Now the joy of (Tova) was so great even that (she) was full; yea, (she) was swallowed up in the joy of (her) God, even to the exhausting of (her) strength; ...
Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.
It's been a while, but I feel like I'm ready to get back to sharing through this blog. Today will just be a short post, but I hope it helps someone.
This year, our church has started a study program that focuses on learning in the home and then bringing what you learn to church for discussion and group learning. It's been a wonderful experience to really study on my own time and then get perspectives and opinions from others at church. Here's a link to the manual. We're studying from the New Testament, so it's applicable for other faiths as well (although some resources reference modern-day prophets and the Book of Mormon for further light and truth).
As I was reading in John 2 for this week's lesson, it asked to consider how Jesus Christ uses simple objects to teach lessons. Then it invited the learner to look at common household items and draw their own connections. It just so happened that I had chapstick sitting on my desk in front of me and a few insights immediately leaped to mind...
Firstly, while chapstick will help if your lips are already dry, it works much better as a preventive measure. We can always repent after we've gone down the road of sin; but if we can catch ourselves as we're starting to eye that thorny path, we're much better off.
Chapstick (at least for me) should be used regularly. I put it on whenever I notice it (I applied it before starting this post). That's how repentance should be. Whenever we think about it, we should repent (something I will do after this post).
Finally, chapstick is sweet, smooth, feels good, and helps keep my lips healthy.
All I have to do is apply it.
To start off this post, here's a story told by Brad Wilcox:
A BYU student once came to me and asked if we could talk. I said, “Of course. How can I help you?”
She said, “I just don’t get grace.”
I responded, “What is it that you don’t understand?”
She said, “I know I need to do my best and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my best.”
She then went on to tell me all the things she should be doing because she’s a Mormon that she wasn’t doing.
She continued, “I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?”
She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldn’t be doing because she’s a Mormon, but she was doing them anyway.
Finally I said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makesall the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”
Seeing that she was still confused, I took a piece of paper and drew two dots—one at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us. I then said, “Go ahead. Draw the line. How much is our part? How much is Christ’s part?”
She went right to the center of the page and began to draw a line. Then, considering what we had been speaking about, she went to the bottom of the page and drew a line just above the bottom dot.
I said, “Wrong.”
She said, “I knew it was higher. I should have just drawn it, because I knew it.”
I said, “No. The truth is, there is no line. Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished.”
She said, “Right! Like I don’t have to do anything?”
“Oh no,” I said, “you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there.”
Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection (see Matthew 5:48, 3 Nephi 12:48) and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never could, and He can turn to us now with His own set of requirements (see 2 Nephi 2:7; 3 Nephi 9:20).
“So what’s the difference?” the girl asked. “Whether our efforts are required by justice or by Jesus, they are still required.”
“True,” I said, “but they are required for a different purpose. Fulfilling Christ’s requirements is like paying a mortgage instead of rent or like making deposits in a savings account instead of paying off debt. You still have to hand it over every month, but it is for a totally different reason.”
I know that through Christ's grace, through His Atonement and His love, we can all be healed. We can feel His peace and the happiness that comes with it.
Each year, the Church comes up with a theme for the youth based on a scripture.
A few years ago, it was D&C 115:5 "Arise and shine forth!"
Last year it was D&C 87:8 "Stand ye in holy places"
This year, it's Moroni 10:32 "Come unto Christ"
I love that it shows such different and real struggles: self-worth, death/illness, parental/family relationships, and addiction. He really can help us with ANYTHING!! No matter how unique your trial is, He knows what you feel! Because of the Atonement, He can relate with us.
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the bdeep;
if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become
thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements
combine to chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee eexperience, and shall be for thy good.
I know that Coming Unto Christ is what we have to do in this life (or at least TRY to do :)). The more we try to become like Him, the better we'll be, the more peace and happiness we'll have, and the better our lives will be (but not neccessarily in a worldy sense ;))
Moroni 10:32Yea, acome unto Christ, and be bperfected in him, and cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
The agency I'm thinking of isn't specifically business, or anything like that.
This agency is the freedom to choose. God gave us our agency before we were born. Next to the gift of life, agency is the second greatest gift we've ever recieved.
Why is that, you may ask? (You should read the Giver. It's not an LDS book, but it's a story that illustrates what life might be like if our agency were taken away.) The purpose of this life is to show that we will CHOOSE to follow Heavenly Father and His plan. How can we do that if we can't choose?
When we were still innocent spirits, living with our Heavenly Father, He told us about His plan: that we'd come to earth, have bodies, and have a chance to prove that we'd CHOOSE His way. He told us that someone would go to earth and pay the price for us, so that we could repent of our mistakes. After He told us this, someone stood up, and announced that they had a different plan.
This is Lucifer. Satan. His plan took away our agency, and forced us to follow his directions. He would take all the glory for himself.
Then, yet another person stood up.
It was Jesus. Our Savior. He told everyone that God's plan was the perfect plan. He offered Himself as the sacrifice so that we could return.
There was then a war in heaven, and we each CHOSE which side we'd fight for. If you are reading this, you chose the right side-- God's side. I know this, because everyone who fought with God was able to come to earth, and have their agency.
This is a great scripture illustrating the two main choices we have in this life: 27 Wherefore, men are afree according to the bflesh; and call things are dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to echoosefliberty and eternal glife,
through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and
death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh
that all men might be hmiserable like unto himself.
28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great aMediator,
and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his
words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy
Spirit; (2 Nephi 2:27-28, Book of Mormon)
Now, just because there's a choice doesn't mean that there are no consequences. Like the scripture says, your choice determines the consequences: liberty and eternal life, or captivity with the devil.
"For the Strength of Youth" (a book which outlines the standards of the church specifically for teenagers) says this about agency: You are responsible for the choices you make. God is mindful of you and will help you make good choices...
So you aren't alone in your endeavor for righteousness.
Also, "as (you) obey each of (your) Heavenly Father's commandments, (you) grow in wisdom and strength of character. (Your) faith increases. (You) find it easier to make right choices." (Gospel Principles, pg 19.)
I know that if we use our agency wisely and make the right choices, that we will be able to live with God again. I know that He trusted us enough to give us agency. I know that it is possible for EVERYONE to make it Home.
Wow. There is just so much that Christ has done. So many roles He plays. So much to talk about :).
I found this amazing site which lists talks given about Christ, and makes basic things easy to find: http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/
I feel that I should go through these, and learn more about Christ through the words of living prophets. I hope you will too ;).
Here is a direct quotation from another Church resource site: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world
and the Son of God. He is our Redeemer. Each of these titles points to
the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can return to
live with our Heavenly Father. Jesus
suffered and was crucified for the sins of the world, giving each of
God’s children the gift of repentance and forgiveness. Only by His mercy
and grace can anyone be saved. His subsequent resurrection prepared the
way for every person to overcome physical death as well. These events
are called the Atonement. In short, Jesus Christ saves us from sin and
death. For that, He is very literally our Savior and Redeemer. In
the future Jesus Christ will return to reign on earth in peace for a
thousand years. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He will be our Lord
forever.
Some people say that Mormons aren't Christian. After all, we're called Mormons aren't we? (well, first, I'd point out that there are Lutherans, for example, and others who go by names of influencial people in their religion). But the main point is, that that is just our nickname, which comes from the "Book of Mormon."
This is an apostle talking about it:
The official name of the Church is The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints (we are also known as "LDS", an acronym for "Latter-Day Saints").
But the Church, and many in it, are Christian.
Like it says in our first Article of Faith: "We believe in God... and in His Son, Jesus Christ..." That is the first statement of our belief.
Anyway, back to the actualy man of Christ.
I love watching videos about the Atonement. When you see (a recreation of) what Christ did for us... your heart stirs, and you can't help but realize that you're feeling something.
Here are some of my favorites (yes, they are the last ones :)):
Here are other ones, made on Easter:
This next one is amazing. Put simply, and inadequately: I love it.
(Yes, I do use a lot of videos, but they teach in another dimension, that I can't)
I
know that Jesus Christ lived and lives. He paid the price for us to
live with Him and Heavenly Father again. Because of the Atonement, it's
like the gates of Heaven were opened to us. I know that He loves us, and
that He is waiting for us to show that we're committed to Him, and His
purpose.
I recently had the awesome experience of having my oldest cousin leave on her mission!
Now, what a missionary for the Church does is leave home for 2yrs for boys, and 18 months for girls. They live there life totally for other people-- inviting them to come to Christ, and serving them.
I personally am preparing for my mission. You need to pay for it yourself, so I am saving up my money. I'm also doing my best to live a life that would make my Heavenly Father proud of me, and that sets a good example to others.
The message of the missionaries (and of the church) is that through Christ you cam make it to Heaven, and be with Heavenly Father again. Even if you're imperfect, Christ has performed the Atonement for us, and we can change.
I'm going to end by sharing this poem (again):
After All We Can Do
By Robbie PierceI had been in that hole for a very long time- In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime. The shaft was above me; I saw it quite clear, But there's no way I ever could reach it from here. I could not remember the world way up there, So I lost every hope and gave in to despair. I knew nothing but darkness, the floor, and the wall. Then from off in the distance I heard someone call: "Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter! Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!" This was a thought that had not crossed my mind, I started to stack all the stones I could find. When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal, For some way or another I'd climb from that hole. I soon had a ladder that stood very tall, And I thought, I'll soon leave this place once and for all! I climbed up my ladder, a difficult chore, For from lifting those boulders, my shoulders were sore. I climbed up the ladder, but soon had to stop, For my ladder stopped short, some ten feet from the top. I went back down my ladder and felt all around, But there were no more boulders, nor sticks to be found. I sat down in the darkness and started to cry. I'd done all I could do, and I gave my best try. But in spite of my work, in this hole I must die. And all I could do was to sit and think, Why? Was my ladder too short? Was my hole much too deep? Then from way up on high came a voice: "Do not weep." And then faith, hope, and love entered into my chest As the voice calmly told me that I'd done my best. He said, You have worked hard, and your labor's been rough, But the ladder you've built is at last tall enough. So do not despair there is reason to hope, Just climb up my ladder; I'll throw down my rope. I climbed up my ladder, then climbed up the cored. When I got to the top of it, there stood the Lord. I've never been happier; my struggle was done. I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son. I fell to the ground as His feet I did kiss. I cried, "Lord, can I ever repay Thee for this?" He looked all about. There were holes in the ground. They had people inside, and were seen all around. There were thousands of holes that were damp dark and deep. Then the Lord looked at me, and He said: "Feed my sheep," And He went on his way to save other lost souls. So I got right to work, calling down to the holes, "Get up! Get ready! There is nothing the matter! Take rocks, and take sticks, and build up a fine ladder!" It now was my calling to spread the good word, The most glorious message that man ever heard: That there's one who is coming to save one and all, And we need to be ready when He gives the call. He'll pull us all out of the holes that we're in And save all our souls from cold, death, and from sin. So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope: Just climb up your ladder; He'll throw down His rope
I've noticed a lot of songs/stories about things that are broken.
Often, we see these things (trials, spilled milk, bad days) as bad things. But if we look at them with an eternal perspective, thinking about how it can help us throughout eternity, then most of those things turn into growing experiences for our good.
(Broken, by Kenneth Cope)
We are also broken with our imperfection. Elder Holland said "Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are
all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to
Him, but He deals with it. So should we."
Here is a story that I love that illustrates how God can use our weaknesses:
A waterbearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck.
One
of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and
always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk
from the stream to the mistress's house, the cracked pot arrived only
half full.
For a full two years this went on daily,
with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her
master's house.
The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end
for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own
imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of
what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke
to the water bearer one day by the stream: "I am ashamed of myself, and
I want to apologize to you."
Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my
load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way
back to your mistress's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all
of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot
said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and
in her compassion she said, "As we return to the mistress's house, I
want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the
sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and
this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still
felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it
apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to
the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of
the path, but not on the other pot's side?
“That's
because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of
it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while
we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.
“For two
years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my
mistress's table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not
have this beauty to grace her house."
Thankfully, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become whole, and be made anew.
Moroni 10:32 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him,
and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves
of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and
strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may
be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
Have you ever heard the old saying that people who get lost tend to walk in circles?
Jan L.
Souman, a German psychologist, wanted to determine scientifically if
this was true. He took participants of an experiment to a large forest
area and to the Sahara desert and used a global positioning system to
track where they went. They had no compass or any other device.
Instructions to them were simple: walk in a straight line in the
direction indicated.
Dr. Souman
later described what happened. “[Some] of them walked on a cloudy day,
with the sun hidden behind the clouds [and with no reference points in
view]. … [They] all walked in circles, with [several] of them repeatedly
crossing their own path without noticing it.” Other participants walked
while the sun was shining, with faraway reference points in view.
“These … followed an almost perfectly straight course"
Without visible landmarks, human beings tend to walk in circles.
(Quoted by Eder Uchtdorf, Jan L. Souman and others, “Walking Straight into Circles,” Current Biology vol. 19 [Sept. 29, 2009], 1538–42)
There is a story in the Book of Mormon about the Tree of Life. It is a story that gives you a metaphor. There is a dark wasteland, with a narrow path going through it. Along this path there is a rod that people can grab, like a railing. Both the path and the rod lead to a BEAUTIFUL Tree, with DELICIOUS Fruit! But, as people came walking down the path, they soon encountered a dark mist, that blinded them. There was also a river close by, a filthy river.
As the people are walking through the wasteland, some get onto the path and some of those on the path hold onto the rod. As they are walking on the path, (and those walking OFF the path, as well) they come into the mist of darkness. Many who are on the path lose their way and wander off, unless they're holding onto the rod. Some might stumble across the path, and grab onto the rod. Maybe some of the people holding the rod call out to friends, and strangers to come and join them. Some of the people wandering around drown in the river.
The people holding the rod finally come to the Tree of Life, and eat the fruit. Some are happy there, and stay at the tree, forever happy with the fruit. Some look around, and see something that makes them ashamed to be at the tree. They see a HUGE building full of people. This building is floating in the air, and the people inside are dressed in very stylish clothes. They are also laughing, laughing at the people who are at the tree. The people who are ashamed leave the tree, and try to get to the building, but many are drowned in the process.
What does this big metaphor mean? (there's this cool part int he Book of Mormon where Nephi asks the same thing, and an angel appears, and shows him different scenes from the future, and Nephi figures it out, but I'll just tell you :))
The dark wasteland is the world. I think that there are some beautiful parts of the world, but compared to heaven... I'm sure is seems to be a wasteland.
As we travel through the world, some find the path, which is the way to happiness. The rod represents the Gospel ("The Iron Rod is the Word of God"). The people on the path had a better chance of staying on the path if they knew the gospel/held on to the rod. The river is worldliness. Some people get lost (or drowned) in it. The tree is the Love of God, and Eternal Life
The people who make it to the tree,who actually BELIEVE the gospel stay at the tree, and are happy there. But some people look into the building, which represents the pride of the world. They look at these popular people, and they want to be like them more than they want to be with God, and so they leave the tree (and maybe they gradually do it, just a little step at a time), but they will most likely just get drowned in worldliness.
But is that the end? Are there only a few who get to make it to the tree?
No.
Because there is a one-man rescue party that can go away from the path and rescue those who are lost. It's Christ, and he sacrificed himself to bring people back.
Here is a video showing people who were drowning in worldliness before they found the gospel.
This life can have purpose and can have joy, but it's sooo much easier to find lasting joy when you are on the path.
After All We Can Do
By Robbie Pierce
I had been in that hole for a very long time-
In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime.
The shaft was above me; I saw it quite clear,
But there's no way I ever could reach it from here.
I could not remember the world way up there,
So I lost every hope and gave in to despair.
I knew nothing but darkness, the floor, and the wall.
Then from off in the distance I heard someone call:
"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter!
Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!"
This was a thought that had not crossed my mind,
I started to stack all the stones I could find.
When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal,
For some way or another I'd climb from that hole.
I soon had a ladder that stood very tall,
And I thought, I'll soon leave this place once and for all!
I climbed up my ladder, a difficult chore,
For from lifting those boulders, my shoulders were sore.
I climbed up the ladder, but soon had to stop,
For my ladder stopped short, some ten feet from the top.
I went back down my ladder and felt all around,
But there were no more boulders, nor sticks to be found.
I sat down in the darkness and started to cry.
I'd done all I could do, and I gave my best try.
But in spite of my work, in this hole I must die.
And all I could do was to sit and think, Why?
Was my ladder too short? Was my hole much too deep?
Then from way up on high came a voice: "Do not weep."
And then faith, hope, and love entered into my chest
As the voice calmly told me that I'd done my best.
He said, You have worked hard, and your labor's been rough,
But the ladder you've built is at last tall enough.
So do not despair there is reason to hope,
Just climb up my ladder; I'll throw down my rope.
I climbed up my ladder, then climbed up the cored.
When I got to the top of it, there stood the Lord.
I've never been happier; my struggle was done.
I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son.
I fell to the ground as His feet I did kiss.
I cried, "Lord, can I ever repay Thee for this?"
He looked all about. There were holes in the ground.
They had people inside, and were seen all around.
There were thousands of holes that were damp dark and deep.
Then the Lord looked at me, and He said: "Feed my sheep,"
And He went on his way to save other lost souls.
So I got right to work, calling down to the holes,
"Get up! Get ready! There is nothing the matter!
Take rocks, and take sticks, and build up a fine ladder!"
It now was my calling to spread the good word,
The most glorious message that man ever heard:
That there's one who is coming to save one and all,
And we need to be ready when He gives the call.
He'll pull us all out of the holes that we're in
And save all our souls from cold, death, and from sin.
So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope:
Just climb up your ladder; He'll throw down His rope.
Our merciful and long-suffering Lord is ever ready to help. His “arm is lengthened out all the day long” (2 Ne. 28:32), and even if His arm goes ungrasped, it was unarguably there! -Neal A Maxwell
This is a cool video talking more about God, and His mercy and forgiveness towards us.
A classic story about mercy is Jonah. He had a second chance to go to Nineveh, and the Ninevites had a chance to repent.
Here is a fun song from the "Jonah; Veggie Tales" movie:
I was listening to this talk this morning, and it was soo powerful, I just had to share it.
I know that the Savior suffered EVERYTHING for us. "What weight is thrown on the
scales of pain when calculating the hurt of innumerable patients in
countless hospitals? Now, add to that the loneliness of the elderly who
are forgotten in the rest homes of society, desperately yearning for a
card, a visit, a call—just some recognition from the outside world. Keep
on adding the hurt of hungry children, the suffering caused by famine,
drought, and pestilence. Pile on the heartache of parents who tearfully
plead on a daily basis for a wayward son or daughter to come back home.
Factor in the trauma of every divorce and the tragedy of every abortion.
Add the remorse that comes with each child lost in the dawn of life,
each spouse taken in the prime of marriage. Compound that with the
misery of overflowing prisons, bulging halfway houses and institutions
for the mentally disadvantaged. Multiply all this by century after
century of history, and creation after creation without end. Such is but
an awful glimpse of the Savior’s load. Who can bear such a burden or
scale such a mountain as this? No one, absolutely no one, save Jesus
Christ, the Redeemer of us all" (-Callister) “For many years I thought of the Savior’s experience in the garden
and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon
Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets,
however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin,
there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt “our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15), “[bore] our griefs, … carried our sorrows … [and] was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:4–5).
The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.” -Merril J. Bateman What better proof that the Savior loves us? Why else would He go through with all of this? He was perfect. And instead of living an easy life, He helped us by giving us a chance to be perfect, through the Atonement.
