Still hastening the work

     Awhile ago I did a couple of blogs that relate to what I am thinking about today. July 2015 (Doing my part) and Aug 2015 (I don't mean to repeat myself) were basically about the Lord "hastening His work." We have it straight from the source, "For behold, this is my work and my glory- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) What God wants more than anything else is for you and me and your brother and my sister and our neighbors to live with Him forever. We know He will not force us to do so. What we do with our life, our time, our energy- is all totally up to us. We will be whoever we decide to be. God allows Satan to travel the earth providing opposition to Him so we can truly have a choice because we understand what alternatives we have. Because God loves us so much, he wants us to choose to be with Him but He knows that separated from Him we will become polluted by our thoughts and actions enough that we could not stand to be in His holy and perfect presence. So He gave to us His Only Begotten Son and all we have to do is believe in Him- that He is the Savior and atoned for us, and then choose to be called by His name and follow Him. How do we do that?
     Another gift from God is prophets and their writings, called scriptures, so we have some instructions on how to follow the Savior and exactly who we worship. From that instruction we learn that we need to be baptized as a covenant that we want to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. But that baptism must be of a certain order. First of all, infants cannot make choices for themselves so having an adult sprinkle water on a baby's head does not mean that individual has chosen to follow the Savior. Second of all, we can't just get wet and call ourselves baptized. There has to be some sort of authority to act in the way the Savior and His Father have ordained. Hence, there is need for an organization with ordered authority, not just a desire- no matter how sincere that desire may be. God has seen fit to organize a church and the Lord has told us that if it is His church, it will bear His name. Now that we have that organization and authority, what do we do?
     A prophet has declared the 3-fold mission of the Lord's church: 1-proclaim the gospel, 2- redeem the dead, 3-perfect the Saints. The first two have to do with making sure the knowledge and ordinances are available to ALL that desire to embrace the Lord's work and glory. I mentioned in previous blogs the ways I have observed the Lord hastening His work by sending missionaries in greater numbers (lowering the age for young missionaries, encouraging senior missionaries) and opening areas of the world long closed to Christ's teachings (tearing down walls, the far-reaching influence of the internet, the exposure to the gospel to people coming out from closed countries for education or business then returning to teach at home) and the increased numbers of temples, increased interest in genealogy, and increased enthusiasm among every age of Saint to seek out names and do temple work for covenants and ordinances their kindred dead had no access to. Once you have a desire to do whatever the Lord would have you do and have made an authorized, witnessed covenant with him, what do you do?
     This is the third mission of the organization of the Lord's church- perfecting us. We can pray and study scriptures individually. That is a really good thing. But often, we get stuck in our progression due to lack of knowledge. We need ideas, information, and encouragement from others who are seeking the same truth and growth. The leaders of the church are no more dictators than the God they serve. In the recent decades, the church has issued fewer manuals. For quite awhile after the church was given prophetic counsel to hold weekly family home evenings, there were more and more elaborate instructions on how to do that. Now there are no manuals. We are still encouraged to hold family meetings but are expected to do so on our own. There used to be fat manuals for all auxiliary elements of the church, but no longer. We may have administrative instructions for the purpose of consistency world-wide and we have incredible access to lots of supplemental information that allows us to share information with each other in various ways that allow even very different people to get the idea. Although going to the temple for the first time is important in opening up a whole new level of covenant and commitment, we are constantly being encouraged to go again and again, as often as possible. This isn't simply to do work for the dead, although that is really important. It is also to remind us what it feels like to be "out of the world". We are so immersed here in mortality that it's easy to get embroiled in world events, politics, fads, entertainment, etc. We lose sight of the fact that God is still in charge. Prayer matters. It's not just that we give orders to our Father so He knows what we want. He wants to know (and we need to be aware of) what we want. Are we praying for that toy we have our eye on? Or are we praying for forgiveness and greater goodness? Are we praying to remove "global warming" or wars? Or are we praying to understand our own individual responsibility in benefiting the planet and all life on it? Are we praying for Him to change other people we think are wrong even knowing He will not do that because He has given us all moral agency? Or are we praying for Him to disclose to us our own flaws and help us have the strength to overcome those flaws? Going to the temple regularly helps us change our focus from the tree in front of us to the overall forest. Reading the scriptures over and over again can help with that, too, especially when we don't have ready access to regular temple worship.
     So, we have been told that "no man knoweth the hour" that the Savior will return. We have been told to be continually watchful for it. We have been told signs which abound around us. When He returns, He will rule and reign but it will still not be a dictatorship. Those who assist in the work need to be willing and as perfected in their submission as they can be. We will either be part of helping His work, or the object of the work He has to continue to do. Not only should we be looking at the world "ripening in iniquity" but also we should be looking for a ready supply of worthy servants to assist. We can see the evil increasing. We need to see the good increasing, too, and choose to be a part of it.

   

Fight, Flight, or Freeze

    The title of this post is plagiarized just a little bit. We were watching the show "Brain Games" about the amygdala and reactions to fear. The title is the three categories of reactions to fear. It should be no surprise that I continue to be fascinated with the workings of the human brain. This information has only been available for a relatively short time before which we really didn't understand exactly how our brains work. There is still much to learn but I'm trying to keep up with at least the basic layman's version of how our brain functions. The amygdala is deep in the brain and is the source of our primal reactions, like the release of adrenalin. What I have been pondering is fear and how that affects our relationship to God. There are scriptures that mention a "fear" of God but that is better translated as a respect or reverence of God, not a fear like of falling or of wild animals. Also, the Lord Himself actually says, "Fear not for I am with thee" so He obviously doesn't want us to fear Him in the way we might interpret it otherwise. And, according to the apostle Paul, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) It has been expressed that faith and fear cannot occur together. Faith is a kind of trust. If you truly trust the Lord- His wisdom, His decisions, His ability and willingness to help and guide- then you won't have fear. Sounds good, but how do we do that?
     When we are afraid- of other people, our own inabilities, or any circumstance- we will react in one of the three ways mentioned in the title. When we don't like the way things are going and dread the consequences we may get angry- at ourselves, at God, or who or whatever. If we are angry, it interferes with our ability to hear the still, small voice of the Spirit. That leaves us on our own to figure out a way out of the situation. If we want desperately to avoid the whole issue, we may either want to run away or play possum. If we refuse to deal with the situation we may run into something even worse or we may miss an outcome which might be, in the end, very beneficial. If we freeze, we don't accomplish anything.
     Today in stake conference, a young man (between 8-11 years old) was randomly called up from the congregation by a visiting church leader. I was so struck by this young man's reaction. He had been chosen by a stake leader (Primary President) who had been asked by this visiting authority to choose someone to come up and read. Fear of public speaking is one of the major fears nearly all people have. This was a meeting of several hundred people, filling to overflowing the chapel, attached hall, and several other rooms by closed circuit tv. This young man just jumped right up when selected and walked quickly and confidently to the front of the chapel. He was not pompous and he was not frightened- at least not on the outside. I'm sure his little heart was beating pretty fast! He could have been fearful to the point of fight- getting angry and resenting being "picked on". He could have decided to run out of the room- flight. Or he could have been struck with fear to the point of not being able to move. He had been taught, likely by parents and church teachers, to have faith- in God and in himself because God doesn't give us anything we can't manage, especially with His help.
     When I first joined the LDS church, I was somewhat intimidated at being asked to be a teacher, a leader, or any sort of job that I had never done before. In the church, there is no training. You get "called" as a visiting teacher, bishop, Young Women leader, or anything and you are on your own! There are plenty of people to whom you can go for advice and there are some manuals to search, but basically you figure out what the program is and how to implement it through prayer, scripture study, and pondering. The results are truly remarkable and not just in the running of programs but in the development of individuals. Jesus Christ was, and still is, all about the "ONE". He suffered and died for each individual. He loves each individual. Now that I understand that, I never have a desire to refuse a calling. I will do whatever the Lord wants because I know He loves me and will help me beyond my own abilities however limited they may be. In the process of serving, I grow in knowledge and experience which also strengthens my faith. It's a win-win situation!

Can we do it??

     I think it's awesome that our Father in Heaven has given prophets to His children to help them figure out mortality. It's also awesome that many of their words have been preserved for us (scriptures) so we can study and learn how to get along. Two of the most tragic characters, in my opinion, in scripture are Saul and David. Saul was chosen by God to be king of Israel despite the prophet Samuel thinking a king was a bad idea. He was pretty good until David came along, just a little guy that slew the giant Goliath. David then continued to defend Israel in the name of God and was, not at all surprisingly, successful. Saul got pretty jealous of David's popularity throughout Israel and started hunting him down with the intent to kill him. What was really amazing was that one time David had the opportunity to kill Saul, and chose not to. His words were, "I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee." David saw Saul as the king's anointed and would not destroy him despite Saul's efforts to take his life. Saul's reaction was, "Thou are more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil." (For the complete story see 1 Samuel) David realized that he wasn't judge and jury to justify revenge- or even what some would call defense- against Saul. What mattered was David's righteous heart. (Unfortunately, David later succumbed to the natural man weakness of lust so he didn't endure to the end in serving righteousness.) There are people who have to live with memories of abuse from parents or spouses. There are people who have suffered mightily at the hands of other people's horrible choices. Harboring hate and revenge in their hearts will not change anything. I'm not advocating just lying down and taking it- not by any means! I think divorce, running away, going to the police, or whatever is necessary is an essential response. However, once you are safe from the pain, it's important to avoid carrying bitterness in your heart; not that it's an easy thing to do.......
     The Lord has said, "Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. And ye ought to say in your hearts- let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deed." (Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-11) God is so much wiser, capable, and knowledgeable than we are. Plus, He loves way more than we even know how to--- yet. If we continue to have anger, resentment, or other such bitter feelings it will only maim us. It's important that we trust Him to be just, yet merciful enough to not hold against us anything we might have messed up on. It can be really difficult to have love for our enemies or respect for someone who is not acting righteously and abusing a high position in the world. But we need to have a greater desire to be good ourselves than to see that "justice is served". To do that we need to be willing to let bygones be bygones. We need to allow others the opportunity to change and continue to hope they do. We need to believe in repentance and trust God to run things. We need to forgive our family members, our friends, our neighbors, even our politicians...................

Hobos or homeless

     Having very little to do and not enjoying traffic here, Russ and I often walk. We may even walk to businesses that are 2-3 miles away. The exercise is good for us and it keeps us from having to deal with driving. On a bench on one corner I have observed a man who seems to be pretty well settled in. He is a large man with a roomy bag like a gym bag that has lettering on it which indicates it was a part of a community charity effort to provide necessities for living outside a dwelling. I have not looked on him with disdain or criticism. If ever he looked up at me when I walk by, I would smile and greet him like any other person whose eye I try to catch to be friendly. I was thinking about stories I have read about hobos in the 19th or 20th century here in the United States. They were generally reasonable people (mostly adult males) who had no job and no place to live. They would often be willing to split wood or do yard work or whatever their skills allowed in exchange for a meal or the opportunity to sleep in a shed or barn to be out of the weather. I have also remembered a news program I saw many decades ago now where there were several homeless people interviewed. A couple of the men stated that they would rather live a homeless lifestyle than be tied down with a job and rent or mortgage payments.
     I realize that there are many homeless people who are not there by choice. Sometimes there is an addiction involved and sometimes there is an issue with mental health problems. The saddest perhaps is the children who are associated with a homeless adult drifter so they never know what a "normal" life is like. When we see homeless people, we have no way of knowing their circumstances. That would invite us to not just discount them, necessarily, as irresponsible. On the other hand, I personally would never want to enable anyone in supporting an addiction. So, short of averting my eyes and trying to pretend they're not there, how do I react in a way Jesus would have me react? I have a friend who always carries in her car a sandwich bag with a granola bar, a sample toothpaste tube, some change, and whatever other little things she thinks of. She will hand a bag out the window to any beggar she comes upon. I think that's something Jesus would like. I have another friend who, despite nearing 80 years old, taught for awhile in a homeless shelter. Her stories of that experience would touch even the coldest heart. I intend, if ever I get the chance, to speak to someone who is homeless as if they were any other community member I might encounter on the street. If I can, I will offer to buy them food or I would even give them my coat if they needed it. I might hesitate to give them money because I have had too many experiences with people who just want to make their living taking money from someone with no effort on their part beyond asking. I would have no idea what their circumstances are so I would avoid assuming anything. But I do know they are children of God, just like I am. I know there are lots of charitable and government programs to assist, although I realize that when someone has their life abruptly changed, it may take some time to get enrolled in such help. I wish I could simply believe any story told me, but I know I can't. I can't even believe stories that are "news" from the media! So I would just pray to know what to do, but my guy reaction will be to treat others as I would want to be treated.

What exactly is the march for??

     Today is what initiators have entitled "March for Unity" also known as the Women's March. I'm sure that, after the divisiveness and contention during the recent presidential election, there is good reason to have such an event. I'm also sure that most of the people who have been instrumental in planning it have had the very best of intentions. (And this is where you say- BUT...) However, it seems that incorporated in all of the many differences among the millions of people in the United States as well as all over the world, there is a difference in the definition of "unity" or "tolerance". Large-scale events like this march, which is being held primarily here in Washington, DC but also has large groups meeting in other cities, include people with a wide range of intentions. I have some examples from my personal experiences for illustration:
     I was a teenager during the war in VietNam and my brother, along with many young men I knew, were being drafted and sent to fight in a war that most of us couldn't comprehend. I participated in marches and gatherings at SUNY Cortland and Cornell University protesting the war. I don't wish to speak for anyone else there. I just know that, for me, all I wanted was to join a crowd trying to get attention to demand that our friends and family members be returned home from that distant land. I really didn't understand anything about the cause or ramifications of the war or what that country meant to our country. I just didn't want war. I had no hidden agenda or desire to get more creative in causing chaos.
     Every Oct. 31, kids in the USA get excited to dress up in costumes, maybe be in parades, and maybe ride in fire trucks but mostly, go trick-or-treating for as much candy as can be carried or collected in the time allotted to travel door to door. Often, the kids start eating their treats before they get home but when they do finally get home, parents often will check the "stash" for anything they don't want their children to have or even sometimes something the parents want for themselves! One Halloween when our family was young and financially struggling, I had made popcorn balls because that was the cheapest treat I could furnish for the many children expected on our street in the village. Late in the evening, a group of 3 teenage boys came to the door with some color smeared on their faces and carrying pillowcases. These were hardly what you could call "costumes". I was nearly out of popcorn balls and was a bit miffed that these guys were more interested in getting free goodies than in actually joining the spirit of the holiday. I told them they were old enough to get jobs and buy their own candy. Afterward, we found eggs splattered and shaving cream smeared on our car. Too often, teenagers have used the holiday for an excuse to perform pranks, sometimes expensive and damaging.
     A few years after that, there was a gathering of women in Seneca Falls, NY- home to and celebrating the women's right to vote movement many years prior. This was at the time of social issues such as abortion, Equal Rights Amendment, salary equality for genders, etc. Knowing that many women there would be in favor of all of those things, several of us from our local church attended to listen, learn, and participate in discussion.  I really think that was the primary purpose of the gathering but I'm sure there were some there who hoped to persuade others to their point of view. Maybe we all did, but, unfortunately, not all of our points of view were the same despite the fact that we were female. I just hoped to balance out the more militant elements attending.
     Several years later,  there began to be lots of pressure to re-define the family as basically just a collection of people. This was due in part to the "coming out" of homosexuals but also included children being raised by grandparents because parents were on drugs or in jail as well as people deciding that they didn't have to get married just because there were children being produced and even a rise in divorce and blended families. The newspapers and all the media were widely proclaiming this more open definition which tended to cause the belittling and even scorn for the idea of an original father and mother, married, living with their children in the same house. Rather than the ideal situation, this was becoming undesirable. As a result, several people throughout the wider community called for a gathering to support the traditional family. We met in a public square and simply talked about how beneficial we felt it was to children and the community as a whole to encourage traditional families and mostly avoided talking about the other issues other than trying to mention being understanding and tolerant. Surrounding our "group" were some quite outspoken people- mostly young adults- who wanted to use this as an occasion to accuse us of being homophobic and intolerant. Most of the people in the family group were religious of one tradition or other and were far from being hateful or intolerant. But the outlying group wasn't listening.
     Having described these different experiences, I would say that this March for Unity is for a good cause but I'm sure it will be used for and interpreted as many different causes. There will be some here who are really just trying to send a message to our new President Donald Trump because he has publicly expressed some very intolerant opinions. There will be some who are hoping to pick a fight with whoever they disagree with despite the title of the event. There will probably even be some who are paid by someone to promote some agenda or other. There will also be some, hopefully the majority, who simply want to express their desire that our country not be so contentious. Those who don't actually attend but sit on the sidelines observing will probably be everything from supportive to highly critical- again each having their own perspective on the intent of those participating. As spectators, including the media, express opinions they have the opportunity to either help heal our nation or further heat up anger and cause divisions. The change to peace will not come by any form of law. It has to come within people's hearts as they interact, being willing to listen as well as shout.

Addictions

     Along with a fascination with our brains, I have quite an interest in the spiritual realm, or heaven, or the other side of the veil, or however one might describe it. I have had only minimal experience of my own but I have read some accounts of the experiences of others and really enjoyed the book and movie of a child's account in "Heaven is Real". One of the elements of life beyond mortality that has given me some concern is the extension of addiction. As I have learned how our brains work, I have a mortal concern for the control of addictions but as I read about the spirit world, that concern grows even stronger. In several accounts of near-death experiences there is an agonizing description of those who have left mortality still attached to an addiction they never overcame. This is from "Visions of Glory": The disembodied spirits said little at first. They had little ability to be heard by the young man (a mortal who was viewing pornography). They were there trying to satisfy the sexual passion they had developed during their own lives. There were both male and female spirits. Their sexual addiction had followed them into the spirit world, Their addiction was unending, painful, and impossible to satisfy. There is more but I don't want to make this too long. Among descriptions of spirit beings who have died with addictions, there are tragic images of trying to grab a cigarette or drink alcohol or satisfy a longing for drugs when they can't do any of those things. The lustful feelings are still there but there is no way to satisfy them outside of their physical, mortal body.
    On the other hand are descriptions of beings of greater light, more white and bright than words can fully describe. It is worth knowing that the more inwardly a person has loved Divine truths and has lived by them, the more beautiful is his human form after death. That is the way a man named Swedenborg who lived a couple of centuries ago explained his experience outside a mortal body. The account is repeated in the book "Glimpses Beyond Death's Door" which is a compilation of research and study on near-death experiences of lots of different people. There are many books available on this subject and I have only read a few. But the point I want to make right here and now is that the Lord's counsel to us to avoid addictions is NOT for the purpose of keeping us from having "fun". We should not look at the idea of avoiding addictions to sex, drugs, food, money, etc. as being limiting other than limiting our eternal anguish. We are much more than these desires. They will only control us and ultimately destroy our goodness and halt our progression. I wish I could shout it to the world!

Grateful for the Constitution

     I have been thinking about the plight of refugees recently. It's one thing to purposely emigrate to another country because you would prefer living there. It's completely different when you would really rather stay "home" but due to war, oppressive government, or other threats, you leave your native country with what little you can carry to start with nothing in a strange land. Adding to that misery, when you get to the strange land, you may be greeted with hatred and resentment. Refugees are not all innocent, good people. I realize that. However, I would bet that the majority of those who are forced refugees have no ill intentions. They have to struggle with survival: learning a new language, finding shelter, obtaining food, finding a job, and often needing medical help.
     Last night Russ and I went to a show at the Kennedy Center here in Washington, DC. Shen Yun is a beautiful display of newly written Chinese traditional culture. To quote the program notes: Ten years ago leading Chinese artists from around the world came together united by a mission: to revive authentic Chinese culture. They formed Shen Yun. Independent, non-profit, and based in New York, Shen Yun's artists now present these magnificent traditions on stage.... Shen Yung Orchestra delivers this musical experience by blending the singular beauty of Chinese melodies with the precision and power of the Western orchestra. ( Their orchestra has mostly Western classical instruments but also includes traditional Chinese instruments so the sound is familiar to both cultures.) .. Nowhere else can you see the authentic Chinese culture that Shen Yun presents. Sadly, this culture has been almost completely destroyed in China under communist rule. Throughout the program notes you get a sense of the love and appreciation of traditional Chinese people, scenery, culture, and even some beliefs. In ancient China artist used to cultivate virtue. They believed that art was meant to celebrate the divine and nurture goodness. They often practiced meditation and self-refinement, seeking to create art from a pure and humble mental space...Shen Yun performer's draw their spiritual inspiration from the meditation discipline and self-improvement practice called Falun Dafa. Also known as Falun Gong, it is rooted in China's ancient spiritual traditions, and its practitioners strive to live by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance......Traditional Chinese culture is based on the idea of harmony among heaven, Earth, and humankind. But the Chinese Communist Party's doctrine teaches just the opposite; officially atheist, it sees this spiritual culture as a threat to its power. For decades it has tried to destroy this ancient heritage. 
     I realize that a PR expert probably helped word the program. However, we know from a study of history or even current events that there truly are places in the world where the government strives to strangle anything inherently individualistic and does so through violence, actual or threatened. I can't express enough how grateful I am to have been simply born in a country based upon the idea of inherent rights of freedom for all people. We don't always behave as tolerantly as we ought. That isn't the fault of the original concept or Constitution. It's the fault of each one of the citizens who expresses prejudice toward any group of people based on a generalization they have used to label others. There is wickedness on this earth, that's for sure. We each have a responsibility to seek out righteous principles and live by them. But we are not judges of other people, only judges of principles. We can reach out to those who are different in some way and strive to understand the good in them if we don't readily see it. We can hope they are diligent in doing the same toward us.