There was a beautiful lesson today in Young Women's. "Why do the Choices I make Matter?" Why do they matter? If there is no tomorrow-- no life after death-- they don't really matter, do they?
Well let's assume that there is life after death*. Now do your choices matter? Well, only if there is a rule for happiness in the next life.
There's a great scripture about people who think that way:
2 Nephi 28:7 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.
From these scriptures, I have obtained a testimony that YES, there is life after death; YES, there is a judgement; and YES, we do need to meet up to the Lord's standards through our choices.
These are some boys who followed their standards, and were blessed exceedingly for their choice:
A big danger in today's society is this philosophy: "There is no right or wrong. What's wrong for you can be right for me, and I don't think it's wrong to get drunk every weekend." Relative morality is dangerous, and it is a false philosophy.
In the Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis, Screwtape tells Wormwood (the devil he is training) that one of the greatest tools the devil has is to tell people that there is no devil. Once they get someone to accept that idea, they can whisper whatever they want to that person, and the person will act on it; never choosing to believe that they are following an evil influence. However, even if they choose to believe it (or rather, to not believe it), that doesn't mean that they don't feel the negative effects in their heart. That is, unless they've numbed themselves.
My dad describes your conscience in this way: it's like a triangle. When you do something wrong, it will give a little turn, and prick you, to tell you that it's wrong. But if you keep on turning that triangle, the edges will wear, until you end up with a circle. It continues to whirl around, trying to warn you of the danger you've stumbled into, but you can't feel it anymore.
As you make decisions, try to make them so that you can live life with no regrets.
When you watch this video, try to think of ways that the Devil is trying to "lead you carefully down to hell." (For me, it's watching action movies that have swearing and immoral references. That is a standard I have set for myself.)
I know that our decisions really will determine where we go. Where we go in this life, and where we'll go after. It is completely worth it to live with "no regrets." It truly will be easier in the long run to set standards for themselves. We can make it, we can stand up for ourselves!
*https://www.lds.org/manual/preparing-for-exaltation-teachers-manual/lesson-7-what-happens-after-death?lang=eng
http://www.mormon.org/faq/life-after-death
Well let's assume that there is life after death*. Now do your choices matter? Well, only if there is a rule for happiness in the next life.
There's a great scripture about people who think that way:
2 Nephi 28:7 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.
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."
Now here's the response to that line of thinking:
"2 Nephi 2:13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away."From these scriptures, I have obtained a testimony that YES, there is life after death; YES, there is a judgement; and YES, we do need to meet up to the Lord's standards through our choices.
These are some boys who followed their standards, and were blessed exceedingly for their choice:
A big danger in today's society is this philosophy: "There is no right or wrong. What's wrong for you can be right for me, and I don't think it's wrong to get drunk every weekend." Relative morality is dangerous, and it is a false philosophy.
In the Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis, Screwtape tells Wormwood (the devil he is training) that one of the greatest tools the devil has is to tell people that there is no devil. Once they get someone to accept that idea, they can whisper whatever they want to that person, and the person will act on it; never choosing to believe that they are following an evil influence. However, even if they choose to believe it (or rather, to not believe it), that doesn't mean that they don't feel the negative effects in their heart. That is, unless they've numbed themselves.
My dad describes your conscience in this way: it's like a triangle. When you do something wrong, it will give a little turn, and prick you, to tell you that it's wrong. But if you keep on turning that triangle, the edges will wear, until you end up with a circle. It continues to whirl around, trying to warn you of the danger you've stumbled into, but you can't feel it anymore.
As you make decisions, try to make them so that you can live life with no regrets.
When you watch this video, try to think of ways that the Devil is trying to "lead you carefully down to hell." (For me, it's watching action movies that have swearing and immoral references. That is a standard I have set for myself.)
I know that our decisions really will determine where we go. Where we go in this life, and where we'll go after. It is completely worth it to live with "no regrets." It truly will be easier in the long run to set standards for themselves. We can make it, we can stand up for ourselves!
*https://www.lds.org/manual/preparing-for-exaltation-teachers-manual/lesson-7-what-happens-after-death?lang=eng
http://www.mormon.org/faq/life-after-death
What a wonderful testimony of truths! Thanks for sharing it! I love the reference to C.S. Lewis. It is so true (and such a great book!). Thanks for giving me some things to think about. It makes me want to be more aware of those small and subtle things the devil is trying to do to persuade me...but not let me THINK that he is persuading me. Love you!
ReplyDelete