For today’s blog entry, I wanted to turn to an ancient pagan holiday that took place around the time of Christmas, the Winter Solstice. Many, including myself, believe Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December largely due to this pagan holiday. In the time of Constantine, the Christians and the Pagans within his kingdom fought bitterly. So Constantine called for a council to be held at Nicea to determine the future of the religion for his kingdom.
At this council many compromises were made between Christianity and pagan forms of worship. Christianity would become the state religion. The belief I and many others have is that one compromise was to celebrate the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ at the time of the Winter Solstice in order to make Christianity a little easier to swallow for pagan worshippers.
Yet if you look at the Winter Solstice, you’ll find some wonderful signs pointing to Jesus Christ. After all, everything in this world points to Christ. As you explore the signs of Christ in the Winter Solstice, you’ll also find some excellent lessons on faith.
For example, we can turn to the timing of the celebration. Interestingly, the Winter Solstice was celebrated each year on the day that remained darkest the longest. This celebration was to commemorate the coming of brighter days ahead as the sun slowly moved back to the Northern Hemisphere. People knew the coming of the sun would bring more warmth, more food, and more sunshine.
This teaches us what we can expect from the coming of the Son. In today’s world, this seems to be a particularly poignant lesson. We live in a dark time. Wars rage the earth. Faith in God is under heavy assault. Immorality of many flavors taints the hearts of the children of men. You could argue these are the darkest days this earth has seen.
So we can take our lesson from the darkest days of the ancient world. We can celebrate the coming of the Son, and with Him brighter days ahead. When He comes He will bring the warmth of His love. Those who search for Him will feel His warm embrace and know they are cleansed of the darkness of this current world. When He comes He will bring with Him the bread of life. Those who partake of it will hunger no more. When He comes He will bring the glory of God. Those who follow Him will bask in this glory as He gives it to them and makes them one with Him and with Heavenly Father.
So the lesson is to look forward to the coming of the Son with faith. Do the works He has asked of you. Then you can know that when He arrives, you will find His warmth, His food, and His sunshine.
There are more lessons to be learned from the Winter Solstice, but I’m not an expert and can hardly do it justice. So, if you’d like, take the time to learn them yourself. In the meantime, consider the lessons you can learn from the Winter Solstice. Remember that Jesus Christ is the Son, and He will be coming again. We may be in the darkest days of this world, but His coming as drawing closer every day. And as such, His disciples have a great deal to celebrate and look forward to.
I want to shift gears by again turning my thoughts to Christmas. After all, it is Christmas. I want to again remind you that this holiday is about Jesus Christ. It celebrates His birth, but remember that His birth was only the beginning of the many, many gifts He would give throughout His life. And the gifts He has given to us extend beyond His life, both into the eternities before His coming and into the eternities after His death and resurrection.
Everybody in the world should be celebrating His birth and remembering Him upon this day, for all have been blessed by His gifts. So, now that you’ve opened your Christmas gifts and found delight in them, turn your heart again to the One who has given you the gifts that never diminishes. Remember His gifts to you. Make a covenant with Him that you will do all you can to make these gifts yours.
I close now with a portion of my testimony of Jesus Christ. I love Him. I cherish Him. I cannot express to you through these words, or through any other means I know of, how much I am grateful for Him. I know that all I have I have because of Him. I know that my dearly beloved wife can be with me as my eternal companion because Christ has provided the way. I know that my daughter, and all my children to come, can be eternally bound to me as my children because Jesus Christ provided the way. I know that this bond carries to all my family, inasmuch as they choose it, because Jesus Christ has provided the way for this to be.
I hope you, too, know the blessings you have because of Jesus Christ. And I hope you have the burning in your heart at this time to thank Him for His blessings. And I hope you vow to make your gifts to Him gifts worthy of the Eternal King who was born in a stable.
Merry Christmas! May it be a joyous one!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The Real Christmas Story
One of the books members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accept as a book of scriptures is The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This wonderful book supports The Holy Bible in testifying of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Within its pages are many wonderful stories of inhabitants of the American continents in the ancient times of our world.
One of these wonderful stories takes place a little over 2000 years ago. A man named Samuel the Lamanite came to the city of Zarahemla to preach repentance unto the inhabitants of the city. While he was there, he made many prophecies and promises. One of these prophecies was that, in five years time from his prophesying, the Lord would send a sign unto the inhabitants of the Americas. This sign would be a day, a night, and then a day of continuous light. The inhabitants would know the passing of the day and night, but darkness would not claim the earth during the late hours.
Five years later, many of the inhabitants still believed in the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite. Others, however, did not. Those that didn’t stated the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy was passed, concluding those that still believed must be put to death. So they set a date for the slaughter of those filled with faith.
Nephi, the Lord’s prophet among the American people, was concerned about the decision of those who chose not to believe. So, practicing faith, he went to the Lord in prayer, praying all day long for his people. In answer to his great faith and prayers, the Lord promised Nephi that, on the date set aside for slaughtering the believers, the Lord would send the sign among the people. So it was that on the given date, the people beheld a day, a night, and a day of complete light.
This sign was truly a pivotal moment in the lives of the people of the Americas, even to the point they chose to redefine their calendar to count the days and years from this sign. In fact, the calendar still records the number of years from this point in the history of the world. So what was the significance of the sign? It marked the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Many, many miles away in a stable in the little town of Bethlehem, the little baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Now you may wonder what caused the most important person in the history of the world to be placed in a manger. For this the story must back up a little bit to capture the story of the precious Lord’s parents.
Mary, a young virgin girl in a little town called Nazareth, was visited by the angel Gabriel. She was told she was highly favored by the Lord and would be blessed among women, for she would carry the Son of God in her womb. So it was that she became pregnant, having had no physical relationship with any man. She was espoused (engaged) to a man from Bethlehem named Joseph. To prevent Joseph from deciding not to wed Mary, the angel Gabriel visited him and explained why Mary was pregnant. Joseph, being a righteous man, married Mary.
Jesus was to be born at the time Caesar Augustus collected taxes from the citizens of Judaea. Each family was to return to the birth place of the head of the house to pay their taxes. So Mary and Joseph proceeded to Bethlehem. When they arrived, they found lodging was crowded. There was no room for them inside. Mercifully, they were offered the solitude of a stable to give birth. So it was that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem and placed in a manger to rest.
The Savior’s birth wouldn’t go unnoticed, however. The angel Gabriel, along with a heavenly host, appeared unto shepherds, bringing them the joyous news of the birth of Jesus Christ. These shepherds hastened to the manger to visit the newborn King.
Three wise men beheld the sign of the birth of the Son of God as well. These men travelled a long distance to visit the Royal Child, bringing with them gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They recognized that He truly was their King, sent to provide them the way back to God.
This is the true Christmas story. Our world has reason to rejoice: the Son of God, our great Redeemer, has walked on our world. He taught the children of men the true path of happiness and the way home to Heavenly Father. He suffered, He bled, and He died to atone for our sins and bridge the gap between mortality and immortality. And it all began a little over 2000 years ago with the birth of a child.
When you celebrate Christmas, remember you celebrate the birth of the One who redeems you. Remember that you have already been given the best gift you can ever receive. You don’t need the gifts of the world. It doesn’t matter what your mom, dad, grandparents, or spouse give you. All you may get this year is trivial. You have already been given the most wonderful gift by Him whose birthday we celebrate. Jesus Christ has given you a chance. Now go and practice faith in His gift and earn it.
The New Testament, The Holy Bible
Matthew 1-2
Luke 1-2
One of these wonderful stories takes place a little over 2000 years ago. A man named Samuel the Lamanite came to the city of Zarahemla to preach repentance unto the inhabitants of the city. While he was there, he made many prophecies and promises. One of these prophecies was that, in five years time from his prophesying, the Lord would send a sign unto the inhabitants of the Americas. This sign would be a day, a night, and then a day of continuous light. The inhabitants would know the passing of the day and night, but darkness would not claim the earth during the late hours.
Five years later, many of the inhabitants still believed in the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite. Others, however, did not. Those that didn’t stated the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy was passed, concluding those that still believed must be put to death. So they set a date for the slaughter of those filled with faith.
Nephi, the Lord’s prophet among the American people, was concerned about the decision of those who chose not to believe. So, practicing faith, he went to the Lord in prayer, praying all day long for his people. In answer to his great faith and prayers, the Lord promised Nephi that, on the date set aside for slaughtering the believers, the Lord would send the sign among the people. So it was that on the given date, the people beheld a day, a night, and a day of complete light.
This sign was truly a pivotal moment in the lives of the people of the Americas, even to the point they chose to redefine their calendar to count the days and years from this sign. In fact, the calendar still records the number of years from this point in the history of the world. So what was the significance of the sign? It marked the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Many, many miles away in a stable in the little town of Bethlehem, the little baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
Now you may wonder what caused the most important person in the history of the world to be placed in a manger. For this the story must back up a little bit to capture the story of the precious Lord’s parents.
Mary, a young virgin girl in a little town called Nazareth, was visited by the angel Gabriel. She was told she was highly favored by the Lord and would be blessed among women, for she would carry the Son of God in her womb. So it was that she became pregnant, having had no physical relationship with any man. She was espoused (engaged) to a man from Bethlehem named Joseph. To prevent Joseph from deciding not to wed Mary, the angel Gabriel visited him and explained why Mary was pregnant. Joseph, being a righteous man, married Mary.
Jesus was to be born at the time Caesar Augustus collected taxes from the citizens of Judaea. Each family was to return to the birth place of the head of the house to pay their taxes. So Mary and Joseph proceeded to Bethlehem. When they arrived, they found lodging was crowded. There was no room for them inside. Mercifully, they were offered the solitude of a stable to give birth. So it was that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem and placed in a manger to rest.
The Savior’s birth wouldn’t go unnoticed, however. The angel Gabriel, along with a heavenly host, appeared unto shepherds, bringing them the joyous news of the birth of Jesus Christ. These shepherds hastened to the manger to visit the newborn King.
Three wise men beheld the sign of the birth of the Son of God as well. These men travelled a long distance to visit the Royal Child, bringing with them gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They recognized that He truly was their King, sent to provide them the way back to God.
This is the true Christmas story. Our world has reason to rejoice: the Son of God, our great Redeemer, has walked on our world. He taught the children of men the true path of happiness and the way home to Heavenly Father. He suffered, He bled, and He died to atone for our sins and bridge the gap between mortality and immortality. And it all began a little over 2000 years ago with the birth of a child.
When you celebrate Christmas, remember you celebrate the birth of the One who redeems you. Remember that you have already been given the best gift you can ever receive. You don’t need the gifts of the world. It doesn’t matter what your mom, dad, grandparents, or spouse give you. All you may get this year is trivial. You have already been given the most wonderful gift by Him whose birthday we celebrate. Jesus Christ has given you a chance. Now go and practice faith in His gift and earn it.
Scriptures used for this blog entry:
3 Nephi 1, The Book of MormonThe New Testament, The Holy Bible
Matthew 1-2
Luke 1-2
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Christmas Faith
One of the many things the human race tends to be good at is celebrating. In my short life, I’ve found people are capable of finding any purpose possible for celebrating. There are celebrations for birthdays, graduations, coming of age rituals, retirements, and weddings. People celebrate the birth of children, naming children, blessing children, and the many accomplishments of children. There are celebrations that take place before someone leaves the home for an extended period of time, followed by celebrations for the return of that person. And, let us not forget, there are many, many holidays throughout the world that human beings celebrate.
I would love to name the holidays of the world for you. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert on the holidays of the world. I know a few of the holidays outside of the United States of America, but not many. However, being a native to the United States of America, I am more familiar with these holidays. And Americans, as we are commonly called, have a holiday for almost everything. In fact there is at least one major holiday in almost every month of the year.
At this time of year, one of the most popular holidays celebrated by Americans, and even a large number of other countries, is Christmas. This holiday is probably the favorite holiday of most Americans. People love the beautiful lights adorning the houses, businesses, and greenery throughout the many communities. The wonder and excitement in children’s eyes fill people with excitement. The seemingly magical generosity of the masses brings hope and joy to the weary hearted. It’s truly a special time of year when people have so much to look forward to and hope for.
Christmas is one of my two favorite holidays. I admit that I love the wonder and excitement children feel at Christmas. I love the bright and happy lights riddled throughout the communities. And I love the special generosity the human race feels towards one another at Christmas.
But none of these would be listed as my favorite part about Christmas. My favorite part of Christmas is actually something many in the world, especially commercialized America, have forgotten. It’s the true meaning behind Christmas, Jesus Christ. And it is the faith Christmas rejuvenates in Jesus Christ for those who search for this true meaning.
Unfortunately, the true meaning of Christmas is being lost in today’s world. It’s truly sad when you consider what is becoming of this wonderful holiday. People easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of buying presents and forget about Jesus Christ. Many search under the tree for the largest present in hopes it is what they’ve been dreaming of receiving, forgetting that Christmas is about the greatest gift our Heavenly Father sent to us. In fact the United States of America has even faced rigid opposition to the name of “Christmas”. Many have called for a name change to “X-mas” with phrases such as “Happy Holidays” replacing “Merry Christmas”. All this has happened because some have proclaimed the name Christmas carries too much of a religious meaning.
But why shouldn’t Christmas carry such a religious meaning. Christmas is about the generosity of the heart, is it not? I proclaim to you that it is. Heavenly Father made the most generous gift to us that He could. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to redeem us, as discussed in the posts throughout August and September about Jesus Christ. And the coming of this Son to the earth is what Christmas is meant to celebrate.
Let me ask you, have you forgotten the wonderful birth of the baby Jesus? Have you forgotten the tale of His coming? Have you forgotten His condescension to be with Man? Have you forgotten all He did for you? Are you too busy plotting on how to spend your money for Christmas gifts and guessing just what you will get to spend time pondering on the true meaning of Christmas?
If so, I have my own little gift for you, a gift I hope will be fit for my present to my Redeemer. My gift to you is going to be a focus for the next little while on the true meaning of Christmas. I’m going to tell you the one true Christmas story in my own words over the next blog or two and share some of my personal feelings with you about Christmas. And I hope it will help you focus more on why Christmas is so wonderful.
For now, let me close by sharing with you my faith in Christmas. I have faith that Christmas draws the world closer to Christ as the people within the world open up their hearts to the spirit of sharing. I know this is brought about because the love of Christ is spreading forth in the hearts of men. I have faith that those who open their hearts to Christ get the most out of Christmas, and I know these people find Christmas the most joyous out of all the people of the earth.
I know the joy of getting gifts is nothing compared to the joy of giving those gifts, and I have faith that any who focus more on giving than getting will find themselves happier people than those who don’t.
I know Christmas is about Jesus Christ. And I have faith that many people will remember this and have their strength in Him strengthened throughout this Christmas season. With all my heart I wish to you a very Merry Christmas.
I would love to name the holidays of the world for you. Unfortunately, I’m not an expert on the holidays of the world. I know a few of the holidays outside of the United States of America, but not many. However, being a native to the United States of America, I am more familiar with these holidays. And Americans, as we are commonly called, have a holiday for almost everything. In fact there is at least one major holiday in almost every month of the year.
At this time of year, one of the most popular holidays celebrated by Americans, and even a large number of other countries, is Christmas. This holiday is probably the favorite holiday of most Americans. People love the beautiful lights adorning the houses, businesses, and greenery throughout the many communities. The wonder and excitement in children’s eyes fill people with excitement. The seemingly magical generosity of the masses brings hope and joy to the weary hearted. It’s truly a special time of year when people have so much to look forward to and hope for.
Christmas is one of my two favorite holidays. I admit that I love the wonder and excitement children feel at Christmas. I love the bright and happy lights riddled throughout the communities. And I love the special generosity the human race feels towards one another at Christmas.
But none of these would be listed as my favorite part about Christmas. My favorite part of Christmas is actually something many in the world, especially commercialized America, have forgotten. It’s the true meaning behind Christmas, Jesus Christ. And it is the faith Christmas rejuvenates in Jesus Christ for those who search for this true meaning.
Unfortunately, the true meaning of Christmas is being lost in today’s world. It’s truly sad when you consider what is becoming of this wonderful holiday. People easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of buying presents and forget about Jesus Christ. Many search under the tree for the largest present in hopes it is what they’ve been dreaming of receiving, forgetting that Christmas is about the greatest gift our Heavenly Father sent to us. In fact the United States of America has even faced rigid opposition to the name of “Christmas”. Many have called for a name change to “X-mas” with phrases such as “Happy Holidays” replacing “Merry Christmas”. All this has happened because some have proclaimed the name Christmas carries too much of a religious meaning.
But why shouldn’t Christmas carry such a religious meaning. Christmas is about the generosity of the heart, is it not? I proclaim to you that it is. Heavenly Father made the most generous gift to us that He could. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to redeem us, as discussed in the posts throughout August and September about Jesus Christ. And the coming of this Son to the earth is what Christmas is meant to celebrate.
Let me ask you, have you forgotten the wonderful birth of the baby Jesus? Have you forgotten the tale of His coming? Have you forgotten His condescension to be with Man? Have you forgotten all He did for you? Are you too busy plotting on how to spend your money for Christmas gifts and guessing just what you will get to spend time pondering on the true meaning of Christmas?
If so, I have my own little gift for you, a gift I hope will be fit for my present to my Redeemer. My gift to you is going to be a focus for the next little while on the true meaning of Christmas. I’m going to tell you the one true Christmas story in my own words over the next blog or two and share some of my personal feelings with you about Christmas. And I hope it will help you focus more on why Christmas is so wonderful.
For now, let me close by sharing with you my faith in Christmas. I have faith that Christmas draws the world closer to Christ as the people within the world open up their hearts to the spirit of sharing. I know this is brought about because the love of Christ is spreading forth in the hearts of men. I have faith that those who open their hearts to Christ get the most out of Christmas, and I know these people find Christmas the most joyous out of all the people of the earth.
I know the joy of getting gifts is nothing compared to the joy of giving those gifts, and I have faith that any who focus more on giving than getting will find themselves happier people than those who don’t.
I know Christmas is about Jesus Christ. And I have faith that many people will remember this and have their strength in Him strengthened throughout this Christmas season. With all my heart I wish to you a very Merry Christmas.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Faith and Repentance
There is a certain subject that has been weighing heavily on my mind for some time now. I feel this blog needs to leave its focus on the divine faith of women in order to turn its focus to this important topic. This precious subject is repentance.
I thought I would begin by defining repentance. When we turn to The Bible Dictionary, we learn repentance is a translation from a Greek word that denotes a change of mind. The Bible Dictionary clarifies what this means by stating, “Repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined.”
This is important to understand. When we are born into mortality, we receive a body of flesh and bone. This body carries certain needs, desires, and passions. For example we need food, water, and air to live. We need love and respect in order to have a sense of self worth. We need intimacy in order to procreate. In addition it draws us closer to our eternal companions when properly used.
Our natural bodies take these needs and turn them into natural desires. We have a desire to eat delicious food, which can lead to overeating, unhealthy eating, and disobedience to the Word of Wisdom. (The Word of Wisdom is found in the 89th Section of The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of this church recognize this as revelation given by God through President Joseph Smith. It provides direction for taking care of our physical bodies and makes promises for those who uphold it.) Our desire for respect can lead us to seek for worldly power and prestige, driving us to break the commandment of holding no other “gods” before the One True God. And our desires for physical intimacy can drive us to break the laws of marriage and chastity, which state we will have no physical intimacy except between a man and a woman legally married.
There are many other desires held by our physical bodies. Each of these can be satisfied in accordance with the laws of God. However, our physical bodies push us to satisfy these desires without respect to the laws of God. When we choose to satisfy any desire in a manner breaking the laws of God, we are sinning. Then we need repentance.
When we have faith in Jesus Christ, it will always lead us to the point of repentance. This is because we will desire the promises He has made. These include eternal life with God and all that our Heavenly Father has. Think of all the things our Heavenly Father, who is God, has. That is truly a magnificent promise.
But this promise rests upon our repentance. So it is that our faith will always lead us to repentance. At first we will probably do it for the promise. But over time we will find ourselves repenting simply because we love Jesus and we know Him. When we know Him, we learn God is always doing what is best for us, even when we don’t understand it. This means we can always trust that His will is best for us. Thus our mind begins to change to seek after His will in all things, knowing His will brings about our best interests in the long run far better than ours could.
So we have a change of mind. Our minds change to trust God’s will over ours. Repentance means changing our minds to follow God’s will and not the desire of our flesh. So, doesn’t it make sense that having faith, true faith, in Jesus Christ leads us to repentance?
It does. And as we practice repentance, we draw closer to Jesus Christ. As we draw closer to Him, we repent of ever smaller deviations from the will of God. We learn to recognize repentance as a gift from God that allows us hope. We learn to cherish this gift and look for ways to practice it every day of our lives.
This wonderful gift of repentance is difficult to do. It takes a long time and a lot of effort. This is because it is only truly completed when we no longer desire to perform the acts that don’t conform to the laws of God. It isn’t enough to simply say, “I’m sorry I did that.” It isn’t enough to refrain from doing it again. True repentance requires that we repay any damages—whether in time, money, or effort—created by our sins. It requires that we no longer commit those acts. And it requires that we no longer desire to commit those acts.
This means it requires faith. Think about your biggest weakness. Most of us aren’t honest enough with ourselves to really confess even to ourselves what that biggest weakness is. But try to just for one moment. When you have, consider how much work it would take to forsake that weakness. If you are being honest with yourself, you know you can’t do it. So what is the point?
The point is to practice faith and believe Jesus Christ overcame these temptations and can help you overcome yours as well. Then you must practice faith and try to repent. You’ll fail. So you’ll have to practice faith and try again. Again you’ll fail. So, you will need to practice faith and try again. And you must keep at this until the time comes that Jesus Christ steps forward and gives you the help you need. But faith in Jesus Christ will lead you to do it to the point you learn it is worth every ounce of pain and effort it requires.
I can testify that I know how precious the gift of repentance is. I know how much it is worth the effort it requires. I am a sinner. There are many things I have done in my life that are not in accordance with the will of God. So I have needed to repent many times. Some of these have been more serious than others. Therefore some have been more difficult and have taken more time to repent of than others. And I still have many to go. In fact, I think I have far more to go than those I’ve worked on. But I have practiced repentance and I have learned how precious it is.
Let me close this entry by exhorting you to repentance. You know you aren’t perfect. You know what your flaws are. And you know they don’t conform to the laws of God. So repent. You will find the process difficult and painful. You will find the process rewarding and very much worth it.
I thought I would begin by defining repentance. When we turn to The Bible Dictionary, we learn repentance is a translation from a Greek word that denotes a change of mind. The Bible Dictionary clarifies what this means by stating, “Repentance comes to mean a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined.”
This is important to understand. When we are born into mortality, we receive a body of flesh and bone. This body carries certain needs, desires, and passions. For example we need food, water, and air to live. We need love and respect in order to have a sense of self worth. We need intimacy in order to procreate. In addition it draws us closer to our eternal companions when properly used.
Our natural bodies take these needs and turn them into natural desires. We have a desire to eat delicious food, which can lead to overeating, unhealthy eating, and disobedience to the Word of Wisdom. (The Word of Wisdom is found in the 89th Section of The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of this church recognize this as revelation given by God through President Joseph Smith. It provides direction for taking care of our physical bodies and makes promises for those who uphold it.) Our desire for respect can lead us to seek for worldly power and prestige, driving us to break the commandment of holding no other “gods” before the One True God. And our desires for physical intimacy can drive us to break the laws of marriage and chastity, which state we will have no physical intimacy except between a man and a woman legally married.
There are many other desires held by our physical bodies. Each of these can be satisfied in accordance with the laws of God. However, our physical bodies push us to satisfy these desires without respect to the laws of God. When we choose to satisfy any desire in a manner breaking the laws of God, we are sinning. Then we need repentance.
When we have faith in Jesus Christ, it will always lead us to the point of repentance. This is because we will desire the promises He has made. These include eternal life with God and all that our Heavenly Father has. Think of all the things our Heavenly Father, who is God, has. That is truly a magnificent promise.
But this promise rests upon our repentance. So it is that our faith will always lead us to repentance. At first we will probably do it for the promise. But over time we will find ourselves repenting simply because we love Jesus and we know Him. When we know Him, we learn God is always doing what is best for us, even when we don’t understand it. This means we can always trust that His will is best for us. Thus our mind begins to change to seek after His will in all things, knowing His will brings about our best interests in the long run far better than ours could.
So we have a change of mind. Our minds change to trust God’s will over ours. Repentance means changing our minds to follow God’s will and not the desire of our flesh. So, doesn’t it make sense that having faith, true faith, in Jesus Christ leads us to repentance?
It does. And as we practice repentance, we draw closer to Jesus Christ. As we draw closer to Him, we repent of ever smaller deviations from the will of God. We learn to recognize repentance as a gift from God that allows us hope. We learn to cherish this gift and look for ways to practice it every day of our lives.
This wonderful gift of repentance is difficult to do. It takes a long time and a lot of effort. This is because it is only truly completed when we no longer desire to perform the acts that don’t conform to the laws of God. It isn’t enough to simply say, “I’m sorry I did that.” It isn’t enough to refrain from doing it again. True repentance requires that we repay any damages—whether in time, money, or effort—created by our sins. It requires that we no longer commit those acts. And it requires that we no longer desire to commit those acts.
This means it requires faith. Think about your biggest weakness. Most of us aren’t honest enough with ourselves to really confess even to ourselves what that biggest weakness is. But try to just for one moment. When you have, consider how much work it would take to forsake that weakness. If you are being honest with yourself, you know you can’t do it. So what is the point?
The point is to practice faith and believe Jesus Christ overcame these temptations and can help you overcome yours as well. Then you must practice faith and try to repent. You’ll fail. So you’ll have to practice faith and try again. Again you’ll fail. So, you will need to practice faith and try again. And you must keep at this until the time comes that Jesus Christ steps forward and gives you the help you need. But faith in Jesus Christ will lead you to do it to the point you learn it is worth every ounce of pain and effort it requires.
I can testify that I know how precious the gift of repentance is. I know how much it is worth the effort it requires. I am a sinner. There are many things I have done in my life that are not in accordance with the will of God. So I have needed to repent many times. Some of these have been more serious than others. Therefore some have been more difficult and have taken more time to repent of than others. And I still have many to go. In fact, I think I have far more to go than those I’ve worked on. But I have practiced repentance and I have learned how precious it is.
Let me close this entry by exhorting you to repentance. You know you aren’t perfect. You know what your flaws are. And you know they don’t conform to the laws of God. So repent. You will find the process difficult and painful. You will find the process rewarding and very much worth it.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The Faith of Sarah
When I think of women of faith in the scriptures, I often think of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Sarah had to practice faith many times throughout her life. For example, Sarah was related to Abraham through family bloodlines before they married. When Abraham and Sarah entered foreign lands, she was asked to claim this as her relationship to Abraham and ignore her claim as his husband. This protected Abraham from death at the hands of the government. Sarah was required to have faith the Lord would protect her marriage in these circumstances. And the Lord did.
Sarah was again called upon to exercise faith when Abraham went to rescue Lot from the kings of the land. Since he was captured by kings, Lot was undoubtedly under guard by large armies of men. Yet Abraham only had his servants with which to rescue him. Abraham was a very wealthy man and would have commanded a large number of servants. Yet I can’t help but doubt he commanded a number equal to or greater than the armies of the kings of the land. Yet he went forth to rescue Lot.
Imagine the faith Sarah would need to have to trust the Lord would protect her husband and his men in this rescue mission. Military tactics are quite different today than they were in Sarah’s time. Nevertheless, it still stands true that numbers make a difference. Sarah would have known this. Abraham, being a righteous man, undoubtedly discussed his intentions with Sarah before going. Sarah would have known the power of the hand of God. I believe she trusted God and supported Abraham’s mission.
There are many other times that Sarah practices faith throughout her life. But I wish to turn now to the one that catches my attention most. This is the faith Sarah demonstrated throughout the many times she was asked to move with Abraham.
Sarah, then called Sarai, was married to Abraham before he left the land of Ur. Through The Book of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price, we learn there was an attempt to sacrifice Abraham in the land of Ur because he believed in the true god. The land was a wicked land. Sarah must have held great faith in God in order to support Abraham in his faith in God.
Abraham’s family was a wealthy one in this land as well. Yet Abraham decided to leave the land anyway. Imagine the faith Sarah would need to have in order to forsake this wealth and travel with Abraham into the wilderness. It would have taken faith in Abraham and faith in God. Sarah had that faith and left with Abraham.
Their travels eventually took them to Egypt, where Abraham gained a great deal of wealth and prestige. Again Abraham chose to leave this life of prestige. Sarah again showed her faith as she went with him. And she does so every time Abraham forsook the things of the world to pursue the things of God.
There is a lot we can learn from this faith Sarah shows. What stands out to me, however, is that Sarah showed she trusted God and not the wealth of the world. This is an important lesson for us to learn. The things of this world dwindle with time. We have seen that the wealth generated by the stock market can collapse overnight. Those who hold great worldly wealth can lose it in the blink of an eye. Many have.
Another worldly good we can trust in is science. But we have found the scientific truths we know today can be proven wrong tomorrow. An example is the once proven fact that Pluto was a planet. Now the world claims it as merely a planetoid.
We can have faith that the pleasures of the flesh can provide us happiness. But these pleasures can be denied us easily through a paralyzing accident.
But when we put our faith in God, we will find the true happiness. We will find that, as Sarah did, we will go where He wants us to go. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly wealth. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly security. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly prestige. Sometimes doing so brings back the wealth, security, and prestige of the world as it did with Abraham and Sarah. But it doesn’t always bring us these fickle things. Yet we will always find this faith leads us to godly and eternal wealth, security, and prestige.
Abraham and Sarah knew this godly and eternal wealth, security, and prestige. They would never have received such blessings had they ignored the call of God. Had they walked their paths of comfort and left behind the paths of God, they would have forever travelled the roads of the wicked land of Ur. Abraham would have been sacrificed to the gods of Ur. Sarah would have lost her husband and never known her posterity.
We need to learn to trust in God and follow the paths He gives us. This is the lesson of the life of Sarah. Take it to heart and try to live the kind of life she did.
Sarah was again called upon to exercise faith when Abraham went to rescue Lot from the kings of the land. Since he was captured by kings, Lot was undoubtedly under guard by large armies of men. Yet Abraham only had his servants with which to rescue him. Abraham was a very wealthy man and would have commanded a large number of servants. Yet I can’t help but doubt he commanded a number equal to or greater than the armies of the kings of the land. Yet he went forth to rescue Lot.
Imagine the faith Sarah would need to have to trust the Lord would protect her husband and his men in this rescue mission. Military tactics are quite different today than they were in Sarah’s time. Nevertheless, it still stands true that numbers make a difference. Sarah would have known this. Abraham, being a righteous man, undoubtedly discussed his intentions with Sarah before going. Sarah would have known the power of the hand of God. I believe she trusted God and supported Abraham’s mission.
There are many other times that Sarah practices faith throughout her life. But I wish to turn now to the one that catches my attention most. This is the faith Sarah demonstrated throughout the many times she was asked to move with Abraham.
Sarah, then called Sarai, was married to Abraham before he left the land of Ur. Through The Book of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price, we learn there was an attempt to sacrifice Abraham in the land of Ur because he believed in the true god. The land was a wicked land. Sarah must have held great faith in God in order to support Abraham in his faith in God.
Abraham’s family was a wealthy one in this land as well. Yet Abraham decided to leave the land anyway. Imagine the faith Sarah would need to have in order to forsake this wealth and travel with Abraham into the wilderness. It would have taken faith in Abraham and faith in God. Sarah had that faith and left with Abraham.
Their travels eventually took them to Egypt, where Abraham gained a great deal of wealth and prestige. Again Abraham chose to leave this life of prestige. Sarah again showed her faith as she went with him. And she does so every time Abraham forsook the things of the world to pursue the things of God.
There is a lot we can learn from this faith Sarah shows. What stands out to me, however, is that Sarah showed she trusted God and not the wealth of the world. This is an important lesson for us to learn. The things of this world dwindle with time. We have seen that the wealth generated by the stock market can collapse overnight. Those who hold great worldly wealth can lose it in the blink of an eye. Many have.
Another worldly good we can trust in is science. But we have found the scientific truths we know today can be proven wrong tomorrow. An example is the once proven fact that Pluto was a planet. Now the world claims it as merely a planetoid.
We can have faith that the pleasures of the flesh can provide us happiness. But these pleasures can be denied us easily through a paralyzing accident.
But when we put our faith in God, we will find the true happiness. We will find that, as Sarah did, we will go where He wants us to go. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly wealth. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly security. We will have the faith to leave behind worldly prestige. Sometimes doing so brings back the wealth, security, and prestige of the world as it did with Abraham and Sarah. But it doesn’t always bring us these fickle things. Yet we will always find this faith leads us to godly and eternal wealth, security, and prestige.
Abraham and Sarah knew this godly and eternal wealth, security, and prestige. They would never have received such blessings had they ignored the call of God. Had they walked their paths of comfort and left behind the paths of God, they would have forever travelled the roads of the wicked land of Ur. Abraham would have been sacrificed to the gods of Ur. Sarah would have lost her husband and never known her posterity.
We need to learn to trust in God and follow the paths He gives us. This is the lesson of the life of Sarah. Take it to heart and try to live the kind of life she did.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Faith of My Mother
As this blog continues to focus on the faith of women, I must devote an entry to my mother. This dear woman has seemed to carry one trial right after another throughout her life. For example, she has faced financial struggles most of her life. She has also faced marital struggles at times, just as most married people do. And my mother has faced countless struggles with her children.
I’ve grown up watching my mom endure these trials with an unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ. There have been times she has felt certain she had reached her limit on what she could endure. She has often doubted her own strength. But she has always trusted that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He had the power to help her. So I want to share what I have seen and learned from watching my mother endure her trials, particularly focusing on the financial struggles.
The financial struggle is a struggle I’ve seen my mother endure pretty much my whole life. I also know she endured this struggle from the time she was child. My dear grandmother never had much financial wealth, probably due to raising seven children largely on her own. I can’t remember how long she did raise the children herself before remarrying, but I know she did for a time. So my mother never knew financial wealth as a child.
Then there has been her life as a married adult. My parents have often started building financial security only to find some difficulty stripped this security away from them. For example, my father started a dairy farm partnership with his brother. Things were going well for a time. Then my uncle decided to exit the partnership. Unfortunately, not long after he decided to do so, the dairy farm ran into problems. Most of the cows, which brought in most of the money, died from various causes such as disease. This difficulty and the many others that have struck my parents have prevented my parents from building their wealth.
Through all of these financial difficulties, my mother has continued to believe the Lord will provide for her. Then she has acted on this faith by continuing to hold a job and provide what financial support she could for her family. When she received the opportunity, she went back to school to learn new skills. These skills allowed her to obtain a better-paying job. And she continues to act on her faith that the Lord will provide. And though my parents have never become wealthy, the Lord has continued to provide them with the means they need to support their family.
From my mother’s example of faith, I’ve been able to learn the power of reliance on the Lord. When we trust in God, believing our needs will be provided for if we continue to act in faith, God will provide for our needs. I’ve also learned that we don’t need financial wealth to be happy. We need faith in God to be happy. Oh, sure, financial wealth can help by building our security. But financial wealth is a fleeting thing that can disappear overnight. But the happiness that comes from faith in God can only be taken if we ourselves give up our faith.
I do want to stress that it is okay to face doubts. As I’ve stated, my mother has. It’s okay to feel we are at the end of our strength. It’s okay to wonder if we have the strength to endure more. It’s okay to even wonder at times if there really is a god who loves and cares about us. These doubts and fears were part of the Plan of Happiness. We were meant to come here and face these doubts.
In fact, faith cannot take place if we don’t at times face doubts. But we must remember that when we face these doubts and fears we must turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. This is what I’ve watched my mother do. This is the lesson we need to learn most from my mother. We must turn to Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. Then we must act on that faith and do what we can for ourselves. Then God will take care of the rest.
I can’t promise you what the rest will be. You may find He brings you financial wealth. Or He may allow you to remain in poverty while granting you happiness, hope, and love. He may grant you physical health. Or He may allow you to hold the burdens of sicknesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. He may grant you many loving children of your own. Or He may leave you only the option of adoption for building the family you desire.
But I have learned from my mother that when you turn to the Lord in faith and do what you can for yourself, He does take care of the rest. I have since tested this myself. So I can promise you that if you will take your problems, doubts, fears, and concerns to your Heavenly Father in prayer and faith, He will listen to you. And He will take care of you. I can promise that you will have true happiness even if you don’t get the things that bring you fleeting happiness. So follow the example of my mother and turn to God in faith.
I’ve grown up watching my mom endure these trials with an unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ. There have been times she has felt certain she had reached her limit on what she could endure. She has often doubted her own strength. But she has always trusted that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He had the power to help her. So I want to share what I have seen and learned from watching my mother endure her trials, particularly focusing on the financial struggles.
The financial struggle is a struggle I’ve seen my mother endure pretty much my whole life. I also know she endured this struggle from the time she was child. My dear grandmother never had much financial wealth, probably due to raising seven children largely on her own. I can’t remember how long she did raise the children herself before remarrying, but I know she did for a time. So my mother never knew financial wealth as a child.
Then there has been her life as a married adult. My parents have often started building financial security only to find some difficulty stripped this security away from them. For example, my father started a dairy farm partnership with his brother. Things were going well for a time. Then my uncle decided to exit the partnership. Unfortunately, not long after he decided to do so, the dairy farm ran into problems. Most of the cows, which brought in most of the money, died from various causes such as disease. This difficulty and the many others that have struck my parents have prevented my parents from building their wealth.
Through all of these financial difficulties, my mother has continued to believe the Lord will provide for her. Then she has acted on this faith by continuing to hold a job and provide what financial support she could for her family. When she received the opportunity, she went back to school to learn new skills. These skills allowed her to obtain a better-paying job. And she continues to act on her faith that the Lord will provide. And though my parents have never become wealthy, the Lord has continued to provide them with the means they need to support their family.
From my mother’s example of faith, I’ve been able to learn the power of reliance on the Lord. When we trust in God, believing our needs will be provided for if we continue to act in faith, God will provide for our needs. I’ve also learned that we don’t need financial wealth to be happy. We need faith in God to be happy. Oh, sure, financial wealth can help by building our security. But financial wealth is a fleeting thing that can disappear overnight. But the happiness that comes from faith in God can only be taken if we ourselves give up our faith.
I do want to stress that it is okay to face doubts. As I’ve stated, my mother has. It’s okay to feel we are at the end of our strength. It’s okay to wonder if we have the strength to endure more. It’s okay to even wonder at times if there really is a god who loves and cares about us. These doubts and fears were part of the Plan of Happiness. We were meant to come here and face these doubts.
In fact, faith cannot take place if we don’t at times face doubts. But we must remember that when we face these doubts and fears we must turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. This is what I’ve watched my mother do. This is the lesson we need to learn most from my mother. We must turn to Heavenly Father in prayer and faith. Then we must act on that faith and do what we can for ourselves. Then God will take care of the rest.
I can’t promise you what the rest will be. You may find He brings you financial wealth. Or He may allow you to remain in poverty while granting you happiness, hope, and love. He may grant you physical health. Or He may allow you to hold the burdens of sicknesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. He may grant you many loving children of your own. Or He may leave you only the option of adoption for building the family you desire.
But I have learned from my mother that when you turn to the Lord in faith and do what you can for yourself, He does take care of the rest. I have since tested this myself. So I can promise you that if you will take your problems, doubts, fears, and concerns to your Heavenly Father in prayer and faith, He will listen to you. And He will take care of you. I can promise that you will have true happiness even if you don’t get the things that bring you fleeting happiness. So follow the example of my mother and turn to God in faith.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Faith of Eve
When I think of women of faith, I can’t help but think of the mother of all living, Eve. This remarkable woman showed remarkable faith throughout her life. I want to focus on two different occasions in which Eve demonstrated her remarkable faith. The first deals with partaking the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; the second is the faith she showed upon being cast out of the Garden of Eden.
The Book of Genesis and The Old Testament and the Book of Moses in The Pearl of Great Price both give an account of the Garden of Eden. While there, Satan used the serpent to tempt Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I once believed Eve was not deceived, but decided to partake of the fruit because she knew she must. I have learned through study, though, that Eve was deceived by the cunning of Lucifer. She partook of the fruit believing the serpent had told her the truth.
Nevertheless, we learn through Moses 5:11-12 that Eve later rejoiced that this transgression brought about the Fall of mankind and, through it, the ability to become like God. This shows us that Eve had faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. She knew she had entered a fallen state through her choice. She knew this separated her from the presence of God and placed her in a state subject to pain and affliction, temptation and sin. Yet she believed that Jehovah would come to perform His mission. She believed that through His actions, Adam and Eve and all their posterity could be saved from sin if they would repent and turn unto Christ. She believed Jesus would overcome the effects of the Fall, making it possible for Adam and Eve and their posterity to enter the presence of God again.
Eve’s example teaches us that we can have hope and faith in the Savior as well. We will make mistakes, just as Eve did. But we can rejoice in the knowledge we gain from these mistakes. We can rejoice because Jesus overcame the effects of the Fall and the effects of sin. We can rejoice because Jesus can grant us freedom from these effects if we turn to Him in faith. He may not grant us freedom from the temporal consequences (though sometimes He does), but He will grant us freedom from the eternal consequences. All that is required of us is faith in Him and repentance.
The second example of faith Eve demonstrates is faith in her spouse, Adam. She demonstrated this faith when the time came that she and Adam were cast out of the Garden of Eden. She continued to demonstrate it throughout the remainder of her life.
After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God came to the Garden of Eden to bestow upon Adam and Eve the consequences of their choice. Adam, the provider of the family, would find he must work to bring support for his family. No longer would the earth just provide this sustenance. He had to covenant with God that he would obey the commandments of God given to him through revelation. All men were subject to these consequences.
Eve, the primary nurturer of the family, would suffer the pains of giving birth. In addition, she was to subject herself to the council of her husband, so long as he acted in accordance to the laws of God. All women were subject to these consequences. Eve had faith in Adam. She knew he would follow the laws of God. She knew he would be good to her, loving her and treating her as his equal (for she was his equal). She trusted he would do what was right and that subjecting herself to him would help her live in righteousness so that she could return with him to Heavenly Father. She let this faith guide her through her life with Adam.
When we study this example of faith, we find valuable lessons for ourselves. We learn that we need to have faith in our spouse. They are our equal. We should believe in their ability to make righteous choices, in spite of their weaknesses, that will help us return to Heavenly Father. We should believe their righteous examples can help us become better individuals who are more capable of following God. We need our spouses more than we could ever know. And we will be stronger and more capable of coming back to Christ in faith when we love and revere our spouses.
Eve was a remarkable woman. She demonstrated remarkable faith throughout her life. I’ve touched on two occasions, and even then only on portions of the faith she showed in those two circumstances. But even from the little covered in just those two circumstances, we can learn so much about faith from the life of Eve.
Scriptures used for this post:
Genesis 3-4
Moses 4-5
The Book of Genesis and The Old Testament and the Book of Moses in The Pearl of Great Price both give an account of the Garden of Eden. While there, Satan used the serpent to tempt Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I once believed Eve was not deceived, but decided to partake of the fruit because she knew she must. I have learned through study, though, that Eve was deceived by the cunning of Lucifer. She partook of the fruit believing the serpent had told her the truth.
Nevertheless, we learn through Moses 5:11-12 that Eve later rejoiced that this transgression brought about the Fall of mankind and, through it, the ability to become like God. This shows us that Eve had faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. She knew she had entered a fallen state through her choice. She knew this separated her from the presence of God and placed her in a state subject to pain and affliction, temptation and sin. Yet she believed that Jehovah would come to perform His mission. She believed that through His actions, Adam and Eve and all their posterity could be saved from sin if they would repent and turn unto Christ. She believed Jesus would overcome the effects of the Fall, making it possible for Adam and Eve and their posterity to enter the presence of God again.
Eve’s example teaches us that we can have hope and faith in the Savior as well. We will make mistakes, just as Eve did. But we can rejoice in the knowledge we gain from these mistakes. We can rejoice because Jesus overcame the effects of the Fall and the effects of sin. We can rejoice because Jesus can grant us freedom from these effects if we turn to Him in faith. He may not grant us freedom from the temporal consequences (though sometimes He does), but He will grant us freedom from the eternal consequences. All that is required of us is faith in Him and repentance.
The second example of faith Eve demonstrates is faith in her spouse, Adam. She demonstrated this faith when the time came that she and Adam were cast out of the Garden of Eden. She continued to demonstrate it throughout the remainder of her life.
After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, God came to the Garden of Eden to bestow upon Adam and Eve the consequences of their choice. Adam, the provider of the family, would find he must work to bring support for his family. No longer would the earth just provide this sustenance. He had to covenant with God that he would obey the commandments of God given to him through revelation. All men were subject to these consequences.
Eve, the primary nurturer of the family, would suffer the pains of giving birth. In addition, she was to subject herself to the council of her husband, so long as he acted in accordance to the laws of God. All women were subject to these consequences. Eve had faith in Adam. She knew he would follow the laws of God. She knew he would be good to her, loving her and treating her as his equal (for she was his equal). She trusted he would do what was right and that subjecting herself to him would help her live in righteousness so that she could return with him to Heavenly Father. She let this faith guide her through her life with Adam.
When we study this example of faith, we find valuable lessons for ourselves. We learn that we need to have faith in our spouse. They are our equal. We should believe in their ability to make righteous choices, in spite of their weaknesses, that will help us return to Heavenly Father. We should believe their righteous examples can help us become better individuals who are more capable of following God. We need our spouses more than we could ever know. And we will be stronger and more capable of coming back to Christ in faith when we love and revere our spouses.
Eve was a remarkable woman. She demonstrated remarkable faith throughout her life. I’ve touched on two occasions, and even then only on portions of the faith she showed in those two circumstances. But even from the little covered in just those two circumstances, we can learn so much about faith from the life of Eve.
Scriptures used for this post:
Genesis 3-4
Moses 4-5
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Faith of My Wife
Last week’s blog addressed the marvel of the faith of women. Women are generally exceptionally good at practicing faith in their everyday lives. I am an extremely blessed man, for one of these exceptional women chose to marry me for time and all eternity in the temple of God.
My wife has demonstrated exceptional faith many times in the short four and a half years I’ve known her. But before I tell you some of these remarkable stories, let me began by telling you about the difficulties she must overcome daily in order to exercise faith.
My dear wife struggles with two difficult disorders: general anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. These disorders bring several difficulties into her life. For example, when a thought enters her mind, it often dwells there. So when she has a fear pop into her mind, such as a fear she didn’t explain herself clearly, this fear will often stay there. She will need to address the fear multiple times in order to eliminate it. She also struggles with change at higher levels than most people. In addition, she is driven more than anybody else I know to be perfect in everything.
The faith my wife demonstrates is absolutely remarkable. Knowing the obstacles she must overcome to exercise this faith makes it even more remarkable. I want to share three different times I’ve seen tremendous faith from her: when we were married, when we decided to have our first child, and in our current financial position.
When my dearly beloved and I first met, we didn’t find each other ideal. I thought she was obnoxious and rude. She didn’t think much better of me. Yet over time I fell in love with her and started pursuing a relationship. I was much different than she anticipated. She wanted somebody funny and sarcastic, with a sense of humor similar to hers. I didn’t have these characteristics. She pictured somebody with different appearances than me. And she wanted somebody interested in ghosts, aliens, and scary stories. I again fell short.
Yet somehow the cards fell into place for me to spark her interest. As time passed she concluded we should get married. This took a great deal of faith on her part. She had to have faith in herself and the feelings she had, believing they were true and that we should get married. She had to have faith in me, believing I would be a good husband. And she had to have faith in Heavenly Father, trusting He would help our marriage be a success.
My wife had fears. She had doubts. She came close to calling our wedding off many times. But she chose to go forward in faith. We were married. Now she sometimes wonders if she and I did the right thing. But most of the time she finds she enjoys our union and cherishes our love. She and I love each other dearly and are glad we can spend so much time together.
Things didn’t get easier when we decided to have a baby. “A baby!?!” she thought. “How am I supposed to take care of a baby?” She didn’t even really like babies. They sometimes smelled like poop. They made messes. And they cried a lot. It didn’t help that she was convinced she couldn’t be a good mother.
But we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize that great happiness is promised to those who choose to be good parents that raise their children to know and respect God. My wife decided to have faith in the blessings promised to those who choose to have children. And she decided to have a baby.
Now we have a little girl. We both adore this little one. Sometimes my wife gets sick of her, especially when she has to spend all day with her while I am at work, and all night with her while I am at some class or meeting. But most of the time she finds this little bundle of joy delightfully cute. And she is glad to have the young dear in our lives.
Finally, my wife has demonstrated remarkable faith in our Heavenly Father in our current situation. I am graduating college with my Masters in Accountancy this December. As such I am currently searching for a career job. I’ve been looking for about three months, but I’ve still been unsuccessful in my search.
In addition, my current employment ends soon and will leave me jobless. We aren’t sure where we will end up or when I’ll have a job. Yet my wife trusts our Heavenly Father will take care of us. She continues to pray for a job for me every night, believing her prayers will be answered. And we both know the Lord will take care of us and help me get a job, though we don’t know when, where, or how.
I am impressed by the faith my wife demonstrates every day. She has difficult obstacles to overcome just to live with faith. But she continues to do so all the time. My wife is truly a remarkable woman. I am very lucky to have her at my side helping me through the difficulties of life.
My wife has demonstrated exceptional faith many times in the short four and a half years I’ve known her. But before I tell you some of these remarkable stories, let me began by telling you about the difficulties she must overcome daily in order to exercise faith.
My dear wife struggles with two difficult disorders: general anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. These disorders bring several difficulties into her life. For example, when a thought enters her mind, it often dwells there. So when she has a fear pop into her mind, such as a fear she didn’t explain herself clearly, this fear will often stay there. She will need to address the fear multiple times in order to eliminate it. She also struggles with change at higher levels than most people. In addition, she is driven more than anybody else I know to be perfect in everything.
The faith my wife demonstrates is absolutely remarkable. Knowing the obstacles she must overcome to exercise this faith makes it even more remarkable. I want to share three different times I’ve seen tremendous faith from her: when we were married, when we decided to have our first child, and in our current financial position.
When my dearly beloved and I first met, we didn’t find each other ideal. I thought she was obnoxious and rude. She didn’t think much better of me. Yet over time I fell in love with her and started pursuing a relationship. I was much different than she anticipated. She wanted somebody funny and sarcastic, with a sense of humor similar to hers. I didn’t have these characteristics. She pictured somebody with different appearances than me. And she wanted somebody interested in ghosts, aliens, and scary stories. I again fell short.
Yet somehow the cards fell into place for me to spark her interest. As time passed she concluded we should get married. This took a great deal of faith on her part. She had to have faith in herself and the feelings she had, believing they were true and that we should get married. She had to have faith in me, believing I would be a good husband. And she had to have faith in Heavenly Father, trusting He would help our marriage be a success.
My wife had fears. She had doubts. She came close to calling our wedding off many times. But she chose to go forward in faith. We were married. Now she sometimes wonders if she and I did the right thing. But most of the time she finds she enjoys our union and cherishes our love. She and I love each other dearly and are glad we can spend so much time together.
Things didn’t get easier when we decided to have a baby. “A baby!?!” she thought. “How am I supposed to take care of a baby?” She didn’t even really like babies. They sometimes smelled like poop. They made messes. And they cried a lot. It didn’t help that she was convinced she couldn’t be a good mother.
But we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognize that great happiness is promised to those who choose to be good parents that raise their children to know and respect God. My wife decided to have faith in the blessings promised to those who choose to have children. And she decided to have a baby.
Now we have a little girl. We both adore this little one. Sometimes my wife gets sick of her, especially when she has to spend all day with her while I am at work, and all night with her while I am at some class or meeting. But most of the time she finds this little bundle of joy delightfully cute. And she is glad to have the young dear in our lives.
Finally, my wife has demonstrated remarkable faith in our Heavenly Father in our current situation. I am graduating college with my Masters in Accountancy this December. As such I am currently searching for a career job. I’ve been looking for about three months, but I’ve still been unsuccessful in my search.
In addition, my current employment ends soon and will leave me jobless. We aren’t sure where we will end up or when I’ll have a job. Yet my wife trusts our Heavenly Father will take care of us. She continues to pray for a job for me every night, believing her prayers will be answered. And we both know the Lord will take care of us and help me get a job, though we don’t know when, where, or how.
I am impressed by the faith my wife demonstrates every day. She has difficult obstacles to overcome just to live with faith. But she continues to do so all the time. My wife is truly a remarkable woman. I am very lucky to have her at my side helping me through the difficulties of life.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Divine Women
One of the many topics members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints frequently discuss in their various meetings is the divinity of women. Women hold a special place in the hearts of Latter-day Saint members. We recognize they hold a special role in the Plan of Salvation that brings us home to our Heavenly Father. This role, along with the role of the man, can be found in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”. This precious document was given to the world by God through revelation. It reads:
"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”
One can’t help but marvel at the simple brilliance of this plan. Men and women are naturally different in many respects. Men are typically stronger and more capable of physical labor. This is why they are charged with providing the necessities of life and protection for their families.
Women, on the other hand, typically have a softer and gentler touch. They naturally tend to know better how to conduct the finer arts of love, charity, and compassion. These magnificent women tend to exhibit faith in the Lord Jesus Christ easier. They find it easier to live His teachings, as well as teach them to others. Is it any wonder women would be charged with the most important mission anybody could hold, that of nurturing, raising, and teaching children?
Why is this such an important mission? It is so important simply because the future of humanity depends upon success. Think about it. All that you learn about who you are you learn from your childhood home. You learn your self-worth. You learn your values. And you learn social responsibilities and skills. Nothing will bring about degradation of societal values and spiritual strength than failure in raising children to know and trust God. This is why this most sacred responsibility is given primarily to the most noble of God’s creations: women. No other creation, including men, is as capable of successfully performing this function.
In my life I have been blessed to know many strong women who love God. I have watched as these divine women have exercised their faith to move mountains of pain, sorrow, and anguish. I’ve witnessed the power of their faith as it has uplifted the weary, cheered the downhearted, and nurtured the weak. I’ve marveled as they have born their powerful testimonies through words and actions.
These wonderful examples of faith can be found in the scriptures and in my life. I want to dedicate my next few blog entries to these marvelous women. I will start next week with the woman who is most precious and dear to me: my wife.
For today let me close with my testimony of the power of the faith of women. Men who exercise their faith can do so just as well as women. But in my experience women are more likely to do so. Women are incredibly humble and divine. They are the biggest key to the success of the Plan of Salvation, in my opinion, because of their ability to exercise faith. I am very glad there are so many women who value their divine calling and perform it so admirably. To all of you, I wish to say thank you. We need you.
"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”
One can’t help but marvel at the simple brilliance of this plan. Men and women are naturally different in many respects. Men are typically stronger and more capable of physical labor. This is why they are charged with providing the necessities of life and protection for their families.
Women, on the other hand, typically have a softer and gentler touch. They naturally tend to know better how to conduct the finer arts of love, charity, and compassion. These magnificent women tend to exhibit faith in the Lord Jesus Christ easier. They find it easier to live His teachings, as well as teach them to others. Is it any wonder women would be charged with the most important mission anybody could hold, that of nurturing, raising, and teaching children?
Why is this such an important mission? It is so important simply because the future of humanity depends upon success. Think about it. All that you learn about who you are you learn from your childhood home. You learn your self-worth. You learn your values. And you learn social responsibilities and skills. Nothing will bring about degradation of societal values and spiritual strength than failure in raising children to know and trust God. This is why this most sacred responsibility is given primarily to the most noble of God’s creations: women. No other creation, including men, is as capable of successfully performing this function.
In my life I have been blessed to know many strong women who love God. I have watched as these divine women have exercised their faith to move mountains of pain, sorrow, and anguish. I’ve witnessed the power of their faith as it has uplifted the weary, cheered the downhearted, and nurtured the weak. I’ve marveled as they have born their powerful testimonies through words and actions.
These wonderful examples of faith can be found in the scriptures and in my life. I want to dedicate my next few blog entries to these marvelous women. I will start next week with the woman who is most precious and dear to me: my wife.
For today let me close with my testimony of the power of the faith of women. Men who exercise their faith can do so just as well as women. But in my experience women are more likely to do so. Women are incredibly humble and divine. They are the biggest key to the success of the Plan of Salvation, in my opinion, because of their ability to exercise faith. I am very glad there are so many women who value their divine calling and perform it so admirably. To all of you, I wish to say thank you. We need you.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Revelation
Last week’s post brought up the scripture James 1:5-6: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” The first part of this scripture, prayer, was the focus of last week’s blog. This week I would like to focus on the second part: revelation.
There is a story about this subject of which I am particularly fond. One of the general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (I can’t remember which one, but I think it was Elder Robert D. Hales) was having a discussion with a friend. The discussion was about whether or not God communicates with man. Both accepted The Holy Bible as true, as I do. I will assume you, the reader and possibly commenter, do as well. Accepting The Holy Bible as true meant both accepted that God communicated with man anciently.
The general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knew God still communicates with man. However, his friend did not. So He asked how one could believe in modern revelation. The response was that only one of three reasons could make it possible for God to have communicated with man anciently and not now. The two concluded none were possible and therefore God must communicate with man today. I believe these points can prove God has always communicated with man. So I want to address them.
The first point I wish to address was that God has lost the power to communicate with man. For this blog it will be expanded that God never had the power. Yet we know this can’t be so. Past blogs have demonstrated that God is omnipotent. He has power over all that is in the earth because He created it. What, then, could prevent Him from having the ability to communicate with man? The answer is nothing. He has always had the ability to communicate with us.
The second possibility is that God does not want to communicate with man. This is also not possible. God is our creator. He has a vested interest in our success because He wants us to return to His presence. He loves us more perfectly than any mortal father loves his children. And just as a mortal father wants to communicate with his children, God wants to communicate with us.
The final possibility is that we don’t need to talk with God. But be honest with yourself. You know you need God. Look at the troubles in your life. Perhaps, like me, you are uncertain about what your future holds and where you need to look to find it. You need direction from Him as to what to do. Or perhaps you have a child with a big problem. You need direction from God on the correct way to help your precious one. Or maybe your heart has been broken and you need to know your Heavenly Father loves you to lift your spirits.
It doesn’t matter what the problems are, you have them. And you need direction. And no one in this world is immune. Just consider the problems of our world and you will know it’s true. We have starvation throughout the world. Drug lords, terrorists, and oppressive monarchs rule many parts of the world. Economic collapse has crippled many countries in the world, including the United States. Hatred rages in the hearts of many. And overall morale collapse is claiming the societies of the world.
How can anyone claim that we don’t need God. Look into your heart and you will know we have always needed Him. Not only have we always needed Him, we need Him more now than at any other time in the history of our world.
So, God has the power to communicate with us, He has the desire, and we have the need. What other possible reason is there for why God wouldn’t communicate with us?
I know that God can communicate with us and He does. This is what we call revelation. When we exercise our faith and pray to God, God will answer us through revelation. I know this is true. I’ve had the privilege of having revelation bless my life and the lives of my family. You, too, can have this blessing in your life. Therefore, practice the admonition of James 1:5-6.
There is a story about this subject of which I am particularly fond. One of the general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (I can’t remember which one, but I think it was Elder Robert D. Hales) was having a discussion with a friend. The discussion was about whether or not God communicates with man. Both accepted The Holy Bible as true, as I do. I will assume you, the reader and possibly commenter, do as well. Accepting The Holy Bible as true meant both accepted that God communicated with man anciently.
The general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knew God still communicates with man. However, his friend did not. So He asked how one could believe in modern revelation. The response was that only one of three reasons could make it possible for God to have communicated with man anciently and not now. The two concluded none were possible and therefore God must communicate with man today. I believe these points can prove God has always communicated with man. So I want to address them.
The first point I wish to address was that God has lost the power to communicate with man. For this blog it will be expanded that God never had the power. Yet we know this can’t be so. Past blogs have demonstrated that God is omnipotent. He has power over all that is in the earth because He created it. What, then, could prevent Him from having the ability to communicate with man? The answer is nothing. He has always had the ability to communicate with us.
The second possibility is that God does not want to communicate with man. This is also not possible. God is our creator. He has a vested interest in our success because He wants us to return to His presence. He loves us more perfectly than any mortal father loves his children. And just as a mortal father wants to communicate with his children, God wants to communicate with us.
The final possibility is that we don’t need to talk with God. But be honest with yourself. You know you need God. Look at the troubles in your life. Perhaps, like me, you are uncertain about what your future holds and where you need to look to find it. You need direction from Him as to what to do. Or perhaps you have a child with a big problem. You need direction from God on the correct way to help your precious one. Or maybe your heart has been broken and you need to know your Heavenly Father loves you to lift your spirits.
It doesn’t matter what the problems are, you have them. And you need direction. And no one in this world is immune. Just consider the problems of our world and you will know it’s true. We have starvation throughout the world. Drug lords, terrorists, and oppressive monarchs rule many parts of the world. Economic collapse has crippled many countries in the world, including the United States. Hatred rages in the hearts of many. And overall morale collapse is claiming the societies of the world.
How can anyone claim that we don’t need God. Look into your heart and you will know we have always needed Him. Not only have we always needed Him, we need Him more now than at any other time in the history of our world.
So, God has the power to communicate with us, He has the desire, and we have the need. What other possible reason is there for why God wouldn’t communicate with us?
I know that God can communicate with us and He does. This is what we call revelation. When we exercise our faith and pray to God, God will answer us through revelation. I know this is true. I’ve had the privilege of having revelation bless my life and the lives of my family. You, too, can have this blessing in your life. Therefore, practice the admonition of James 1:5-6.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Faith to Pray
An important scripture in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is found in the New Testament under James 1:5-6. This is the verse Joseph Smith, Jr., read that inspired him to pray to Heavenly Father for guidance. In response he received what we affectionately call the First Vision. In addition, the books we recognize as scripture contain multiple verses similar to this one, giving the same guidance that can be found here. This indicates the importance of what this scripture teaches. So in the next few blogs I want to focus on this passage of scripture.
The passage reads: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
There are really three parts to this passage of scripture. The first is the directive to ask of God. Second is the promise that we will receive an answer. Third is the instruction that we must ask in faith, nothing wavering.
The first part, the directive to ask God for the wisdom we need, is the one I wish to focus on today. Another scripture valued by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Alma 33, lets us know we need to pray for any needs we have. Many other scriptures support this claim.
These are important directives. Think about what it is really telling you. There is an omnipotent being who organized your spirit. Then this being directed the creation of your physical bodies and the union of your physical and spiritual bodies as a soul. This is your Heavenly Father, as previous blogs have mentioned. These scriptures tell you that you can communicate with Him. Isn’t it wonderful to know that through prayer you can communicate with the Omnipotent God?
But it takes faith to pray. After all, why would God worry about you when He has so many other concerns? Yet another beautiful scripture helps address this concern. Luke 12: 6-7 reads: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
This, along with many other scriptures, promises that we are not forgotten. God knows us and is mindful of us. He will listen to our prayers.
When you think about it, it also makes sense that He listens to our prayers. Think of parents. Do they not listen to their children’s concerns, pleas, and requests? There are some who don’t. But those who love their children are mindful of what their children have to say. If we who are imperfect are mindful of our children because we love them, God who has perfect love would be mindful of His children because He loves them.
I know our Heavenly Father hears our prayers and listens to what He has to say. He has asked us to pray to Him because He loves us and wants us to communicate with Him. Don’t hesitate. Don’t think yourself beneath Him. He is mindful of every sparrow, and you are more valuable than many of them. You are not beneath Him. So, have faith you will be heard and turn to Heavenly Father in prayer.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Faith And Works
For today’s blog I want to focus on the subject matter of The General Epistle of James chapter 2, found in The New Testament. I want to particularly focus on verse 14. This verse reads, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” The rest of the chapter focuses on answering this question.
I love this question. It’s an excellent question. My blogs have focused on faith: faith in God, faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, faith to raise a family, and other such topics. So what exactly is faith?
In the Bible Dictionary used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, faith is defined as “hope for things which are not seen, but which are true”. (This conclusion was drawn from Hebrews 11:1 and Alma 32:21.) So our faith is hope: hope that God is real, hope that we once lived with Heavenly Father and can live with Him again, hope the Savior redeemed us from our fallen state, hope in the promised blessings of the family. All of these hopes, and the multitude of others, are great hopes.
But what good are they without works? How can our faith help us if we refuse to act on our faith?
For example, consider the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If we have faith in the Atonement but choose not to forsake our sins, do we receive the blessings promised by the Atonement? We cannot be cleansed of our sins because they are still there. We cannot gain life like God without forsaking our sins because we couldn’t abide His presence. So our faith was useless in this case because we chose not to act.
Consider the possible outcomes of faith. We can have faith in truth and choose to act according to that faith. As we do we start to see the fruits of our labor becoming reality. Our faith is strengthened as we learn it really works. We believe more and choose to act accordingly. As a result our faith grows into knowledge that what we believed is true. We learn more of Jesus Christ until we see Him and receive the blessings He has promised us. Our family becomes stronger and grows into a happy family united for time and all eternity. We gain what we hope for and have faith in.
We can have faith in that which is not true and choose to act. In this case we start acting according to our faith only to find the desired results don’t come about. We learn our faith is not founded in truth, so we turn away from this faith and focus on others. Our knowledge grows as we learn what is not true.
We can also have faith in that which is not true and choose not to act on it. Sadly we never learn we are mistaken and never have the opportunity to learn what really is true.
Finally, we can have faith in that which is true and choose not to act. In this case we don’t help that which we hope for to become reality. Because of this we never learn it is really true and never gain the knowledge of it. We lose our faith as we never see the promised blessings.
So what good is faith without works? It isn’t any good at all. What good is faith with works? It teaches us reality and gains us what we hope for. So when you place your faith in anything, find out what action is required to bring about the desired outcome. Then act.
I love this question. It’s an excellent question. My blogs have focused on faith: faith in God, faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, faith to raise a family, and other such topics. So what exactly is faith?
In the Bible Dictionary used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, faith is defined as “hope for things which are not seen, but which are true”. (This conclusion was drawn from Hebrews 11:1 and Alma 32:21.) So our faith is hope: hope that God is real, hope that we once lived with Heavenly Father and can live with Him again, hope the Savior redeemed us from our fallen state, hope in the promised blessings of the family. All of these hopes, and the multitude of others, are great hopes.
But what good are they without works? How can our faith help us if we refuse to act on our faith?
For example, consider the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If we have faith in the Atonement but choose not to forsake our sins, do we receive the blessings promised by the Atonement? We cannot be cleansed of our sins because they are still there. We cannot gain life like God without forsaking our sins because we couldn’t abide His presence. So our faith was useless in this case because we chose not to act.
Consider the possible outcomes of faith. We can have faith in truth and choose to act according to that faith. As we do we start to see the fruits of our labor becoming reality. Our faith is strengthened as we learn it really works. We believe more and choose to act accordingly. As a result our faith grows into knowledge that what we believed is true. We learn more of Jesus Christ until we see Him and receive the blessings He has promised us. Our family becomes stronger and grows into a happy family united for time and all eternity. We gain what we hope for and have faith in.
We can have faith in that which is not true and choose to act. In this case we start acting according to our faith only to find the desired results don’t come about. We learn our faith is not founded in truth, so we turn away from this faith and focus on others. Our knowledge grows as we learn what is not true.
We can also have faith in that which is not true and choose not to act on it. Sadly we never learn we are mistaken and never have the opportunity to learn what really is true.
Finally, we can have faith in that which is true and choose not to act. In this case we don’t help that which we hope for to become reality. Because of this we never learn it is really true and never gain the knowledge of it. We lose our faith as we never see the promised blessings.
So what good is faith without works? It isn’t any good at all. What good is faith with works? It teaches us reality and gains us what we hope for. So when you place your faith in anything, find out what action is required to bring about the desired outcome. Then act.
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