John 8:29 touched my heart, and I need to memorize it. Jesus says, ...the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
If I could get to the point that I could always say within myself, "I do always those things that please Him", I would be very happy. I know He would bless me with His Spirit, and I would know that He had not left me alone. It's very similar to the sacrament prayer. If I do always remember Him, He will give me His Spirit to be with me.
Every day, every hour, I need to think about these words and see if I can still say them honestly: I do always those things that please Him.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Keep Going
I've been thinking lately about maintenance. By that, I mean keeping the momentum, not sliding backward. It first came up in reference to exercise. Carma and Vic and I go to the gym and are trying to get fit. I try to push myself to make progress each time, but as I watch some weight loss TV shows, I can see that I could do much more, work much harder. Whereas I work out for less than an hour, they work for 3 or 4 hours a day. Sometimes they cry from the exertion and pain. As I thought about it, I told Carma that I'm going to stop feeling guilty if I don't ache the next day from sore muscles. I do push hard, but I'm not really trying to lose weight. Neither am I trying to become muscle-bound. I'm simply trying to keep from losing muscle mass in my old age. I want to be healthy, vibrant and strong, with no wheelchair looming in my future. In a word, I'm trying to maintain.
Then the same word came to mind with my housekeeping. I've had a sudden burst of housecleaning energy. Housecleaning has always been a burden for me, been low in my priorities, with the logical result that my house was usually a mess. Even in the last few years with no kids around, it was rarely really clean -- just not total chaos.
I can't say what really spurred this change, but I think it started with a chance cleaning of all my cabinet fronts in the kitchen. I hadn't intended to scrub all the cabinet doors, just to wipe off a drip. But once I got started, the next door needed washing too, and before I knew it they were all clean. Then I found a website where parents can assign children chores, and the kids go there and mark off what they've done to earn rewards. So I assigned myself some morning and evening chores, keeping it simple, and would go in and mark them as done and feel a great deal of satisfaction. I only started with 2 or 3 chores night and morning and was amazed at the fact that wiping of all the kitchen counters and cleaning out the sink night and morning kept the kitchen quite clean. Soon I added a system I worked out a few years ago for cleaning the whole house by zones over the course of a month, which system I spent a lot of time working out, but never really stayed with it. Well, this time I've stayed with it for over a month, quite religiously, to the point that I'm now back to the same zone I started with. Which leads me to maintaining.
A month ago I did some in-depth cleaning in the kitchen. But this time around, I mostly just need to do wipe-downs of the same areas to keep them clean, rather than the deep scrubbing that was required the first time around. I'm learning to maintain the progress I've made.
But in spiritual matters, I need to do more than maintain. In Ether 2:7 the Lord says: And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
The Lord doesn't want us to get part way to the promised land and then camp out in the wilderness, even if it's a lovely wilderness. He doesn't want us to tread water. Treading water isn't drowning, as I was when I wasn't exercising at all, or rarely cleaning. It's maintaining. It's neither moving forward or backward. But in order to reach the promised land, we need to push and push and progress and improve and draw nearer to our Savior every day. Then we can reach the promised land, which is choice above all other lands, which the Lord has preserved for us if we're a righteous people.
Then the same word came to mind with my housekeeping. I've had a sudden burst of housecleaning energy. Housecleaning has always been a burden for me, been low in my priorities, with the logical result that my house was usually a mess. Even in the last few years with no kids around, it was rarely really clean -- just not total chaos.
I can't say what really spurred this change, but I think it started with a chance cleaning of all my cabinet fronts in the kitchen. I hadn't intended to scrub all the cabinet doors, just to wipe off a drip. But once I got started, the next door needed washing too, and before I knew it they were all clean. Then I found a website where parents can assign children chores, and the kids go there and mark off what they've done to earn rewards. So I assigned myself some morning and evening chores, keeping it simple, and would go in and mark them as done and feel a great deal of satisfaction. I only started with 2 or 3 chores night and morning and was amazed at the fact that wiping of all the kitchen counters and cleaning out the sink night and morning kept the kitchen quite clean. Soon I added a system I worked out a few years ago for cleaning the whole house by zones over the course of a month, which system I spent a lot of time working out, but never really stayed with it. Well, this time I've stayed with it for over a month, quite religiously, to the point that I'm now back to the same zone I started with. Which leads me to maintaining.
A month ago I did some in-depth cleaning in the kitchen. But this time around, I mostly just need to do wipe-downs of the same areas to keep them clean, rather than the deep scrubbing that was required the first time around. I'm learning to maintain the progress I've made.
But in spiritual matters, I need to do more than maintain. In Ether 2:7 the Lord says: And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
The Lord doesn't want us to get part way to the promised land and then camp out in the wilderness, even if it's a lovely wilderness. He doesn't want us to tread water. Treading water isn't drowning, as I was when I wasn't exercising at all, or rarely cleaning. It's maintaining. It's neither moving forward or backward. But in order to reach the promised land, we need to push and push and progress and improve and draw nearer to our Savior every day. Then we can reach the promised land, which is choice above all other lands, which the Lord has preserved for us if we're a righteous people.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Blessings
3 Nephi 20:26 The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to abless you in bturning away every one of you from his iniquities;
Sometimes we get pre-conceived notions of what blessings look like. We visualize STUFF as being what we would like as blessings. Nice homes, or good food or clothes, cars. Money would also be acceptable. Sometimes we remember to notice our good health or happy families and think that they could be blessings.
One of the last things on our list of things we think of to ask for or be grateful for is the blessing of being taught and trained, tutored and instructed, disciplined so that we can become the people God would have us be. It's obvious when we think as parents that in order for our children to be happy, they must be taught. We toilet train our children for their good, as well as our convenience. We discipline them when they have accidents. We teach our children to get along with those around them. If they hit and fight, we give them "time out" so that they can learn the lessons we're teaching. If we fail to teach our children the vital lessons of life, they will lead lives of frustration, pain and unhappiness.
Our Father also has things He would teach us. So He gives us prophets and scriptures with words of instruction. Then when we forget His lessons, He gives us uncomfortable experiences to remind us of the lessons. If we open our hearts to His teachings and bend our will to His, we can have peace and joy in our lives. But if we insist in doing things our own way, we will suffer heartache, grief and pain.
That the Lord would turn us away from our iniquities is definitely a blessing to be grateful for.
Sometimes we get pre-conceived notions of what blessings look like. We visualize STUFF as being what we would like as blessings. Nice homes, or good food or clothes, cars. Money would also be acceptable. Sometimes we remember to notice our good health or happy families and think that they could be blessings.
One of the last things on our list of things we think of to ask for or be grateful for is the blessing of being taught and trained, tutored and instructed, disciplined so that we can become the people God would have us be. It's obvious when we think as parents that in order for our children to be happy, they must be taught. We toilet train our children for their good, as well as our convenience. We discipline them when they have accidents. We teach our children to get along with those around them. If they hit and fight, we give them "time out" so that they can learn the lessons we're teaching. If we fail to teach our children the vital lessons of life, they will lead lives of frustration, pain and unhappiness.
Our Father also has things He would teach us. So He gives us prophets and scriptures with words of instruction. Then when we forget His lessons, He gives us uncomfortable experiences to remind us of the lessons. If we open our hearts to His teachings and bend our will to His, we can have peace and joy in our lives. But if we insist in doing things our own way, we will suffer heartache, grief and pain.
That the Lord would turn us away from our iniquities is definitely a blessing to be grateful for.
Love Your Enemies
I am trying to understand the section in the Sermon on the Mount that talks about loving your enemies. I think it starts with the verse that says "resist not evil". That seems puzzling. Does it mean that we go along with evil? I'm sure that's not it. It's more like "don't assume a battle stance". It has more to do with the person than the evil itself. I'm not saying this very well because my thoughts are still fuzzy. But when we look at the instructions, a pattern emerges. He tells us to turn the other cheek; let him have our cloak; go the second mile; give to him that asks. Then there's this impossible instruction: love your aenemies, bless them that curse you, do bgood to them that hate you, and cpray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you;
Can anyone actually do these things? This was surely one of the most shocking and surprising of the Savior's teachings. The Telestial man doesn't love his enemies. He may feel fully justified in seeking revenge. The Terrestrial man may try to forgive his enemies and just avoid them. But Jesus wasn't asking us to only be better than the natural man. He was teaching us a higher law. He wants us to love our enemies. To pray for them. To do good to them. To be Celestial.
Can anyone actually do these things? This was surely one of the most shocking and surprising of the Savior's teachings. The Telestial man doesn't love his enemies. He may feel fully justified in seeking revenge. The Terrestrial man may try to forgive his enemies and just avoid them. But Jesus wasn't asking us to only be better than the natural man. He was teaching us a higher law. He wants us to love our enemies. To pray for them. To do good to them. To be Celestial.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Our Leaders
The Savior has been teaching and instructing the twelve who he called to be the leaders over the Nephites. Now He turns to the people and says:
dBlessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have echosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants;
Here we have instructions to the people as well as to the leaders. We are told to give heed to their words. We do this by paying attention when they speak and pondering how to incorporate their teachings into our lives. Our local leaders deserve our attention as well as the General Authorities. Our Stake Conference is coming up this weekend. It would be good if I would take a notebook and jot down things that touch my heart as they speak, then go home later and ponder on what things I need to change.
Also, we love General Conference, and look forward to receiving the Conference issue of the Ensign. But we need to spend time with each talk, studying, pondering, applying those things we learn. What use is it having living prophets if we don't know what they're saying to us and make changes where the Spirit tells they're needed?
The other instructions here are for the leaders. They are not called to be puffed up or to get glory or to "boss" people around. They are called to "minister" to us and to be our "servants". The Savior gave the example when He washed the disciples' feet. Anyone who holds a leadership position needs to pray constantly that they can bless those they serve and understand their needs and help succor them.
dBlessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have echosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants;
Here we have instructions to the people as well as to the leaders. We are told to give heed to their words. We do this by paying attention when they speak and pondering how to incorporate their teachings into our lives. Our local leaders deserve our attention as well as the General Authorities. Our Stake Conference is coming up this weekend. It would be good if I would take a notebook and jot down things that touch my heart as they speak, then go home later and ponder on what things I need to change.
Also, we love General Conference, and look forward to receiving the Conference issue of the Ensign. But we need to spend time with each talk, studying, pondering, applying those things we learn. What use is it having living prophets if we don't know what they're saying to us and make changes where the Spirit tells they're needed?
The other instructions here are for the leaders. They are not called to be puffed up or to get glory or to "boss" people around. They are called to "minister" to us and to be our "servants". The Savior gave the example when He washed the disciples' feet. Anyone who holds a leadership position needs to pray constantly that they can bless those they serve and understand their needs and help succor them.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Hosanna! Hosanna!
16 And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:
17 Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did aworship him.
The righteous people, after being able to see and feel and know of Jesus' reality, were overcome with reverence and gratitude. Can you imagine being there, one of the multitude who came "one by one" to feel the prints of the nails in His hands and His feet and thrust their hands into His side? I'm sure that I would also cry out "Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!" And I would surely fall down and worship Him.
In fact, I now declare: "Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!" I reverence Him and praise Him with all my heart. I proclaim that He lives! I pray to each day become more like Him. Hosanna!
Monday, November 22, 2010
See, Feel, Know, Testify
And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.
The righteous Nephites who had survived the destruction fell at Jesus' feet when He appeared to them at the temple at Zarahemla. But He told them to arise and come forth and feel the nail holes in his hands and feet and the wound in his side. They went one by one, and some experts have calculated how many hours it would take 2500 people if they each spent just fifteen seconds each, and it was around 10 hours. This demonstrates the love Jesus has for each person, that he would give each of them a one-on-one experience, rather than showing them a video or some other experience that would teach them all at one time.
Then we are given some steps I'm calling the steps of conversion. The people did SEE, they did FEEL, they did KNOW, and then they did BEAR RECORD.
First we see or hear or experience something. But our physical senses, seeing, hearing, feeling, are not enough. We must KNOW, as the Spirit bears witness in our hearts. Two people can see and hear exactly the same thing, but one will remain unconvinced while the other will respond to the promptings of the Spirit and come to know.
But according to this record, we're not done when we have that testimony; when we know. There is another step. We must bear record. We must share that testimony with others. When we do this, we strengthen those around us, and we strengthen ourselves. For as we bear testimony, the Spirit witnesses to us again that what we are saying is true, and our testimony is made stronger.
The righteous Nephites who had survived the destruction fell at Jesus' feet when He appeared to them at the temple at Zarahemla. But He told them to arise and come forth and feel the nail holes in his hands and feet and the wound in his side. They went one by one, and some experts have calculated how many hours it would take 2500 people if they each spent just fifteen seconds each, and it was around 10 hours. This demonstrates the love Jesus has for each person, that he would give each of them a one-on-one experience, rather than showing them a video or some other experience that would teach them all at one time.
Then we are given some steps I'm calling the steps of conversion. The people did SEE, they did FEEL, they did KNOW, and then they did BEAR RECORD.
First we see or hear or experience something. But our physical senses, seeing, hearing, feeling, are not enough. We must KNOW, as the Spirit bears witness in our hearts. Two people can see and hear exactly the same thing, but one will remain unconvinced while the other will respond to the promptings of the Spirit and come to know.
But according to this record, we're not done when we have that testimony; when we know. There is another step. We must bear record. We must share that testimony with others. When we do this, we strengthen those around us, and we strengthen ourselves. For as we bear testimony, the Spirit witnesses to us again that what we are saying is true, and our testimony is made stronger.
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