Somehow yesterday I got thinking about all of the things that I didn't have that I wanted. It is so easy to have the wrong focus. Sometimes those thoughts can become overwhelming. I turned to the scriptures and realized, I had the things that matter most. It seemed that the scriptures were telling me greatest thing I had going for me was my commitment to righteousness.
As I got to thinking about it I realized that this was the thing that I had that was of the greatest worth and it made all the other things seem rather unimportant. It also seemed to me that anyone who didn't have this was truly empty, miserable and desolate. In a time when the world seems to be morally bankrupt in many parts of the world today, I need to remember that I have made covenants with God. While imperfect, I have the things that matter the most in this life and the next.
Sister Elaine Dalton came to speak to my ward today and spoke of a visit to Africa. She asked the young women of Ghana what was going well for them in their lives and they shared a few things. Then she asked them what their struggles were. This to a group of girls who walked three hours in the mud to get to church. No one would look at her or answer her question, they bowed their heads and wouldn't make eye contact. She promised that she wouldn't tell President Hinckley what they said and then paused for some awkward silence. Finally someone spoke up in the back and said that they had the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they didn't need anything else. Elder Renlund shared a similar experience from Africa in his first press conference after being called as an apostle.
How would that even feel? To be completely fulfilled and satisfied wanting nothing else but the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To want for nothing has to be the definition of true happiness.
Sister Dalton went on to talk to us about how honored she felt to be in our presence and that we were the chosen generation held in reserve for the last days. She shared a scripture from D&C 121:25-27, "For there is a time appointed for every man, according as his works shall be. God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now; Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory".
I was reading that chapter today and there are some amazing blessings promised to the faithful. Verse 29 reads, "All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ." If I can claim those blessings then nothing else really matters.
It also made me think of a statement President Hinckley gave after the twin towers came down. He said, "Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God."
This is similar again to D&C 121:45, "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven."
How would that feel to stand before God with confidence? I am not sure I can imagine anything better. That confidence also has to be with us in this life as well. If we know we are living right we will be able to live with confidence.
My final quote for the night, "If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead." -William Law
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Ponderizing Peace
At this last General Conference we were issued a challenge to ponderize a scripture a week which means to half ponder and half memorize. The scripture I chose was, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27
I guess peace has been on my mind lately because I am realizing how often I am living without it. I was thinking about how life seems to be filled with too many questions and not enough answers. When the answers don't come and the questions keep piling up it is hard to feel like you can move forward because if you do, you might just have to face more questions.
If we look at this verse within the context of what was happening with his apostles, they probably had a lot of anxiety. They knew that Jesus was about to be betrayed and he was going to leave them. They must have felt inadequate to carry on his mission without him. They too had a lot of questions and not enough answers.
If we look at this verse in context of the chapter we see that he is talking about a several things that lead to peace. He tells the apostles that there are many mansions that he is preparing for them. He will leave but he will come again to receive them. He will lead them to the Father. If we believe in Him we can do great works. He will send the Holy Ghost to comfort us.
I think if we were to break down this scripture, it is leading us to find the difference between the peace of the world and the peace of the Lord. When I think of the peace of the world, I think of things that will give us peace right here and now, like having exactly what we want right now, money, status, maybe a little bit of yoga. These things don't have to be bad, they just aren't the peace of God which leads us to eternity with him.
When I think of the peace that I have received from God, it usually has to do with the Holy Ghost. I feel the peace of God when I feel his love for me or when I receive answers to prayers with either physical blessings or clear answers that help guide and direct my life. It doesn't mean that our prayers will be answered in the way we want or that we will have answers according to our timetable. Sometimes it is just knowing that God has a plan and we are doing his will.
Other scriptures I read talking about peace suggest that in order for us to have peace temporally or spiritually there has to be a law, and we all need to keep the laws or there will not be peace on the earth. Also, if we love the law we will be at peace. That thought made me think of this Dennis Prager video on the Ten Commandments.
I guess this is all leading me to see I need to keep the commandments to a greater degree, seek the spirit of God and trust that as I strive live righteously I can find greater peace of God.
I guess peace has been on my mind lately because I am realizing how often I am living without it. I was thinking about how life seems to be filled with too many questions and not enough answers. When the answers don't come and the questions keep piling up it is hard to feel like you can move forward because if you do, you might just have to face more questions.
If we look at this verse within the context of what was happening with his apostles, they probably had a lot of anxiety. They knew that Jesus was about to be betrayed and he was going to leave them. They must have felt inadequate to carry on his mission without him. They too had a lot of questions and not enough answers.
If we look at this verse in context of the chapter we see that he is talking about a several things that lead to peace. He tells the apostles that there are many mansions that he is preparing for them. He will leave but he will come again to receive them. He will lead them to the Father. If we believe in Him we can do great works. He will send the Holy Ghost to comfort us.
I think if we were to break down this scripture, it is leading us to find the difference between the peace of the world and the peace of the Lord. When I think of the peace of the world, I think of things that will give us peace right here and now, like having exactly what we want right now, money, status, maybe a little bit of yoga. These things don't have to be bad, they just aren't the peace of God which leads us to eternity with him.
When I think of the peace that I have received from God, it usually has to do with the Holy Ghost. I feel the peace of God when I feel his love for me or when I receive answers to prayers with either physical blessings or clear answers that help guide and direct my life. It doesn't mean that our prayers will be answered in the way we want or that we will have answers according to our timetable. Sometimes it is just knowing that God has a plan and we are doing his will.
Other scriptures I read talking about peace suggest that in order for us to have peace temporally or spiritually there has to be a law, and we all need to keep the laws or there will not be peace on the earth. Also, if we love the law we will be at peace. That thought made me think of this Dennis Prager video on the Ten Commandments.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
The Gift of Grace
I taught Relief Society as a sub last Sunday and I was asked to review Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "The Gift of Grace". As I prepared I realized that I don't really use the word grace regularly. It seems like all the other Christian churches talk about grace and we like to talk about obedience. As I have listened to our church leaders recently I realized that they actually talk quite a bit about grace, what it is and what is required to access it.
I realized as I was preparing the lesson, that just as Jesus grew from grace to grace, we also need to grow from grace to grace. Many just think about grace as washing away our sins but it does so much more than that. It perfects, exalts and blesses our lives
There are a few things required of us before we can access grace. We need to give our total effort and have a broken heart. Without those two things grace can be difficult to access. Why would God send us his greatest blessings if we didn't even show we wanted them? How would we grow if God didn't stretch us to do more than we've done in the past?
Sometimes the windows of heaven are opened and blessings come because we have been prepared to receive them and God knows we need them. It is one thing to pray and say please give me this certain thing and another to say, I have done everything I know to do and then plead to the Lord to grant us certain blessings. There are no guarantees and sometimes we just need to accept God's will and trust in his timing.
I think that one of my favorite parts of grace is that it can be used to heal those who we have hurt knowingly or unknowingly. It changes us in ways that we didn't know or believe possible. The hardest part has to be letting go of what we want and turning our will over to God so he can heal our lives.
It is difficult to define grace and to especially put it all into one sentence but in my mind it is a manifestation of the love and mercy of God. It is a power that enables, guides, heals, perfects and leads us back to God. It is the difference between what we are capable of accomplishing on our own and perfection.
I realized as I was preparing the lesson, that just as Jesus grew from grace to grace, we also need to grow from grace to grace. Many just think about grace as washing away our sins but it does so much more than that. It perfects, exalts and blesses our lives
There are a few things required of us before we can access grace. We need to give our total effort and have a broken heart. Without those two things grace can be difficult to access. Why would God send us his greatest blessings if we didn't even show we wanted them? How would we grow if God didn't stretch us to do more than we've done in the past?
Sometimes the windows of heaven are opened and blessings come because we have been prepared to receive them and God knows we need them. It is one thing to pray and say please give me this certain thing and another to say, I have done everything I know to do and then plead to the Lord to grant us certain blessings. There are no guarantees and sometimes we just need to accept God's will and trust in his timing.
I think that one of my favorite parts of grace is that it can be used to heal those who we have hurt knowingly or unknowingly. It changes us in ways that we didn't know or believe possible. The hardest part has to be letting go of what we want and turning our will over to God so he can heal our lives.
It is difficult to define grace and to especially put it all into one sentence but in my mind it is a manifestation of the love and mercy of God. It is a power that enables, guides, heals, perfects and leads us back to God. It is the difference between what we are capable of accomplishing on our own and perfection.
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