Lesson Learned: Wrestling verses Our Time on Earth

I'm going to borrow a journal entry from my wife for this post:

Today I attended, with the family, Robbie's first wrestling match.  He has been practicing for a short three weeks.  Robbie has been excited for this new adventure.  Quickly, he found it to be a hard sport, "but rewarding when you get on top," he says.

Today, as I walked into the gym, it wasn't long before I was cringing, gasping, and at times near to tears.  It was hard to see boys bodies go through that much pain and their bodies twisting in harmful ways (from a mom's perspective.)   Our 7 year old Lana, who may come across fearless, has a very sensitive heart and doesn't like to see anyone hurt especially her loved ones.  It wasn't long before we sat down, she was also gasping and shedding a few tears as she watched boys get hurt and cry themselves.  She said, "I don't like this.  Is Robbie going to do this?  I don't want him to."  She was very concerned the whole 3 1/2 hours as we waited for Robbie to wrestle.  In fact, she would go run and play but return to spot out Robbie and make sure he wasn't out on the mat.  She asked me at least 50 times, "Where is Robbie?" 

The time finally came, and Robbie was able to wrestle for his very first time.  It was a great match....from a mom's perspective. Robbie dominated, and he had the boy pinned in less than a minute.  We were all happy.  The girls were on the mat cheering him on and happy for him, too.  Robbie was proud, confident, and smiled. 

His second match was only 5 minutes away.  This one was a little harder.  Robbie had to work harder.  Near the beginning, his opponent lifted him up and threw him down on his back.  It was an illegal move and was given a warning.  Robbie didn't move much and was crying a bit but mostly because it knocked the wind out of him.  The coach went over to him and helped him breathe.  Rob was there giving encouraging words.  Robbie's opponent apologized.  Nana rushed over to make sure he was ok.  On the sidelines, Lana ran over to me and hid her face in my stomach and cried.  She was so concerned.  I was holding back the tears myself.  It wasn't long, and Robbie was up and ready to go again.  He came back with fire and ended up winning the match.  This time, he was happy,  but he was a bit more tired. He really had to put forth more effort for that win. 

Again, his last match came quickly, and he didn't seem to be fully rested.  Lana kept saying she hated the boys Robbie was wrestling against.  She wanted to watch to make sure he was ok, but she couldn't do it. She went over to the bleachers and laid down with a coat covering her eyes.  That wasn't good enough, so she took Clara to go fill up the water bottles in the hall.  I'm glad she left because she would have been scarred to see the next match.  :)  Robbie's opponent was tough, and he knew what he was doing.  He lifted Robbie up threw him down a couple times.  Robbie remained tough.  However, in the second round, he was tiring and his confidence was slipping.  The pain in his eyes and face...I can see right now.  He was struggling and not gaining much ground.  Rather, he was doing everything he could just to keep from being pinned.  With a hard-fought battle, Robbie's opponent finally pinned him.  It was heartbreaking for Robbie.  He cried and was disappointed.  I had to hold back tears.  

I tried to figure out all day why so many boys ended the match crying.  I have never seen so many tears, and I have seen a lot of sports.  My conclusion:  the boys are mentally and physically drained to the point that all they can do is cry.  They worked so hard (and I mean so hard) to get on top and when they didn't... it was a hard thing to take.  Rob also explained it and said, "when you lose, it's like you have been broken....your opponent broke you."  After the match, we tried to tell Robbie how well he did.  Others stopped him and told him he was great.  It was hard for Robbie to hear a compliment when all he could see was the loss.  After 40 minutes in the car, he finally said, "well, I guess I did ok."  We talked about what his coach told him in practice, "you find your weakness and you work on it, and you work on it hard until it is your strength.  Then you move on to your next weakness.."  I  liked that advice. 

Although I am not 100% sold on this crazy sport, I did see some amazing things about wrestling.

1.  The sportsmanship was amazing.  I saw more hugging from the competitors  than in any other sport. 

2.  Team unity.  The whole Wasatch team stayed late to watch Robbie. Realize -he just started to wrestle with them a few weeks ago.  (He was the last one to wrestle for the night....yes it was a long day)  I can't count how many boys came up to Robbie after each match and told him good job. 

Now to turn this into a life lesson. 

*  Life can be great, fun, joyful...especially when things are going our way... when pain is minimal and others around us are happy too.

*  Life can be painful.  It can be physical, emotional, or mentally draining and sometimes excruciating. 

* When we go through these hard times, there are others who are crying and praying for us. (Lana...Mom)  It's not easy to see others suffer. 

*When we are hurt and going through something that keeps us on the ground and unstable, there are people all around who love us, and who are only an arm length away.  They are ready to help us "breathe", to give us encouraging words.  We just need to know they are there and allow them into our lives.  Heavenly  Father has placed them there to help us and show us His love.

*Living a great life takes works, dedication, and endurance.  It has setbacks.  But with the right mindset and with "faith" we can move forward....working out our weaknesses until they are our strengths. 

*Life is much better when we are kind and when we have good sportsmanship to everyone around us. :)

*We should be unified as a family, a ward, a community....support each other, cheer each other on, respect one another. 

*Satan wants to break us. He wants us to feel broken. He wants us to feel worthless.  He wants us to think there is no way to get back on top.  He wants us to be sad, disappointed, and unsure of ourselves. However, Our  Savior loves us unconditionally and wants us know and feel His love every second of every day.  He suffered every pain and emotion in the garden of Gethsemane.  He knows very well the pain and sorrow we feel in our lives.  After the sorrow and pain, comes Joy and Happiness if we turn to Him.   We can have Hope and Love because of Him. 

*Amazing what you can learn and apply to life.....The sport of wrestling proves to be comparable to

 "Life Here On Earth."

An Honor Like No Other

Christ suffered something unimaginable in Gethsemane.  After Gethsemane, he was whipped and scourged 40 times, which alone, was sufficient to kill. After being weakened and mocked, a crown of thorns was placed upon his head.

After suffering what no human could survive in Gethsemane, after the agonizing Roman lashings, and after a crown of thorns was placed on his head, he was expected to carry his cross to Golgotha.

In his weakened state, he didn't have the strength remaining to bear the entire weight of the cross. Imagine being in that crowd and seeing him stumble and fall. From the gazing crowd, a traveler named Simon, from Cyrene, was chosen to help the Savior carry his cross.

What an honor and privilege it would be to step out and be the one to briefly relieve the Lord’s suffering in that terrible moment of pain. Imagine what an honor it would be, to be the one person in all of history, who literally helped the Son of God carry his burden and his cross.

If I were to go back in time, would I be the one to step forward?

As I ponder this experience, I certainly hope that if I had been there, then I would have stepped forward to take an honorary place in history and be the one person who helped carry the cross of our Lord.

Many Voices

I looked back through early church history this morning and was again surprised at the number of people who left the church for various reasons...many of them became disenfranchised with Joseph Smith.

Of the Three Witnesses, they all left. Fortunately, both Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery later returned and were re-baptized.

As I looked at some of the wording of the dissenters, I found their use of language quite interesting, I'll share a couple of brief examples, but the language is similar in many of their cases:

David Whitmer (one of the three witnesses):
After the collapse of the Kirtland Safety Society Bank, David Whitmer became an antagonist to the Prophet and the Church. In 1838, he resigned his membership and interestingly stated these words,

"If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon," wrote Whitmer, "if you believe that God spake to us three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens and told me to 'separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints."

Something similar happened with Sydney Rigdon. After Joseph's death, he appeared in a public gathering and announced that he had received a revelation from the Lord stating that he was to be a "Guardian over the Church." Again, people were left to choose who to follow or who not to follow, when claims of revelation are being made on both sides.

There are many voices, both within the church and now outside of the church, teaching truth mingled with scripture. Truth is a wonderful thing, but the voices of men have consistently led men away from truth. We need to be very careful who's voice we listen to and more than anything else, we had better make sure that we HAVE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD to carefully discern between truth and error.

If we look back through history, many of those men were confident in their actions when they made them, but later came to regret what they had done:

Oliver Cowdery
Martin Harris
Thomas Marsh

To name a few...

Amongst many voices teaching what they claim to be truth, let us make sure we have the spirit of the Lord as our guide.

Meet the Mormons Review

Tonight I took my family to watch Meet the Mormons.

My review is simple: In a chaotic and violent world, I found it refreshing to attend a movie that was uplifting and inspiring. It was a movie of hope, repentance, faith, and love. It clearly shows that we (members of the church) are human, that we make mistakes. Yet. at the same time, it illustrates the power of kindness, repentance, and the ripple effect of service.

I hope this will reach people who need hope in their life or who could use an inspiring message. The reality is that we can find that hope through Christ and, in my opinion, the movie did a great job presenting that message!

One of my favorite parts of the movie was the conclusion when David Archuleta sang the song "Glorious".  What a beautiful song!

Being Released

Callings in the church are an interesting thing. Yesterday evening I was released from the Bishopric after 2 ½ years. I had a wonderful Bishop and I enjoyed being able to talk with him about a wide variety of subjects. I was called to serve in the Stake YM Presidency and I’m grateful for the chance to continue working with the youth. In my opinion, the youth are the most teachable and they still have the desire to learn. The old adage goes, “it’s easier to build a man than it is to mend a man”. I love working with the youth.

Reflect on your own callings. What have you learned from them?

As I look back through the years and reflect on my callings, it’s amazing how much I grew as a result. Not only that, some of my closest relationships were developed while serving side by side with someone.

1^st Counselor in the Bishopric

YM President

Ward Mission Leader

Gospel Doctrine Teacher

Temple Prep Teacher

Stake YM Presidency

EQ Presidency

Primary Teacher

I suppose it’s like anything else in life, we get out of something exactly what we put into it. However, as soon as I typed that, I realized it wasn't true. As King Benjamin taught, the very second we think we've done something worthwhile in the service of the Lord, he does immediately bless us and we are still indebted to him. Paradoxically, in my experience, if we will but make our best effort, the Lord will bless us greatly…whether in the primary or any other calling.

The Lord needs people who are willing to serve and will actually put forth the effort. There’s far too much complacency and we can do better as a church and a body of people who wants to follow Christ.

An Interview with the Lord

I came across this lesson from President McKay. While I don't know if I agree that this is exactly how it will be, these are nonetheless great introspective questions that we should ask ourselves. I appreciate him teaching it and it would be interesting to see how close to Zion we would be if every person could answer these questions in a pleasing way to the Lord.

"Let me assure you, Brethren, that some day you will have a personal Priesthood interview with the Savior, Himself.  If you are interested, I will tell you the order in which He will ask you to account for your earthly responsibilities.

First, He will want an accountability report about your relationship with your wife.  Have you actively been engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her needs have been met as an individual?

Second, He will want an accountability report about each one of your children individually.  He will not attempt to have this for simply a family stewardship, but will request information about your relationship with each and every child.

Third, He will want to know what you personally have done with the talents you were given in the pre-existence.

Fourth, He will want a summary of your activity in your church assignments.  He will not be necessarily interested in what assignments you have had, for in His eyes the home teacher and a mission president are probably equals, but He will request a summary of how you have been of service to  your fellowmen in your church assignments.

Fifth, He will have no interest in how you earned your living, but if you were honest in all your dealings.

Sixth, He will ask for an accountability on what you have done to contribute in a positive manner to you community, state, country, and the world."

(Address to employees of the Physical Facilities Dept. of the Church, Hotel Utah, June 1965,)

                                                                                                                        -David O. McKay

Dedication and Heavenly Choirs

This morning and afternoon (21 Sep, 2014), members throughout the northern Utah region had the opportunity to meet and participate in the re-dedication of the Ogden temple. I'd like to share a few thoughts from the dedication:

1.  Towards the end of the dedicatory prayer, President Monson paid tribute to the Father and the Son and asked that they accept this offering, I felt the spirit pour into my heart. Describing it the way I felt, "that this might be an abode for the Father, the Son, and their angels". Although there are places that are or can be like unto a temple (our homes, the mountains, etc.), there is still something sacred and beautiful about a dedicated building to the Lord.

I've had a love for temples since going through for the first time in 1994. I've spent many, many hours in the temple through the years. There have been many special and sacred experiences in the temple, for which I am eternally grateful.

Since my posterity are the primary readers of this content, I hope they will make worshiping in the temple a priority in their lives. Despite changes to the endowment over the years, the message is still powerful and the veil can get thin in the temple if our hearts are pure and we seek the Lord. If we portray ourselves as Adam and Eve, we'll see the path that we need to walk and how to converse with the Lord through the veil AFTER WE HAVE BEEN PREPARED IN ALL THINGS. That preparation will come when we're ready, the Lord will prepare each one of us.

As President Monson presented the house to the Father and our Lord, I felt a deep appreciation to them for their love and patience with me and many others on this earth.

2. The second lesson is that there is a great deal of turmoil and confusion in this world. There's never been a time when it's more important to stay close to the Lord. I appreciate all those who share their witness, not only vocally, but through their actions. I appreciated Elder Bednar's words today, they rang true to me by the voice of the spirit.

3. I believe many angels are allowed to participate in these dedications. In 1996, I participated in the Mt. Timpanogos temple dedication the same day I returned home from my mission. Even though there were only 100 - 200 people in the room, I remember hearing concourses of heavenly voices singing. There were thousands of beautiful voices that joined us that day and I felt there were many there with us today as well.

I love the Lord and I'm keenly aware of the many ways in which I fall short. I hope that our children will grow up in the gospel and learn for themselves the truths of eternity that will carry them through the challenges they will see in their lifetime. I have a firm conviction that burns deeply of the power of worshiping in temples, that they can stand as a beacon in a storm and provide us with personal direction and guidance!

Dreams Are Powerful

I came across this dream from a person who I don't know. I can't vouch for it's truth, however, the lesson taught is a wonderful lesson and one to be pondered by all of us:

"I dreamed I walked into a large room filled with people and books, as well as many other instruments of learning. 

The people organized into a large circle and I saw Jesus was there with them. He beckoned me to come join the circle but I didn't feel I was quite ready yet. My vision in both eyes was blurry and I was keenly aware of it.

Jesus told me to take all the time I needed to explore the room and learn. He assured me that there was a special place saved for me when I was ready and He wouldn't let anyone else take it.

I walked around, exploring and reading. I learned a lot of great things. I noticed as I learned the vision in one of my eyes became clearer and I finally felt I was ready to join the circle.

The Lord had not only saved a place for me, but He had saved the spot right next to Him! I sat down and we held hands and sang and learned.

After a while the circle broke up into small groups. The Lord was ministering to groups and individuals. Every once in a while I would hear Him laugh and His laughter thrilled my entire body and filled me with warmth. I could hardly wait for my turn to speak with Him!

When I finally had my opportunity I just said,

" Lord, what would you have me do? I will do anything you ask of me. Anything at all. Just tell me."

He took my hands in His, looked into my eyes and smiled as He said my name,

"Holly. You're gonna do what you're gonna do. While doing it though, be kind to people. Serve them. Love them. Lift humanity up every chance you get. If you live your life in this way you will please me."

I realized at that moment my eyes were no longer blurry and I could see clearly."

Then the dream ended.

Connecting with Heaven: Meditation and Pondering

I recently talked with Greg Olsen and I described his new painting to him as one that causes me to be "pensative and meditative". He said, "I really like that description." I purchased this painting and have it sitting above my computer:

How many evenings do you think Christ spent doing this...gazing upon his creations? I LOVE this verse in Matthew that seems to describe this picture well (Matthew 14:23), "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening was come, he was there alone." I believe there was a reason he loved to do this, there is great power in pondering and meditation.

Here are a few powerful verses:

1 Nephi 11:1 "For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot."

D&C 138:1 "On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures". This is what led to the vision by Joseph F. Smith.

3 Nephi 17:3 "Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again."  The Savior's counsel after he ministered to the people in the America's.

D&C 43:34 "Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds."

How often do you (and I) meditate and ponder?

How often do you (and I) gaze upon the stars and think about the things of eternity?

Do you (and I) feel directed by heaven?

Have you (and I) felt the Savior's presence?

In our busy schedules, I hope we can find time to follow Christ's example and escape to a place where we can be alone to ponder upon the things of eternity.

A Voice of Warning

I came across this talk from Elder (then Elder, former President of the Church) Benson given at a BYU devotional on April 14th, 1981.

Have we not been warned on every front for years and decades? Have you felt the warning voice within your own soul? Have you felt personal direction on what it is that you need to do to prepare individually and as a family for the return of our Lord?

I appreciate this devotional talk from Elder Benson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlNxBHOqeIc&app=desktop):

After watching that video, I ask myself if we find ourselves in a similar situation as the Nephites in 3 Nephi 2:1 "The people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen."

Interestingly, there is a parallel to the stock market. When the markets move upward, it is usually a slow churn that lasts for months or years and people tend to become very complacent. However, when there is a steep decline in the market, it tends to happen very quickly, sometimes even as quick as one day (the crash that started the depression). When the steep decline happens, most people are caught off guard and lose a substantial amount of money.

Let us guard against complacency as we prepare for the return of our Lord and Savior. Let us "prepare every needful thing", both temporally and spiritually. Let us seek him out that we may be led by him, the one true Shepard that we may do his will and fulfill the measure of our creation.

At some point, there will be a "last day" and I hope and pray that we might be prepared for the events leading up to that day.

The 10 Lepers - Go to, thy faith hath made thee whole!

After reading the story of the 10 lepers in the Book of Luke, I was amazed at the deep wisdom and symbology in that story.  I'll share just a few insights that came while reading it, first though, let's read the whole story (Luke 17:11-19)

11 ¶And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Now, let's apply this story to our individual lives:

vs 12-13. Credit to the ten lepers who at least acknowledged Christ as the Savior and someone who could heal them. There's a good chance there were more lepers, some who didn't have enough faith to even beckon to Christ. When the ten called on Christ, that was good, but not sufficient for true healing (healing beyond the leprosy). 

 - How many of us realize that we're lepers in a sense and need his help to heal us? Have we seen ourselves in that light and truly acknowledge that we alone are nothing?

vs 14. After the 10 were healed, they ran to the priests, except for one. I imagine these other nine lepers were good people. They probably acknowledged that Christ was responsible for their healing. They were probably elated to be able to see their families again. They were probably GOOD people. However, in their excitement, they went their way and didn't take time to go back and express their gratitude.

- How many of us, when we experience a blessing from heaven or an answer to prayer, simply go our way like the nine lepers? How many times has he healed us and we simply run away?

vs 15-16. The ONE leper turned around, came back, fell at Christ's feet, and gave him the glory. ONE leper returned to express his gratitude, love, and acknowledgement of his appreciation. Interestingly, this was also a Samaritan, who would have been an enemy of Christ's people (the Jews). This is the real crux of the story, Christ responded to this one with the poignant words, "Go to, thy faith hath made thee whole!". These are the same words Christ utters to Ether in Ether 1:8. This isn't just a physical cleansing, he's telling the leper that he will have a place and an inheritance with the Lord. The Lord can't lie and when a person hears those words, they KNOW they are clean from the blood and sins of this generation.

The nine experienced a wonderful and miraculous healing, but they forfeited a much greater blessing when they ran their way. The ONE who returned to acknowledge and thank the Savior was offered a healing many times greater than the other nine. He was healed physically and spiritually with the powerful words that the other nine didn't get to hear, "Go to, thy faith hath made thee whole!"

My big lessons learned are:

1. Do I (you) at least acknowledge the Lord like the 10 lepers and call out to him to be healed?

2. Do I (you) return to him to express a deep gratitude and truly realize that we are dependent on him to be healed, spiritually and physically?

3. What ACTIONS do I (you) need to take to physically go to him and kneel at his feet? Is there a habit we need to change or some behavior that I've justified that I need to adjust to physically MOVE towards him.

This is a powerful and life-changing story if we see ourselves as the lepers and try to be like the ONE.

Harden Not Your Heart

We can't control others, yet often times we are so concerned about others that we don't examine our own lives and our own heart which causes us to miss the meaning of the scriptures. What I'm sharing right now is a short and simple invitation to look in the mirror, to examine our own heart, to assess our own standing before the Lord.

In Jacob 5:3-8, he teaches:
"3 And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard (this should be all of us, the invitation is extended to us all to labor in his vineyard); and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place! And the world shall be burned with fire.

 4 And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long (to you and I and anyone else who will come); and they are a stiffnecked and a gainsaying people (who? Could this be you? What about me? Do we take offense at what others say if it doesn't align perfectly with our understanding? Are we open to be taught and repent quickly or is it more like trying to convince a mother hen to get off her eggs?) ; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

 5 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you (How often do you and I sincerely pray, when we would "cry unto the Lord"? What does it mean to you and I to "repent" and "come with full purpose of heart"? What does it mean to "cleave"?. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.

 6 Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die? (This is the FOURTH time Jacob has talked about "hardening your heart", seriously look into your own heart, is it soft or hard? Could and does the Lord instruct you and I? If so, can he trust us to respond to and do what he asks us to do? Are we moldable like soft clay or are we more like hardened clay that breaks and becomes brittle when handled?

 7 For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?

 8 Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him (Will we? It's so easy to apply this invitation and counsel to others, what if we apply it to ourselves? Where are we still following short of the glory of God? The question is how can you and I receive his words and stop rejecting them? Do we pick and choose the commandments or resist the feelings in our heart?; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?

This is great counsel from Jacob, he asks important questions that we shouldn't be applying to others, but that we should be asking ourselves.

Nephi also saw our day and said something similar about those people who feel they can justify away their actions. As you read this, don't apply this teaching to anyone else but yourself, it changes the entire meaning, doesn't it?:

2 Nephi 28:7-9,  

"7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us (How many times have we heard this from both members of the Church and those outside the Church?).

 8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

 9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

Let us not harden our hearts, but inwardly search our hearts and souls. Let us repent and cry unto the Lord that we may experience His joy and His rest. This life is the time to prepare and soften our hearts that we might learn to be firm in our testimony, yet gentle and meek. 

Be Happy!

Tonya and I attended the Provo temple last night and participated in a beautiful endowment session. There were four key points that stood out to me, I'll only discuss one of them here.

When the Father came down to help in the creation, he helped plant the garden and then they formed man and ultimately the crowning creation, woman. The earth was now ready and Adam and Eve condescended to introduce humanity to the earth.

As the Father introduced Adam and Eve into the garden, he instructed them by saying, "Be happy. Go to, dress this garden, take good care of it." Isn't that interesting?

Two things stand out from this direction:
1. One of the first things he tells them is to be happy! He wants us to be happy, to have joy on this earth. However, He also knows that as Alma stated in Alma 41:10 that, "wickedness never was happiness". If we repent, choose the better course, it will lead to happiness. Any type of sin will lead to sorrow and misery. If we are to have true happiness, we need to repent, pray to the Father in the name of His Son, and go out and DO (serve).

2. When he said dress this garden, take good care of it, I see in that instruction a clear direction for us to take care of our homes, dress them, and make them a refuge from the world. If we're to be like Adam and Eve in our sphere, then our homes should be clean, we should take care of them, we should have a place that is inviting to the spirit and angels. I also believe there is a deep satisfaction that comes from taking care of our homes and yard, there is something rewarding about dressing a garden (home and yard). It's one of the things that leads to happiness and puts us in an environment to be happy.

Who Was This Man?

As I was driving earlier in the week, a thought came to my mind. Historically and factually, nearly every Muslim, Jew, and Christian will agree that 2,000 years ago there walked a man on the earth who fundamentally changed history. Factually and historically, nearly everyone would agree that a man named Jesus Christ drew vast followers and even attracted the attention of the Roman Empire.

Some called him a prophet, some called him a great and wise man, and others called him the Son of God.

It's not whether Christ is real or not, historically and factually, nearly everyone would agree that he was real. The REAL question is: Who was this man? Was he indeed who he claimed to be...the Son of God?

If he was the Son of God, and I emphatically proclaim that he was LITERALLY the Son of God, then why would we persist in our stubborn ways? If we agree that he was real and if we believe that he was the Son of God, then what he taught was also real. Why do we continue to justify things in our lives that draw us away from Him if we believe that he was real?

This morning I read 2 Nephi 28:14 and it causes me to reflect on my own life as Nephi describes our day: "They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of PRIDE and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a FEW, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in MANY instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men."

If we're willing to look internally, repent, and start looking to Christ, that's when the power of Christ can start to really take hold in our life. Then it can begin to grow within us as described in Alma 32. That's when hope will begin to replace doubt and depression, that's when light will begin to replace darkness, that's when we can begin to really develop Charity and learn to love as Christ loves.

Liken the Scriptures to Ourselves

I share at least one similar trait with Nephi and that is the idea that there's great value in likening the scriptures unto ourselves.

In 1 Nephi 19:23 he says, "I did liken ALL scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning."

Last week, the teacher in Sunday School said that he thinks that those of us who attend church and are trying will be fine. Although I understand what he's trying to say, I believe that type of statement misses the point of what Nephi's teaching and invites complacency.

When I think to myself, all isn't well in Zion, it causes me to want to repent and be a better disciple. It doesn't deprive me of hope, it instills new desire and hope to repent of my many sins and errors.

Jacob, the brother of Nephi, goes on to teach in 2 Nephi 9:41 that "the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel and he employeth no servant there."  Certainly he employeth servants to accomplish many other parts of his work such as the administration of the church (printing of BOM's, temple construction, church buildings, etc.), helping the poor and needy, raising families, helping a neighbor, etc. BUT, when it comes to passing through the gates to our exaltation, HE EMPLOYETH NO SERVANT THERE. As we see in the temple, it is the Savior who will welcome us into exaltation.

When we tie this altogether, the path of discipleship will get narrower and narrower. If we apply ALL scripture unto ourselves, then they will teach us the doctrines of exaltation and we'll see the narrow path before us. By applying and likening the scripture unto ourselves, it should cause a burning desire in us to repent and stay on that path until we enter in at THE GATE. When scriptures are applied to ourselves, they should open the windows of revelation to teach us how to be a better parent, spouse, neighbor, church member, citizen, etc. BUT, if we casually apply the scriptures to others, they lose most of their value in helping us walk this narrow path of discipleship.

Something to Study: Contention vs Charity

Since this blog is primarily kept for my future posterity, let me suggest a sequence of scripture to study during your own time when you have a few minutes.

During Sacrament Meeting there was a quartet that sang, "Love at Home" and I realized again that this isn't just a nice song, this is teaching an exalting principle. We need to figure out how to be filled with love and charity towards our own family and all men.

Below is a beautiful trail of scripture and study that touched my life.

Start:
1. 3 Nephi 11:29.    Isn't it interesting that when Christ visits the people on this continent, this is one of the very first principles He chooses to teach. How prevalent is contention in our society?

2. The Tenth Parable by Denver Snuffer. There are several major learning points in that parable, but none greater (for me) that the first couple of pages. What starts the whole testing process is the fact that there is harmony and love in his home.

3. D&C 121:34 - 43.  Here the Lord again reminds us that charity and love are more than just a good idea, they are one of the KEY principles of exaltation. As you read, think about this, "many are called, but FEW are chosen". Chosen for what? Why are most not "chosen"? It should cause us to ponder.

4. Moroni 7:44-48. This is a beautiful outline of Charity and what it is. Moroni reminds us again that charity is greater than them all and that we should pray unto the Father with all our energy of heart, that we may be filled with this love.

End or Continue on your own inspired study :)

This was a simple study I had the other day while sitting by the fire-pit looking at the mountains. The gospel is a beautiful and wonderful thing.

Walk In The Light Of The Lord

This morning I drove our 4-wheeler up a hill nearby our home to watch the sunrise. It was a chance to step back, reflect, and pray. It's always a beautiful experience to watch the sunrise and see that amazing process as the orange rays of the sun crest the horizon.

I pondered the words of Nephi as he quoted Isaiah in 2 Nephi 12:5 "O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord; yea, come, for ye have all gone astray, every one to his wicked ways.". I likened this unto myself and reread it to say, "O Rob, come and walk in the light of the Lord, for you and many others have gone astray, every one to their wicked ways."

Rereading it this way caused me to reflect on the invitation "Come and walk in the light of the Lord". This morning I once again witnessed the sunrise and watched light dispel darkness. The instant the first ray of light crested the horizon, there was warmth and a blinding light. The invitation is for us to experience the same thing spiritually, to experience the light of the Lord and cast off any unclean thing. To experience his brilliance, warmth, and all encompassing light.

The second part of this scripture deals with our wickedness. What are the habits causing you and I to "go astray" or that are preventing us from walking in His light? Are there traditions in our personal lives that we have justified? Are there habits that we have justified away by saying, "that's just who I am"? If the Lord gave us an errand or personal direction to do something, would he trust us to get it done?

It is my testimony that no matter how dark our personal lives may get, no matter what habits we may have, he can heal us. He can bring light into our lives and dispel darkness. The invitation is extended to us all to walk in the light of the Lord.

This chapter goes on to talk about the mean man that boweth not down and the great man who humbleth himself not. If we will cast away our idols, humble ourselves, and bow down before the Lord...He can soften our hearts and His light will flow into our life.

May you have a wonderful week!

A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief

We completed a Trek with our Stake and it was a marvelous experience with spirit filled activities. One of those was to gather all the young men and young women for a devotional.

We all sang together the poignant song A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. I was especially touched when we were reminded of Joesph's final hours on this earth in Carthage jail. He asked John Taylor to sing this beautiful hymn. Upon finishing the song, Joseph appeared to be so moved that he asked John Taylor to sing it again. Shortly after that, the mobs burst into the jail and murdered the prophet and his innocent brother.

We sat in a green meadow surrounded by beautiful waving aspen trees. The orange and red rays of the sun bathed our group as it began to set on the distant horizon. As we sung this beautiful hymn, I looked out over the valley and pondered the majesty of the Lord's creations. Rarely do we sing more than the first few verses of this touching hymn. Tears flowed from my eyes as we sang together the seventh verse. The whole point of the song is in that verse.

Below is a picture of the meadow in which we sang

Please read the words of the song and then listen to them sung in the video below:

A poor wayfaring Man of grief  Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief  That I could never answer nay.
I had not pow'r to ask his name, Whereto he went,  or whence he came
Yet there was something in his eye That won my love; I knew not why.

Once, when my scanty meal was spread, He entered; not a word he spake, Just perishing for want of bread. I gave him all; he blessed it, brake, And ate, but gave me part a-gain. Mine was an angel's portion then, For while I fed with eager haste, The crust was manna to my taste.

I spied him where a fountain burst Clear from the rock; his strength was gone. The heedless water mocked his thirst; He heard it, saw it hurrying on. I ran and raised the suff'rer up; Thrice from the stream he drained my cup, Dipped and returned it running o'er; I drank and never thirsted more.

'Twas night; the floods were out; it blew A winter hurricane aloof. I heard his voice abroad and flew To bid him welcome to my roof. I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest And laid him on my couch to rest; Then made the earth my bed, and seemed In Eden's garden while I dreamed.

Stript, wounded, beaten nigh to death, I found him by the highway side. I roused his pulse, brought back his breath, Revived his spirit, and supplied Wine, oil, refreshment--he was healed. I had myself a wound concealed, But from that hour forgot the smart, And peace bound up my broken heart.

In pris'n I saw him next, condemned To meet a traitor's doom at morn. The tide of lying tongues I stemmed, And honored him 'mid shame and scorn. My friendship's utmost zeal to try, He asked if I for him would die. The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill, But my free spirit cried, "I will!"

Then in a moment to my view  The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in his hands I knew;  The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name he named,  "Of me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;  Fear not, thou didst them unto me."

After reading the words of the hymn, please watch this short clip and imagine Joseph during the final hours of his life reflecting on the words:

Lessons From Lehi

I'm flying to Tokyo over the Pacific Ocean as I write this. Although I don't enjoy sitting for so long, it does give me a chance to study and ponder the scriptures. As I read the first few verses in the second chapter of 1 Nephi, I realized that there are several lessons to be learned from Lehi:

1. 1 Nephi 2:1. "Thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life." Lehi obeyed the voice of the Lord and preached to the people, therefore, the Lord came to him in a dream and warned him. In other words, He chose to protect and preserve Lehi.
   
Lesson: If we follow His counsel to us individually, he will be on our right hand and on our left, He will go before our face and will preserve us according to his will.

2. 1 Nephi 2:2-4. The Lord commanded Lehi to leave his inheritance, his gold, his silver, and to take only the necessary provisions and flee into the wilderness. If we are to understand Lehi, there is a good reason why Laban may have wanted him dead. Not only did Lehi preach, but there is a good chance that Laban was related to Lehi and Lehi may have been the rightful heir to the plates (as would be revealed in the lineage contained within the plates). Lehi "inherited" a great place and then it appears he added to his wealth so as to be a person of great wealth. It's one thing to read about him leaving his inheritance and wealth, it's another thing to consider the measure of man he must have been to leave "everything" behind. Again, he did what the Lord commanded him to do, even though it must have been very difficult to leave such a comfortable lifestyle.

Lesson: Do we value the Lord and his counsel over our material possessions? Although it probably won't happen to most people, what if the Lord commanded us to "sell all that we have and follow him"? How would we respond to such a command or invitation? What if we had great wealth and we were asked to walk away from it all...how would we respond?

Lehi was a man of great faith, certainly not without faults or personal challenges, but a man who was devoted to the Lord. He did what I feel very few of us would do if called upon to do so. I look forward to reading his words someday and to learn from his teaching when we get that portion of his plates.

The Pattern of Prayer

I was reading in 3 Nephi 13:9-13 and contemplated the pattern of prayer taught by the Lord. I do believe he's teaching us more than just what to say, but why and how to say it.

v9: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." First, acknowledging in reverence who we're speaking with. I heard someone once say that they will start their prayers by invoking Heavenly Father's name and then waiting until they feel a connection. Sometimes it might be one minute, other times it may take a lot longer.

v10: "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." He's instructing us to start our prayers by acknowledging that his ways are higher than our ways. That his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. In other words, let me pray that which is in accordance to THY will and not mine.

v11: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  First, we're to repent before him and seek to be clean. Once we've sought for his forgiveness and repented of our own iniquities, we should immediately forgive those who have caused us offense...whether justified or not. Once we have repented, are clean before him, and forgive any who have caused offense, then we are ready to move on in our prayers. This isn't just a suggestion, in later verses he goes on to say that he won't forgive us unless we forgive others their trespasses.

v12: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Assuming that we have repented and hold no offense, he instructs us to ask for power over the adversary. He's asking us to pray that we will personally have power over any unclean or evil entity. That our homes might be cleared of any evil and that we might be protected against the wiles of the adversary...through angels, shielding, or whatever you feel inspired to ask for.

v13: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, the glory, forever. Amen." As we close, we acknowledge who he is and that his ways are the highest, that his will should be done because he is the king and an all-knowing Father.

In this pattern, I see several things:
1. Acknowledge who we're conversing with.
2. Acknowledge that his ways are higher than our ways and that we seek his will...always.
3. That we repent and seek his forgiveness. At the same time, I need to forgive any who have offended me, whether justified or not.
4. Pray for power over the adversary and his followers.
5. Acknowledge again that Heavenly Father is all-powerful and that I seek his will.

Certainly there are other things to pray for and about. But, I love the pattern set as the foundation for prayer. I would be very hesitant to remove any parts of this foundational pattern from my prayers.

An Inspiring Story!

I felt like sharing this powerful and inspiring story. With all the negative things in the world, this was a shining example of how hearts continue to be changed and the work of the Lord continues to spread around the world...through many different means.

By Emmilie Buchanan-Whitlock, Deseret News Published: Monday, May 13 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT

For 35 years, Richard Marcus couldn’t remember going to bed without a drink.

Night after night, the California resident and former mayor of Culver City, Calif., would pour himself a drink or two and lie down to sleep. But on Oct. 20, 2012, Marcus recognized that something was different.

“I put the glass to my lips and the Spirit was gone like that,” Marcus said with a snap of his fingers. “I had gone from someone who was Spirit-filled and now I had nothing.”

Marcus, a married father of two, had spent the weekend watching sessions of the October 2012 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over and over, taking notes, trying to comprehend the messages of modern-day apostles.

The stark contrast between the Spirit he felt during the course of the day and the absence of it that night was riveting for Marcus. He knew he had some changing to do.

Marcus finished his liquor that night and put down the empty glass. It was the last one he had.

Two weeks later, Marcus was sitting in the doctor’s office for an annual check-up. He reported giving up drinking without experiencing a single negative side effect. As a self-described "high-functioning alcoholic," this was an incredible feat.

“That’s miraculous,” Marcus’ doctor said.

Marcus only smiled.

“That’s an interesting choice of words,” Marcus told his doctor. “Do you have about 15 minutes?”

He then proceeded to tell his doctor about the events that had occupied his life the few months prior to that fateful night in late October.

It all started June 2012 with a colleague from Arizona named Paula Gorbutt.

Gorbutt and Marcus met at a business convention in Las Vegas and formed a friendship based on their mutual political interests. Marcus works in finance but had been on the Culver City Council for years and served as mayor.

“You know I’m a Mormon, right?” Gorbutt asked Marcus.

He didn’t. And the question took him by surprise.

While he couldn’t understand why Gorbutt had asked the question, it didn’t stop the cogs in his head from turning. Over the next few months, Marcus found himself with an unending supply of questions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Marcus had done some research on Mormon.org, even liked it on Facebook and spent hours talking with Gorbutt about his questions.

One day, a friend called offering an extra ticket to the musical, “The Book of Mormon,” which was playing in Los Angeles. Marcus accepted.

“I was looking for anything I could,” he said. “I knew it was a goof, a spoof, a satire, but I thought, ‘I don’t have anything. Maybe I should check that out.’”

Marcus attended the irreverent, off-color but critically acclaimed musical at the Pantages Theatre in early September.

"I wanted even more to find out what this was all about,” Marcus said.

After the show, Marcus was buying souvenirs when he saw it: a book sitting on the counter titled "The Book of Mormon." He bought it, but to his dismay, learned that it was simply the script for the musical.

His questions continued, and finally Gorbutt told him it was time for a visit from the missionaries. Though he was a little hesitant, Marcus did not protest.

After several unsuccessful attempts at locating the elders, Marcus logged on to Mormon.org with two goals — to find his meetinghouse and secure a visit from the missionaries.

He typed in his address. The results indicated that the closest building happened to be the same one he had been meeting in for the past 15 years as an active member of the local Scouting community.

“I had my first Cub Scout leader training at that church,” Marcus said.

With a feeling of encouragement that he was on the right path, he filled out the necessary information online for a missionary visit.

“Three days later, two angels showed up on my doorstep. Sister Davis and Sister Jones.”

They talked on the doorstep of Marcus’ home in Culver City for 40 minutes. Afterward, they prayed. Sister Jenna Davis then placed the blue softbound copy of the Book of Mormon into Marcus’ hand.

“You don’t know how much I’ve been waiting for this,” Marcus told the sisters.

He got choked up when the sisters had him read a passage from the Book of Moroni, which promised Marcus that if he would read and pray, he would be able to recognize truth through the influence of the Holy Ghost. Marcus committed to find out if the Book of Mormon was true.

And the answers came.

One of them was about his concern of living the Word of Wisdom, a belief that teaches members of the LDS faith to abstain from harmful, addictive substances such as tobacco and alcohol.

He turned to his new copy of the Book of Mormon. When he opened to a page in the book of Alma, this is what he found.

“See that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober.”

“You try and tell me this book’s not true,” Marcus said.

A few days after his first meeting with the missionaries, Marcus found himself praying about the Book of Mormon during his morning prayer.

“I don’t know from where, but this intensity came into me. I couldn’t even finish my prayer. I was so overwhelmed. I thought that maybe my head was going to explode or my heart was going to burst right out of my chest.”

Marcus drove to the Los Angeles Temple Visitors' Center where the sister missionaries were serving. He opened the book to a passage he found earlier that day, read them a portion of it and closed the book with a snap.

“This book is true,” he told them.

On Dec. 9, 2012, Marcus was baptized a member of the LDS Church, in the building he had first stepped foot in 15 years before.

During the services, Marcus was asked to share a few of his thoughts. As he stood in front of the group that had come to support him, he felt it only appropriate to sing one song — "Amazing Grace."

“I just belted it out. Before I knew it, everyone joined in,” Marcus said. “That’s the story right there, because I feel that I had been saved. You know the part in there about the wretch? That would be me.”

Since joining the church, Marcus has been called as assistant secretary of the high priest group, has taught lessons with the missionaries, has shuttled converts to and from church and has sung in the choir each week.

Marcus said all of this started with Gorbett’s simple question.

“You know I’m a Mormon, right?”

Now he does. And he is, too.