Grace

     The weekly scripture study class I go to is currently studying the New Testament and we have been working on the words of Paul- which as many! In our last class, we talked about the book of Hebrews and we focused quite a bit on "grace". I have been doing a series of blogs about do's and don'ts in developing characteristics to follow the example of Christ. After discussing the incredible gift of grace, I have lost my enthusiasm to spend so much time trying to analyze what it is that we should and should not be doing. For certain, what we say and do is a reflection of who we are and that will make a difference in our ultimate choice of where we want to spend eternity. However, when all is said and done, "This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts." (Bible Dictionary, Grace) There isn't a need to fulfill a certain number of worthy acts. There isn't a need to spend a certain amount of time choosing the right nor a competition for space in the Lord's mansions. We are loved by a Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son more than we can even comprehend. I am grateful for the grace offered me. All I have to do is accept it. Praise the Lord!!

Mercy and Justice

     Continuing on the Lord's list of do's and don'ts in Matthew 5, He said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." More directly, according to Luke 6:36, He said, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." ( And aren't we really, really glad He is?!)  Even longer ago, we are admonished, "Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother" (Zech 7:9) and, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8) This can be just a little tricky for us because we all know someone who has been judged or has judged totally unfairly. So how are we to react? We have been given the direction to forgive 70 times 7 and told that the Lord is the only true judge. However, we also know there are judges appointed in Israel whose duty it is to resolve difficulties. The authority to make judgments on another individual is a heavy responsibility and no one can take it upon themselves. Yet every day we do and must make judgments in who to trust, how to stand in "holy places", what to accept and believe, and how to make even small decisions. Just as it is impossible to talk about truth without talking about lies, if we refer to mercy, we are also recognizing judgment.     James (2:13) warns, "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." Alma (42:24,25) also explains, "For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God." Jesus Himself said, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24) In Leviticus 19 we read, "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment.....but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor." Near the end of 1 Corinthians 5 and the beginning of 6 Paul talks about judging the unrighteous and casting them out of the company of the believers. We know we must limit our interactions with those who might lead us away from obedience to God's commandments. We know we are subject to Satan's influence and the weaknesses of the natural man in each of us. It is important for us to determine what is right and what is wrong. Moroni (7:15-18) probably sums it all up best: "For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God

Don't FEAR

     I remember clearly being afraid of the dark- afraid of what I could not see. As I reached adulthood, I was able to rationally talk myself out of most fear by analyzing what could possibly be around me and considering how I might react to an animal, a person, or some kind of physical danger.  In the scriptures, the word "fear" is sometimes used to recommend our attitude toward God. A more precise word might be "respect" because God has no desire to injure us in any way but He would really like us to recognize His wisdom and love for us so we will be more likely to listen to what He has to say. Paul clarifies it in 1 Timothy 1:7- "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." The phrase "frozen by fear" is so true! When we are afraid, we lose the ability to act with any kind of logic. It always pulls at my heart when I try to smile at a young child and they cringe in fear because they don't know me. They have no way of knowing that I would never hurt them. To overcome that reaction takes time and persistent love. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) Just as a small child loses fear with loving familiarity, we can only come to love God if we spend the time to get to know Him. Isaiah transmitted this message several times: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness............Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." In more recent scripture, the Lord says, "Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full." (D&C 101:36) He even tells us how we can avoid that fear- "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." If we do all we can to gain knowledge and understanding of who we are and who God is, and even who Satan is, we will be prepared. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." We can only feel secure if we trust in God because no matter what our weaknesses may be, He has none. No matter what knowledge we may lack, He has it all. I want to end here with one of my very favorite scriptures from D&C 6:33-37-
Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward. Therefore, fear not little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you. Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen."

And there was, and IS light-

     Most people have heard the Christian songs about letting my little light shine or the Lord is my light. God Himself gave the symbol of light to the Israelites fleeing slavery in Egypt when He guided them by a pillar of fire by night through the wilderness for 40 years. One of my very favorite scriptures is from D&C 93:36 "The glory of God is intelligence or, in other words, light and truth." It says so much about who God is and what He stands for. One of the Lord's commandments to His followers is given in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Jesus repeated it to His followers on this continent as recorded in the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 12:16 then again more recently as recorded in D&C 115:5 "Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations."
     Paul gives further clarification about what this means and how we are to do it as he addresses King Agrippa in Acts 26:16 where he describes that the Lord sent him "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Our purpose is not to try to impress people with how good we are but to cause them to turn from their worldly desires and pursuits to recognize a greater purpose and wisdom. John tells us "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."(John 3:19-21) Paul gives further instruction as to how to do this in his letter to Titus "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able  by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." So first we need to be taught the gospel light, (done through prophets/scriptures and the Holy Ghost) then we are to exhort or teach others and by sound doctrine rather than opinion or philosophies of men be able to convince the gainsayers, who are those who deny or contradict. In this letter to Titus, Paul also said, "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." If we have truly studied God's word and sought His guidance, we will know what to say and when and to whom. We can have confidence in "letting our light shine" as we share our testimony of truth we have gained. We can say, as Paul did, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."
     The best part about doing this is that we gain whether or not others listen. We are told in D&C 50:22-24 "Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness. That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter until the perfect day." God has truly given us guidance for how to get through this mortal life with a more sure knowledge of what is right and what is wrong and where we came from and where we may go afterward. We have to want that knowledge more than we want the pleasures offered to the natural man through our appetites and passions. It's not that we can't enjoy food or sex or carnival rides. But those are only temporary and if we set our hearts on those as our main source of happiness, we will ultimately be very disappointed.

Blessed are the poor in spirit

There is a story from the mortal life of Jesus which has been a popular subject for paintings. When I did a search on the internet for Jesus Christ washing the disciples' feet, I found dozens of different paintings. I chose this one, not because it's the most beautiful, but because it depicts the characteristic I want to discuss, meekness or humility.

The story is often used to show Christ's humility in washing the Savior's feet. Since He is our prime example, this shows us how we need to be humble in serving others. However, a further look at this story involves Peter's reaction to Jesus washing his feet. In John 13: "Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Not only is it important to be humble enough to serve, it is also important to be humble enough to be served. I have often heard it said that sometimes doctors make the worst patients because they are either perfectionists so they don't appreciate whatever is done for them or they resent being in the "lowly" position of having others have to care for them. Every single human starts out needing help because as an infant we would die on our own. It's important to develop the ability to care for ourselves but every single one of us will have to endure being taken care of beyond infancy. We may have an injury or illness or simply get older so we are not able to fully care for ourselves. It's okay to need help and accept it. It's NOT okay to be nasty about it because we wish we didn't have to accept it. It's okay to be independent. It's NOT okay to refuse to be a part of any team or joint effort to accomplish a task. That promotes a feeling in others that they are unworthy, incapable, or unappreciated.
     Whether it's called meekness, humility, or being poor in spirit, it's an attribute we are admonished over and over to develop. Those who are humble are capable of being taught. If you already think you know it all, you will not be willing to listen. "Those who have ears, let them hear!" God, who is omniscient, and Jesus Christ, who lived as a perfect man, can teach us so much- but only if we are willing to be taught. There are several places in scripture where the promise is given, "the meek shall inherit the earth." Jesus said, "Learn of me for I  am meek and lowly of heart." It is often an attribute linked with patience. Those who are truly patient with others do not consider themselves superior and are willing to respect others recognizing that they have value, too. Even those who have great skill and knowledge can be meek. "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." (James 3:13) I often tried to teach my children as well as grandchildren that you don't have to brag about yourself. When you truly have knowledge or skill or an ability, other people will notice. God approves highly of this virtue: "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (1Peter 3:4) Jesus taught that unless we become as a little child, we cannot enter His kingdom. That doesn't mean innocent in the ways of the world because we need maturity to understand opposition in all things so we make an educated choice. We only need to strive to treat others the way we want to be treated, overcome any weakness or tendency toward "evil" (greed, malice, lust, anger, etc.), and become meek, easily entreated, easily taught. If we can do that, God is ready and waiting to share with us ALL that He has.

Appetites and passions

     Continuing with the do's and don'ts as listed in the Beatitudes: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you That whosever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Adultery is generally understood as sexual relations between a man or woman who is married to someone other than their sexual partner. There are other references, such as in Romans 1, to "uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.....women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward another; man with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.....being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication...without natural affection.." For anyone interested, 2 Timothy in the first part of chapter 3 includes quite a description of what is beyond what the Lord has set for boundaries. So, what is this physical appetite that humans have? Is it simply like our need for air or liquid or nourishment? Are we to satisfy this appetite like dogs who hump each other according to some natural instinct? The world certainly seems confused about it. There are places where it's okay to pay someone (prostitution) to satisfy this physical appetite, but some places consider it not only immoral but criminal. How about sex with family members? It was not only accepted but expected among royalty in the past and continues to be practiced in certain cultures, but incest is now considered, by most people, not only immoral but even illegal. Sexual intercourse with minors is repulsive as well as illegal in some places but child brides and affection for "young boys" is common practice in some places. In the Book of Mormon, Moroni mentions with despair the abomination of people around him as they take prisoners and deprive the daughters of "that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue-" also, Jacob 2:28 records these words: "For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts." All of this harsh stuff about sex has led some to believe that God would have us be celibate. However, we need to go back to His creation of the earth.
     "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him......Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." And He also commanded all living creatures to be fruitful and multiply. In 1995, there was a Proclamation to the World on The Family issued by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in which there is further clarification: "marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and... the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.....Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.....God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force....The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife." In a booklet produced to guide young people through the confusion about lots of things in the world it states, "Physical intimacy between husband and wife is beautiful and sacred. It is ordained of God for the creation of children and for the expression of love between husband and wife. God has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage."
     The major problems considered at the simply physical level are unwanted pregnancy and STD's. But, even if you strive to avoid those, there are other very real issues involved in sexual appetites beyond the bounds the Lord has set. Although sex drive is considered a physical appetite, it can become an addiction. It can be expressed as a form of rage, as in rape. Pornography and masturbation have been shown to result in very much the same effect as drug addiction. Those who indulge require more and more to satisfy themselves until they no longer feel any satisfaction as their over-stimulated brains are hardened to the stimuli. Back in the 1960's "free love" became the norm. It was a call to make sexuality totally unrestricted with public nudity and physical gratification without bounds. There was wife-swapping to make things more exciting and orgies to allow for mass, continuous gratification. None of that attitude has helped avoid the anger of rape, the number of divorces,frequency and variety of STD's,  or increased the delight in bearing children and raising them well. Those who struggle today with gender issues, the LGBT community, are still struggling individually with their identities regardless of the availability of gender neutral bathrooms or the increase of acceptance of gay marriage.
     The Lord is wise and He loves all of His children, no matter what our strengths or weaknesses or mistakes may be. He has set bounds for the use of these physical bodies we have been given. The bounds are not to restrict our happiness or "free expression" but to help us avoid downfalls and eternal, serious consequences. We will not decrease confusion by striving to accept every single difference in our thoughts and desires. Confusion will only be avoided when we all begin to understand the basic purpose and design of our beings then come together in fulfilling God's goal for us- our immortality and eternal lives. I pray we can all gain wisdom and strive to overcome the powerful natural man instincts that can be obstacles to our progression.

Am I hungry?

     I have no way of knowing if my thoughts are benefiting anyone beyond myself but I guess that's something. I am enjoying searching the scriptures for principles and characteristics that bring us closer to God and being like our Savior. I started with the Savior's words in Matthew 5, often called the Beatitudes (Pres. Hinckley listed the "Be" attitudes) describing do's and don'ts for our eternal progression. I'm mostly alternating between the pros and cons, just for variety's sake.
     In verse 6 of that chapter is this: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled." Filled with what? I like the clarification in 3 Nephi with the addition at the end of the words "with the Holy Ghost", meaning if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled with the Holy Ghost. There are also many scriptures about not laying up for ourselves treasures where moth and rust doth corrupt. The Lord uses lots of different ways to try to get us to understand what we should be desiring or anxiously engaged in acquiring during our mortal life. When the Mortal Messiah spoke to the woman at the well, He referred to the "water" that He could give her after which she would never thirst. He also refers to the "bread of life". He knows that as mortals we all comprehend hunger. We experience it every day to one degree or another.( I am truly grateful that I have not known the hunger which has driven people to eat things I could not imagine eating.) So, what the Lord is doing is trying to get us to have as much desire to know Him and His principles as we desire to eat when hungry or drink when thirsty. Then He always includes promises of rewards if we can manage to do that.
Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
D&C 137:9 For I , the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desires of their hearts.
2 Nephi 9:51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.
     I love it when the Lord uses "fatness" to describe the engulfing satisfaction of a knowledge of Him. There is such an effort these days to avoid obesity, for good reasons of course. It's not just about vanity but good health is essential if we want to avoid all kinds of nasty issues above and beyond the problems we each experience due to genetics, age, or other happenstance of mortality. As humans, we are comprised of tangible physical bodies which house an eternal spirit. We are good at feeding our physical bodies because there are impulses from various parts of our bodies- like odors, stomach acid, the sight of delicious food, even addictions- which remind us to partake of food and drink. We are all too good at ignoring spiritual starvation. It would be interesting if we had some way of looking around to see what shape people's spirits were in. There would be a range from some who obviously "delight in fatness" by "feasting on the words of Christ" to those who are gaunt to the point of nearly disappearing because they have spent all their time trying to lay up for themselves earthly feasts of money, fame, power, and lust with no nourishment for their spirits. We need to provide for ourselves the things that will keep our mortal bodies reasonably comfortable but satisfying our physical appetities is not the goal for our existence. The only way to develop the appetite for holiness is to start partaking regularly by reading the scriptures, praying, and obeying God's commandments. I pray that we can all "let our souls delight in fatness"!

Lies vs. truth

     This post is going to cover both do's and don'ts because you really can't talk about lies without mentioning truth. Lying has many forms, among which are:lack deceit, hypocrisy, misleading, guile, and  lack of integrity. When God issued the Ten Commandments to Moses, included was "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (Ex 20:16). Also in the Old Testament, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 12:22). Satan, the epitome of evil and opponent of God, is described in several places as the "father of all lies". In the Book of Mormon, 2 Ne 9:34 is a particularly direct admonition, "Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell." Not all "un-truth" is an out and out lie. Most parents have faced a group of children who are all silent when asked by an angry parent, "Who did this?!" Not speaking up is a form of deceit. On the other hand, sometimes tact is best expressed by silence. It's not always necessary to say everything and anything to expose others to our "true feelings" when the end result will merely be pain. Neal A Maxwell said, "Christians can have the benefit of candor without being cutting. They can be communicative without being manipulative."
     Guile, defined as "cunning, duplicity, deceit" is another form of lying. "Keep thy tongue from evil, and they lips from speaking guile." (Psalms 34:13) " In 1 Peter 2:21-22 Jesus Christ is described thus "because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,, that ye should follow his steps; Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." Recently we went to a restaurant where the young man who waited on us was particularly attentive and polite. I felt a little sad or maybe ashamed when I had to wonder if he was genuine or just looking for a big tip. Does he treat his family, friends, neighbors, and others with whom he has day-to-day contact so kindly? We have often been reminded to treat our family members as well as we treat company. We can be comfortable and familiar with family, but it's also good to be polite, considerate, and kind.
     I have done posts before about hypocrisy, another form of dishonesty, it's the "do as I say, not as I do" kind of mentality when a leader/parent wants those over whom he/she has stewardship to conform to different and better rules of behavior than what they expect of themselves. It's also when a person criticizes other for things they do themselves with some sort of excuse to justify their own behavior, if they even recognize it! Jesus often spoke harshly about hypocrites, linking them to liars, lawyers, and other unsavory people. Integrity is acting the same way alone as you would when someone is watching. As I wondered about our waiter, I wondered if I would ever feel the need to alter my behavior if I unexpectedly ran into someone who knew me from the temple or at church. Would I need to feel embarrassed if someone saw or heard me without my previous awareness?
     One last point, it's important to be people of our word. If we promise, we should carry through to the very best of our ability. We need to be trustworthy to employers, neighbors, community members, and especially family/spouse. Don't promise anything you can't produce. Don't back out after a promise unless it's absolutely impossible to avoid.

Prayer

     In my last post I explained that I plan to research what "do's" and "don'ts" God has given us- at least the major ones. I started with words from the Lord Himself to make this list. I plan to alternate between the do's or shoulds and the don'ts or shouldn'ts. Last post was a don't -murder- and this time it's a do- pray.
      It's interesting to note that there is nothing in the Old Testament commandments about praying although there are lots of references to calling upon or crying unto the Lord. There is no specific direction for how to pray and accounts of prophets and others praying include standing, kneeling, hands spread to heaven, laying prone face down, alone and in groups or in front of groups. As for when to pray, I think Alma in the Book of Mormon probably has the best compilation of when to pray-"Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is might to save. Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy of all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and in your secret places, and in your wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those around you." (Alma 34:18-27) There are also references to praying when you get up and when you lie down at night, pretty much ALL THE TIME! In the 6th chapter of Matthew, Jesus talks about praying in secret rather than showing off for others. He also warns about vain repetitions, like pre-worded, rote prayers, and that we are to pray to the Father in Jesus' name. Also in that chapter Jesus talks about paying alms and fasting. I am grateful that we set aside at least one Sunday a month during which we fast (abstain from food and drink for 24 hours), pray for things more fervently, and give alms called "fast offerings" which is approximately the value of the meals we didn't eat, although greater generosity when able is encouraged, the funds going to feed those in need.
     In the Bible Dictionary, under the heading of prayer, is this further explanation: "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father, and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." In addition, we need to remember that God will force no man to heaven and also will not force anyone to talk to Him. He is always available (He doesn't sleep or get pre-occupied with other things- we are His primary concern) and is waiting for us to communicate with Him. He communicates with us through things He has already said a million times as recorded in scripture (writings of His prophets) which we must be willing to do the work of reading and studying,  as well as directly through the Holy Spirit who is given the responsibility to guide, comfort, instruct, remind, and counsel us. For that we need to be willing to listen and heed and be worthy or the Spirit will withdraw, figuring He won't stay where He isn't wanted.
     When I first read/heard the counsel to "pray always", I couldn't understand how you could pray always. I mean, don't we have other stuff to do? Now I understand better. It's not that we live on our knees or always have our eyes closed in active prayer. We need to be diligent in keeping our hearts and minds open to communication with our Father in Heaven. Every time we see a lovely flower or sunset, we can send a little message that we appreciate the beauty He has created for us. Every time we are faced with a decision, we can do our best to figure out what might be the best choice and ask God for His input to let us know if we're on the right track. Every time we feel a deep love for someone, we can whisper in our hearts that we're thankful for that person in our life. Every time we feel anguish for someone's suffering, we can pray for comfort and relief. Every time we are confused we can pray for help in understanding then pray our thanks when we receive a flash of insight. Our Father loves every single one of His children and wants to have a voluntary relationship with Him- not just when we need something or on certain holidays or in certain buildings- but ALWAYS.

Murder

     My previous post was maybe a bit morose- that's probably because I have been feeling confused and discouraged by the world, despite trying to avoid focusing too much on the world. Yet, I live here and so do lots of people that I really care about. I have no desire to be miserable. I much prefer joy- but that doesn't mean using sarcasm or vulgarity to evoke laughter. I realize we can't enjoy the belly-laughs a baby has over silly things forever. On the other hand, I don't want to be so somber that anyone near me feels depressed. So, how to capture a feeling of "joy" while living amid all the negative things in this world? How to recognize the negative things of this world without seeming to unfairly judge or hate this world? I have decided to try examining more about how to be like the Savior. Using His words as recorded in the scriptures, I plan to take one or two things at a time that He has told us to do/be or not to do/be. If we search diligently, we can find the bounds that have been set for our benefit.
     I decided to start with one of the "don'ts" and it's seemingly obvious, but I want to go beyond the first glance. In the ten commandments we are admonished not to murder. It's fairly obvious that taking a life is preventing another being from experiencing mortality. God prefers that we each have the chance to continue our mortal probation with the opportunity to learn from trial and error. But what about self-defense or war? In the interest of space, I will not give every single scriptural reference but just the information given there. In several places mentioning killing or shedding blood, the phrase "shedding innocent blood" is inserted. In 1 Nephi is the famous story of slaying Laban where Nephi is instructed by an angel that it is better to slay a man than have a whole nation dwindle in unbelief. That would be a similar circumstance to the wiping out of idol-worshippers as the ancient Israelites were commanded to do. So, sometimes God will directly command to kill. His primary interest is in the spiritual progression of ALL of His children, or as many as possible. Also, in the Book of Mormon, in Alma, there is a man named Moroni who is a great military leader, akin to Joshua in the Old Testament. He is thus described, "a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives." So, defense against an attacker, whether a criminal or in a battle, is appropriate. Most of us will never face having to kill someone else, so what else can we learn about what to do and not do?
     Jesus said, "That whosever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment....... whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." He also said, "Agree with thine adversary quickly", the Greek original meaning to have kind thoughts toward. He also talked about turning the other cheek if smote upon and to forgive 70 times 7 and that vengeance is God's, not ours. Matthew 5 has quite a bit on this subject mentioning giving a cloak if sued for your coat and going the extra mile when compelled to go one or not turning away a borrower. Jesus also said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" In other scripture, we are admonished to avoid evil speaking, backbiting, holding grudges, reviling, and mocking. All of those are things that most of us do every single day, either in talking with friends or family, or posting on Facebook. Those kinds of words cause discomfort, anger, and cast away peace and loving feelings.
     One step deeper than merely ending a mortal life or even making someone feel bad is what Alma described in the Book of Mormon. He said he had gone about seeking to destroy the church of God. (His father was a church leader but he was cynical and used his influence to lead people away from faith then later repented, thanks to the intervention of an angel's visit.) His words, "Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments. Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction" which means he had led them away from accepting the atonement of Jesus Christ and seeking to obey God's commandments. So we can go beyond the bounds the Lord has set by being a hindrance to someone finding faith and learning God's eternal truths. It's bad enough if we don't share our testimony to strengthen others or "light their path", but if we actually mislead them, that's even worse. Alma felt he had "murdered" those who were led away by his influence although he had never ended a mortal life.
     This is probably enough for one post. I thought this was the commandment (Thou shalt not commit murder) most people think of first when they think of what God expects of his children. The bounds limit much more than simply taking the life of another human being. If we are to say we believe in God and want to obey Him and take upon us the name of Christ to follow Him, we need to really understand what that means. Studying God's instructions are the way. I think I'll research prayer next............

praying and praying and praying............

     Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)
     For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (1 Cor. 1:21)
     He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)
     And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer, and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day (D&C 59:9)
     I have given them thy word; and the world hateth them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. (John 17:14-17)
     Follow that up with the whole story of Enoch's city of Zion where the people were all righteous to a degree that they were lifted up to heaven. Also, the countless admonitions to be a light unto the world and to love others as we would have others love us and it's no big deal to love those who love us because they loved us first- the trick is to love those who aren't lovable as well as love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you- I get it. What I don't get is, where and how to draw the line between being in the world and of the world. Hate the sin and love the sinner, right? So does that mean we should not voice any opinion or attempt to teach/preach anything about God's principles or expectations? We are admonished to call men to repentance, but we are not to judge. We need to remind people to remember God but never point out that God is not to be found in this world? It's important to embrace with love those who live a lifestyle Jesus Himself would counsel against (sexual sins, dishonesty, hypocrisy, greed, cruelty, just plain nastiness) but not condone their lifestyle. Where is the line to be drawn exactly?? It's not okay to murder. It's not okay to "evil speak" or spread rumors or back bite. What about being simply argumentative and critical? Whose definition do we go by for speaking "kindly"? We are to be meek but that can't mean allowing others to walk over us, can it? So when do we speak up? What is being "honest"- however painful it may be, and what is being cruel? The person being criticized or reprimanded is likely to always consider the words to be cruel. Those who attempt to follow the example of Jesus Christ, at least to whatever extent they may understand His actions and words, may be discounted or scorned. They could consider themselves in good company because that was what was done to the Mortal Christ. On the other hand, maybe they're being over-zealous or self-righteous. That is often how others will view them. So, where do you draw the line? Who knows? I pray for guidance. I want to "help" those who hate the world as I do to find the source of good news about a better world. But how do we continue to live in this world, while hating it, and not be miserable? It's lovely to be around like-minded people but that's like hiding a candle under a bushel. How to expose ourselves to the anger, hatred, violence, lasciviousness, greed, dishonesty of the world, continue to fully resist it and not get worn down and discouraged? I continue to pray for guidance.

Why it's called Falls Church

We have wondered since moving here why there are so many roads and places with "falls" in the name. Today we found out. Yesterday was James's birthday and he requested, as part of his birthday celebration, that we visit Great Falls National Park today. I was surprised to find out it's only a few minutes away from where we are living, despite the busy roads. Since we have had quite a bit of rain in the last week or so, the Potomac River is quite full and muddy. There is a 70 foot drop but it doesn't really happen like the waterfalls I'm accustomed to in upstate NY. It's more of a rapids section of the river. 

 This is the first section we saw near the visitor center which used to be the Great Falls Tavern, a popular spot in the 1800's when the canal was built along the Potomac to allow boat transportation which had been impossible through this section of rapids. Due to flooding, the path over a bridge which would have allowed us the best view of the rapids was closed.

 Here is a sign explaining the dangers of undertow in a river that, at times other then during this heavy spring run-off apparently often looks quite peaceful.

As we walked along the "tow path", a road along the canal for animals or sometimes people to walk along as they "towed" packet boats, we got to a point where we could see how difficult it had been to build this canal. On the other side of the fence you see in the left edge of this picture is a drop-off down to the Potomac. The placid canal is behind us at a level 70 feet above the river with a stone embankment built to hold up the canal.

The sun was shining and, although there was a cool breeze at the beginning, as we walked it got warmer and very pleasant out. It was nice to be surrounded by a lovely, natural setting amidst the constant clamor of city.

Learning how to love

     Several years ago in a church meeting I was talking about "tough love" and made the comment that mothers who give their children junk food ad infinitum, just because they beg for it, are not really loving their children. A woman in the class disagreed and said she thought they probably really did love their children, they were just ignorant of the consequences. I picture a young child living on chips, soda, and candy developing all sorts of health issues, including obesity, which will linger throughout their life and be a constant battle. In addition, there is the mental/emotional issue of thinking you should just receive whatever it is you desire when you desire it. That just doesn't happen in the "real world". So, is that really the best way to show love to a child?
     I have known parents, especially men, who love practical jokes. They play them on their family members as well as friends, thinking it's really funny. They tease their children and scoff when met with tears. They may even encourage their children to do the same mocking, sarcastic interplay with others or invite them to participate in a practical joke. As one of my children pointed out to me, when children are young, they don't yet have the maturity to recognize appropriate limits on such humor. As a result, children who imitate their parents in this way often end up in trouble when their siblings or friends protest. Is that a good way to love a child?
     Years ago I saw a news segment about a current fad in a South American country of "giving" plastic surgery to young people. One girl, whose parents were obviously fairly well off, said that she was given the choice between a car or breast implants for a graduation gift and she chose the implants. Many mothers will spend time and money teaching their daughters how to re-make their faces with all sorts of make-up and color, perm, and style their hair to say nothing of buying clothes that often accentuate their "feminine shape" along with flashy jewelry. To me, the implication is that the child is not beautiful the way they are so they need improvement. It's not the same as making sure they brush their teeth and hair before going to school, or wearing clean clothes. Is that really how to love a child?
     I have known parents who strive to be their teenage children's "friends" by allowing them to have alcohol and even to have other teenagers over to imbibe in it (illegally) as well as other intoxicants. They may also give their sons condoms and start their daughters on the pill with the excuse that they know they're going to pursue sexual intercourse and this will at least avoid pregnancy. What about STD's? What about the emotional turmoil in developing youth who become passionately involved then break up and feel worthless? Is that really in their best interest?
     As I continue to pursue a better understanding of God and try to "be perfect even as Father in Heaven is perfect", I have pondered how to love others. Loving, even unconditionally, does NOT mean having no expectations. There is a story in the New Testament of a woman taken in adultery. Jesus didn't say to her that it was alright because He had already paid the price for her sins. He said, "Neither do I condemn thee. Go thy way and SIN NO MORE." His expectation is that although He has saved her from being stoned and isn't giving up on her, He does expect her to make changes in her behavior. Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. In our childish way, we often think that getting what we want when we want it is an indication of love. Is it? Is it really always in the best interest of someone we love to NOT die? They may be afraid of dying or we may be averse to the thought of living without them but release from earthly trials may be the best solution for them. On the other hand, many a human who has had to endure suffering has become much more compassionate and generous toward others and more at peace within themselves. Giving His children everything they want when they want it will only make us spoiled, self-centered, demanding, and ultimately very unhappy because our appetites are NEVER satisfied.
     God loves all of His children, the sinners as well as the sinless. He causes it to rain on the just and the unjust. He wants to give every opportunity to those making bad choices to recognize their faults. Alma 60:13 For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgement may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God. It is so painful to see a child abused or a homeless person or a refugee from their war-torn home. We may have the tendency to cry, "Can't God see this suffering? Why does He allow it? If He is all-knowing and all-powerful, shouldn't He stop the suffering?" The answer is a resounding NO and the reason is because He loves us. He will always love us no matter what we do. He will love us even as He chastens us. He loves us even as He allows us to suffer consequences of our own actions.
     There is an old song with lyrics like, "If I ruled the world, every day would be the first day of spring, every heart would have a new song to sing..." It's a good thing that God is in charge, not us. we would stop every trial and give never-ending gifts and not have expectations. That would be disastrous.

A dog's vomit???

     2Peter 2:20-22  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
     Rather than fill space with more words that are already published in the scriptures, I would refer to any reader a look at Ezekiel 33 (just about the whole chapter) which gives a longer explanation of this idea of repenting, obeying commandments, then backsliding. The flip side is covered in the mortal Lord's parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matthew 20 where the same pay is given to those who come to work early in the day and those who come later. I remember wondering how this could be fair. I believe God to be just as well as merciful but how can it be fair to "not give credit" so to speak to someone who has made an effort at some point in their life to be "good" but slips back into iniquity? How can it be fair if someone has worked throughout their life at being good and obedient to receive the same "wages" as one who decides to waste time with riotous living like the Prodigal Son then repent later in life?
     I was thinking about my dad, which I do a lot because I spend countless hours typing his journals into the computer so I can make copies for my siblings to read. He would talk about all kinds of aches and pains, weariness, and lack of sleep as he got older- all being more prevalent- yet he never ceased working. He truly believed in spending his time and energy to accomplish something worthwhile. As Russ and I ponder our future years of increased physical weakness we discuss how to ensure that we have something worthwhile to do because we truly have no desire to spend endless hours in self-entertainment, whether playing bridge or golf, going on endless cruises or watching countless hours of television/movies or video games. On the other hand, there are many who treasure up in their hearts a desire for an excuse that would allow them to no longer have to wash dishes, mow the lawn, fold laundry, cook meals, wash the car, etc. What is the difference? There are some who would accuse someone like my dad of being a "workaholic", being flawed by an overachieving impulse to work all the time. Or maybe to think that he didn't value himself enough to be "worth" vacation time.
     In the recent General Conference of the LDS Church, this issue was referred to. I can't quote exactly what was said because my memory isn't that good, but I have continued to ponder the whole principle. God is good, fair, loving, and merciful but He is wiser than we are. God's wisdom is often foolishness to man. How can I gain from His wisdom to understand what this is all about? As His prophets have reminded us, there isn't some heavenly savings account that we can contribute to by "doing good works". The Lord's expectations of us are not about what we do except as a reflection of who we are. If our heart's desire is to be righteous/good/holy, then we will continue to make an effort do be obedient to God's wishes even if we occasionally give in to a mortal weakness. If, on the other hand, we don't really see the necessity of toeing the line and working so hard then we will only do the minimum as we look forward to a release from the labors of this life so we can have a leisurely eternity floating on the clouds enjoying eternal rest.
     Before coming to earth, we all had the chance to weigh in on God's plan for us. A third of our heavenly family thought this whole freedom- to- choose thing with suffering consequences and having to rely on the Savior's atonement was not in our best interest. As we come here, we are separated from the sure knowledge of God and His plan so we can choose for ourselves what manner of men we want to be without any perceived "pressure" from our Heavenly Father. We don't have to become "perfect" while in this life. Our Lord has told us we need to have that as our goal but He and our Father knew we simply could not achieve perfection while in this mortal state so They provided the way for us to be sanctified and return to be with Them forever. We may make lots of mistakes but what is MOST important is for us to make a decision to have perfection as our goal and endure to the end, never wavering from that as a goal even when feeling discouraged, weak, or unworthy. God wants us to want to be with Him enough to give up all our own foolishness and be humble enough to accept His wisdom. With our desires for pride, sloth, rebellion, and greed overcome, we can enjoy eternal peace, growth, and harmony.

Hypocrisy

     Anyone in my family or that knows me well knows the story of how I learned a big word when I was young, "Hypocrite", that has been a big influence on me. There is something very annoying about a hypocrite. It is recorded in the scriptures that Jesus was quite critical of hypocrites. We have lots of sayings in one form or another about hypocrisy:
Don't worry about the mote in your brother's eye when you have a beam in your own. (scriptural)
What goes around, comes around,
The pot shouldn't call the kettle black.
If you have made the bed you need to be willing to lie in it.
Treat others as you would have them treat you. (also scriptural)
     I have tried hard to analyze my opinions and practices to avoid hypocrisy. If I felt entertainment sources were not appropriate for my children, I would not watch them. The same for behaviors such as drinking or smoking. (The exceptions, of course, being driving and physical sex since children will some day do those things but aren't mature enough to do them wisely.) I am troubled by parents who punish their children for a behavior they have learned from observation in their home. You can't justly scold a child for not taking care of his/her things if a parent doesn't. It's not fair to yell or swear then punish your child for doing the same thing. Children learn by observation. They become brutally clear mirror images of their parents. If a parent "gets caught" by recognizing their own behavior in their chastised child, they should "fess up"! Let your child know you recognize that eating a cookie just before dinner is not right and you will hold yourself to the same standard as you hold your child.
     Other terms for such a characteristic are: being without guile, having integrity, being sincere, and not talking out of both sides of your mouth. It's not that I suggest not being aware of evil. I just don't want to take part in it. I have plenty of weaknesses and faults, I freely admit it. I may even appear "self-righteous" to some. I don't mean to be. I only want to make sure that I understand whatever I have embraced as a policy or principle is true across the board- for me or anyone else. If I don't want to be criticized for my appearance in some way I should not criticize others. I don't want to say anything behind a person's back that I wouldn't want them to hear me say. I don't want to expect any more from a child than I do from myself. What's fair should be fair for everyone.

We can do this

     One of the most important things we are charged to do is develop love- for our fellow humans and, especially, for our Savior, Jesus Christ. In the Bible, in the book of John, there is an interesting account of an interchange between Jesus and some Jews in Jerusalem:
I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? [see Psalms 82:16] If he called them gods, unto whom the word of Gad came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him , whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
     One of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that some people object to most is the concept that we can become like God. That is a claim for which the Jews wanted to stone Jesus. Starting at the beginning, Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image. I suppose there are some who might say he didn't really mean it literally. What about Lev. 19:2 Speak unto all ..... and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy ? Or Psalms 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High ? Or Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect ? And consider Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together?
     There are more in the Bible, as well as in the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants, and words of modern prophets. These words are never intended to discourage us. They are to help us realize who we are and what potential we have. These words are not to cause us to feel degraded but to remind us what incredible beings we are. We can become like our Savior and even like our Father in Heaven. If we recognize who we are and how great our potential, we will be less discouraged and willing to try harder. If we learn about Jesus and grow to love Him, we will have a greater desire to be like Him. If we try harder to be like Him, we will feel better about ourselves and even others because we will love them as He loves them- and us. God has not made us to fail.