As soon as we realize we are four years olds in God's eyes, then we can grow. Whether we be ten years old or ninety nine, the disease that tricks us in to believing that we know it all, and deprives us of real life- is pride. It actually puts us at a two year old standing- but usually, we don't know that. We either end up feeling superiority pride- power hungry, the need to be better and higher than all else, or inferiority pride- rebellion and retaliation, decided ignorance, and isolation.
Either way, we climb over, or away from people.
If God wanted us to be tested alone, there would be one human on this Earth at a time. Is that the case? NO! It is through these people around us, that we find the experiences and the progress that God wants us to have.
The other day my favorite group of angels- four senior missionaries, came to check up on our car. (For those of you who don't know, senior missionaries can be found in the form of a lovely husband and wife, whose children are grown) The most adorable phenomenon took place. The two senior-Elders gruffly discussed cars. The two Sisters expressively discussed hair dye. How fascinating- true to their gender roles all the way through, and still so happy!! A returned Senior-Elder once told me "The best part of a senior mission- is I get to kiss my companion!" Such simplicity, such everlasting youth, even the manner of flirtation amongst so many Elderly in the church, is as if they had just met- and found love at first sight! So what defines a senior couples' maturity, their power, their beauty, their prominence? HOW are they so young, so ALIVE?
Love.
Not just any love.
Real love.
Read on.
Their love and endearing nurturing of us youngster missionaries, of the people, of the mission, of each other, and especially of our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our Mission President once said, "Your power is in your love." Why did wicked spirits cripple at the Savior's presence, why would a sinful man shirk and hide in the sight of his God, and just how DOES good conquer bad? Because the love of God is infinitely more powerful than any crude, obscene, or destructive evil that can be thrown at us. This love confounds the hateful and empowers righteous desire. It gives life because Christ, and his commandments, are its very definition. It fuels members of Jesus Christ's church who choose to seek him, to feast upon a simple, ever growing, ever peace-enhanced existence amidst utter turmoil. It allows the realities of the Eternities to dawn upon our souls and it answers every yearning and need we could possibly have.
Heavenly Father's gift and sacrifice for US, Jesus Christ, was and is the ULTIMATE act of love. *He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?* Romans 8:32
The covenants we make in this church, teach us how to love.
The covenants we then keep, give us the gift of love... and we become spoiled, overflowing with power and rejoicing in, through, and out of opposition's neverending beatings. The greatest walk our frame has ever known in life only grows greater, and greater...with love. "And THIS is love, that we walk after HIS commandments"
You can know it if you show it : )
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
We trusted the Savior in the premortal life. Trust him here.
I remember sitting outside, over-anxiously waiting for my mission call. I prayed, "Heavenly Father, if it doesn't come today, please tell me now, just cut me loose before I break.. "
"If the mailman comes soon, it will be here" was my answer
"My soon, or thy soon?" I asked.
"Your soon." God responded. About 60 seconds later the mailman came around the corner. (Haha) I got my mission call. It arrived after weeks of kinks and opposition, when I was past craving, and inwardly writhing in agony.
Which leads into a poetic flashback to my running of the Teton Dam Marathon:
...At mile 20, there were 6.2 more miles to go. 6.2 more miles- no arch, no people, no hope. Visualization failed. My heart was sore in ache. My legs were led, faith on the down, and emotions quite irate. I couldn't see the end, nor believed it had begun. Was I here to run forever? Would it ever be won?"Why are we here?" another runner asked me, "Why did we even come?"
"Not my will" the Savior said to God, "but thine be done." Through him every failure was conquered, good forever prevailed, and it is through this Atonement wherein a glorious future dwells.
The last two miles totally killed, but the finish line was there- for real! The people- the arch- I did it- because I stayed! The joy I felt, I still cannot describe to you this day.. It's out here in the mission, in so many many ways. A great deal of love grows from excrutiating pain.
When things seem the worst, we must not quit, for without patience we cannot please God. *Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend...And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. Mosiah 4:9,12* What a promise!! The Savior will always be there. Actively endure, press forward, and know that if you don't have enough- Jesus Christ does. : ) Only through him can EVERY trial in your life- emotional, mental, financial, spiritual, physical- be taken care of. I have experienced and experience it. I know it.
Anyone can march into Hell and die, but Hell cannot contain you with the Savior by your side. And as he lifts you out, you'll look back and you'll say "I cannot see the pain anymore.. I only see incredible strength gained."
"If the mailman comes soon, it will be here" was my answer
"My soon, or thy soon?" I asked.
"Your soon." God responded. About 60 seconds later the mailman came around the corner. (Haha) I got my mission call. It arrived after weeks of kinks and opposition, when I was past craving, and inwardly writhing in agony.
Which leads into a poetic flashback to my running of the Teton Dam Marathon:
...At mile 20, there were 6.2 more miles to go. 6.2 more miles- no arch, no people, no hope. Visualization failed. My heart was sore in ache. My legs were led, faith on the down, and emotions quite irate. I couldn't see the end, nor believed it had begun. Was I here to run forever? Would it ever be won?"Why are we here?" another runner asked me, "Why did we even come?"
"Not my will" the Savior said to God, "but thine be done." Through him every failure was conquered, good forever prevailed, and it is through this Atonement wherein a glorious future dwells.
The last two miles totally killed, but the finish line was there- for real! The people- the arch- I did it- because I stayed! The joy I felt, I still cannot describe to you this day.. It's out here in the mission, in so many many ways. A great deal of love grows from excrutiating pain.
When things seem the worst, we must not quit, for without patience we cannot please God. *Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend...And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. Mosiah 4:9,12* What a promise!! The Savior will always be there. Actively endure, press forward, and know that if you don't have enough- Jesus Christ does. : ) Only through him can EVERY trial in your life- emotional, mental, financial, spiritual, physical- be taken care of. I have experienced and experience it. I know it.
Anyone can march into Hell and die, but Hell cannot contain you with the Savior by your side. And as he lifts you out, you'll look back and you'll say "I cannot see the pain anymore.. I only see incredible strength gained."
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Commandments kept=Prayers answered.
My prayers are answered. Thoroughly. This means more to me than ANYTHING. Nothing can compare. I want everyone to have it. Even if I don't like the answer, I eventually end up understanding, and I learn. Throughout my mission, people have often communicated an inability to receive answers to their prayers. So, when you pray, do you KNOW God will answer? You may believe he will, you may hope he will- but do you KNOW he will- can you KNOW he will?
A grand factor in understanding the nature of our Father in Heaven, includes the devotion to his laws and ordinances such as tithing, scripture study, fasting, service, keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, and attending the temple because through keeping these commandments, we nurture branches to sprout delicious fruits of freedom. The motive is that love-based relationship with God, and the relationship gets DEEPER. Answers are clearer. The root of the tree which springs these bountiful, fruit filled branches, is here:
'Master, which is the great commandment in the law?'
'Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
'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 of obtaining the HIGHEST BLESSINGS' -Bible Dictionary 'prayer'
I KNOW God will answer every one of your prayers, as he does my prayers- thus I fear praying for certain things, while incesstantly pursuing others. I know he will do that for each and every of his children who ACTIVELY choose to come closer to him. This active choice is through keeping his commandments, or in other words, showing him that we love him, and his sons and daughters. : )
"And ye see that I have commanded that NONE of you should go away, but rather commanded that ye should COME UNTO ME, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world" -Jesus Christ, 3 Nephi 18:25
A grand factor in understanding the nature of our Father in Heaven, includes the devotion to his laws and ordinances such as tithing, scripture study, fasting, service, keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, and attending the temple because through keeping these commandments, we nurture branches to sprout delicious fruits of freedom. The motive is that love-based relationship with God, and the relationship gets DEEPER. Answers are clearer. The root of the tree which springs these bountiful, fruit filled branches, is here:
'Master, which is the great commandment in the law?'
'Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22: 36-40'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 of obtaining the HIGHEST BLESSINGS' -Bible Dictionary 'prayer'
I KNOW God will answer every one of your prayers, as he does my prayers- thus I fear praying for certain things, while incesstantly pursuing others. I know he will do that for each and every of his children who ACTIVELY choose to come closer to him. This active choice is through keeping his commandments, or in other words, showing him that we love him, and his sons and daughters. : )
"And ye see that I have commanded that NONE of you should go away, but rather commanded that ye should COME UNTO ME, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world" -Jesus Christ, 3 Nephi 18:25
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The simple way up
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him," Of Jesus Christ, "this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!
For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father.. That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God..
And again we bear record-- for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just--
They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial..That by keeping the commandments, they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins..who overcome by faith..
They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things-- Wherefore all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs, and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's..
And they shall overcome all things."
-Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24,51-61
Keep the commandments given through prophets of old, and a living prophet today, Thomas S Monson. BY keeping the commandments, Christ's sacrifice WILL bring us back home. I know this is true. Heavenly Father loves us. One being is as precious in his sight as the other.. (Jacob 2:21) The formula for the return is written plainly, and preciously through His holy records.
The way is straight.
The gate is open.
Be there every Sunday to renew those sacred promises you have made or can make with him, for baptism is just the beginning, the entry. Your Father and your Savior are more intimately and personally aware of your every feeling than you can know. There is so much more in store. Experiencing Heaven does not have to start at death. It can start now.
For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father.. That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God..
And again we bear record-- for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just--
They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial..That by keeping the commandments, they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins..who overcome by faith..
They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things-- Wherefore all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs, and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's..
And they shall overcome all things."
-Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24,51-61
Keep the commandments given through prophets of old, and a living prophet today, Thomas S Monson. BY keeping the commandments, Christ's sacrifice WILL bring us back home. I know this is true. Heavenly Father loves us. One being is as precious in his sight as the other.. (Jacob 2:21) The formula for the return is written plainly, and preciously through His holy records.
The way is straight.
The gate is open.
Be there every Sunday to renew those sacred promises you have made or can make with him, for baptism is just the beginning, the entry. Your Father and your Savior are more intimately and personally aware of your every feeling than you can know. There is so much more in store. Experiencing Heaven does not have to start at death. It can start now.
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