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At Junior High Registration, there was so much energy buzzing in the hallways. I was surrounded by beautiful people… young men, young women, and their parents. It didn’t take long before I started feeling a little self-conscious in my t-shirt and ballcap. However, standing in the gym, I realized that I wasn’t the only one experiencing those feelings. Out of the mouths of some of the beautiful people around me came comments about their bodies that hurt my heart.
President Nelson said, “A unique body is given to each of us by our loving Heavenly Father. He created it as a tabernacle for our spirits, to assist each of us in our quest to fulfill the measure of our creation… He wants us eventually to become more like Him and return to live with Him. That great blessing would not be possible without our first receiving a physical body in this probationary estate.” Knowing how important our bodies are, it should come as no surprise then that many of Satan’s temptations target the body. It is important that each of us become aware of these fiery darts that the adversary is using against us. Thoughts of negative body image, confusion of modesty, pressures to photo share “unhealthy” images, Word of Wisdom temptations, and the “old-fashioned” concept of chastity are just some of his weapons. Our prophet has recognized the need for each of us to armor up. How? Come to truly know your divine nature. When you do, you will want to control your appetites. In daily prayer, gratefully acknowledge Him as your Creator and thank Him for the magnificence of your own physical temple. Care for it and cherish it as your own personal gift from God. Where will this lead?
Where will this lead? Where will this lead? Drill that question into your mind and your heart. Ask it every time a life choice is before you. President Russell M. Nelson was set apart as the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 14th, 2018. Two days later he delivered some remarks during a live broadcast from the annex of the Salt Lake Temple. As part of those remarks he said, “As a new Presidency, we want to begin with the end in mind. For this reason, we’re speaking to you today from a temple. The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life.” “Here’s a pretty little legend that I would like to tell,
Of the birth and death of Jesus, found in this lowly shell, If you examine closely, you’ll see that you find here, Four nail holes and a fifth one, made by a Roman’s spear. On one side the Easter lily, its center is the star, That appeared unto the shepherds and led them from afar. The Christmas Poinsettia etched on the other side, Reminds us of His birthday, our happy Christmastide. Now break the center open, and here you will release, The five white doves awaiting, to spread Good Will and Peace. This simple little symbol, Christ left for you and me, To help us spread His Gospel, through all Eternity.” -author unknown This is a poem that my aunt in Oregon has hanging on her wall in a frame with a sand dollar. I remember reading it in my youth. It made me think and I never forgot it. I absolutely loved the symbolism! Moses 6:63 says, "And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.” Symbolism is one of the ways the Lord teaches the most important truths of His Gospel. Our prophet, President Nelson, taught recently, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” Have you been wanting to strengthen your ability to use this gift and receive personal revelation? To receive strength in your ability to receive personal revelation, the only exercise equipment you need is your scriptures. The scriptures are full of symbolism. As you study them prayerfully, the Holy Ghost will help you understand their meaning and you will receive personal revelation. Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.
The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They murmured among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons. They assumed the man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified. Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled.” The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!” The employer said, “I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code, ‘If you understand this message then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.” (This version of the story has been modified from Character Out of Chaos: Daring to Be a Daniel in Today’s World by David O. Dykes, 2004, pp. 66-67). Essentially our Heavenly Father says the same thing to us. If we stay focused on Him and His voice we can receive all that He has, “And he that receiveth my Father, receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.” D&C 84:38 To receive our Heavenly Father, we must hear His voice. The questions to ask then are... “How can I better hear the voice of God? How can I minimize distraction?” Think about it. Ether 2:12 “Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.”
On Memorial Day, our minds reflect on the examples of those whose lives were living proof of this scripture. Those reflections should be motivation for us all to do a little bit more to make sure our lives are centered on our Savior. What more can we do? A careful study of the scriptures can reveal to us some of Satan’s game plan and give great advice on how we, through centering our lives on the Savior, can not only avoid deception, but become who our God is counting on us to be. For example Joseph Smith- Matthew 1 warns, “For in those days [this day] there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.” This makes it clear that having made covenants is not enough. We must always be KEEPING OUR COVENANTS in order to not be deceived and to continue to enjoy the blessings of this land. It is good to be grateful for those who have gone before us. It is even better for us to show that gratitude by doing our part NOW. At graduation ceremonies, there are often people asked to speak and give advice to the new graduates. At commencement ceremonies at universities, this especially is the case. This spring Charlie Denson, president of Nike brand, spoke at Utah State, Civil Rights Activist and religious leader Rev. France A. Davis, spoke at University of Utah, General Authority Seventy Elder Patrick Kearon spoke at BYU, and local philanthropist Jeanne Hall spoke at Weber State University. I am sure all of them gave incredibly fantastic advice, but what if you could have your Book of Mormon hero speak at your graduation?
I came across an entertaining article today about that. My favorite was the idea of having Alma the Younger speak. What do you imagine he would say? How about, “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today. You can’t start the next chapter of your life by re-reading the last one.” Remember Alma the Younger was a bit of a wild teenager who made some pretty bad decisions in his youth, but luckily there was another chapter to Alma’s life, a pretty incredible chapter that never would have happened if he would have sat back and thought that he wasn’t worthy because he had messed up in the past. When you graduate high school, you are going to learn something pretty quickly… nobody will care very much who you were in high school. They won’t care if you were the shy one, the popular one, the star athlete, or the sluffer. It is a new chapter and it is yours to write as you go along. Do not sell yourself short because you made some mistakes in the past. And do not think that the world owes you something because you were a high school “legend.” You decide who you want to be, and be it. Here is some direct advice from Alma the Younger, “I swear unto you, that inasmuch as you shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.” To read the entire “commencement speech” of Alma the Younger, see Alma 36. “I could not forget His face
As I wandered from that place. With the questions ever burning. I put myself to learning. And each answer came with grace. And I knelt in earnest prayer. His memory still there And the more that I'd enquire. The hotter burned the fire. I found joy beyond compare.” -Oh Lord, My Redeemer by Jeff Goodrich Often when I hear something once, I don’t think much about it. When I hear something twice, I pay attention. When I hear it a third time, I start to feel a bit like I imagine Peter did after the Savior asked him three times, “Do you love me?” Yesterday, I heard others reference these lyrics three times in a relatively short time period. The angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith no less than 4 times when delivering him life changing news… each message nearly identical. Repetition. There is a lot of it in our church. Why? Elder Bednar said, “Repetitious learning and teaching as a line upon line and precept upon precept pattern of revelation can invite the Holy Ghost to renew, enrich, and enlarge the knowledge we already have obtained; it also can bring new knowledge and understanding into our minds and hearts.” I know you have heard a million times to say your prayers and read your scriptures. So have I, but I was still glad for the poetic reminder and the repetition of that reminder because in thinking on it and the way it is worded, my testimony has been strengthened. Today the Notre Dame Cathedral burns. Having been there not that long ago and seeing it with my own eyes, my heart aches for the loss of the history and art of that beautiful building. I wonder if the feeling I feel is anything at all like the feeling the Savior must have felt on this same day of the final week of His life on Earth.
This calendar day was the same day of the temple cleansing during that final week of the Savior's life. The moneychangers were more out of place and unwelcome in the temple than a fire in the Notre Dame, and the Savior wasted no time in casting them out. You can read about this in Matthew 21:12-16, but if you read a few more verses, you will also read about the Fig Tree. I love the symbolism of the Fig Tree. To understand it, you must know that fig trees bring forth their fruit before their leaves. The many leaves on this tree were like an announcement that it was full of fruit, yet it had none. The symbolism is awesome. A tree professing fruits and having none standing in the shadow of the temple where a corrupt priesthood professed righteousness and devotion to the God of Israel, while they plotted the death of His Son. Want to know how we can apply this all to our lives? President Spencer W. Kimball said it perfectly, “In the account of the barren fig tree, the unproductive tree was cursed for its barrenness. What a loss to the individual and to humanity if the vine does not grow, the tree does not bear fruit, the soul does not expand through service. One must live, not merely exist; he must do, not merely be; he must grow, not just stagnate. We must use our talents in behalf of our fellowmen, rather than burying them in the tomb of a self-centered life… Our success will be measured by what we can give of our lives and our contribution to others rather than what we can get and receive from others.” …and if your heart aches at the disappointments and imperfectness of life, think of the fire that burned down the Provo Tabernacle. From the ashes rose a beautiful temple. Life isn’t perfect, we aren’t perfect, but at Easter we celebrate our Savior and His gift to us, and as we accept His gift and become “doers of the word” we too will rise from our imperfections to perfection. “There is a lesson in this.”
I have a friend who has said this more times than I can count. It is usually followed up by a hilarious way of fitting whatever bizarre thing just happened into a life lesson. As funny as some of these circumstances have been, I realized yesterday what a beautiful truth she has been teaching me all along. In most cases our prayers should not always sound the same, but an exception is our Sacrament prayers. They must be said “perfectly” the same every time. This Sunday the prayer on the bread had to be repeated multiple times as one or two words were slightly off each time. Finally Bishop rose from his seat to council with the young man giving the prayer. In my head I said, “there is a lesson in this,” and sure enough as I pondered on it, the Spirit taught me. The scriptures tell us that we are to be perfect. We know that this is a process. Even when we are trying our very hardest to do everything right, sometimes we mess up. Often we can overcome those errors on our own in prayer with our Heavenly Father, but sometimes we need the Bishop’s help, and that is okay. Bishop is there for us and is anxious to lovingly guide us through whatever trouble we are ready to get out of. “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
The scriptures have the answers. I like the way John Bytheway explained it, “Early in the Book of Mormon, an angel asks Nephi a tough question, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” Nephi answers, “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Nephi 11:16–17). Nephi’s answer is a perfect statement for us to remember in times of trial. We don’t know the meaning of all things. We don’t have all the answers to explain all the tragedies in the world and in our own neighborhoods. However, we know, we are sure, that God loves His children. Something wonderful happens when we really know, without a doubt, that God loves us—our questions completely change. Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” or “Why doesn’t God care about me?” we say, “Well, I know God loves me; I know that. So what can I learn from this experience?” Sometimes we think our trials come because we did something wrong. That’s not always true. Adversity is simply part of earth life. From it we can grow and progress if we choose to. Yes, some trials come because of our own disobedience, but many trials are simply part of life. The scriptures contain many examples of righteous people who suffered: Abraham, Abinadi, Joseph of Egypt, Joseph Smith, and even Jesus Christ. The fact is, bad things happen to good people. Brother Truman G. Madsen once asked President Hugh B. Brown of the First Presidency (1883–1975) why the Lord would put Abraham through the experience of being asked to sacrifice his own son. Obviously God knew that Abraham would be willing to do anything God commanded, and if that was so, why did the Lord put him through such a test? President Brown answered, “Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham” (Joseph Smith the Prophet [1989], 93). God already knows what we’re made of, but perhaps He wants us to learn what we’re made of. I think we would all agree that we learn more from our tough times than from our easy times. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. We don’t know the meaning of all things, but we know God loves His children! And because He loves us, He will never desert us.” |
AuthorThis blog is inspired by The Life of Our Lord, by Charles Dickens. Dickens hoped to teach his children about religion and faith. He wrote the book strictly for his children with zero desire to have it published, but it was later shared with others that it might stand as a source of light in a darkening world. It starts, "My Dear Children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him..." Archives
May 2021
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