LDS Doctrinal Musings

Humility

2012-02-02T12:56:00.002-07:00

As I was teaching my oldest daughter precious doctrine last night, she said she didn't really understand what humility was. We read some scriptures together and looked up the definition, and I came up with my personal definition of humility.

Humility has two parts:

1. Recognition: Recognizing that no matter how accomplished or wonderful we may be, how much we may have grown, or even how much we are struggling, we aren't everything our Heavenly Father wants us to be...YET.

2. Turning to Him: Taking that knowledge and turning to our Father in prayer so that He can guide us through this mortal life and help shape us and our gifts through this mortal life into the exalted person He wants us to become.

See things for what they are

2011-04-10T17:54:00.003-06:00

I've heard it said that even worse than not believing in God, is not believing in the Devil.

In preparing for a stake event, I've experienced more trials and roadblocks than I can even remember. It seems EVERYTHING that I do is extremely difficult. Everywhere I turn things are going wrong. I just want to give up. I feel like I shouldn't even be trying.

Today I told my husband that I should just cancel it; that obviously what I'm doing isn't right. My husband remarked that it must be a very good thing because the Adversary is working so hard to prevent it from happening, and to prevent people from knowing about it.

All of a sudden things became more clear. I recognized the obstacles for what they were, and they immediately shrunk. These huge, looming problems now pale in comparison with what this event can and will be.

Sometimes, just recognizing the source of our problems allows us to conquer them.

No man knoweth the hour...

2011-03-19T10:48:00.005-06:00

After reading this article about the missionaries in Japan who were unexpectedly sent home early from their missions after the devastating earthquake, tsunami,and radiation issues, it caused me some reflection.

"Two days ago we got a call from our mission president, and he just got off a conference call and was told that all missionaries scheduled to go home in April or May were coming home on Friday," said Elder Brett Warner.

They had just a few days' notice.

"[It's a] ‘still more I've got to do' kind of feeling," said Elder Matt Palmer.

My heart really goes out to these young men who have to suddenly return home. They don't get to "finish" their missions the way they had hoped.

We can liken their experience to our lives. We don't know when our time on earth will be done. We need to live every day to the fullest, serving and living the Gospel. One day we may be called home, just as these missionaries were. Will we have done enough?

Our offerings

2010-08-20T00:39:00.003-06:00

My children like to give me little trinkets or handmade items all the time. To them, these hand-picked weed flowers, beautiful rocks, or quarter-machine toys are of value and worth. However, to me, they lack the attraction that so captivates young children. I see weed flowers as potential weed seeds in my yard--I see past the little bit of flashy beauty to the nuisance these weeds truly are.

I do appreciate the gifts from my children. I know that they believe these objects to have worth. However, in reality the only worth is that which the children affix to them. Many times I have asked my children to complete a task, but they instead choose to make me a gift. Sometimes the gift consists of a bit of string or yarn tied into a necklace with a paper charm. Sometimes the gift is a handwritten card. Yet these gifts are not what I've asked them to present to me. In creating their "valuable" presents for me, they ultimately neglect the one thing I've asked them to do--something that they don't see the value in. I ask them to clean their room, and I'm presented with a paper crown. I ask them to fold their clothes and instead I receive a crochet-chain necklace.

Today I couldn't help but ponder on my Heavenly Father. Is He in heaven shaking his head, saying: "I understand these offerings of yours have worth to you, but you are neglecting the very things I have asked of you."

How often do we set aside His commandments in order to make our own offerings? Are we neglecting the essential for the good? Maybe it's time to take a good look around and see which of our treasures are nothing more than paper and string.

Why is it so hard?

2009-10-09T10:58:00.001-06:00

Something to remember:

D&C 58
2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.
5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.
6 Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which are to come;

I will carry you

2008-09-18T18:56:00.005-06:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
I did finish it in 2006!
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When my three-year-old says her prayers, she always wants help. I know she knows how to say a complete prayer, but she doesn't know, or won't admit to herself, that she can do it. I adopted a strategy: when she asks for my help, I tell her, "You start, and do all that you can. When you need help, I will step in and help you finish."

It struck me that this is what the Savior does. When we are facing trials and challenges and ask for Him to please take them from us, his response is, "You start. Do all that you can. Learn and grow. Stretch yourself and learn how much more you can do than you realize. When you truly need the help, I will step in and carry you the rest of the way."

Steadily Progressing

2006-06-14T13:32:00.000-06:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Job, Chapter 1
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I had a hard time getting through Chronicles, but I loved Nehemiah and Esther, and I'm looking forward to Job. I love the stories in the Old Testament. Some of the chapters and books are difficult for me to get through, but then you get a story like Esther's, and it makes it all worthwhile.

It makes me wonder what authority Mordecai had. It appears he was, at the very least, a seer, or even a prophet. In any case, he was definitely in tune with the will of God. I love his response to Esther, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Do we ever ask ourselves that? Who knoweth whether we art come to our present place in this world for such a time as this--to lift a broken heart, to offer words of encouragement, to anonymously slip a neighbor a bit of money. Are we filling our current roles? Are we allowing God to act through us?

It's something to think about...

Quick update

2006-06-06T11:14:00.000-06:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
2 Chronicles 24
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I haven't kept up the pace in the past month or two that I would have liked. I'm still on track to finish before the end of the year, but I wanted to finish well before the end of the year.

We'll see how I do!

Judges and the Holy Ghost

2006-04-14T08:54:00.000-06:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
First Samuel, Chapter 1
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Wow. Where to start!?

As I read through Judges, I just wanted to knock some heads together and tell the Israelites to wake up and worship God! They'd shape up for one righteous person, only to fall back to idol worship as soon as he or she died. What's the deal?

Then I remembered something that my husband had pointed out to me earlier. The Israelites only had the lesser Priesthood, the Aaronic Priesthood. While this Priesthood was sufficient for them to engage in their outward sacrificial ordinances, and follow the commandments of God, it did not allow them to administer in spiritual things, and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This gift is only bestowed by a holder of the Melchizadek Priesthood.

Now, I don't know about you, but I have a hard enough time keeping the commandments and doing all that I can do to follow Christ, and I have received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I can't even imagine how difficult it would be to not have that influence in my life! All of a sudden, my understanding of the book of Judges is much clearer, and I can see, at least in a small way, why they continued to seek after false Gods. They were probably searching to fill an emptiness in their souls, and they went looking in the wrong direction.

How often do we do this?

I, personally, have often turned to the computer, TV, or food to try to fill something inside me that was lacking. Since my old, bunny-eared TV died, I've had a lot more time in the evenings (we no longer have the ability to view television), and I've spent it reading the Old Testament, the Ensign, and the Wilford Woodruff manual.

An article in the March 2006 Ensign really explained a lot about myself to me. It's entitled "Filling the Void," and I hope you'll read it. It brought tears to my eyes.

"How many wasted hours and years do we spend searching after things to fill our voids in our lives: riches, possessions, sexual gratification, food, power, popularity? All of these can elate our senses or bring excitement, but they also return us to a place where we feel even more wanting. Thus begin the addictions, for we can never fill the void through earthly means."

We can never fill the void through earthly means. But how many people try? And how many problems are we dealing with, personally and as a society, because of this tendency?

"Through the hundreds of people I see each year in counseling who are suffering from pain, loneliness, and addictions, I have reached a new awareness that they are all trying to fill their void in ways that only tear them apart. The void cannot be filled by external sources but must be filled from within.
"The only way for us to fill the void in our lives is to come to know our Heavenly Father and His love for each one of us. That means to love Him enough that we want to do His will. Jesus said, 'He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him' (John 14:21). Christ is the bridge for us to return to our Heavenly Father.

"Jesus explained this to the woman at the well: 'Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life' (John 4:13-14)."

I hope that each of us, including me, will remember these words and this inspired counsel, and learn that when we're lacking something, we need to turn to God, for He is the only one who can fill the void in our souls. I've now learned this principle, and I hope I won't have to continue to re-learn it in different stages of my life.

Remember Victoria Anderson's wise and inspired words:

"Why does there sometimes seem to be a giant hole in our lives, even when we want to do what is right?

". . . I had lived with my Heavenly Father in the premortal existence. In that realm I was filled with His divine love for me as His daughter. When I came to earth, I left His presence, and a void was created. I felt the void was placed in my heart for my earthly journey so I would seek Him again. As I seek to know and love my Heavenly Father, the void can be filled."

Joshua's Legacy

2006-04-07T11:27:00.000-06:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Judges 6
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Well, Joshua is now behind me. What an amazing man!

If you remember, Moses' parting words to the Israelites were all about rebellion. Despite everything the Lord had done for them--keeping their shoes and clothing from wearing out, providing them with food, water, and everything else they needed in the wilderness--they were extremely rebellious.

When Joshua took over, the Israelites were finally allowed to conquer the promised land. Joshua was forty when the forty years in the wilderness began. After five years, they had conquered a number of cities, and Joshua was now eighty-five years old. The Israelites had to continue to defeat their enemies, and it appears they were at war for thirty years, for Joshua died when he was 110 years old.

He left quite a legacy:

"And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel."

So what changed? This is the very same "Israel" that Moses rebuked in my previous post. Why the change? What had Joshua done that was so miraculous?

Yes, Joshua set a wonderful example, and that cannot be discounted. However, I, personally, think the way Israel was given the promised land had a lot to do with it. The Lord didn't just hand them the land. They had to work thirty years to drive out the inhabitants. Yes, the Lord went before them and fought with them. But He didn't fight for them. They had to do it for themselves.

Sometimes we want life handed to us on a silver platter. Wouldn't it be nice to have every necessity of life handed to us? To have our clothes and shoes never wear out? To have breakfast appear every morning? To have a clean spring of water come out of a rock when we're thirsty?

Yet, with all of those blessings, the Israelites murmured, rebelled, and sought after false gods. They were lacking something. What was it?

Could it be the gospel of work?

"I do not believe people can be happy unless they have work to do. One can really be more of a slave to idleness than to work. Work also keeps us humble and reminds us of how all our blessings come to us from our Heavenly Father."

Neal A. Maxwell's words ring of truth. I've recently adopted nine values for my family, and one of them is work. For, I truly believe that:

"The gospel of work is a very important teaching of the Church. If we learn to work early in life we will be better individuals, better members of families, better neighbors, and better disciples of Jesus Christ, who Himself learned to work as a carpenter."

Yes, even Jesus Christ learned an earthly trade, and toiled under the guidance of his earthly father. Service is work. Temple service is called temple work. Serving in the missionary program is called missionary work. Even Heavenly Father works. Yet He also refers to his work as his "glory."

I'm pretty sure that He doesn't think of work as drudgery. I tend to feel that way many times. The Gospel Principles manual teaches us:

"One way to enjoy life's fullest benefits is to learn to love work."

I really struggle with loving work. Because I don't. I love the end result, but I don't enjoy the process much. I'm working on it--especially now that I've learned the importance. This story is a great one:

"A traveler passed a stone quarry and saw three men working. He asked each man what he was doing. Each man's answer revealed a different attitude toward the same job. 'I am cutting stone,' the first man answered. The second replied, 'I am earning three gold pieces per day.' The third man smiled and said, 'I am helping to build a house of God.'"

When I clean my house, I'm not scrubbing floors or washing dirty dishes--I'm creating an environment for my children, my husband, and myself where the Spirit of God can be present. I'm setting a good example for my children, and teaching them to value work. I'm learning how to become more like God. I'm overcoming my weaknesses and learning how to make them into strengths.

And I get to enjoy the fruits of my labors.

Technorati: Work, Joshua, Old Testament, Neal A. Maxwell

Belly Laughs

2006-03-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Deuteronomy 16
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I am enjoying Deuteronomy way too much, I think.

Last night, while my husband was trying to trudge through the last dozen or so chapters of Exodus, I was interrupting him to share stories that I found funny--and even hilarious--about where I was reading.

Deuteronomy 1 gives more insight into why the Israelites had to wander for forty years. We learned earlier that all the spies, save Caleb and Joshua, had seen the promised land and returned with reports of the sons of the Anakims (giants) and how the walls of the cities reached to heaven and there was just no way they could defeat them. So the people rebelled and were told to stay in the wilderness until all of them who were 20 and older had died.

Well, now we learn why the Lord was so harsh with them, a story that I thought was so funny and so typical of my little kids.

"And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us" (Deut. 1:27, emphasis mine).

Are you kidding me? That would kindle my anger, too. Man, the ungrateful little wretches. (Did I say that?) As the Lord said in 2:7, "[T]hese forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing." It must have been nice! Bread from heaven, quail, water from rocks...

Anyway, back to the story.

So God tells them that they have to wander in the wilderness for forty years and only their children will make it to the promised land. All of a sudden they change their tune.

"We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And ... girded on every man his weapons of war, ... ready to go up into the hill" (Deut. 1:41).

Moses warned them, saying:

"Go not up, neither fight; for I [the Lord] am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies" (Deut. 1:42).

Did they listen? Of course not. They went presumptuously up into the hill and the Amorites chased them as bees do and destroyed them.

Why couldn't they have just followed the Lord's commandment in the first place instead of trying to prove, when it was much too late, that they really were willing to follow him?

Another story that I really enjoyed was of the Lord's counsel to the Israelites regarding driving out the other nations from Canaan. He lets them know that He is with them, but also counsels them in chapter 9:

"4. Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

"5. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

"6. Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people."

Then he lays it all out on the line!

"7. Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD."

But he doesn't stop there. He continues to point out example after example after example of this. Then Moses again states:

"24. Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you."

Fortunately for them, the Lord keeps his promises. He promised Isaac and Jacob that their seed would inherit the land, and despite their rebelliousness, the Lord fulfills that promise. Now, Moses does let them know that it might be short-lived (as it was) in Deuteronomy 4:23-28:

"Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

"For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

"When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

"And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

"And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell."

Amidst all of this censuring and counsel came numerous blessings as well. In chapter 7 they were promised that no people or flocks would be barren, that the Lord would take away from them all sickness (something that I'd LOVE), and that the Lord would deliver them from all people--but slowly so that the wild animals wouldn't grow too numerous and overpower the Israelites.

In chapter 8 they were promised a good land:

"For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

"A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

"A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass."

It grated on me that they were so blessed (their clothing didn't even wear out--after forty years in the wilderness, they still had the original clothing), yet so rebellious. But the Lord had to keep his promise to their righteous fathers. However, he didn't have to leave them in the promised land long. We all know that ten tribes are lost, and have been for some time, and will not be restored until the very last days.

Although I skipped over it this time, and only alluded to it last time, there is some beautiful counsel in these chapters that I love, and I wanted to at least give a few links today:

Deut. 4:6-7: Israel is a great nation
Deut. 4:9: Teach your children
Deut. 4:29-31: Seek the Lord and you will find Him
Deut. 6:20-25: Teach your children
Deut. 11:19: How to teach your children

Technorati: Old Testament, Deuteronomy, Israelites, Moses

Farewell Addresses

2006-03-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Deuteronomy 7
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I absolutely loved Deuteronomy 4-6. Moses knows that he cannot continue to lead Israel into the promised land, so I see these chapters as a farewell address. I'm really looking forward to finishing Deuteronomy, but it's also bittersweet, because I know Moses won't continue with me into Joshua.

I'm a sucker for deathbed speeches. As I read them, I can't help but think how these prophets are sharing, even urging, their children and followers to follow the commandments that the prophet feels most strongly about. There are many different instances of these peppered throughout the scriptures. I'd like to share a few examples from the Book of Mormon, but feel free to share your favorite via an insight.

Lehi asked his sons not to rebel against Nephi. Then he blessed each one and gave specific counsel to each.

Enos shared a glimpse into what the next life will be like.

King Benjamin gathered all of his people together, teaching from a tower so that they could all hear him, and urged them to follow his example. He taught of Jesus Christ, who had not yet been born, teaching of the atonement and of taking care of our children and community. He exhorted them to be steadfast and immovable in good works.

Mosiah spent his last days by freeing his people from a monarchy and establishing judges over the land, causing his people to truly love him.

Alma the Younger gave counsel to his sons, sharing his conversion story with Helaman and urging him to remain righteous. He counseled his son, Shiblon, to bridle his passions. He really counseled Corianton, for he hadn't been righteous, sharing with him all about Christ and the atonement.

And who can forget Moroni, who closed the Book of Mormon with his testimony?

I think that if you wanted the Cliff's Notes version of the scriptures, all you'd need to do is find each prophet's closing testimony, and you'd have the Gospel condensed into one handy little booklet. The power behind their words is simply amazing!

Which brings me to a sad subject, I hadn't planned on blogging about. As many of you know, President Hinckley's health has been deteriorating. No one knows how much longer he'll be with us, and with General Conference this weekend, we get the wonderful opportunity to hear from him again, perhaps for the last time.

Let's make sure that we are spiritually ready to hear and understand his words during the 176th Annual General Conference.

I'm looking forward to it.

Technorati: General Conference

Balaam

2006-03-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Numbers 32
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The story of Balaam is a fun one for children. The whole "talking donkey" tends to spark their interest.

However, as I read the story, then continued to read about how the Israelites slew this prophet (wouldn't they want to spare a prophet's life?), my curiosity and desire to know more was piqued. Moses alludes to something in Numbers 31:16, but it didn't answer my questions. How did a prophet, who refused to go against the will of the Lord, end up causing Israel to sin?

I did an extensive search on LDS.org, and 22 documents resulted.

After reading each and every one of them (minus the pop-up note), I learned that although Balaam did obey the Lord and only spoke righteous thoughts, his heart actually sought after the things of man. He was told he could go to Balak if he chose to, but he had to only speak the word of the Lord.

On the surface, he did.

But digging deeper, there's much more to the story.

"Anxious to gain the riches they offered him, Balaam invited them to lodge with him that night while he inquired of the Lord and sought permission to curse Israel."

Hmmmm. That was with the first visitors. What happened when Balak sent more honorable and noble princes than the first?

"And yet, still anxious to receive the riches and honors offered by the king, Balaam lodged his visitors and importuned the Lord for permission to go with them and curse Israel.

"'And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.'

"After gaining this permission Balaam 'saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.'"

Okay, so the Lord gave his permission. Why, then was "God's anger ... kindled because he went"? After all, God gave him permission! Yet the angel had his sword drawn and would have slain him if the ass hadn't stopped. This predicament seems odd. There had to be more to the story--I initially missed something somewhere.

Well, for a prophet, why couldn't Balaam see the angel? We read in Ether that because of the faith of the Brother of Jared, the Lord could not keep Himself from him. Yet here is Balaam, a prophet of the Lord, and he can't see the angel that his beast of burden can see. In my interpretation, this shows that he wasn't spiritually in tune.

So Balaam finally arrives at his destination, and:

"Balak then offered sacrifices, and at the visiting prophet's request built seven altars upon which Balaam also sacrificed, obviously pleading with the Lord for permission to curse Israel and receive the honors offered by the king of the Moabites. But with it all Balaam promised that if 'the Lord will come to meet me,' then 'whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee.'"

Although he angered Balak, Balaam was true to the word of the Lord and blessed Israel. This was repeated, and again, Balaam blessed Israel. Balak tried yet again:

Further sacrifices were offered; again pleading entreaties ascended to the Lord; and again the answer was the same.

So at this point, it appears that Balaam did as the Lord commanded. He had offered up sacrifices, he heard the word of the Lord, he shunned the honor and acclaim of man, and blessed Israel three times.

"In spite of all this, the record recites that Balaam 'taught' Balak 'to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication,' and shortly thereafter, while aligned against Israel in the camps of the Midianites, he was 'slain with the sword.'"

So what went wrong? Bruce R. McConkie shares:

"What a story this is! Here is a prophet of God who is firmly committed to declare only what the Lord of heaven directs. There does not seem to be the slightest doubt in his mind about the course he should pursue. He represents the Lord, and neither a house full of gold and silver nor high honors offered by the king can sway him from his determined course, which has been charted for him by that God whom he serves.
"But greed for wealth and lust for honor beckon him. How marvelous it would be to be rich and powerful--as well as having the prophetic powers that already are his.

"Perhaps the Lord would let him compromise his standards and have some worldly prosperity and power as well as a testimony of the gospel. Of course he knew the gospel was true, as it were, but why should he be denied the things his political file leader could confer?"

Could Balak's comment have turned Balaam to find a way around the word of the Lord? He was a prophet. He communed with the Lord. Yet:

"Balaam, the prophet, inspired and mighty as he once was, lost his soul in the end because he set his heart on the things of this world rather than the riches of eternity."

There are so many temptations that currently pull at us--they tempt us to forsake the Lord and follow after man. As the Gospel Doctrine teacher's manual teaches us:

"Members of the Church who seek earthly rewards and honors, who seek exceptions to God's counsel and commandments, or who try to introduce worldly ideas, practices, or standards into the Church are following Balaam's unrighteous example. This is called the 'doctrine of Balaam' in Revelation 2:14."

How do we battle these temptations? What can we do to ensure we follow the examples of good, righteous prophets and individuals? We need to keep and eternal perspective. We need to remember what the Lord promises us in return:

"And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father."

Numbers

2006-03-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Numbers 15
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I had to trudge through Leviticus, but Numbers is a lot of fun for me to read.

February Ensign

2006-03-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Numbers 1
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I finally got around to reading the February Ensign two nights ago. I had started it when it came back in January, but I was on a big spiritual low then, and didn't really have much of an interest in it. I basically skimmed it, reading an article here and there and that was it. I'm glad that I was able to read it now, when I'm making a conscious effort to study.

I started to make a list of all the articles that really touched me, and it's getting long! I found The Dead Sea Scrolls and Latter-day Truth to be a very interesting article that taught me a lot of really good information.

I, the Lord God, Make You Free really validated a lot of my feelings in regard to local politics and the people whom I tend to support.

"Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law to do your business by the voice of the people" (Mosiah 29:26).

In my last local election it appeared that the majority of the city supported a particular candidate. However, with a low voter turnout the other, less desirable, self-serving, and borderline dishonest candidate was elected. This goes to prove this other statement from the article:

"Citizens of every land, where permitted, should vigorously cherish their right to vote and should act upon that privilege at every opportunity by supporting wise and honorable candidates. Good and wise leaders elected by and working cooperatively with responsible citizens will seek to protect their freedoms. Failure to actively support such candidates with one's vote may result in leaders who are elected, as Mosiah said, by 'the lesser part of the people' who may 'desire that which is not right' (Mosiah 29:26). What a sacred privilege and responsibility is ours to participate with other like-minded people to ensure that basic freedoms are preserved wherever we reside."

The article just really struck home to me and validated a lot of my feelings and disappointments. I wish I could be politically apathetic. I really do. I hate getting emotionally involved in a campaign, knowing that that candidate is by far the best qualified and even honest (a rare find, I know!), only to have the "lesser part of the people" throw mud, lies, and half-truths around and win--every single time!

I'm so glad that "[God] holds men accountable for their acts in relation to [governments], both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society" (D&C 134:1). I just pray that my actions and efforts will be found worthy in God's eyes.

Helping Children Develop Feelings of Self-Worth was an excellent read as a parent and I highly recommend it to everyone. It helped me see how well I'm doing in some areas, and shone a spotlight on other areas where I struggle. Since, as you can read at the footer of my blog, my focus is on an eternal family, I really appreciated this timely advice. I pray I can incorporate it into my life.

Abraham: Father of the Faithful was nice to read, after having read about him in the Old Testament in the past few weeks. It helped solidify what I had read about so recently.

Lessons from the Old Testament: In the World but Not of the World put a different spin on things for me. I especially enjoyed this statement:

"In my years in San Francisco, I knew some members who avoided letting their associates know they were Latter-day Saints. Invariably they were drawn into compromising situations that could have been avoided had they forthrightly declared what they believed. They symbolically pitched their tents toward Sodom" (see Gen. 13:12).

Unfortunately, I understand this situation all too well from my youth. However, I had never thought that just being silent on my beliefs would be symbolically pitching my tent towards Sodom. Wow.

And then, of course, as always, the Latter-day Saint Voices really touched me. I highly recommend reading them!

Sacrifices

2006-03-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Leviticus 13
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The end of Exodus and beginning of Leviticus is full of nitty-gritty information on sacrifices. At times I felt like I was re-reading chapters that I had already read, due to the vast repetitiveness of the chapters. Yet I didn't really feel like I understood it.

So I turned to the Bible Dictionary under Sacrifices and Meat Offering and I finally understood, better, what I had been reading for chapters.

I can't imagine what it would be like to have to atone for a sin that way. If I sinned, I would need to personally present an animal to the priest, have him dedicate the animal to God as my substitute, then slaughter the animal. All for my sin. I'm so grateful that Christ atoned for my sins. It's hard enough to offer a contrite and repentant heart to the Lord, sometimes, let alone have an animal perish in my name.

The peace offering was quite interesting to read about. I especially enjoyed reading about that sacrifice. I didn't realize that it was a joyous occasion and feasting ensued.

I can't imagine how bloody the tabernacle must have been. Blood was everywhere.

It was certainly a much different time...

Scripture Study

2006-03-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

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My current Old Testament progress:
Leviticus 5
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As I was reading the VT message this month, President Gordon B. Hinckley's statement really struck me:

"I hope that [scripture study] will become something far more enjoyable than a duty; that, rather, it will become a love affair with the word of God. I promise you that as you read, your minds will be enlightened and your spirits will be lifted. At first it may seem tedious, but that will change into a wondrous experience with thoughts and words of things divine."

I know I'm "just" reading the Old Testament. It's not nearly as exciting as the other canons of scripture, in my opinion, and contains the "old" law, but I'm really feeling the enlightenment and lift that he mentioned.

My life has changed for the better since I began reading.

Changes Abound

2006-03-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

My husband is currently on the High Council and we've been asked to meet with the Stake Presidency today after church.

I've known for a week that the Lord has something in mind for us and He gave me a full week to prepare. I just didn't expect this.

As I've mentioned before, I started reading the Old Testament (and lessons) two weeks ago. I guess I needed that week to prepare to be prepared.

Satan's been working hard on us, too, for even longer than two weeks. We finally fought through it all and my husband and I had a wonderful discussion yesterday afternoon. I think we're more on the same page again. We needed to reconnect. The Lord's timing is perfect. We had to have that discussion before today, and we did.

I truly have a testimony of the Gospel and of my Stake President. He is such a humble, loving man, and I know he's been called of God to serve in his current capacity.

Change is always scary, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for what is to come, but whatever it is, I know without a doubt that it's the Lord's will. He's prepared me and I'm willing to accept whatever he has to set before us. I'll just keep a prayer in my heart.

Update: He was released. Releases are always hard, because they leave me feeling empty. There's an actual mantle that comes with a calling and I can always feel it when it comes and goes--even when it's my husband's calling (if it's a big one). Now we're just waiting to see what happens next.

New here!

2006-03-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be nice to have a spot in cyberspace where I could share my thoughts and insights on LDS Doctrine.

Well, here it is!

For my first post, I'd like to share an insight I received in preparing for today's R.S. lesson:

"Man possesses a spirit that must endure forever, a spirit that comes from God, and inasmuch as he is not fed from that same source or power that created him he is not and cannot be satisfied."

I had never thought of that before! It's so true, though. No matter how we're living our lives, we remain empty if we do not continue to nurture our souls with the Gospel. I know, because I'm just now coming out of a drought where I did not feed my soul. How different I feel!

I've made a goal to read the Old Testament before the end of the year, and hopefully before winter hits again. I'm currently behind, but I only started two weeks ago.

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My current Old Testament progress:
Exodus 38
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