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.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
It's the End of the World as We Know It
There has been a bit of talk lately about the world coming to an end sometime between September 23-27th, because it is both a harvest moon and the last blood moon in a tetrad series. Also there are these books out selling at Deseret Book called "Visions of Glory" and "A Greater Tomorrow" that are doing a good job keeping Emergency Essentials shelves empty. I think there are probably others that are all supposed to have similar stories.
My biggest issue with those books is that they teach false doctrine which conflicts with the scriptures and what prophets have told us. I really question why these books are even sold at Deseret Book. I am sure there are many members who think that if something is sold at Deseret Book it has to be true. Seminary and Institute teachers have been told not to recommend these books to their students because of their false doctrine content. They say that these experiences are for the people who had them only and should not be taken as prophetic counsel.
These authors may believe that they are doing a good thing as they are fattening their wallets, by spreading fear, because people are getting prepared. That whole idea bugs me. If they are all just lying to get attention or make money, I would hate to be them on judgement day. I can't say that they are definitely lying but I don't feel good about what they have done at all.
I know we are fit to burn on this earth. We just legalized gay marriage and we murder millions of babies every year and I feel like we have the most evil president that this country has ever seen. If we look at other times in the scriptures that people have been destroyed, we seem to be able to compete with their wickedness pretty well. I have to believe that it is coming, but based on the fact that nobody will know when the Savior comes and the fact that many signs of the times haven't come yet, I am thinking we are safe for a little while. I do think that we are ready for a serious wake up call though.
I just know that my safety is in my righteousness. I need to strive to pay my tithes, keep the Sabbath holy, and do my best to keep the commandments and follow the Savior. I believe I will be protected, unless my work here is done. I also have a decent amount of food and water storage and I have tried to be prepared for a disaster.
Last Thursday I went to a new institute class last minute and it was interesting. The teacher has been a Seminary and Institute teacher his whole career. He even taught at BYU. He is now retired and has just returned from a mission to San Diego, so I am pretty sure that he knows quite a bit about the scriptures. He said that he has been spending quite a bit of time studying the Second Coming. During our class he said, "I will not be here for the second coming, I only have about a decade left, but there is a good chance you will be here for it." All of his research has led him to believe that it will happen between 2040 and 2050, but then he added, give or take 50 years. He said that he was compiling a book with all of his findings about the second coming based on the scriptures and quotes from prophets. He said that he didn't know if he would publish it but he felt like it was something that he wanted to give to his children. Anyways it was interesting to think that I could be about 70 years old when the Savior comes. I guess I better take good care of myself. ;)
My biggest issue with those books is that they teach false doctrine which conflicts with the scriptures and what prophets have told us. I really question why these books are even sold at Deseret Book. I am sure there are many members who think that if something is sold at Deseret Book it has to be true. Seminary and Institute teachers have been told not to recommend these books to their students because of their false doctrine content. They say that these experiences are for the people who had them only and should not be taken as prophetic counsel.
These authors may believe that they are doing a good thing as they are fattening their wallets, by spreading fear, because people are getting prepared. That whole idea bugs me. If they are all just lying to get attention or make money, I would hate to be them on judgement day. I can't say that they are definitely lying but I don't feel good about what they have done at all.
I know we are fit to burn on this earth. We just legalized gay marriage and we murder millions of babies every year and I feel like we have the most evil president that this country has ever seen. If we look at other times in the scriptures that people have been destroyed, we seem to be able to compete with their wickedness pretty well. I have to believe that it is coming, but based on the fact that nobody will know when the Savior comes and the fact that many signs of the times haven't come yet, I am thinking we are safe for a little while. I do think that we are ready for a serious wake up call though.
I just know that my safety is in my righteousness. I need to strive to pay my tithes, keep the Sabbath holy, and do my best to keep the commandments and follow the Savior. I believe I will be protected, unless my work here is done. I also have a decent amount of food and water storage and I have tried to be prepared for a disaster.
Last Thursday I went to a new institute class last minute and it was interesting. The teacher has been a Seminary and Institute teacher his whole career. He even taught at BYU. He is now retired and has just returned from a mission to San Diego, so I am pretty sure that he knows quite a bit about the scriptures. He said that he has been spending quite a bit of time studying the Second Coming. During our class he said, "I will not be here for the second coming, I only have about a decade left, but there is a good chance you will be here for it." All of his research has led him to believe that it will happen between 2040 and 2050, but then he added, give or take 50 years. He said that he was compiling a book with all of his findings about the second coming based on the scriptures and quotes from prophets. He said that he didn't know if he would publish it but he felt like it was something that he wanted to give to his children. Anyways it was interesting to think that I could be about 70 years old when the Savior comes. I guess I better take good care of myself. ;)
Saturday, September 12, 2015
"Chew your food. You're an Animal!"
If you don't already know, that quote is from the movie Matilda, and that is just one of the gems in that masterpiece.
I have been reading about food chewing after I remembered a health video I watched in elementary school about people with digestive problems and it said that the number one reason a person has digestive problems is because they don't chew their food into small enough pieces. It seems like a little thing with few ramifications but the more I learn about it and have made an effort to do it I see that the ramifications can be HUGE. Here is what I have learned...
Most of the enzymes in the digestive process are in your mouth. Who knew? I assumed that they were all in your stomach. This means that if you don't fully chew your food, it cannot be fully broken down and digested. This can lead to many problems, one is that your food can rot in your digestive system and lead to a host of standard digestive issues. The other major issue is that if the food is not broken down, your body can not receive the energy and nutrients it needs from the food.
Chewing your food obviously takes longer. This can be very helpful for people watching their waste-line because they are able to start to feel full on less food. Also you can get more energy out of the food that you do eat.
Chewing food obviously makes food go down the esophagus easier, but one of the things I didn't expect from chewing is that the longer the food is in my mouth, the better it tastes. Is that strange? I am not sure why that is but I assume it has something to do with the enzymes in my saliva. I never talk about saliva. It feels weird to even type SALIVA!
The digestive process is actually very demanding on your body. It gives us energy but it also takes up a lot of energy. This is especially true for food that is not fully chewed. It just seems to cause many problems for all of the other stages of digestion. Just remember the smaller the particles of food the faster and more efficiently they will digest.
Chewing strengthens your teeth. Who knew that your teeth needed a work out? It all makes sense though, just as weight bearing exercises is good for your bones, chewing has to be good for your chompers. Also as more saliva is produced in this process, it helps wash away bacteria in your mouth leading to less tooth decay.
I remember at meal time my super health conscious grandmother used to say, "chew, chew chew!" I assume that is because she saw the value in this process. She would also discourage drinking beverages with her food. Now I see why, she didn't want the beverage to water down her food and take the place of the more helpful enzyme rich saliva. Then there is the health guru Horace Fletcher who advocated chewing your food 100 times before you swallow each bite. He attributed his good health, strength and endurance to this.
As I have been working to chew my food more, I've realized two things about myself. One is that as I have tried to be more efficient at meal time by getting the food into my stomach quickly, I have only caused myself more problems. The other thing is that I need to slow down, enjoy life and my food to a greater degree.
Anyway, this has been my latest health challenge for myself. The gallon challenge was good and I still feel like I need to be careful that I don't dehydrate myself. However, I think that this challenge may be even more beneficial. This brings new meaning to the phrase, "Party in my mouth".
I have been reading about food chewing after I remembered a health video I watched in elementary school about people with digestive problems and it said that the number one reason a person has digestive problems is because they don't chew their food into small enough pieces. It seems like a little thing with few ramifications but the more I learn about it and have made an effort to do it I see that the ramifications can be HUGE. Here is what I have learned...
Most of the enzymes in the digestive process are in your mouth. Who knew? I assumed that they were all in your stomach. This means that if you don't fully chew your food, it cannot be fully broken down and digested. This can lead to many problems, one is that your food can rot in your digestive system and lead to a host of standard digestive issues. The other major issue is that if the food is not broken down, your body can not receive the energy and nutrients it needs from the food.
Chewing your food obviously takes longer. This can be very helpful for people watching their waste-line because they are able to start to feel full on less food. Also you can get more energy out of the food that you do eat.
Chewing food obviously makes food go down the esophagus easier, but one of the things I didn't expect from chewing is that the longer the food is in my mouth, the better it tastes. Is that strange? I am not sure why that is but I assume it has something to do with the enzymes in my saliva. I never talk about saliva. It feels weird to even type SALIVA!
The digestive process is actually very demanding on your body. It gives us energy but it also takes up a lot of energy. This is especially true for food that is not fully chewed. It just seems to cause many problems for all of the other stages of digestion. Just remember the smaller the particles of food the faster and more efficiently they will digest.
Chewing strengthens your teeth. Who knew that your teeth needed a work out? It all makes sense though, just as weight bearing exercises is good for your bones, chewing has to be good for your chompers. Also as more saliva is produced in this process, it helps wash away bacteria in your mouth leading to less tooth decay.
I remember at meal time my super health conscious grandmother used to say, "chew, chew chew!" I assume that is because she saw the value in this process. She would also discourage drinking beverages with her food. Now I see why, she didn't want the beverage to water down her food and take the place of the more helpful enzyme rich saliva. Then there is the health guru Horace Fletcher who advocated chewing your food 100 times before you swallow each bite. He attributed his good health, strength and endurance to this.
As I have been working to chew my food more, I've realized two things about myself. One is that as I have tried to be more efficient at meal time by getting the food into my stomach quickly, I have only caused myself more problems. The other thing is that I need to slow down, enjoy life and my food to a greater degree.
Anyway, this has been my latest health challenge for myself. The gallon challenge was good and I still feel like I need to be careful that I don't dehydrate myself. However, I think that this challenge may be even more beneficial. This brings new meaning to the phrase, "Party in my mouth".
Saturday, August 29, 2015
This Worldly World
I have been watching the abortion and human trafficking videos put out by The Center For Medical Progress. They are disturbing and there are many who can't watch them because of their callousness. I am not going to recommend them to anyone, except maybe to the president's top aide who likes to report on them in press conferences but has never watched them. It all just makes me fear for the future of our society.
I felt that as a concerned citizen, I had a responsibility to know what they were all about. First I just have to say that the people involved in producing those videos should be hailed for their bravery, dedication and hard work. I perhaps dug a little deeper into the evil that is behind abortion than I wanted to and I can only say that I felt so disturbed and distraught by what I found that I craved the Spirit of God more than ever before; my prayers were more heartfelt, I needed to listen to church music regularly, I needed to get to the temple and I saw many clear and direct contrasts with my temple worship experience.
I don't want to go into what I learned because it is too disturbing for some, but at the same time I see too many people that I care about turn a blind eye to what is going on and that, to me, is the most disturbing thing of all. I have had many scriptures going through my head. One is Ephesians 6:10-12...
I just want to make sure I make myself clear, although I am imperfect, I am so grateful that I have put my trust in the God of Heaven. I am so grateful for righteous but imperfect parents who raised me in truth. I am grateful for the restoration of the gospel that has brought truth and hope to the world. I am grateful for the covenants I have made with God and that I seek serve him and do his work.
I need to make sure that I end this post on a hopeful and positive note because Jesus Christ gives us great reason for hope. The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about love, hope, life, creation, progression and godliness.
14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (1 Nephi: 14:14)
I'll close with the words of Mormon to his son Moroni who watched the destruction of his people...
I felt that as a concerned citizen, I had a responsibility to know what they were all about. First I just have to say that the people involved in producing those videos should be hailed for their bravery, dedication and hard work. I perhaps dug a little deeper into the evil that is behind abortion than I wanted to and I can only say that I felt so disturbed and distraught by what I found that I craved the Spirit of God more than ever before; my prayers were more heartfelt, I needed to listen to church music regularly, I needed to get to the temple and I saw many clear and direct contrasts with my temple worship experience.
I don't want to go into what I learned because it is too disturbing for some, but at the same time I see too many people that I care about turn a blind eye to what is going on and that, to me, is the most disturbing thing of all. I have had many scriptures going through my head. One is Ephesians 6:10-12...
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
I am at times so amazed by the lies of the adversary. I am not sure what is more surprising, the lies he tells or the number of people who believe them. He is real but the lies he tells can't hold any water they all lead to corruption, destruction and death. Our Father in Heaven is and will always be more powerful than he is. The adversary is on the losing side and yet that doesn't stop him from fighting or amassing recruits and it all is just so unbelievable to me. I can't see that it boils down to anything more than the pride of the world.I just want to make sure I make myself clear, although I am imperfect, I am so grateful that I have put my trust in the God of Heaven. I am so grateful for righteous but imperfect parents who raised me in truth. I am grateful for the restoration of the gospel that has brought truth and hope to the world. I am grateful for the covenants I have made with God and that I seek serve him and do his work.
I need to make sure that I end this post on a hopeful and positive note because Jesus Christ gives us great reason for hope. The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about love, hope, life, creation, progression and godliness.
14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (1 Nephi: 14:14)
21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. (2 Nephi 31:20-21)
Sometimes it is in the contrast between light and dark that we find the truth and I feel that my eyes have been opened to some degree to the unseen spiritual powers in this world.I'll close with the words of Mormon to his son Moroni who watched the destruction of his people...
25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Life Isn't Fair
Over the last week and also in the past I have thought about life being fair. I remember when I was a child I thought that everything had to be fair and equal. I remember after a few hours of rolling newspapers in the back of our hatch-back early one morning, my mom and I went to the bakery to get a pastry, which rarely happened because we were very poor. My mom was just going to buy something for us. I thought to myself in my maybe seven year old brain, it wouldn't be fair for me and mom to be the only ones to get a treat. We needed to get enough for all of my siblings so it would be fair and no one would feel left out. My mom did her best to explain to me that it was okay if just she and I got a treat and we didn't get anything for the others. It was a little difficult for me to wrap my brain around. Whatever it was that she said, I still remember feeling guilty that morning.
I remember a conversation I had with my friend Heather. She has six sisters and her parents always made sure that all of the girls got equal treatment. If one got money for their birthday than the others would have to get the same amount of money for their birthday gifts. This plan for fairness hit a bit of a snag when one sister developed cancer and her parents felt that they could not give this daughter the money she needed for her medical expenses without giving all of the other sisters the same amount of money. Under these conditions her parents felt like they couldn't help the daughter with cancer until the other sisters told them that they wanted this sister to get some money from them and they didn't want or expect anything from their parents.
Well fairness in life can be a good thing to work towards. I assume that is why God created the Law of Consecration so we could all look after the poor and we would all have our needs met. However I believe if people look to God to make sure that everyone here on earth has an equal amount of possessions, pains, love, heartaches, happiness, responsibilities, sicknesses, skills or anything else, they will be sorely disappointed. No doubt if they believe that God possesses the characteristic for fairness or equality, they will likely lose their belief in Him because in this world there is little equality in the things mentioned above.
What God does say is that he is no respecter of persons (D&C 38:16), he makes the rain fall and the sun to shine on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45), and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). We also know that if we endure well God will exalt us on high (D&C 121:8). Do you ever think to yourself, "With the amazing blessings promised to me I am surprised that the cost isn't higher or that my faith hasn't been tried more?" If you are like most people, the answer is probably no. If our beliefs about God cause us to lose our belief in him perhaps we have a misunderstanding of the correct characteristics of God.
There are many hard things that we all go through in life. There is no way to quantify our trials and our blessings to see if they are equal with those of others. There is also no good way to determine if we have been properly compensated for our good deeds. We just know that if we seek to do God's will, all of our pains and trials will give us experience and be for our good (D&C 122:7).
We can't say that bad things don't happen to good people. In some cases bad things happen to good people because God knows they are up to the challenge and he needs to try their faith and strengthen them as he did with Job. We never know if our trials will turn to blessings or if what seems like a blessing will turn into a trial, we just know that God wants to raise up a righteous people and cleanse us from sin. We also don't know how much our righteousness in our premortal life affects the quality of our life here. We just know that God's ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).
I believe that our trials and challenges are custom made for our individual growth and development. There are lessons that I need to learn or that I have been prepared to learn that are not right for others. When we go through hard things it seems much more productive to ask, "What can I learn from this?" or think, "Wow, God must really believe I am strong enough to take this on.", instead of asking, "Why is God treating me so unfairly?" Life will never be fair in our eyes, so we need to stop expecting it to be or we will live life with an untold number of disappointments.
I remember a conversation I had with my friend Heather. She has six sisters and her parents always made sure that all of the girls got equal treatment. If one got money for their birthday than the others would have to get the same amount of money for their birthday gifts. This plan for fairness hit a bit of a snag when one sister developed cancer and her parents felt that they could not give this daughter the money she needed for her medical expenses without giving all of the other sisters the same amount of money. Under these conditions her parents felt like they couldn't help the daughter with cancer until the other sisters told them that they wanted this sister to get some money from them and they didn't want or expect anything from their parents.
Well fairness in life can be a good thing to work towards. I assume that is why God created the Law of Consecration so we could all look after the poor and we would all have our needs met. However I believe if people look to God to make sure that everyone here on earth has an equal amount of possessions, pains, love, heartaches, happiness, responsibilities, sicknesses, skills or anything else, they will be sorely disappointed. No doubt if they believe that God possesses the characteristic for fairness or equality, they will likely lose their belief in Him because in this world there is little equality in the things mentioned above.
What God does say is that he is no respecter of persons (D&C 38:16), he makes the rain fall and the sun to shine on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45), and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). We also know that if we endure well God will exalt us on high (D&C 121:8). Do you ever think to yourself, "With the amazing blessings promised to me I am surprised that the cost isn't higher or that my faith hasn't been tried more?" If you are like most people, the answer is probably no. If our beliefs about God cause us to lose our belief in him perhaps we have a misunderstanding of the correct characteristics of God.
There are many hard things that we all go through in life. There is no way to quantify our trials and our blessings to see if they are equal with those of others. There is also no good way to determine if we have been properly compensated for our good deeds. We just know that if we seek to do God's will, all of our pains and trials will give us experience and be for our good (D&C 122:7).
We can't say that bad things don't happen to good people. In some cases bad things happen to good people because God knows they are up to the challenge and he needs to try their faith and strengthen them as he did with Job. We never know if our trials will turn to blessings or if what seems like a blessing will turn into a trial, we just know that God wants to raise up a righteous people and cleanse us from sin. We also don't know how much our righteousness in our premortal life affects the quality of our life here. We just know that God's ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).
I believe that our trials and challenges are custom made for our individual growth and development. There are lessons that I need to learn or that I have been prepared to learn that are not right for others. When we go through hard things it seems much more productive to ask, "What can I learn from this?" or think, "Wow, God must really believe I am strong enough to take this on.", instead of asking, "Why is God treating me so unfairly?" Life will never be fair in our eyes, so we need to stop expecting it to be or we will live life with an untold number of disappointments.
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