How He Loves Us!

The parable of the tame olive tree shows many times of God's love for us in His concern for His orchard and His grief that He cannot save all of it.  When it is about to be hewn down and thrown into the fire, He mourns, It grieveth me that I should lose this tree.  What could I have done more for my vineyard? 

In Jacob 6 Jacob also shows us his own love for his people and for us.  He pleads with those who read to choose the right path and to avoid destruction.  Here are some quotes from Jacob in this chapter.

• how merciful is our God unto us
• he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long
• Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
• why will ye die?
• O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye O be wise; what can I say more?

Jacob grieves that anyone would willfully turn their backs upon the goodness of God.  He weeps at the wickedness of those he sees around him, as well as those that have been shown him in vision.  He demonstrates the Pure Love of Christ.

The natural man loves to feel like he's better than those around him.  Notice the Pharisee in Luke 18.

 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

We all did this as kids.  If our brother or sister got rebuked, we sat there in self-righteousness and gloated that it wasn't us.   Now as adults we love to look at those on the street who look grubby and unkempt, with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth, and make comments about how smoking and long hair seem to go together.  We feel a certain self-satisfaction in our "goodness".  This is not the Pure Love of Christ.  This is not the attitude that Jacob exhibited.  This is not a celestial attitude. 

It we could only "be filled with that love", we would look on those people as a fellow brother or sister.  We would want to reach out and help them and share the Gospel with them.  We would grieve at their problems.  We would love them.

I certainly am not there.  I pray that I can get there.  That I can be less judgmental of those around me at church who are only sliding along.  That I can overcome my prideful nature that wants to criticize everyone who doesn't seem to measure up in every way.  That I can see them as a fellow child of God who is struggling and trying and who hasn't had all the advantages and blessings and training that I have had.  It's not easy, but I pray to be more like Jacob and be full of love.

     

Cleave Unto God as he Cleaveth Unto You.

Jacob beseeches us in chapter 6, verse 5 to " repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts."

One of the meanings of cleave is "hang on tight".  That's not a dictionary definition, but that's how I see it.  And I love the image that we're going to hang on tight to the Lord as he hangs on tight to us.

When Faralee and Charlie first returned from their year in Bolivia, Lydia and Owen gave us hugs every time they visited.  But their hugs were more like we were doing the hugging and they were being hugged.  They would stand like a stiff doll while we wrapped our arms around them and hugged their stiff bodies.  But I've taught them that hugging goes both ways.  I hug them while they hug me back.  Now they have a contest to see who can hug the tightest, and they try to squeeze the stuffins out of us.  They love it if I make groaning sounds and look like I'm going to pass out.

I kind of think sometimes we see God like Lydia and Owen were when they returned from Bolivia.  We see ourselves as holding onto Him with all of our might, while He kindly tolerates us there.  But this scripture tells us that He is cleaving to us also.  I see Him as hanging onto us tightly, sheltering, comforting, loving, cheering for us.  The dictionary says it means "to adhere firmly and closely or loyally and unwaveringly".  That's what we need to do with the Lord because that's what He does with us.

In His Power

I haven't always had a great appreciation of Jacob chapter 5, in which he quotes Zenos' allegory of the tame and wild olive trees.   It seemed to go on and on and repeat itself and I only had some general ideas as to what the story was referring to historically.

But this time I went slowly, making notes in my scriptures, and more lengthy notes and explanations in the online scriptures, referring to a commentary to get the history tied in,  and I understand it much better, and appreciate it much more.

In chapter 6 Jacob comments on the allegory and applies it to his day and to us.  I love this part about the servants who were laboring with the Lord of the vineyard: 

" 2 And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.

 3 And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard . . ."

Notice how the servants will "go forth in His power."  These servants of the Lord, these prophets, these bishops, Sunday school teachers, High Priests' Group leaders, and especially these missionaries are not going forth to do their own work or in their own power.  But as they dedicate their hearts to Him, are obedient and faithful, they're  going forth in His power.  They nourish and encourage the vineyard.  They pray for the vineyard and weep for the vineyard.  

And notice that as they do this,  how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard.  The Lord's arms of mercy are extended to us, and His blessings are pouring out to us as we labor.  Let us not be like spoiled children who take our blessings for granted and just always want more stuff.  We are being blessed!  We must watch for those blessings and notice His tender mercies and record them and be grateful for them always!

 

Seek Not to Counsel the Lord

 Jacob 4:10  Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

It is so tempting to try to tell the Lord what blessings we need, or how to fix our problems.   If He would just do things our way, everything would work out fine.  But Jacob tells us otherwise.  Don't tell Him what to do, but let Him tell US what to do.

Elder Richard G. Scott said this:  "Sometimes you may feel to complain to the Lord about a challenge that has come into your life through no fault of your own. . .

God knows what is best for us. Although we may not understand why we experience some things now, in His timetable we will know and be grateful."

Also Elder Scott:  "Submitting 'cheerfully and with patience' to all His will lets you learn precious if difficult lessons and eternal truths that will yield blessings."

N. Eldon Tanner: "The word of the Lord is so clear to us, and his laws so plainly designed for our happiness, that it is difficult to understand why some people feel their own judgment is superior, and disregard God’s laws and bring upon themselves misery and unhappiness by so doing." 

I think we all know that telling the Lord what to do is folly, and yet sometimes we feel we can see so clearly that we just wonder why the Lord can't see things as we do.  I guess it's the natural man.  It's especially hard for those people who need to control everything to let the Lord be in control.  But we need to do as Elder Scott quoted and submit "cheerfully and with patience" and watch for the blessings to come.

 

In This Thing We Do Rejoice

  Jacob 4:2-3   But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers—

Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents.

It was with much difficulty that the Book of Mormon prophets kept the records, engraving them upon metal plates.  That wouldn't exactly contribute to a flow of consciousness.  But they felt it was important and were willing to pay the price.  Why?  "For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming . . ."  They wanted to testify of Christ to their children and all those who came after.  They hoped that their descendents would receive their words with thankful hearts and not think of their first parents with sorrow or contempt, but with joy.

What kind of a legacy are we leaving?  When our children and great-grandchildren look at our lives after we are gone, what will they have from us to judge us by?  There may be a few mementos passed on to them, maybe some stories of our lives, but unless we find a way to leave our testimonies, the rest is only fool's gold.  I hope my children can receive my words with "thankful hearts" and look upon them with joy.  For I know of Christ and have a hope of His glory many thousand years after His coming.  I know that my Redeemer lives.  

And I rejoice that it is so easy to pass on that testimony.  I don't have to beat gold into flat plates, or carve and engraven letters onto it.  I just have to take a paper and pen, or a laptop and record my thoughts and feelings.  A little time; very little effort.  So easy.  In this thing I do rejoice.

 

Feast Upon His Love

Jacob 3:2   O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his ^alove; for ye may, if your ^bminds are ^cfirm, forever.

There are several key elements to this scripture.  

• First, he tells us that he's talking to the pure in heart.  So we need to be obedient and faithful to have pure hearts.  Our desires must be to Him.  The term "pure in heart" is often used synonymously with Zion.  But also consider this scripture in D&C 97:16, referring to the temple:    Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God.  So there is a promise that if we are pure in heart, we may come to the temple and see God.
• Lift up your heads - We are sons and daughters of God.  To devalue a child of God is to criticize the work of His hands.  We certainly should be humble, but to downgrade and criticize ourselves is as if we are saying that the Lord creates inferior sons and daughters!  This is a sin that we need to repent of.
• Receive the pleasing word of God - I've spoken in another post about our responsibility to RECEIVE the gifts God gives us, including His pleasing word.  This requires more work than simply seeing or acknowledging His word.  We must examine and accept and incorporate His teachings into our lives in an active way.
•  Feast upon His love -  The Lord radiates love.  It pours out from Him naturally, but sometimes we refuse it or only allow ourselves to notice it and acknowledge it.  Just like feasting on the scriptures, feasting on His love requires our attention and our time and devotion.  Our hearts must yearn for Him and open to Him.  How do we do this?  Part of it is gratitude, opening our eyes to see the wonders He gives to us every day.  When we realize even a portion of the blessings that we tend to take for granted, our hearts rejoice with gratitude and reverence for Him.
• Our minds must be firm - We must be dedicated and unmovable, steadfast, strong in our convictions.
• We are promised that if we do this, we will have the opportunity to feast upon His love forever. What a joyous time that will be, to be in His presence, surrounded by our family and dear friends!  Forever, worlds without end.

How Much Better?

Jacob 3:6-8
Therefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?

I don't know about you, but I have a real struggle with self-righteousness and judging others.  When I see people who are really messing up their lives, especially people I don't know, I wonder why they don't shape up and do what's right.

But Jacob is telling us here that the Lamanites are judged as righteous for those things that they do worthily.  He tells us that the husbands love their wives and the wives love their husbands and they both love their children and the Lord blesses them for that.  And their evil acts are the result of traditions handed down by their fathers.

It gives me great peace to know that my children who aren't doing everything I would like them to be doing are being blessed for those things they do as good people.  They love their children and they lead honest, hard-working lives.  Those are important things, and the Lord is blessing them for that.

Just as the Lord gives the Lamanites some slack because they were raised with inherited false traditions, it's important for me to cease being judgmental about people who weren't raised with the many blessings and advantages I've had.  Elder Uchtdorf gave his masterful talk in April of this year in which he said:
"We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters."  This was the talk where he told us to "Stop it!"

When I think about the many advantages and blessings I've had in my life, of the generations of righteous ancestors, of my faithful and worthy parents who set such a good example for me, of my education and the many spiritual experiences I've had, of a righteous and supportive and hard-work husband, of dear friends who taught me and set good examples for me, I'm so humbled!  Spiritually, I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and have been raised in a spiritual penthouse!  How cruel of me to look down on those without my advantages and judge them.  President Uchtdorf's words really apply to me.  Stop it!

He says: 

When our hearts are filled with the love of God, something good and pure happens to us. We “keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.”

The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.

That is what I want for myself.  That is what I pray for.

 

Riches

Jacob 2:18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

This is such an interesting statement!  Most of us have mixed feelings about riches.  We feel that they're probably evil, while wishing we had more of them.   Some of our suspicions about money stem from Paul's statement in 1 Timothy 6 which is often quoted as money is the root of all evil.  But that's not what Paul said.  See what President Hinckley had to say:

Gordon B. Hinckley

“Continuing with the words of Paul, ‘For the love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Tim 6:10). It is the love of money and the love of those things which money can buy which destroys us. We all need money to supply our needs. But it is the love of it which hurts us, which warps our values, which leads us away from spiritual things and fosters selfishness and greed.” (Ensign, May 1997, p. 49 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 175)

Jacob tells us in verse 19 what the qualifications are for righteously obtaining riches:

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

gospeldoctrine.com says this:

"The pursuit of wealth must be done with qualifications, 1) one must first seek the kingdom of God, 2) one must have obtained a hope in Christ, and 3) the riches are to be sought for the benefit of others. If a rich individual meets these qualifications and is not lifted up in pride, he or she is justified before the Lord. Otherwise, wealth, or more accurately, the love of money, is a vice which destroys the soul. As the Savior said, a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt 19:24)."  

There are a couple of additional things I'd like to say about riches.

1. We don't believe it, but we actually are already wealthy.  If you've been in a developing country or a 3rd world country, you've seen poverty.  People who live with many people to a small apartment, or who don't have indoor bathrooms, or no air conditioning, not enough food to eat, who can't provide for their families can tell you that Americans are all rich.  Sure, when we compare ourselves to our neighbors, or the people with big expensive houses, we feel poor, but we're really, really not.
2. When we have the Gospel, we're rich, no matter our possessions or our income.  When we can feast upon the Spirit, when we know our Savior, when we can study the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets, we are rich indeed.

 D&C6:7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

Sometimes Our Blessings Are Our Trials

Jacob describes in chapter 2 that some of the Nephites have begun to search for gold and silver, and as they did this the Lord blessed them exceedingly.  The Lord is often good to us in this way, giving us that which we desire.  The riches are definitely described by Jacob to be a blessing:  v. 13  "And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches . . ."

But as with any blessing, what we do with it is what determines our progress.  The Nephites used their riches for fancy things and "costly apparel" which made them think they were better than others.  That seems to be a frequent consequence of expensive clothes.  They make us look at those around us to see if they look as good as us, and anyone who doesn't, receives our scorn.  But that's a rant for another time.

I think that we can look at almost any blessing and see that there is a way for that to become a trial to us.  Our choicest blessing, our family, can sometimes irritate and annoy us.  Our spouse can grate on our nerves, our children can try our patience.  In extreme cases, our children can wander and go against our teachings and cause great heartache and grief.  

We can't control the actions of others, but we can be aware that just because something is a blessing doesn't mean it can't be a trial.  And the opposite is true.  We know that some of our greatest trials can end up blessing our lives because of the growth we receive from them.

Magnify

Jacob and Joseph magnified their calling to teach the people. They taught the word of God “with all diligence …, by laboring with [their] might” (Jacob 1:19).   I set out to see how that applied to me.  I believe I need to make the most of my callings and ponder how those programs can bless the lives of those I serve.

This is from Teaching, No Greater Call:
As you magnify your calling to teach, the Lord will magnify you. President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “There can be no failure in the work of the Lord when [we] do [our] best. We are but instruments; this is the Lord’s work. This is His Church, His gospel plan. These are His children we are working with. He will not permit us to fail if we do our part. He will magnify us even beyond our own talents and abilities when necessary. This I know. I am sure many of you have experienced it as I have. It is one of the sweetest experiences that can come to a human being” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 372).

Then in my search I landed on an article on how to magnify our callings while simplifying our lives and not making extra work for ourselves that takes time away from our families.  We don't necessarily need to get carried away in handouts and decorations that really don't add to the spirituality of the meeting.

“May I give you a word of caution as you plan your activities. Make sure that the essential needs are met, but do not go overboard in creating so many good things to do that the essential ones are not accomplished. … Remember, don’t magnify the work to be done—simplify it.” Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Doctrinal Foundation of the Auxiliaries,” Ensign, Aug. 2005, 67.

So we need to keep in mind that there should be a balance.  We do need to magnify our callings in finding ways to bless the lives of those we serve, but we also need to focus on what's important and not be "distracted from the essentials by adding unnecessary work that takes us away from our families or causes us undue stress. There must be a balance in all things. If we pray to know how the Lord would have us magnify our callings, He will help us do so."  Ensign, December 2005

Having First Obtained Mine Errand From the Lord.

Jacob and his brother Joseph were consecrated by Nephi to be teachers for the people of Nephi. In Jacob 1:17, Jacob says:

Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord.

What does that mean for me in my life?  Can't I just go do some good things on my own?  The scriptures tell us that we should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, but if we are representing the Lord, we must be called and set apart or anointed.  Then as we carry out that calling we need to be sure that we are inspired to do the things the Lord wants done.

In my calling in Relief Society as meeting coordinator, I have great leeway in planning our meetings.  I have no manual or lesson outline, only guidelines.  I need to make sure that our committee plan those things that the Lord wants for our Relief Society sisters to uplift and teach and inspire them, to bless their lives.

I Must Obey

Nephi was an amazing prophet and leader.  As a youth, he was faithful and obedient, courageous and steadfast.  He faced many challenges throughout his life, but always, always he followed the Lord, no matter how difficult.  Now we see him at the close of his life, standing as a witness this final time, bearing testimony and teaching his people.  If I could ever attempt to follow his example, I should first adopt his final saying:  I must obey.

I've memorized this verse from this 33rd chapter of 2nd Nephi because it personifies Nephi, and touches my soul on a deep level:  I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.

I love Nephi.  I want to be like him. 

Russell M. Nelson said:
“Nephi was a multifaceted genius. Endowed with great physical stature, he was a prophet, teacher, ruler, colonizer, builder, craftsman, scholar, writer, poet, military leader, and father of nations. Nephi had a sincere desire to know the mysteries of God. He became a special witness and trusted prophet of the Lord.

“Nephi lived an adventurous life and faced numerous difficulties. Some of the challenges he faced included fleeing Jerusalem, building a ship, crossing the waters to the promised land, colonizing, withstanding persecution, fulfilling family and leadership responsibilities, and keeping records. Toward the end of his inspiring life Nephi wrote his concluding testimony and bore witness of the doctrine of Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, and the truthfulness of the words he had written. Appropriately, his final testimony closed with the words that could be known as his signature: ‘I must obey.’

“Few have spoken so profoundly in behalf of one generation to another. Indeed, Nephi’s life and mission were destined to bless us and all people of our day.” (Heroes from the Book of Mormon, p. 16)

Esteem Them As Things of Naught.

Nephi tells us in 2 Nephi 33:2 that many people will harden their hearts against the things which he has written and against the Holy Spirit, "wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught."

And Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

It's obvious that Nephi and Paul are not talking about us, but about other people - those wicked who are not church members and who don't love the Lord.  But what might it mean to "esteem [things] as things of naught"?  Could it be possible that WE might be showing by our actions that we think the things of God are foolishness?

I learned in Education Week that foolishness can mean insignificant or unimportant.  Obviously, we don't esteem the teachings of the prophets as foolishness.  Or do we?

Our priorities in how we use our time may tell a different tale than our lip service.  Things that are unimportant or insignificant would get the least of our time.  Obviously our families and our work have to take a lot of our time because they are important and significant.  But don't we have a little spare time to do things WE want to do?  Is there time to watch TV or surf the net?  Do we have time for FaceBook and Pinterest?  How much of our time is spent in the scriptures in proportion to other things in our lives?  If it's only a few minutes or a few verses, are we showing Heavenly Father that we esteem his words as "things of naught"?  As insignificant or unimportant?

Conversations with Heavenly Father - Understanding the Answers

Learning what to ask for, and how and when to ask our Heavenly Father are important lessons to learn.  But learning to understand the answers that we receive is another difficult lesson.

Dee Barrett is the Institute director at the USU Institute and taught at Education Week.  The things he taught about prayer have really given me cause for reflection.  Using the story of the brother of Jared as an example, he taught about three kinds of answers to prayers.  When the brother of Jared was instructed to build barges so that his people could cross the great ocean, he followed instructions and got them built, but came back to the Lord with 3 problems.  (Ether 2:19)

1. There is no light
2. We can't steer
3. We can't breathe.

The Lord answered each of these problems in a different way.

Pattern #1 - Behold thou shalt - In answer to "we can't breathe", the Lord instructed the brother of Jared in verse 20 to solve the problem by putting a hole in the top and the bottom and unstopping the hole if they ran out of air.  (Brother Barrett mentioned some different theories about how the barges were constructed which would explain how this solution might have worked.)  The Lord uses this pattern when we can't find an answer in any other way.  He just lays out the solution for us. His inspiration will "occupy [our] mind, and press itself upon [our] feelings . . .(D&C128:1)  We might be impressed to do something but not know exactly what.  If we're patient and keep listening, the answer will come.  Many times the answer will come a bit at a time.  When we have followed through on what we have been given, then we should return and report and ask for inspiration for the next step.

Pattern #2 - What will ye that I should do?  In Ether 2:22, the brother of Jared returned and reported on his progress with the barge problem.  He asked the Lord what to do about the lack of light in the barges.  He was willing to do whatever the Lord required, including making the trip in darkness, if that was what was necessary.  The Lord responded by asking, "What will ye that I should do . . .?"  The Lord explained the parameters of the problem, i.e. no fire, no windows, etc.  Then He turned the problem back over to B of J.

This answer is the hardest for us to discern and the hardest to work through, but we should be grateful when this is the answer that comes to us, because it shows the Lord's faith in us.  He expects us to use our creativity, to "study it out".  Elder Scott said: "What do you do when you have prepared carefully, have prayed fervently, waited a reasonable time for a response, and still do not feel an answer? You may want to express thanks when that occurs, for it is an evidence of His trust." (March 1997)  He also said:  "When He withholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act."  (October 1989)
He's teaching us here that we need to move forward with our best plans, asking for direction as we move.  If we're going in the wrong direction, the Lord will prompt us to stop.  Here's what Elder Scott had to say about it.  "When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. As you are sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, one of two things will certainly occur at the appropriate time: either the stupor of thought will come, indicating an improper choice, or the peace or the burning in the bosom will be felt, confirming that your choice was correct. When you are living righteously and are acting with trust, God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision."  (Ensign May 07)

Elder Packer teaches something similar:  "We believe in continuing revelation, not continuous revelation. We are often left to work out problems without the dictation or specific direction of the Spirit. That is part of the experience we must have in mortality. Fortunately, we are never out of our Savior’s sight, and if our judgment leads us to actions beyond the limits of what is permissible and if we are listening to the still, small voice, the Lord will restrain us by the promptings of his Spirit."


Pattern #3 - He will handle it.  There are times when the Lord just tells to stand back and watch.  In this case, B of J was told that they wouldn't need to steer the barges.   "For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth. And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come." (Ether 2:24-25)   And in D&C 123:17, the Lord says: " . . . stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."  The Lord steered the barges.  Sometimes in our lives, the Lord steers and we walk in faith.

New Insights Into Prayer - Asking and Seeking

"Prayer" is the word we use to describe the communication with our Heavenly Father. President Hinckley said, “Your daily conversations with him will bring peace into your hearts and a joy into your lives that can come from no other source."  It truly is a sacred privilege, but I have to confess that most of my prayers throughout my life have felt less like communication and more like a soliloquy.  Education Week has helped change that, and I want to share some of the ideas that are helping me to improve my prayers.

Instructor David Bean, who teaches institute and supervises seminaries in Boston, said that he doesn't start praying until he feels the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  This was a new thought for me, although it is something that most people probably know and take for granted.  I've always just started praying, and although I had real intent and worthy desires, I seldom felt that anything was really happening.  Now I try to remember to wait for a minute or two until I feel the Spirit of the Lord, and then go on with my prayer.  Sometimes when I forget and just plow into the prayer, as soon as I remember, I pause and wait for that feeling.

This has made a huge difference in my prayers.  I may be using much the same words as before, but the joy of feeling the Spirit has made my prayers such a spiritual feast!

The Bible Dictionary has some wonderful information on prayer, and contains this thought:  "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them."  Brother Bean said that God may have a blessing for you that has your name on it, but He will not grant it to you unless you ask for it.  He will not interfere with our agency or the agency of those we're praying for.

We need to be sure we are asking for those things that are the will of the Lord.  This we do by finding out through the Savior what His will is.  The Bible Dictionary says:  We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when his words abide in us (John 15:7). We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent his mind, but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart.
 
When we have invited the Spirit and are seeking to pray for those things He has in store for us, it's OK for us to ask Him what we should ask for.  We may ask, "What question should I be asking right now?"  This question came from Barry Ewell in his class on Family History, but it can apply to all areas of our lives.

My next post will be about how the Lord answers those prayers.

This is the Way - Part 2; Receiving the Holy Ghost

In Part 1 I discussed baptism as the gate through which we enter our Father's kingdom.  We must have faith in Christ and accept Him with our whole hearts and without reservation.  We must desire and resolve to become like Him.  We must love Him, and our hearts must lean towards Him.  Then we will be alarmed to have Him see all the places in our lives and hearts where we fall short.  We are uncomfortable about approaching Him in prayer when we have these glaring faults and sins and habits that look so ugly in comparison to Him.  So we resolve to repent.  We work on doing better.  We ask for His help.  We get help from our scripture study, and over time we change and grow.

We repented before we were baptized, but building faith in Christ and repenting are cycles we go through over and over again as we cycle upwards towards exaltation.  As we do these things we are rewarded with the Gift and Spirit of the Holy Ghost.

We can receive the Spirit of the Holy Ghost as a testimony of truth before we're baptized, but that gift is temporary.  Only after our baptism can we be blessed with the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  That doesn't mean He will always remain with us, especially if we wander from the path and let go of the iron rod.  He will warn us of the danger and prompt us to return, but the scriptures say that the Spirit will not always strive with man.  We must constantly repent if we want to retain the power and influence and sweet presence of the Holy Ghost.

Boyd K. Packer said this about the Gift of the Holy Ghost:  

“Put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

“… I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;

“And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive” (D&C 11:12–14).

“You will know after you decide! It takes an exercise of faith. You may not know at first and have that firm conviction, but it will come.”

In an Education Week class taught by Doug Hart, a seminary teacher from Herriman, he taught that the Lord gives and we receive.  James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  The Lord gives many things.  In the above verse, the Lord gives wisdom.  See 2 Nephi 28:30, 2 Nephi 31:3, Alma 12:9-10, Alma 26:22, D&C 121:26, 2 Cor 4:6, 2 Tim 2:7, D&C 5:12-13.  The Lord gives light, understanding, peace, power, guidance and direction, desire, joy, eternal life.  And what a great blessing it is that after baptism, He gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost.

But He doesn't force us to take it, nor does He force us to receive any of the gifts He gives us.  He will never take away our agency.  We must choose to receive His gifts.  Brother Hart said that we are cups, and we can choose to be cups up or cups down.  To receive means to take into one's possession something offered or delivered.  "The directive in 2 Nephi 32:5 is that we must receive the Holy Ghost. This means not just receive the gift of the Holy Ghost but to receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost through righteous living and frequent involvement in activities which give the opportunity for the Holy Ghost to whisper in his still, small voice. If we do this, we have the promise that He will show us all things that we should do."  http://www.gospeldoctrine.com/bomindex.html

I explained it to Acell this way:  The UPS driver may have a package for me, so he brings it to the doorstep and sets it on the porch, rings the doorbell, and leaves.  But if I don't answer the door and bring the package in and open it, the package does me no good.  I can sit inside the house all day and wish I had the contents, or try to do without it.  To receive any benefit from it, I must open the door and accept the package.

Of course, my analogy breaks down because the Lord doesn't drop off His gifts and leave.  He's more like the driver who requires a signature (a covenant), so He waits at the door until I come and accept the gift.  Here are some scriptures about receiving, in case you're not convinced:  D&C 50::19-20; D&C 39:5; D&C 42:5; D&C 50:24; D&C 71:5-6; Jacob 3:2; 1 Cor 2:14; JST Matt 13:10-11.

The gifts from our Father are there for us if we seek them, but we must receive them with gladness and put them to use and treat them with respect.  If Father's gifts are taken for granted or ignored or set aside or misused, He will cease to give us His gifts.  That especially includes the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We must respond and listen to the Holy Ghost, acting on promptings, in order to qualify to receive more.  I know this is true and I'm striving every day to learn to be more sensitive to the Spirit and to act when prompted.