 2019.  The better expression is simply this: Love God, and love everyone else.  Love God first and foremost.

These ideas were taught by the Savior Himself.  He was asked what the greatest (or most important) commandment was.  In Matthew 22:37–39, He answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

President Oaks cautioned that, “our zeal to keep this second commandment must not cause us to forget the first”.  Indeed, the Savior’s response was about a question of a single, greatest commandment, and He only somewhat incidentally chose to speak of the second.  President Oaks’ strong implication was that, although we may naturally feel love and affection for some people, it is more important for us to follow that first and greatest commandment than it is for us to do anything related to the second.  It is most important for us to show love for God by seeking to know and do His will.  As the Savior said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15)

So rather than using the expression “love the sinner but hate the sin”, perhaps we should instead use one that has a clear focus on only love: “Love God, and then love everyone else.”

Last thoughts for now:

As I’ve said before, I can make no claim to love others perfectly, but I know that determining to show that love is an essential part of being a disciple of Christ.  I hope to live in such a way that demonstrates my love of God and others.  I hope for that love to grow and be real.

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.