Absolute Truth

Tova Biesinger 

Sep. 16th, 2014 

Absolute Truth 

What is two plus two?  

"Four," would be the average response. But about all the unknowns? Two of what plus two of what? What type of equal are we looking for?  

For example, what if the equation was asking for the amount of apples on two apple trees plus two acres of apple trees?  

The world today is confusing, and it's hard to find absolute truth. But there are absolute truths out there. How do we find them? I thought you'd never ask... 

The first method is using your intuition; also known as your conscience or the Light of Christ. Although you can be trained to ignore this voice, it will always be there if you have the desire to listen. Deep within us we have a burning will to do what's right, we have a yearning for the truth. As long as we are humble enough to hear and heed that whisper, it will guide us. 

Another guide is the word of prophets, or spiritual leaders. Forms of scripture fall under this category. Scriptures assist you in fine-tuning your conscience. They offer experiences of those who've gone before, and words of God. That is another way to find truth. If it is the word of God, it is true. (Titus 1:2)  

The final way to discern truth, is to look at the results. The scriptures say that "… by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt 7:20) Hitler is a fine example. He came forward telling the Germans how wonderful he could make Germany. Did he use true principles? The "fruit" of his work was Germany in smolders, and millions of Jews and others inhumanely killed. One the other hand, Joan of Arc promised the same thing: to save France. Did she  use true principles? Her "fruit" was a free France, a stronger king, and an inspiring death.  

And there you have it: use the Light of Christ, the word of God, and try to see the results. By using those three tools, we can disperse the darkness that Satan is trying to pull over our eyes. We can see through the lies of the world, and find those precious truths that our souls desire so much. Not only that, we can search for our real selves. We can dig past the lies that we and others tell us, and become the royal child of God we were made to be.

(Follow-up on Last Post)

I found the list (well, my mom did. Isn't she amazing?)

7 Ways to make Today a Great Day!

In Sacrament Meeting today, someone shared 7 things they do each morning to help their day go well. I was really excited, because I'm tired of feeling sad and grumpy in the morning. Unfortunately, I didn't write the things down :S. So here are my own 7 things to do each day, and how I'll get them in in the morning:

1.Stand up for my beliefs; post here :) (btw, sorry I haven't posted in forever. Life got to me, I guess :S)
2. Remember who I am; listen to a beautiful song from Youth Music, and share it on my Remembrance blog.
3. Remember Him; pray (with a question, preferrably), read my scriptures, and journal about what I've learned.
4. Smile!
5. Lift someone up; send an email, write a note to someone I'll see that day
6. Fulfill my responsibilities; make a list of things to do that day.
7. Look up, and see God's hand in my life; journal a gratitude list.

Here are some other lists that people use.
Ways to be Happy:
1. Smile
2. Say something nice about someone
3. Do something nice for someone.
4. Thank God for as many things as you can
5. Become an anti-complainer
6. Spend time with someone happy
7. Do unto others

Behaviors that can make you Happy:
1. Listen to or read something that inspires you.

2. Make your body stronger and more resilient.

3. Review and hone your plans for the future.

4. Do at least one thing that's worthwhile.

5. Help somebody less fortunate.

6. Spend 20 seconds appreciating what you have.

7. Record at least one good memory.

If you'll notice, all of these lists have two things in common: gratitude, and service.

This makes sense, if you think about it. If you're forever grumbling about what you don't have, or not realizing how blessed you are, you won't find any reason to be happy, either. 

Along with that, if you're always centered on yourself, you don't get a chance to feel real happiness. Service allows you to step outside of yourself. There's a story about a girl who had a really hard time with her self esteem and happiness until she went to Zambia. While there, she saw how happy everyone was, even though (by our standards) they had every reason to be unhappy. That helped her put things into perspective.

I know that even if you don't officially set aside a time to do 7 things, if you at least have an attitude of gratitude, and take opportunities to lift others up, that you'll have a happier and more fulfilled life.