One of the great truths taught with sobering, life changing power in the end of Mormon is God allows us our agency. He’s given us the freedom to choose what we want to do, right up to destroying ourselves.
It is hard for me to grasp that, in fact I’m certain it’s probably the most difficult thing in the world to do… to let those you love make choices you would not make. Especially when you have the power to do something about it. I’m certain if He allowed Himself, He could steer us clear of every mistake, every hurt, and every misfortune. But He doesn’t. That alone is why He is God and no one else.
I really like what Elder Hales said in Conference last week along this line: “you can’t pray away another’s agency.” How true that is. The only real and lasting growth comes from within… because you want it. Anything forced through external means will eventually fail and prove fruitless. Satan never figured this out. God understands it perfectly.
A note: As you may be aware, my entries are growing less frequent. Going forward, I will occasionally add entries to this blog, but for me personally, it has served its main purpose: to help frame the messages contained within this book as they relate to my personal life. This process has carried me through a period of many changes within my life and my family. For now, I think I’m through the toughest part, so the great need I felt has passed too.
If you remember anything of what I’ve written here for the past year and a half it’s this: God lives. He hears our prayers and as we turn to Him, He will not leave us abandoned. I believe that with all my heart. I am a living testament to the truthfulness of that statement.
Showing posts with label Growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Growth. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Sunday, July 31, 2016
The Paths We Choose
If you were to plot the righteousness of the Nephites and Lamanites as a line graph, you’d get something like a sine-wave drawn over time with increasing amplitudes. We can see this in the cyclic nature of the Nephite society.
Leading up to the Savior’s appearance, which ushers in a great high point, you have the low point of the Gadiantons destroying the government. You have the righteousness following the Sign of His birth. Before that the imminent massacre of the righteous. And so it goes. I’ve wondered what the lesson there are for us in that.
One the one hand, I think we’re in that descent into wickedness which parallels the Nephites' path before the destruction immediately preceding the Savior’s appearance. We need to be mentally ready for the long haul. Several years ago, Elder Packer said in a conference talk we live in times where our children and theirs can experience joy, but in a wicked world.
One the other hand our lives I think are like the sine wave too. As we mature, so does our understanding and the consequences of our choices for good or bad increase over time. Mistakes as a child don’t carry the consequences of mistakes as a teenage youth. And those mistakes don’t carry the consequences of those of an adult.
The Prophet Joseph once made the observation about people’s life choices. He said most are content to live in the valleys where the path undulates. It never gets bad, but neither do they ascend the spiritual heights to see the true grandeur and majesty of God. But for those hardy souls who choose to ascend the heights, they will see great things — at the cost of great risk and severe trials. Nephi saw the Lord. Yet he also dealt with his brothers, Laban, the Arabian peninsula and an ocean. Alma had a war, Ammonihah, and the Zoramites. Mormon and Moroni both had a war and Cumorah. Abinadi, Noah’s court. Even the Savior had Gethsemane and Golgotha. Should we expect less?
Put another way, any athlete will tell you, you pay a price to become great. Spiritual growth is no different -- especially today.
Leading up to the Savior’s appearance, which ushers in a great high point, you have the low point of the Gadiantons destroying the government. You have the righteousness following the Sign of His birth. Before that the imminent massacre of the righteous. And so it goes. I’ve wondered what the lesson there are for us in that.
One the one hand, I think we’re in that descent into wickedness which parallels the Nephites' path before the destruction immediately preceding the Savior’s appearance. We need to be mentally ready for the long haul. Several years ago, Elder Packer said in a conference talk we live in times where our children and theirs can experience joy, but in a wicked world.
One the other hand our lives I think are like the sine wave too. As we mature, so does our understanding and the consequences of our choices for good or bad increase over time. Mistakes as a child don’t carry the consequences of mistakes as a teenage youth. And those mistakes don’t carry the consequences of those of an adult.
The Prophet Joseph once made the observation about people’s life choices. He said most are content to live in the valleys where the path undulates. It never gets bad, but neither do they ascend the spiritual heights to see the true grandeur and majesty of God. But for those hardy souls who choose to ascend the heights, they will see great things — at the cost of great risk and severe trials. Nephi saw the Lord. Yet he also dealt with his brothers, Laban, the Arabian peninsula and an ocean. Alma had a war, Ammonihah, and the Zoramites. Mormon and Moroni both had a war and Cumorah. Abinadi, Noah’s court. Even the Savior had Gethsemane and Golgotha. Should we expect less?
Put another way, any athlete will tell you, you pay a price to become great. Spiritual growth is no different -- especially today.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Alma 31 - The Zoramites
It’s rather ironic Korihor met his end at the hands of the Zoramites. He died literally under the feet of people who believed exactly as he taught. I can’t help but think he would’ve fared much better at the hands of the people who best lived the religion he eschewed, the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s.
The Zoramites are caricatures of the person who is pious and religious just for show. They are also a warning to us who are striving to be true Christians. They were all about appearance and vanity: pious on Sunday, and anything but the rest of the week. They thought they were “God’s elect” saved and set aside to be redeemed while the rest of the world is destroyed. They loudly claimed from their towers to know things, which in reality were far from the truth.
My great fear is that I am an unwitting Zoramite more often than I care to admit. And that for me is the best lesson to learn from them. They thought they had a corner on the truth, which they didn’t. And they thought they were God’s special people, which they weren’t. If anyone was what the Zoramites thought they were, it would have been the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s.
Beyond that, the mission to reclaim the Zoramites contains a pithy observation by Alma: the preaching of the word had more effect on the behavior of people than any other thing, even the sword. You want to change someone’s behavior, teach them the Gospel. Once internalized, it will cause changes no amount of force could ever do. It’s why all of us here in mortality chose the Father’s plan of agency over Satan’s plan of force. Change and growth has to come from within, it can’t be forced.
The Zoramites are caricatures of the person who is pious and religious just for show. They are also a warning to us who are striving to be true Christians. They were all about appearance and vanity: pious on Sunday, and anything but the rest of the week. They thought they were “God’s elect” saved and set aside to be redeemed while the rest of the world is destroyed. They loudly claimed from their towers to know things, which in reality were far from the truth.
My great fear is that I am an unwitting Zoramite more often than I care to admit. And that for me is the best lesson to learn from them. They thought they had a corner on the truth, which they didn’t. And they thought they were God’s special people, which they weren’t. If anyone was what the Zoramites thought they were, it would have been the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s.
Beyond that, the mission to reclaim the Zoramites contains a pithy observation by Alma: the preaching of the word had more effect on the behavior of people than any other thing, even the sword. You want to change someone’s behavior, teach them the Gospel. Once internalized, it will cause changes no amount of force could ever do. It’s why all of us here in mortality chose the Father’s plan of agency over Satan’s plan of force. Change and growth has to come from within, it can’t be forced.
Monday, August 17, 2015
3 Nephi 15 - The Other Sheep
Before I say much more, I just want to remind you… what I write is my opinion on what the scriptures mean. The last thing I want is to set myself up as some light for others to follow. What I do want is to be obedient to a prompting to share some of my experiences as I’ve read and studied the Book of Mormon.
My desire is to let the world know in no uncertain terms that I have a burning testimony of its truthfulness. It is NOT the product of the imagination of one man or a collection of men. It is NOT a plagiarism of other books or the KJV Bible. It IS what it claims to be… the religious history of a people now lost to history and their witness of the reality and existence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I add my voice to that of Joseph Smith, “a man can get nearer to God by abiding its precepts than by any other book.” I don’t guess, think or hope this… I know it because I’ve seen it in my own life. I’ve tasted the fruit and it is delicious.
That said, here are my observations on this chapter: Jesus spends the first part explaining the Law of Moses is fulfilled in Him and by implication, He has something new for them. (Stay tuned… ) The rest of the chapter, He speaks of the other sheep. In my opinion, the chapter ought to end at 3 Nephi 16:4 since He speaks of other sheep besides the Nephites and Lamanites He is to visit.
What struck me the most though is verse 19 where He said the Apostles and disciples in Jerusalem were not told of them because of their iniquity. Even that’s not the message I got, it’s this: He works with us where we are. He loves us all beyond our ability to comprehend, yet He also knows our strengths and weaknesses. So He gives us what we can handle and what we are humble enough to accept. Then, as we grow under His tutelage, He gives us more when He knows we’re ready for it. He does this for us all, not only individually, but collectively as a church too. It’s comforting in a way, but also a reminder that I have a long way to go…
My desire is to let the world know in no uncertain terms that I have a burning testimony of its truthfulness. It is NOT the product of the imagination of one man or a collection of men. It is NOT a plagiarism of other books or the KJV Bible. It IS what it claims to be… the religious history of a people now lost to history and their witness of the reality and existence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I add my voice to that of Joseph Smith, “a man can get nearer to God by abiding its precepts than by any other book.” I don’t guess, think or hope this… I know it because I’ve seen it in my own life. I’ve tasted the fruit and it is delicious.
That said, here are my observations on this chapter: Jesus spends the first part explaining the Law of Moses is fulfilled in Him and by implication, He has something new for them. (Stay tuned… ) The rest of the chapter, He speaks of the other sheep. In my opinion, the chapter ought to end at 3 Nephi 16:4 since He speaks of other sheep besides the Nephites and Lamanites He is to visit.
What struck me the most though is verse 19 where He said the Apostles and disciples in Jerusalem were not told of them because of their iniquity. Even that’s not the message I got, it’s this: He works with us where we are. He loves us all beyond our ability to comprehend, yet He also knows our strengths and weaknesses. So He gives us what we can handle and what we are humble enough to accept. Then, as we grow under His tutelage, He gives us more when He knows we’re ready for it. He does this for us all, not only individually, but collectively as a church too. It’s comforting in a way, but also a reminder that I have a long way to go…
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