"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."
Doctrine & Covenants 50:24
A while back I read a article in the Ensign called "Finding Peace Through Forgiveness". The author talks about the difficulty of forgiving someone that hasn't had to face any consequences for their wrong actions. A couple of lines in the article really stood out to me when I read it but the article had slipped my mind until this morning when my companion found the same talk during her studies. Apparently I needed to be reminded of this talk for some reason so I'm sharing it with you (and no, I haven't been seriously--or even slightly--wronged lately....so don't worry about me). :)
This is the section of the article that really caught my attention:
"Forgiveness was not primarily about restoring my relationship with the person who had offended me. Instead, its focus was restoring and improving my relationship with God. It was about trusting—really trusting—that He would take care of me and that He hadn’t allowed anything to happen to me that wouldn’t eventually work out for my benefit. Forgiveness centered on drawing close to Heavenly Father, understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and laying everything on the altar—and doing this cheerfully, with confidence that I was safe in Heavenly Father’s care."
How profound is that statement?! I had never thought about forgiveness in that light before but it makes perfect sense. No matter what happens to us we can find peace simply by strengthening our relationship with our Heavenly Father. As long as we have a relationship with God that is built on mutual trust, we can find the patience and strength to bear the trials and burdens that come our way. And we can find peace through knowing that Heavenly Father will always take care of us--always.
"Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever!"
I love Christmas. I love the lights and the decorations. I love the treats and goodies that we eat. I love that everyone becomes kinder and more giving. What I love most of all is that everything about Christmas points to Christ.
One of my favorite Christmas carols is the German carol, "O Tannenbaum". In the song we sing about the evergreen tree and how it's needles are unchanging. No matter whether it's summertime or in winter when it snows, the needles are always green. In the carol, we thank the evergreen tree for it's wonderful example of how constant we need to be in our faith.
While we're still on the subject of evergreen trees, the branches point upward to heaven. The shape of the tree itself directs the eye heavenward.
This is just one example of the many aspects of the season that points to the Savior. Look at a candy cane. The shape represents both the Shepherds' crook and the letter J. The white stands for the purity of the Savior's life, while the red stripes represent His sacrifice for us.
Strings of lights represent the light seen in the sky the night the Savior was born. The tradition of gift-giving finds its origin in the gifts that the wise-men brought to the Christ-child. Or perhaps it originates with Heavenly Father giving us the ultimate gift--His firstborn Son as our Savior and Redeemer. Whatever the object, everything points to Christ.
Look for the symbolism around you this Christmas season. Just like the Wise-men of old, the signs are there leading you to Christ. You just have to notice them.
“There is something of divinity within each of you. You have such tremendous potential with that quality as a part of your inherited nature. Every one of you was endowed by your Father in Heaven with a tremendous capacity to do good in the world. Train your minds and your hands that you may be equipped to serve well in the society of which you are a part. Cultivate the art of being kind, of being thoughtful, of being helpful. Refine within you the quality of mercy which comes as a part of the divine attributes you have inherited.
Some of you may feel that you are not as attractive and beautiful and glamorous as you would like to be. Rise above any such feelings, cultivate the light you have within you, and it will shine through as a radiant expression that will be seen by others.
You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents you have, and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true self appreciated by others.
In summary, try a little harder to measure up to the divine within each of you. As Alma said, “Awake and arouse your faculties” (Alma 32:27).”
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave this inspired message several years ago. Even though he was speaking to the young women of the church, his message is to all. Each one of us is a child of God. YOU are a child of God! He loves you because you are His child. And just as in any other parent/child relationship you have inherited certain qualities from Him.
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divinenature…”
We have been given so many unique gifts and traits because of our relationship to our Heavenly Father. We can discover what specific talents and qualities we have been given through sincere prayer and careful scripture study. And I hope that each of you will take the time to ask Heavenly Father what you have inherited from Him. He’s waiting to tell you and to help you expand your divine nature.
The parable of the 10 Virgins. I think it’s one of the more well known parables in the New Testament. (If you’d like a refresher on the story, look here.)
We’re told to apply the scriptures to our own lives so that they gain deeper personal meaning. And it bothered me when I was younger that the 5 wise virgins didn’t just share their oil with the other girls. So I decided to change the parable slightly because I don’t use oil lamps often enough for me to relate to them. Now instead of lamps, the 10 virgins own flashlights. And they’re going camping (because why else would they need flashlights?) And these flashlights, of course, use batteries.
Now if you know anything about camping, you know that you should always take fresh batteries for your flashlights. Because the woods are dark and scary at night and without a good flashlight you might get eaten by something.
So here we have our 10 Campers and they each have a flashlight. Only half of them have extra batteries though. And they’ve been camping for a while. Now the story makes more sense to me because it’s not that the 5 wise campers are being selfish with their extra batteries. You can’t really share extra batteries. When your flashlight goes out, you need all 4 of your extra batteries. (yes, I know it’s still not a perfect analogy, but if you don’t like it, you can make up your own. That’s what’s so great about life—EVERYTHING relates to a gospel topic somehow)
In October 2012 general conference Elder David A. Bednar from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles shared his interpretation of the parable of the 10 Virgins. His explanation is one of my favorites now. He compares the lamp/flashlight to our testimonies and the oil/batteries to our spiritual conversion.
Were the five wise virgins selfish and unwilling to share, or were they indicating correctly that the oil (batteries) of conversion cannot be borrowed? Can the spiritual strength that results from consistent obedience to the commandments be given to another person? …The clear answer to each of these questions is no.”
So there you have it. When it gets spiritually dark out, you need a good flashlight with extra batteries. And you have to bring your own batteries on the camping trip. That’s the ground-rule. And you can get batteries at church, and in your scriptures, on your knees in prayer and on your feet in service to others. So go get your extra batteries before it gets dark!
This video was shown to me by a very good friend. It's the story:
"The Missing Piece Meets the Big O" by Shel Silverstein.
While I'm sure this story could have many interpretations, I wanted to focus on what we can learn by letting the Big O represent our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Savior doesn't have any missing pieces. He is complete. His offer to us is to follow His example and become complete ourselves. Like the Missing Piece in the story we may try to find others to "complete us". That didn't provide lasting happiness for the Missing Piece though, and it won't provide lasting happiness for us either.
Yes, there will be bumps and falls along the path of becoming like our Savior. It probably didn't feel good for the Missing Piece to "lift, pull, flop" over and over again. It may have been uncomfortable to have the sharp corners worn off. But ultimately, that's what transformed the Missing Piece into a shape that could stand and move independent of those around it. That's exactly what the Atonement of Jesus Christ offers to us.
Not only did the Savior's life provide the example of what we're trying to become, His Atonement provides us the enabling power to actually change our nature and become more like He is. And as we become more like Him our light shines brighter, illuminating the path for others to follow.
Talking with my companion this morning I related an experience I had over a year ago before this whole crazy adventure started. It was back in the spring of 2011 and I was getting ready to graduate. I had spent the last 18 years of my life in school. My whole life to that point had been focused on my formal education. Don't get me wrong—I had church, friends, family, extracurriculars, work, etc. tied in there as well—but for the past 18 years if someone had asked me what I did or who I was, my response was "I'm a student." My identity was wrapped up in my schooling.
I was a student. That’s what I did. That’s who I was.
With graduation looming, and in the midst of the excitement of finally finishing my degree I was struck with a moment of panic. I wouldn’t be in school any more.
And if I wasn’t a student…
...then who was I?
Yes, panic took over for a moment. Fear of the unknown was starting to creep in and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out what life outside of college looked like. The mountain in front of me looked awfully intimidating. But then I had this wonderful sense of freedom come over me. I wasn’t a student anymore. I wasn’t anything right now. And that meant I could be anything I wanted. I didn’t have any labels; I wasn’t stuck in any ruts. I was at the bottom of the mountain and I could pick any trail I wanted to climb. And with that simple change of attitude about the situation, my perspective was transformed and what was initially frightening became exciting and engaging.
Any situation we find ourselves in can be transformed into an opportunity if we will approach it with the right attitude. I’m not perfect at this but I’m working on it and every time I get a little closer, I find greater joy for life and its many opportunities. I know the same can happen for you.
I had this idea a few weeks ago for a new blog series. You know those A, B, C books for kids? (A is for Apple, B is for Bear, C is for...you get the idea) Well, I decided to create my own A, B, C blog! This is partly because I'm trying to be more disciplined in writting a blog every week. So with this blog series, I really have to post something each week. I don't really know how this will turn out but I'm hoping it turns out somewhat entertaining and meaningful...
[If you can also figure out the hidden joke behind the alphabet blog, you get a bonus prize--to be determined at a later date. :P Message me if you think you know what it is.] :)
So without futher ado, I present my own (weekly) version of the A, B, C's
One of the great things about this life is that we get to learn from one another and share our thoughts and ideas. One of the other California Santa Rosa missionaries shared this story with me recently and I liked it so much I asked him if he wouldn't mind writing it down for my blog. So with Elder Balaich's permission I present the first of what (I hope) will be several guest posts. Take it away Elder Balaich!
As a high school athlete I had the great opportunity and blessing to be coached by some great men. (One of which even played in the NFL for some years then after an injury went on to professionally lift weights and body build.) One summer, this coach taught me something great, something I’ll never forget.
It was early morning workouts; we lifted, ran drills, conditioned, and things like that. One drill is called the standing broad jump. Basically, you try to jump out as far as you possible can. This drill is done often at combines to display an athlete’s explosiveness and to compare athletes side by side to see who can jump further.
To practice this drill, we all went into the gym to the basketball court. We got in a line behind the baseline and just simply jumped out as far as we could. We each did this a few times, with coach not saying anything out of the ordinary but observing closely like he always did.
After this we moved on to some other drills, the L-drill, shuttle drill, ladders—things like that. Then we went to the baseline to once again do standing broad jumps. As before we all did the drill. Simply jumping from the baseline got boring so we moved to the half-court line instead, doing the same drill. This time though, Coach brought out a cone. He watched how far most of us were jumping and set it a few inches beyond where we landed. Then he challenged us to jump beyond the cone. Some of us did and some of us didn’t. Seemingly satisfied, he had us move on once again to some different drills.
But once again, we came back to the broad jump. We all lined up single file on the baseline and coach set up his cone a good distance beyond the baseline and said to all of us, basically something to the sorts of,
“Okay, we’ve practiced this off and on all morning. Now you all MUST jump past this cone I’ve set up here. ALL of you HAVE to do it. I know that all of you can, it’s up to you right now to just do it.”
We all took our turns, one by one. And all of us succeeded. We all jumped beyond the cone. Coach was all sorts of excited. What he knew—that we didn’t—what he had slyly done to make us all better, still sticks with me to this day. None of us had noticed but Coach had been measuring how far we jumped with his steps. Measuring the first attempts and then pushing us a little bit farther the second time. Finally, for the last time, he measured the furthest we had jumped and stepped a few feet beyond that and placed the cone there. Further than any of us had jumped.
None of us knew he was measuring us or even pushing us further. Until at last, when all of us jumped past the last cone he let us all know what we had just done.
"It's all in your heads!" I remember him saying.
The first time we were told to jump as far as we could, we all put some effort into it. But the big difference between the first feeble attempt and the last, great success was that a mark had been set.
A goal was made and failure was not an option. We didn't care about how far we had jumped before because we didn't even really know. But with that cone set there, we could see how far we must jump.
After we all jumped past the cone on our last try, coach took quite a few steps back towards the baseline, measuring carefully and standing in one spot where he said,
“This is the furthest any of you jumped the first time.”
The difference was so big that it has always been a reminder to me of how much impact setting a good goal can truly make—as opposed to simply going out and just “doing our best”.
The conditions of the drill never changed, neither did our technique. Sure we had a few practice jumps but the difference between the first and last jump is that the greatness of personal achievement was obtained by setting up a piece of plastic on a hardwood gym floor, a simple cone, a profound goal.
Trim your feeble lamp, my brother; Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed, Trying now to make the harbor, In the darkness may be lost.
Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.
(Hymns, no. 335)
"Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy" is a hymn that I really love. The first time I heard of it I learned a realatively unknown (at least to me) fact: Ships don't just use the one light shining at the top of the light house as their only navigation point. To effectively navigate you need at least 2 points to give you an accurate frame of reference. So a lighthouse will also have "lower lights" along the shore that help sailors navigate their way to safety of the harbor.
A lot of times we hear that we're like lighhouses that shine to others in the darkness. But really, the lighthouse is the Savior. He's the brightest beam, the first point of reference for sailors searching for a harbor. As followers of the Savior, we become the lower lights as we send our own small lights into the storm. As our friends and neighbors use our examples in reference to Christ, they are able to navigate the storms of life more effectively and find their way to the safety of the harbor. So the question we need to ask ourselves is: Am I shining my brightest so that those who see me can find their way home?
We have been given a great privledge to be the keepers of the lights along the shore. How are we doing with that duty? Has your light stuttered and gone out? Then rekindle it--find a match and strike it! The Lord needs you! If you're doing your best to keep your light glowing brightly--shine on! "Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, you may rescue, you may save!"
Let our lower lights be burning
The Light Along the Shore
(This is an article I found while researching this blog. It shares a personal experience the author had with this hymn.)
Okay, I had to post this video. It's amazing! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints produces short videos on a variety of topics and calls them "Mormon Messages". Every year, they just keep getting better! I just found this one thanks to the miracle of social media. :)
This video, titled "Our Eternal Life" lays out one of the most basic beliefs that Mormons have--the Plan of Salvation. This plan answers the questions: where did I come from, why am I here, and where do I go after this life. And the graphics in the video are so cool I couldn't wait to share it! The LDS media department is so cool :)
Hope you enjoy!
If this video piqued your interest and you'd like to know more. Check out the rest of the story at mormon.org/plan-of-happiness. Or message me on facebook and I can tell you more (I do this full time!)
We tried to convince my dad that hiring the job out was the best way to go. But dad has a bad habit of making things like this a "family project" that we all do together. I never quite understood why we didn't just get someone else to do it or take what I thought would be an "easier way". Then I read this article about a dad who takes a project and turns it into an opportunity to have some face time with his kids. (You can check out the article here or just read it below.)
"Living in a small country town has its advantages, but one disadvantage is the mud in the spring. In an attempt to keep the mud outside the house, I planned to spread gravel on my dirt driveway. I had 60 tons of gravel brought in and left in two piles, which looked even bigger when I stood in front of them. In our town, people commonly have big trucks, trailers, tractors, front loaders, and backhoes. Me? I’m the guy with a shovel and a wheelbarrow.
I asked Rory, my 15-year-old son, if he would come out and help. He wasn’t the picture of enthusiasm, but he agreed....He was a teenager whose world was getting larger than the one his dad used to fill. I had never had any real problems with him, but he was no longer the little boy who would hold my hand and chatter as we walked. His world now included many activities and friends that took him outside the home. We still enjoyed each other’s company but found it harder to spend time together. I wouldn’t have guessed that moving gravel would facilitate openness between us, but on that day it did just that.
As we shoveled, each to our own rhythm, Rory started talking. At first we discussed the job at hand, but then the talk turned to other things that were on his mind. We discussed music that he was interested in. He was active in certain forums on the Internet and described the posted conversations. In school he had a psychology class, and we discussed some of the ideas. Then there was the topic of his friends, and several funny stories followed.
As we talked we filled the wheelbarrow, and then I would lift the load, wheel it to a bare spot, and dump it. I was pleasantly surprised when Rory followed me during these short intervals in order to keep up the conversation. I am pretty sure he didn’t know how much his willingness to talk meant to me. I tried not to let on. His talking so freely to me didn’t happen every day.
As we worked, blisters formed on my hands, but they were just a reminder of the sweet time I spent with my children, especially my oldest son.
Across the street a young construction contractor was building his house. While I was working, he was using a front loader to push the earth around the foundation of his home. It would have taken 20 minutes to get our job done with his powerful machine, but I was afraid he was going to come over and offer to help. I would have looked foolish turning down his help, but accepting it would have robbed me of the unexpected experience I was having with my children. Toward the end of the job, when I was exhausted, I wasn’t sorry. My children were still there and were still talking to me. Manually moving that gravel was the sweetest hard work I had ever done."
I'm guessing this is a big reason why dad made us do the work (I'm sure there were lots of other good reasons too, Dad...) This video clip was another big hint as to what was so important about all of us getting out there and doing the work ourselves.
All in all, I'm grateful that my dad has always taken a "homegrown" approach to the jobs around the house (big and small). (That's easy to say now that I'm not living in the same state as my parents--can't get roped into a home improvement project for at least another 9 months haha) I have learned so much from my parents about how to work and take care of myself and those around me. The lessons learned and the time spent together were well worth the hours of manual labor.
I was talking to someone the other day about feeling the spirit. We were lamenting the fact that when you first start out learning about the gospel, the spirit comes strong and deep and it feels great! Then after you've got your roots down, it's like it lessens and the times when you feel deep, spiritual impressions happen less frequently. When that happens (because it will happen to every follower of Christ at some point) it's easy to get discouraged and think that something's wrong. But that's not the case!
I had a realization that day that growing spiritually is sort of like starting a lawn from seed. After you prep the lawn and lay down the grass seed you water the lawn fairly heavily for a long period of time. You give the grass lots of water while it's still sprouting and coming in.
Now I'm not an expert in lawncare, but I've talked to plenty of people with really green lawns and they all say the same thing. Once the grass has come in and the root system is established, you change your watering pattern. To get a beautiful, healthy lawn you water deeply and infrequently. Now I'm not talking about starving the poor lawn but you don't water the grass every day. Maybe a couple times a week. That way the roots have to extend to find water. And when they extend, they get a firmer hold on the soil and the grass is able to withstand a lot more wear.
So we can see a pattern here. Once our little sprouts of faith and testimony come in, we're not going to get the same amount of spiritual water every minute of every day. We don't need to panic if we see our spiritual experiences coming a little less often. The Gardener knows what He's doing and He's not going to let our testimonies dry up. He's just letting our roots search a little deeper so that we become stronger and more beautiful.
Just soak up the water when you get it and dig a little deeper!
When I was little, I remember getting these really bad muscle aches every once in a while. My mom called them growing pains. The assumption was that everytime my muscles hurt randomly it was because I was growing. Yes, I wanted to be tall (my goal in life was to be 6' tall someday...that didn't happen, oh well) but as much as I wanted to be taller, those growing pains sure hurt and I can't say that I was always grateful for them even though I knew it meant that I was growing.
Eventually I grew up and the growing pains got less and less. Now I can't even remember the last time I had one. And it was definitely worth it because I really can't picture myself being happy staying at the size I was when I was 6.
Correlating this to missionary work--and life in general for that matter:
Sometimes things hurt (usually spiritually or mentally instead of physically although that's not always true). Everyone keeps telling me that means I'm growing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Sometimes it's hard to remember that it's worth it but I know that the pain doesn't last forever. I know that ultimately it will be something I'm grateful for. The Lord has promised us that the experiences we have will be for our good. So the next time you feel one of those growing pains, just know that it won't be like this forever. And in the end it will be a good thing.
In honor of Father's day, I'd like to talk about the powerful influence a righteous father has on his family. I was luck enough to be born into a home where I was raised by righteous parents. Because of them, I have been very blessed in many aspects of my life. My father's example and influence on me has shaped much of who I am today. The prophets and apostles have counseled us many times about how to be a righteous father and how to spot one. Elder M. Russell Ballard said:
"Fathers are expected by God and His prophets not only to provide for their families but also to protect them. . . On a day-to-day basis, fathers can and should help with the essential nurturing and bonding associated with feeding, playing, storytelling, loving, and all the rest of the activities that make up family life."
It has also been said:
“The home is where we learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. It is the first school and the first church.” (O. Leslie Stone, Ensign Nov. 1976)
I was looking through the different values taught in the For The Strength of Youth pamphlet. I realized that all of those things had been taught to me already by my parents before I ever read them in a pamphlet. Values like Education, Work and Self Reliance, and Honesty and Integrity were important to my dad and so they became important to me.
My dad taught me how to be useful. Because of him I learned to do things like change a tire, use a pressure washer, paint a house, tape drywall, drive stick shift. He taught me how to work—and to work hard even when no one was watching.
3 Nephi 14:9-11 talks about how even imperfect fathers know how to give good gifts. My dad knows how to give good gifts. One of my all time favorite Christmas presents was a toolbox I got from him a few years ago. The tools themselves were very nice and I was glad to have them but what made the gift so memorable was the letter I got with it. In the letter, Dad talked about taking care of the tools you're given and using them wisely—and how with the right tools, you can do anything. That letter has stuck with me and impacted my life in a significant way. So has my dad's faith in me that I could do anything.
Elder M. Russell Ballard also said:
“Trust your father. He is not perfect, but he loves you and would never do anything he didn't think was in your best interest. So talk to him. Share your thoughts and feelings, your dreams and your fears. The more he knows about your life, the better chance he has to understand your concerns and to give you good counsel.”
When making big decisions in my life (college majors, work opportunities, serving a mission), I've turned to my dad for counsel and he's always given very thoughtful advice.
One last quote about fatherhood, this time by President Spencer W. Kimball:
“Fatherhood is leadership—the most important kind of leadership. It has always been so; it always will be so. Father, with the assistance and counsel and encouragement of your eternal companion, you preside in the home. It is not a matter of whether you are the most worthy or best qualified, but it is a matter of law and appointment. You preside at the meal table, at family prayer. You preside at family home evening. And, as guided by the Spirit of the Lord, you see that your children are taught correct principles. It is your place to give direction relating to all of family life. You give fathers' blessings. You can take an active part in establishing family rules and discipline. As a leader in your home, you plan and sacrifice to achieve the blessing of a unified and happy family. To do all of this requires that you live a family-centered life.”
I am grateful for a father who took prophetic counsel to heart and has tried his best to be the father that God intended him to be.
Six months ago today I said goodbye to life as I knew it and walked into a totally new phase of my life. Looking back, I still can't believe I made this decision. I've already realized that it's going to effect every aspect of the rest of my life. And I'm only 1/3 of the way through this crazy experience!
Things I've done in the last 6 months (in no particular order):
-seen the ocean
-seen people find lasting happiness by following a few simple commandments
-eaten an artichoke
-knocked on strangers' door and invited them to learn more about Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon
-learned that it is humanly possible to be joined at the hip to someone 24/7 for 6 solid months. (That's 264,960 minutes straight, for the record)
-seen people use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to become better than they were
-eaten shrimp
-learned how to make things out of duct tape
-had my core convictions challenged by very angry people
-looked those very angry people firmly in the eye and told them exactly what I believe
-realized that God is the best planner. Ever. Period.
-prayed for miracles
-seen miracles
-checked an empty mailbox one more time (just to make sure we didn't miss anything)
-volunteered to give up chocolate for a MONTH just to get someone to stop smoking
-broken into a baptismal font just so someone could make covenants with God
-grown closer to Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost than I've ever been in my life
Obviously this list doesn't even come close to everything that's happened in the last 6 months. But it's a start.
I am so grateful that Heavenly Father took a chance on me and let me come out here. I may have come out here to try and pay Him back for all He's done for me--but I ended up even more in debt to Him. Guess that's life.
Faith, Hope and Charity. These three always go together. And I don't know about anyone else out there but I always had a hard time keeping faith and hope separate in my mind...they just seem to be used interchangably but I know they're different (otherwise the phrase "faith, hope, and charity" would be completely redundant). So what's the difference?
This morning, I was thinking back on a story one of my teachers told me years ago (I told you that you made a difference, Brother Butterfield!!). This story has stuck with me all this time because of how it demonstrates faith and hope and what the difference is. Here's the story as I remember it:
A man is wandering through the desert, dying of thirst. His canteens are hanging empty at his side. Just when he thinks all is lost, he comes upon a deserted town. In the middle of this ghost town is an old, dried-up well. Next to the pump the man finds a small jug of water and a note:
"Use this water to prime the well."
The story can take two different routes at this point. In one version of the story, the man isn't willing to take the chance on this old well and drinks the water in the jug instead. This tale doesn't have a very happy ending and the man perishes in the desert before he can reach civilization.
In the other version of the story, the man decides to take a leap of faith and trust that his sacrifice will lead to enough water to restock his supply so he can survive until he gets out of the desert. Here's where the tie-in to faith, hope and charity comes in:
Pouring the water down the well to prime the pump is FAITH. Faith is an action. In this case, the man's faith comes by testing the promise on the note.
Now, can the man just sit there and "hope" the well starts working? No--he has to pump the handle for all he's worth! That's real hope. HOPE is what sustains you between an act of faith and when you receive the promised blessing.
Where does charity fit in this situation? The man can demonstrate CHARITY by refilling the jug for the next person that comes along.
I love this analogy. Faith, hope and charity are all action words and this helps me to remember that to really have faith, hope, or charity I have to show it. I hope this story helps you remember the differences between these three principles and how important ALL of them are.
And, no matter what your circumstances are--never, never give up hope!
Once upon a time I was riding in the car and we were just going around the corner (maybe 100 yards) so I didn't fasten my seatbelt. The little bell that goes off to remind you to wear your sealtbelt started chirping (ding.......ding.......ding........ding........) and I ignored it because we were only going a short distance. Normally I fasten my seatbelt by the time it starts dinging but this time I was feeling somewhat rebellious and decided just to wait it out. To my surprise (and annoyance) the warning came faster and more persistent (DingDingDingDing!). No, I thought, we're almost there, I'll be fine without it. Finally, shortly before we arrived at our destination, the car went silent. No more ringing noise. We got out of the car and went on with our afternoon. But the thought that kept coming back was that there's a gospel analogy hidden in that experience... :)
Ignoring what you've been taught and what the Spirit is prompting you to do is known in the scriptures as being willfully rebellious. The seat belt reminder is like the warning voice of the Holy Ghost. If you're being disobedient, the Spirit will send you gentle promptings to change your behavior or course of action. If it's really important, the warnings will get more frequent and more persistent. (Sound familiar?) But just like the car alarm, if you ignore the Spirit long enough eventually it will go away and leave you to face the consequences of your actions.
So remember to buckle up...and follow the promptings of the Spirit!
I flicked on the lightswitch in our bedroom the other day and it got me thinking...
We have those new energy-efficient lightbulbs that everyone's getting these days. You know the ones that take forever to actually get bright? I was thinking about how our testimonies are kinda like that. When we first gain a testimony of something, it's kind of like switching on the light. At first you notice a big difference because you've gone from total darkness to being able to see what's around you. But then, if you keep waiting the light gets brighter. Sometimes it happens so slowly that you don't really notice a change at first. But if you compare how much brighter it is from when you first turned the light on, you can definitely tell that the light is getting stronger.
Strangely enough, the scripture at the top of my blog has this same principle in it. (And I didn't even plan that!) :)
"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." -D&C 50:24
Take a minute and look at something you have a testimony of (prayer, scripture study, following the propeht, paying tithing, etc.) Think about when it first really clicked with you. Now look where you are. It's a lot brighter huh? The important thing to remember though is that you have to leave the electricity running through the lightbulb long enough to let it get bright. Just the same, you have to keep feeding and building your testimony if you expect it to get brighter and stronger.
This blog isn't very original (as if the other ones are...) but I read an article that one of my sisters sent me (you can read the whole thing here) and it had some wonderful pointers on how to grow closer to the influence of the Holy Ghost and how to stay focused on the most important things in our lives. I wanted to share the author's thoughts with you in the hopes that they affect you as much as they affected me when I read them.
* Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.
* When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.
* In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.
* Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.
* God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.
* God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us--everything will fall into its place.
* Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.
* When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.
* Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges.
* If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.
* Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.
* Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.
* Be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. In thoroughness is satisfaction.
* The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it.
* Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.
* And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.
I know that some (or most) of these bullet points are easier said than done but I felt the truthfulness of these statements when I read them and I know that acting on them will lead to greater happiness. Even if you can only pick one to focus on, let that one idea change you and bring you closer to the person God wants you to be. As it says above, "God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that He makes to us--everything will fall into its place."
Okay, this post was inevitable. I'm just too crazy about Institute classes to not say something about them when I have an audience. If you have never attended an Institute class or--perish the thought--never even heard of Institute, let me clue you in on what you've been missing all your life. :)
Let's start with the basics.
What exactly is Institute, you may ask? Well to quote the official web page...
"Institutes of religion provide weekday religious instruction for single and married post-secondary students. Other married and young single adults ages 18-30 are also welcome to attend. Adult religion classes are available for those over 30. A variety of free distance-learning classes, including religion courses are also available."
"With a worldwide enrollment of 350,000 students in over 2,500 locations, there is an institute of religion near you. Institute is a safe haven from the pressures, trials, and challenges of the world. Institute is concerned with education for eternity and provides an opportunity for students to be touched and nurtured by the Spirit through classes and activities."
If that wasn't enough to convince you that it's awesome, just ask Franc how cool Institute is...
This is how Franc describes institute:
(This video cracks me up by the way)
Institute is a safe place. :)
How do I describe Institute?
Institute is a place where I have come to know who my Savior is, who my God is, and who I am. The Insitute offers wonderful scripture-based classes on a variety of topics. Whether you want to learn the history behind the events in the Old Testament, understand the life of Jesus Christ more clearly, study the early beginnings of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, listen to stories of women recorded in the scriptures, or study the words of living prophets, Institute offers something for EVERYONE (and that list only mentions a few of the classes I've taken through the Institute). Not to mention the leadership opportunities you can take advantage of (which looks great on a resume, by the way) or all the free food (because let's face it, we're starving college students).
It's through institute that I've made friends, strengthened my relationship with Jesus Christ, and learned to better recognize the promptings of the holy spirit. Making Institute a part of my life during college also helped me to realize how many people believe the same things I believe and try just as hard as I do to live great lives. When you're in the 18-30 bracket, it's really easy to get caught up in school and work and life and feel like you're the only one trying to live the standards you've set for yourself. By involving yourself in Institute, you find yourself surrounded by people that not only accept your standards, they help you to live them!
Now, I know what you're going to say, "With my schedule I don't have time for Institute" or "The Institute building is too far away from where I live".
Those are just excuses.
Trust me.
I did the whole college thing full-time (16 credits a semester) for 5 years, plus a 15-20 hour per week job most semesters, and I lived 40 minutes away from campus. If I had given into those same excuses I would have missed some of the best experiences of. my. life. Don't make the mistake of losing out on some incredible experiences and friendships just because right now you can't see how far institute can take you.
President Thomas S. Monson (a prophet of God) gave us a promise if we make institute a priority in our lives. He says:
"Think of it. Friends will be made, the Spirit will be felt, and faith will be strengthened. I promise you that as you participate in institute and study the scriptures diligently, your power to avoid temptation and to receive direction of the Holy Ghost in all you do will be increased. Divine favor will attend those who humbly seek it. That is a promise which I leave with you." President Thomas S. Monson (April 21, 2009)
Did you catch all those promises? Friends. The spirit of God. Increased faith. Power to avoid temptation. Direction in life. Divine favor. If that's not something you want in your life, you're reading the wrong blog. I'm not sure if I've ever met someone that doesn't want those things. The hard part in life is to figure out where to find all that...
And I'll give you a clue:
I JUST TOLD YOU WHERE TO FIND IT.
So go get it. A prophet of God just promised you that's where you'll find it all. And I can tell you from experience that it's true. I found ALL those things when I went to Institute.
Now that I've got you hooked on Institute, what's the next step? I'm glad you asked. Simply visit the Institute of Religion website for info on classes, locations, FAQs, videos, and more info. Or if you already know where your local Institute meets, just walk right in. There's plenty of people to tell you about classes and upcoming activities. You won't regret taking an Institute class. It's free, it's wonderful, it's Institute.
I love a good quote. Douglas L. Callister said that we "thrill to hear...sublime thoughts in perfectly chosen words. I suppose that the language of heaven, properly spoken, may approach a form of music. Did C. S. Lewis have this in mind when he wrote: 'Isn’t it funny the way some combinations of words can give you—almost apart from their meaning—a thrill like music?'" That's how I feel about quotes.
So with that little prologue, I want to share something I learned today from one of my favorite quotes
(and yes, I have LOTS of favorite quotes).
Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
I've grown and improved so much in these last 4 months and I've seen the progress I've made in a lot of things that are hard for me. But I was reflecting on how far I still have to go and I was wondering why certain things haven't become easy for me yet.
Then I re-read the quote. Mr. Emerson doesn't say anywhere in there that the task will ever become EASY. Only that it will become EASIER.
And even though I still struggle with certain tasks, the things I've been working on have definitely become easier. So there is hope! Think about your own life and the things you're working on. Don't get discouraged when something you've been working on hasn't become easy for you yet. Look back on where you started and be grateful for the improvement you've made.
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you:every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Everyone that defileth the sabbath shall surely be put to death?! Ouch. Whatever happened to that merciful Father that is loving and forgiving? Oh well, you think, it's just the Old Testament, it's not like that part's really applicable anymore...
But aren't we supposed to "liken the scriptures" to ourselves? So that means there's got to be a connection somewhere, right? Maybe there is. Try this one on for size:
Nowhere in this passage does it say that you'll suffer physical death if you don't keep the sabbath day. There are two kinds of death: physical (which we're all aware of) and spiritual (which is separation from God because of the choices we make). Perhaps the scripture is talking about the second one. When we don't make time for church, we are separating ourselves from our Father in Heaven (spiritual death).
The second part of verse 14 makes sense in that context as well. If you don't go to church, you're cutting yourself off from that association and fellowship with those that share your values and beliefs. Why would you do that to yourself?
This Easter Sunday make the effort to go to church. Then keep coming back! Make sabbath day observance (including church attendance) a priority in your life and watch God work miracles with the rest of your week.
Have you ever had a time when you thought you received a spiritual prompting to do something and you decide to follow it?
And then nothing happens...
And in your mind you think, "Wait, what's going on? Didn't the Holy Ghost prompt me to do this? Shouldn't something have come of this to confirm that yes, I did the right thing?"
The whole experience is usually anticlimactic and confusing because then you start to second guess yourself and you wonder if maybe you just made the whole thing up.
Case in point: driving away from an appointment, a name pops into your head and you get the feeling that you should go visit them right now. That's silly, you think, they live in the opposite direction and we were already in that area earlier today. Why should we go visit them right now?
The thought feels like a prompting from the Holy Ghost though, so you shrug and say, "I'll go and do..." and then turn the car around and go visit this person like the Holy Ghost suggests. In your head you're imagining that they might open the door and burst into tears because they've been praying all day for someone to come help them and then you show up as an answer to their prayers...you can picture the whole scene and it's a beautiful sight...
AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN HOME!
What?! Why did you feel like visiting them was the right thing to do? What was the point of following that prompting if nothing happened because of it?
Here's what I think.
First of all, you never, EVER know all the results of your actions. Just because you can't see the direct result of a decision/action doesn't mean there isn't an effect.
Secondly, I think sometimes these "wild goose chases" are actually trust building experiences. Not to build our trust in the Holy Ghost, but for Him to gain trust in us. We have a personal relationship with each member of the Godhead. Sometimes it's easy to focus on our side of it but they need to be able to trust us just like we need to be able to trust them.
I feel like these experiences are almost like fire drills in school. There's no actual fire during the drill (so it may seem kind of silly and pointless) but when the time comes that it really matters, people know what to do. It may be the same with the spiritual promptings that we receive. If the Spirit knows that we will follow His directions no matter what, He will have more confidence that we will do what we're prompted to do when it matters.
So the next time you get a prompting that ends in a less-than-exciting finale, don't get discouraged. You showed the Holy Ghost that you are paying attention. That's totally worth it, don't you think?
Being a missionary brings lots of different experiences. For one thing, you're with the same person 24/7 for as long as you're assigned to work together. And you do everything with this person. Including driving. How does that work? Well let me tell you. In a normal car situation, you have a driver and a passenger. In a missionary car you have a driver and--are you ready for this?--a co-driver. Pretty exciting right? The driver is the one that's actually steering the car but the co-driver is there to help them navigate and to basically do whatever they can to make sure the driver gets where they need to go.
What does any of this have to do with you, you say? Well, let me tell you.
The other day we were driving around and I was giving my companion directions to our next appointment. See, I'm the co-driver and I'm the one with the map in hand so periodically I would tell her turn right at this stop sign...take a left at the next light...and so forth. It hit me that I was only giving her one direction at a time. I wondered if she was bothered by the fact that she really didn't know exactly where she was going. I didn't give her all of the details at once on how to get to our destination; I only gave her one turn at a time and she was fine with it. She knew that I would tell her when to turn and which direction to go when it was relevant for her to know and she was content to wait until it mattered.
Have you figured out where I'm going with this yet? Life is exactly like this! We have the best Co-driver in the universe to guide our decisions in life and He will get us where we're going one turn at a time. I didn't know a year ago that I would be serving a mission right now but I didn't need to know at the time. I don't know where I'll end up after my 18 months is done here but I don't need to know right now. When I get to the point where those decisions need to be made my Co-driver will speak up and let me know which direction to go. I just need to make sure that I'm keeping that line of communication open with Him so that when He speaks I can hear Him.
Heard this one before? I've heard this scripture plenty of times in many lessons and there are many different ways that this one line could be interpreted based on an individual's circumstances. I've heard it explained that we should pray always and not give up; that we should pray always and our prayers will sustain us; these are all very nice and very applicable but I never felt that this scripture really spoke to me. Until it was explained to me in a whole different way.
Turns out there's a few different definitions of the word faint (I love looking up definitions if you can't tell by now). The definitions below made this scripture light up like a firework for me!
"Pray always, and not faint"... it's almost like the Lord is saying"Pray, yes, but I don't want any half-hearted prayers. Give me the real thing. Really talk to me."
Now it makes sense. The Lord is giving us specific instructions on how to get the most out of our prayers. We can pray all day long but if our prayers aren't clear, loud, strong, and heartfelt, what are we really going to get out of it? Not nearly as much as if we really talk to Heavenly Father. He wants the real thing. A real conversation with us.
How profound is that statement?! I had never thought about forgiveness in that light before but it makes perfect sense. No matter what happens to us we can find peace simply by strengthening our relationship with our Heavenly Father. As long as we have a relationship with God that is built on mutual trust, we can find the patience and strength to bear the trials and burdens that come our way. And we can find peace through knowing that Heavenly Father will always take care of us--always.
