Recently, I attended an Institute class with my wife in which the instructor said that personal revelation can enlighten us as to our standing before the Lord. This statement greatly intrigued me.
It had never occurred to me that the Lord would reveal to me my standing before Him through personal revelation. I always thought that I could perhaps gauge my standing with Him based on my level of obedience, my involvement in the Church, my commitment to service, and my scripture study.
But there is no meter or indicator that I can attach to my finger to measure my righteousness. There is no sweeping dial that can indicate my level of humility, my love of the gospel, my integrity, or my willingness to follow counsel.
These writings are my own. I try to support my thoughts with quotes and scripture references – my thoughts are in blue; references are in black. I don’t profess doctrinal infallibility or authority, nor do I have any standing as a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you find these writings useful, I am pleased. If they contend with your understanding of a subject, I apologize. If there a topic you wish to discuss, I will do my best to respond.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The rule of mercy
Before we begin, I need to acknowledge that the thoughts and ideas expressed here this month are. at least in part, inspired by our Institute class instructor, Jack Helgeson – a man full of knowledge of the gospel and love for the Lord.
As we begin to read the scriptures, the first thing we often notice is the wrath and the judgments of God. We learn that the Father cannot tolerate sin “with the least degree of allowance.” (Alma 45:16, D&C 1:31) We learn that sin must be accounted for in one way or another – that if we are unrepentant, we must suffer for our sins, (D&C 19:15-18) and that our suffering will be exquisite and sore. We see Him destroy Sodom and Gomorra. We read of the flood. We see the Savior drive the moneychangers from the temple. We are told of the cataclysmic events we will see in the last days.
As we begin to read the scriptures, the first thing we often notice is the wrath and the judgments of God. We learn that the Father cannot tolerate sin “with the least degree of allowance.” (Alma 45:16, D&C 1:31) We learn that sin must be accounted for in one way or another – that if we are unrepentant, we must suffer for our sins, (D&C 19:15-18) and that our suffering will be exquisite and sore. We see Him destroy Sodom and Gomorra. We read of the flood. We see the Savior drive the moneychangers from the temple. We are told of the cataclysmic events we will see in the last days.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Giving and receiving
I have been thinking about the relationship between giving and receiving a lot lately, mostly because of the emphasis on both during the Christmas season. All of the typical thoughts have passed through my mind. I thought about the scripture in Acts 20:35 where Paul quotes the Savior:
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Christmas thoughts
There is always some small flap at Christmastime about whether or not the Savior was born on the 25th of December. The anti-December folks can be fairly vehement in their condemnation of those of us who choose to celebrate his birth this month. Some of them suggest that we are so blinded by pagan tradition and crass commercialism that we cannot accept that the whole holiday is just a sham. Sad. They miss the point.
The path
3 Nephi 27:33One definition of strait is close, or intimate. Another is strict, or rigorous. A third is a narrow pass or passage. We all understand that the strait “gate” that the Savior refers to is “baptism for the remission of sins and laying on of hands for the Gift of The Holy Ghost” (4th Article of Faith). Indeed, it is close and intimate, but strict and rigorous, and the entrance is narrow, only through baptism may we enter the gate and embark on the path.
Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein,
Monday, November 30, 2009
Speak peace
Since my childhood in Ogden, Utah, one of my favorite hymns has been Master, The Tempest Is Raging with lyrics by Mary Ann Baker and music by H.R. Palmer. When I was a child, what I loved about the music was the crescendos – the rise and fall in intensity – and the rise and fall of the musical notes that created a raging sea in my young mind. Exactly what the writers intended, I think. As an adult, I still love those things – the “tossing billows” in the music that are calmed and made peaceful by the Savior’s simple words: “Peace, peace, be still.”
As I was thinking about that hymn today, I realized again that while the hymn dramatizes a real event as described in Matthew 8:24-27 and Mark 4:36-41, it is nevertheless, a metaphor for the Savior’s concern and love for us and for his desire to succor us in our time of need.
As I was thinking about that hymn today, I realized again that while the hymn dramatizes a real event as described in Matthew 8:24-27 and Mark 4:36-41, it is nevertheless, a metaphor for the Savior’s concern and love for us and for his desire to succor us in our time of need.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The blood of patriots
This post is in response to a post on http://puremormonism.blogspot.com/ titled: Should a Mormon Join the Military? As a retired military officer and a 5th generation member of the LDS Church, I cannot let this blog post pass unchallenged.
The "powers" of prayer
In bishopric meeting this week, the spiritual thought was offered by one of the bishop’s counselors. He said that he and his wife had decided to try to follow the counsel of the prophet to “Be prayerful.” They decided that they would hold family prayers morning and evening with their children, and encourage personal prayer at other times during the day. Being a farmer, he had to get up early and leave the house before his children were out of bed. To help him participate in morning family prayer, they called him and he listened as his children prayed. He said that holding family prayer brought the spirit into their home and taught his children the power of prayer.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
He employeth no servant there
Each of us, when we leave this Earth --and we will all leave -- returns to “that that God who gave them [us] breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.” (2 Nephi 9:26)
Eventually, at the final judgment, we will all be called upon to account for our stewardship here on the Earth before the Lord himself. Nephi explains:
Eventually, at the final judgment, we will all be called upon to account for our stewardship here on the Earth before the Lord himself. Nephi explains:
“O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.” (2 Nephi 9:41)
Monday, November 2, 2009
Where is your head?
A Fable by Aesop: The Wolf and the Crane:
A wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone.
When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf."
Aesop’s Moral:
In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.
A wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone.
When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf."
Aesop’s Moral:
In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Unheralded stalwarts
In 1953, when I was about 10 years old, we were a young family living in LaVerkin, Utah, a farming community of about 150 people. We had little money (my father was a schoolteacher/farmer) but I look back on that time as one of the best of my young life. I roamed the hills and orchards with my great friend, Leon Duncan; we had no television, no video games, no IPODs, no cell phones (we did have a 4-party line phone), and the movies were 5 miles away in Hurricane in a small building with a pot-bellied stove for heat. I had no idea that I was deprived of the finer things in life, and indeed, I was not.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Stoneman summer
Recently, the back page of the Church News had an article titled “The Sanctity of Labor.” President Eyring told a story about his father, who after working all day hoeing weeds at the church farm, was informed that the weeds he hoed had all been sprayed and would have died anyway. President Eyring said:
"Dad just roared," …. "He thought it was a great joke on himself." Asked later how he could have taken the matter so pleasantly, he replied to his son, "Hal, I wasn't there for the weeds." (Henry B. Eyring, "Waiting Upon the Lord," a speech given at BYU on Sept. 30, 1990.)I think that same statement could have come from my father. His father, also Henry, taught him the value of work and the need for productive work in his life. Dad expanded on his father’s philosophy in every way imaginable. Rarely a day went by that he wasn’t working for something. I think that he loved physical labor.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Feeble knees
In four places in the scriptures a highly descriptive metaphor for weakness of spirit is used to create an image of those in need of help from others.
Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.(Job 4:3-4)“Feeble knees” is an apt description of the doubts and fears that beset each of us as we pass through mortality. We all have “feeble knees” at some time in our lives. Probably every one of us can point to someone (perhaps unaware of their influence) who strengthened us at just the time when it was needed most, possibly even as we were praying for someone or something that would give us the strength to go on. Although I never watched the show on TV, this quote from the television show My So-Called Life explains this well:
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. (Isaiah 35:3)
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; (Hebrews 12:12)
Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees. (D&C 81:5)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Doubters, scoffers, and naysayers
See Elder Holland's very powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon from the October 2009 General Conference concerning this subject in my links section.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:3-4)There is a whole cadre of people out there, members of the Church and others, who feel the need to delve into history, journals, newspapers, and oppositionist rants to try to find incidents and events that they consider damaging to the reputation of early leaders of the Church. They almost gleefully include the prophets, especially Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, in their search. When they find some small foible or mistake, documented or not, they write learned papers about the damage their “revelation” does to the Church and the restoration, and then offer their solutions to the dilemma. Usually, they include a restructuring of doctrine and a re-examination of the direction of the Church to accommodate or mitigate the perceived flaw. They see themselves as the saviors of the Church in the great crisis caused by their discovery.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Measuring real success
Whether things seem to be going fairly smoothly for us at the moment or not, I think we can be sure that our trials in this life are not yet over. I think we can be sure that the Lord does love us, knows each of us by name, sorrows at our sadnesses, and rejoices with us when we are successful. He knows of our progress toward our eternal goal. He cheers us when we move upward, and mourns when we fail. He is pleased when we take advantage of His transcendent atonement and repent, because He has already suffered for all our sins and trials. He knows that we can achieve the eternal goal, and when we have done all we can do, His grace is sufficient for us( 2 Nephi 25:23).
At times of trial we tend to withdraw within ourselves. We tend to forget that others are eager to support and help us. We tend to forget that the Savior will always be close if we will let him. We worry about our life and try to decide if we have been a success or a failure, and we always come down hard on ourselves about bad decisions in our professional, personal, family, and spiritual lives.
At times of trial we tend to withdraw within ourselves. We tend to forget that others are eager to support and help us. We tend to forget that the Savior will always be close if we will let him. We worry about our life and try to decide if we have been a success or a failure, and we always come down hard on ourselves about bad decisions in our professional, personal, family, and spiritual lives.
First principles
The fourth Article of Faith explains:
We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.This statement of basic principles of the gospel orders them sequentially. They are the required steps for membership in the Church and define the process of preparation for working out our own salvation.
Annoying the adversary
What annoys the adversary? What causes him to be angry and frustrated? Satan has a tremendous hold on the world at large in this day and age. His efforts are aimed at destroying individual souls because he knows -- what for him is the awful truth -- he cannot frustrate the “Great Plan of the Eternal God” (GPEG) (Alma 34:9). He is pleased when we deviate, even in small ways, from the path the Lord has set for us. He is pleased when we commit even the smallest sin. He is exultant when we commit serious sin. Conversely, he is angry and frustrated when we repent and seek to obey our Father-in Heaven and accept His gospel in our lives.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Something important
Some weeks ago in priesthood meeting, a young deacon gave the opening prayer. His prayer was short but sincere, and he closed with these words: “Help us that we can all learn something important today.” What a profound request he made of the Lord. There is always something important to be learned in our Sunday meetings. There is always wisdom; there is always some new concept; there is always some virtue to be embraced; there is always knowledge to be gained and faith to be strengthened.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Knowing that we know
When sweet beautiful children stand up in a Fast and Testimony Meeting and say something like, “I know the gospel is true”, they are expressing the tender feelings of their young hearts. They speak with all the innocence of youth, nothing doubting. They do not doubt because they have complete trust and faith in the words of their fathers and mothers, their loving teachers, and even the Prophet himself. They base their simple testimony on the faith of others. They set the example for us. The Savior said:
“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:14-16).
Wars and rumors of wars
Since Book of Mormon times, the Lord, through his prophets has told his people that one of the predictors of major events in the Great Plan of the Eternal God (Alma 34:9) would be wars and rumors of wars. In Mormon 8:30, Moroni, who is finishing the record of his father, prophesies of our day:
"Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be heard of fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands; And there shall also be heard of wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places. Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, …and all manner of abominations …"
Thursday, October 1, 2009
If God seems far away, who do you think moved?
When I was young, I loved to read comic books. Superman, Batman and Robin, Plastic Man, Captain Marvel, and many others fascinated me. The comics were 10 cents each in those days, and I bought as many as I could afford. On the back pages of these comics, advertisements often appeared offering opportunities to sell various things – salve that would cure everything, signs with various sayings on them, magazines, and so forth. I got my parents to bankroll me, and sent off for the signs to sell. I went door to door selling them for 35 cents each, and actually made two or three dollars, as I recall.
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