Soap Box Sunday

Sometimes I feel like this. Well, to be honest, a lot of times. But, I have definitely felt that lately the Lord has been speaking to me, encouraging me, and helping me to have the faith to press forward into the unknown. The Apostle Paul said, "we see through a glass (mirror) darkly." We must remember that the Lord sees a perfectly clear picture in the glass of who we are, who we have the potential to become, and what our future has in store for us. He can guide us to the perfect outcome--perfect, maybe not in the way we each imagine, but in the way in which it will mold our character and cleanse our spirits.

This week's Gospel Doctrine lesson reminded me of some wonderful truths, and gave me the desire to apply these truths to my life more fully.

One of my favorite scriptures:

Ether 12:4

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

Yes, our belief in God really does help each of us to hope for a better world and hope for Eternal Life with Him. And that hope should be an anchor to us throughout our lives. I'd venture to say, especially during those times of trial and grief. That hope will get us through.

Ether 12:6

"And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

This scripture, I'm sure I've read hundreds of times, still hits home--in a variety of new and different ways as I go through life, experiencing this principle over and over again. Sometimes learning, sometimes falling behind. But, the times I have learned, are times I can now lean on--times I can recall during each new challenge. I can tell myself, "well, this is what I learned and accomplished at that time. If I follow that same pattern of learning, I will be able to succeed again." That is how we learn. That is how we increase our faith. That is what the Lord wants for us.

Great example from Elder Maxwell...in my opinion, the expert on submitting your will to the Father and overcoming adversity through faith:

"Adversity can increase faith or instead can cause the troubling roots of bitterness to spring up… One’s life, therefore, cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free… Therefore, how can you and I really expect to glide naively through life, as if to say, “Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee what Thou art! Then, let me come and dwell with Thee and full share Thy joy."

This really reminds me that all of the experiences I have in life are for my good--they are for my learning. What I take from them is up to me. Will I be bitter like Sidney Rigdon in Liberty Jail? Or will I come out on top like Joseph Smith? Where will my experiences take me spiritually?

C.S. Lewis answers this in a wonderful way:

"When a man turns to Christ and seems to be getting on pretty well (in the sense that some of his bad habits are now corrected), he often feels that it would now be natural if things went
fairly smoothly. When troubles come along- illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation- he is disappointed. These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now? Because God is forcing him on up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of before. It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet got the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us."

I hope that I can have the faith to trust in the Lord whatever the circumstances. Focus on what is most important in life, and always follow the example of the Savior. It's not easy, that's for sure. But, I know that I am and will be continually a better disciple as I strive toward the potential the Lord sees in me.

Soap Box Sunday

This week I taught Gospel Doctrine. It was a great lesson from the words of Moroni (Mormon 7-9) in which he talks about the purpose of the Book of Mormon, our charge as Latter-Day Saints, and how the words he and his father compiled for US are what the Lord would have us know.

Mormon 8:34-35

"Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing."

Ezra Taft Benson said:

"If they saw our day, and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, ‘Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?’ And there is example after example of how that question will be answered.

For example, in the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to Christ's coming to America. By careful study of that time period, we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet.

From the Book of Mormon we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war. From the Book of Mormon we see the evils of secret combinations portrayed in graphic and chilling reality. In the Book of Mormon we find lessons for dealing with persecution and apostasy. We learn much about how to do missionary work. And more than anywhere else, we see in the Book of Mormon the dangers of materialism and setting our hearts on the things of the world. Can anyone doubt that this book was meant for us and that in it we find great power, great comfort, and great protection?”

More than anything, I know that as I read the Book of Mormon, I need to be constantly pondering those words and how they apply to my life. Why did Mormon add this account? Why did he preach of this topic? How does this apply to me?

I am so grateful for Mormon and his son Moroni. If you are ever unable to think of how a certain part of the Book of Mormon applies to you, you at least have one thing--gratitude. Gratitude for your own circumstances, your own life. When you think about how Moroni lost his father, his wife, children, kin, friends, etc....although some, just temporally, but many others in a spiritual sense as well... THEN he walked from Central America to the New York area, wandering for at least 20 years...all alone. And always fighting for survival. Your life may not seem too bad or too difficult or too much to handle. I know mine isn't, and I'm grateful for that.

What are we to do with the knowledge that we have been given? Elder Holland said:

"The task of the children of God in these concluding days of the world's history is to proceed with 'unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save,' to 'press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men . . . feasting upon the word of Christ, and endur[ing] to the end. This is the way; and ther eis none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved int eh kingdom of God.' (2 Ne. 31:17-18) No other book helps us do this so well. No other book was ever divinely produced and protected solely for that purpose. No other book has ever been written with such a full view of the future dispensation to which that record would eventually come."

Soap Box Sunday

Do I ever manage to do the Soap Box on Sunday? No. :)

This week's Gospel Doctrine lesson discussed the sad ending to the Nephite civilization. Mormon and Moroni and only 33 others are left, and the Lamanites are still hunting them. Mormon even tells us that he cannot write even a hundredth part of the things that occured.

There were SO MANY things to learn from these chapters, but the part that I felt really applies to us in these difficult times is this:

Mormon 8:17, 22

"O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!"

"O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy."

Hugh Nibley said:
“The tragedy of the Book of Mormon is not what became of the Nephites but what the Nephites became.”

And Ezra Taft Benson described it this way:
“Great nations do not fall because of external aggression; they first erode and decay inwardly, so that, like rotten fruit, they fall of themselves. The strength of a country is the sum total of the moral strength of the individuals in that country.”

It is interesting to think about a civilization, people, or culture eroding from within SO MUCH that at one point, 230,000 people are killed in a single day of battle (our biggest war casualties...during the civil war in the 1860's amounted to about 140,000 within a 5-year period). Now, I don't want to make this about gloom and doom. And I'm not saying that our nation is actually headed there in the fast lane or anything. Who am I to predict? But, I can tell you this--I see our nation eroding from within, yes. Eroding in morality, justice, civility, and integrity.

At one point, the Nephites won two consecutive battles against the Lamanites. Unfortunately, by this time, they were beyond feeling, and ended up boasting in their own strength, causing Mormon to observe:

"[We won] . . .Nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak (without theHoly Ghost) like unto our brethren." (Mormon 2:26)

As our society erodes in these last days, as corruption rises and as moral standards fall, it is important as Latter-day Saints to strengthen ourselves from within. We must not become "weak like unto our bretheren," meaning we must always strive to take the higher road, stand in holy places, work at maintaining the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. Of course, we should also be good examples to those around us and allow others to feel of the Spirit through missionary work and the simple tokens of light and truth we can give to them.

I know that as we strive to keep from "eroding from within" ourselves, no matter what happens in these times, and to our society and people, we will be strengthened and uplifted. The prophet, Alma said it perfectly:

"I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things" (Alma 26:12).

Soap Box Sunday

This Sunday, I had the privelage of teaching Gospel Doctrine again. It is a privelage because, of course, as always, I AM the one who learns the most! And this time, I especially needed it because the Savior was quoting...none other than...Isaiah. Yes. The prophet who's writings we are supposed to know and understand like the back of our HAND! Yes. That is true. Be very afraid if you're an Isaiah-dummy like I am!! (although I did see a book called "Isaiah for Dummies" or something like that by John Bytheway. I think I need that.)

But today, I learned some great things.

The Savior tells us how important it is to "search" not just read the words of Isaiah:

3 Nephi 23:1-3

1 And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.

2 For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.

Elder McConkie said:

"If our eternal salvation depends upon our ability to understand the writings of Isaiah as fully and truly as Nephi understood them – and who shall say that such is not the case! – how shall we fare in that great day when with Nephi we shall stand before the pleasing bar of Him who said: Great are the words of Isaiah? It just may be that my salvation (and yours also!) does in fact depend upon our ability to understand the writings of Isaiah as fully and truly as Nephi understood them. For that matter, why should either Nephi or Isaiah know anything that is withheld from us? Does not that God who is no respecter of persons treat all his children alike? Has he not given us his promise and recited to us the terms and conditions of his law pursuant to which he will reveal to us what he has revealed to them?"

And why do we need to understand Isaiah's words? Well, because his prophecies really do pertain MAINLY to US in the Latter-days. Understanding the "signs of the times" comes from Isaiah's words, understanding the "gathering of Israel" comes from Isaiah, and knowing our role as members of the church in these last days, comes from studying Isaiah. (Ok now, I'm realizing I REALLY need to get that "Isaiah for Dummies" book...)

Another concept that Isaiah points out in his poetic way of teaching is that the Savior is the "husband" of the "married wife," or, the "members of the church." In chapter 22, Jesus quotes Isaiah as saying that as the stakes of Zion are expanded, the Lord of Hosts is with the children of the covenant--He is with the faithful members of the church who assist in the expanding of His gospel. A great way to understand the Savior's role as a "husband" to us is this, according to Cynthia L. Hallen, a Book of Mormon scholar:

"The Savior of the whole earth is her husband. The etymology of the English word husband is "one who prepares or builds a house." The Lord is Zion's husband or "house builder" because he makes the earth as a home for all creatures, he creates bodies as temples for spirit children, he builds temples as places of worship, and he prepares heavenly mansions for his children."

To me, this is a wonderful description of who the Savior is to us. He is the creator of the world, the creator of our places of worship, and the creator of the eventual world that we will live in if we so desire and do our part to attain.

And if we feel forsaken, let us remember that though we may feel this way at times, He is always there to succor us in our time of need. His "kindness shall not depart" from us. This video sums up what I think the Lord wants us to know in these times--from the words of Isaiah...one of the most beautiful songs I know, written by Rob Gardner, from his "Joseph Smith, the Prophet" music fireside I once had the opportunity to be a part of. Since then, this has been one of my favorite songs.

Soap Box Sunday

Ok, another late one...but I've been deathly ILL!! Well, have had probably the worst cold I've ever had over the past few days, so I didn't even make it to church. However, my father in law asked me to research a little about eternal marriage for a convert he home teaches. From that I discovered something pretty insightful!

When we talk about the "New and Everlasting Covenant" I know that that the first thing that pops into my head is Eternal Marriage. According to Joseph Fielding Smith, however, it's much more than that:

"Each ordinance of the Gospel is a covenant which is new and everlasting. It is new and everlasting because it is divine truth and never grows old....This was said of baptism, and the Lord calls it "a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning." (Sec. 22:1) It is so with all the covenants and obligations in the Gospel which pertain to salvation and exaltation of man....President Brigham Young has said, that "All Latter-day Saints enter the new and everlasting covenant when they enter the Church...." (Discourses of Brigham Young. pp. 247-248.)

And he continues:

"There are some members of the Church who seem to think that the new and everlasting convenant is the covenant of celestial marriage, or marriage for eternity, but this is not so. Marriage for eternity is an everlasting covenant, because it was from the beginning. It will be, if properly performed according to the law of the Lord, eternal.

In the opening verses of Section 132, the Lord draws a distinction between a new and everlasting covenant and the new and everlasting covenant. While the definifition is given in the negative form, it is plainly discernible that the new and everlasting covenant is the fulness of the Gospel.

In the words of the Lord, [Sec. 132:7, quoted]. (CHMR, 1948, 2:157-58.) marriage, when performed by the authority of God, is here announced to be "a" new and "an" everlasting covenant. In like manner, baptism is "a" new and "an" everlasting covenant (D&C 22:1) as are all other "covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations" intended to be of "efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection" (v.7). The composite or sum of these individual covenants is "the" new and everlasting covenant." (Revelations of the Restoration, p. 1059)

I think this is very interesting because it shows that though Eternal Marriage is something we should all aspire to, look forward to, and, if we already have this blessing, it is something that we should cherish and continue to work at. However, this explanation about the difference between "a new and everlasting covenant" and "the new and everlasting covenant" really shows me that the Lord is equally concerned with EVERY ordinance we partake in while living here on the Earth. Though marriage, the endowment, could be considered the "final step" it is not to be considered the most important step, as baptism, the receiving the Holy Ghost, for example, are just as important. They also pave the way to our endowment.

I also really like that "the new and everlasting covenant" is attributed correctly to the "fulness of the Gospel" and the "sum total" of the individual covenants we make with the Lord. It really shows us that the Lord values all of the covenants we make with Him, and that we are indeed, partakers of the FULNESS of the Gospel...something that others in the history of the world have not had the privelage to partake of.

I feel truly blessed to have made all of the covenants necessary with the Lord, and hope that I can keep myself worthy to partake of the eternal blessings that will come from this.

Soap Box Sunday

So, I don't always get to this on Sunday per say...but I think about it!

This week, I got to teach the lesson covering chapters 17-19 of 3 Nephi. At this point, Christ is teaching the American people that they should ponder and mediate the things that he has spoken unto them. He also institutes the sacrament, heals each and every person, and calls for the children to be brought to him. And it is at that part that He blesses and prays for the children, that I discovered a really amazing insight...

17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.

18 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.'

20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

22 And when he had done this he wept again;

23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

If you've ever wondered what "my joy is full" means, this may provide a little insight. And, if you've ever wondered why the Savior wept at this instance, it seems to me that His capacity for joy and his capacity for sorrow and compassion are linked.

Bruce C. Hafen explains:

"He wept--he who had descended below all things, the Man of Sorrows, he who bore all our griefs. The height of his infinite capacity for joy is the inverse, mirror image of the depth of his capacity to bear our burdens. So it is with the enlarged caverns of feeling within our own hearts: as sorrows of our lives carve and stretch those caverns, they expand our soul's capacity for joy. Then , when the Man of Sorrows turns our bitter tastes to sweet, our joy--and his--will fill the widened chambers of our hearts with what the scriptures call 'fulness.' That is when we have accepted his Atonement and love with such completeness that his purpose for us is fully satisfied. Then will we know that we were made for this. Then will we know where, and why, and to whom, we belong. 'For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.' (Psalm 107:9)"

You may want to read this through a couple of times. I think this is an amazing description of what the Savior's capacity to feel really means. It is also a great lesson to each of us. If we are to be like Him, I believe that we must aspire to have this depth of feeling as He has. We must allow our Savior to expand our souls, stretch those caverns, and ultimately, feel as He feels.

How do we do this? I think that each time we are given a calling--think of the Relief Society President who somehow "loves EVERYONE," or the primary teacher that develops a great compassion for her students, or a missionary who cares and loves ALL of the people that he serves. The Lord gives us these callings in order to expand our hearts and allow us to feel as He feels about our fellow men.

Each time we serve, we also have the ability to "expand our souls" as we develop a love for those we are serving. And why are we commanded to "multiply and replenish the Earth?" Having children REALLY expands our capacity for joy and our ability to "mourn with those who mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort" as we nurture and teach our children. A parent's love is the closest feeling we can have to the divine love the Savior has for each of us.

The Savior ends His teachings of that day with a prayer to the Father on behalf of them:

28 Father, I thank thee that thou hast purified those whom I have chosen, because of their faith, and I pray for them, and also for them who shall believe on their words, that they may be purified in me, through faith on their words, even as they are purified in me.

This amazing prayer really shows that the Lord will do anything for us to come unto Him and allow him to purify us, helping us feel as He feels, see as He sees. I hope that I can become more like Him, and keep these thoughts with me as I strive to live His commandments.

Soap Box Sunday

Today in sunday school, we studied 3 Nephi, 8-11. Everyone who has served a mission has chapter 11 (at least) practically memorized :) but it never ceases to amaze me!

A couple of things the Savior said really stood out to me:

3 Nephi 9:13-14

"O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me."

One lady in the class made a really good observation. When we think about this occurance in 3 Nephi, all of the destruction, lives lost, and despair...and then the visit of the Savior, we begin to think about what is to come in our own time. This sister said that she appreciated the fact that none of these people who were spared were perfect--they were simply a bit more just than those who were killed. And that gave her hope--that even though she is not perfect, that is not what is required--she may have a chance! I thought about that, and realized I definitely have that same hope.

These verses also remind me yet again of the infinite compassion and love that the Savior has for each of us. Even when we fail, even when we sin, there is always a way back to him. He is pleading to us, that we might return. Though it is foolish to procrastinate the day of our repentance, (because, as Dahlin H. Oaks said, it is not necessarily what we have DONE in this life...it is what we've BECOME--and we won't become what our Heavenly Father knows we can become, with death-bed repentance) it is reassuring that no matter what, the Lord loves us and "his hand is stretched out still." (2 Ne. 15:25)

The Lord also loves us individually--this verse really reminds me of that:

3 Nephi, 11:14-15

"Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come."

Imagine how long the Savior stood there, as ONE BY ONE, each man, woman, and child, came to touch him and witness for themselves that he was truly their Redeemer. And I'm sure each person was not hasty to move on after they had waited and reached Him. This really does show the incredible love and concern Christ has for each of us. How His atonement truly was indeed a suffering for each of us individually. How He understands, cares for, and worries over of each of us on a personal basis.

It is no wonder Chapter 11 is the first chapter each investigator is assigned to read. I know that Jesus Christ is the reason we will be able to return to our heavenly home. I know He suffered to make that a reality. I know that we are here to learn to become more like Him, and that as we submit ourselves to Him, striving to be the best that we can be, He will make up the difference--He will make us whole.

Soap Box Sunday

With General Conference going on this weekend, I can definitely say I was spiritually fed!

The bretheren emphasized that these are "perilous times" and talked about how the Lord is with us, and we must rely on Him. I noticed ample use of the experience Joseph Smith had in Liberty Jail, when he felt forsaken by God (D&C 121). At that time, he prayed:

1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

4 O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are, and who controllest and subjectest the devil, and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol—stretch forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion toward us.

Through the inspired talks given by our prophet and other general authorities, The Lord has told us that he is with us. That during the financial crisis, war, and the breakdown of the traditional family, we need to just remember that if we have faith and build ourselves upon the rock of Christ, we will prevail, and all will be well in the end.

This message really spoke to me, as I have been really stressed out about all that is going on around us in the world at this time. I must remember what the Lord told Joseph--something that applies to all of us that suffer adversity:

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment.

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

That is what this life is all about. Regardless of our current situations, difficulties, adversities, and fears, we must remember that before we came to Earth, we knew that this life would not be easy. We knew that we would learn what we needed to learn from our experiences to be able to become like our Savior. We knew that in the end, that's all that really matters, and our positive attitude and trust in the Lord during these times is what will allow us to make the changes necessary in our lives in order to be prepared for Eternal Life with our Heavenly Father.

Soap Box Sunday

Ok, I posted this on Sunday night and totally screwed up my blog formatting--it was scary!!! Anyway, here it is again:

Today it was my turn to teach gospel doctrine. (I teach every third Sunday, and it is the BEST calling EVER!!) Something I learned struck me in a new way, so...here goes:

Samuel the Lamanite prophesied many things unto the Nephites, including that if they did not repent, destruction should surely come to them. When this would happen, he also prophesied the following:

Helaman 13:18

And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord.

Hugh Nibley said something pretty interesting about this:

“What is con-secrated is then made sacred, withdrawn from the ordinary economy, dedicated to a particular purpose and to that purpose only. It can never be recalled or used for any other purpose without being de-secrated. A striking passage in Helaman brings this out while providing a powerful bit of evidence for the bona fides of the Book of Mormon. Samuel the Lamanite tells the people that their riches will be cursed because they have set their hearts upon them; and that when they flee before their enemies and bury their treasures, if they bury them not unto the Lord, they will become slippery and can never be found again. In the Copper Scroll of the Dead Sea Scrolls we learn that when the Jews fled from Jerusalem before their enemies, they also buried their treasures; and they also buried them up unto the Lord so that they could never again be used in profane negotiations. All such buried treasures had to be used for the temple and nothing else. It would be hard to find a more convincing parallel. It is a reminder that when I consecrate, it cannot be with limitations or qualifications.” (Approaching Zion, p. 389)

This scripture and the following quote made me think about all of the things we "consecrate" to the Lord, and how we treat those things. If we do not treat them wisely, we are in essence "desecrating" them.

To be clear, to consecrate something means to "make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of God." Desecrate means to "treat with sacrilege; profane; dishonor."

For example, if we do not "consecrate" or keep sacred our temple covenants, casting them as pearls before swine, we are in fact "desecrating" them.

It can also be understood this way: If we do not consecrate our talents unto the Lord, they will "become slippery" and we will not be able to use them. (ie: not accepting a calling, or not using our talents to the benefit of His church) But, if we do, our talents will become that much richer through the power of the Holy Ghost.

It is the same with a testimony. If we do not consecrate our testimonies unto the Lord, we are telling the Lord that it is not important to us, and he can take it away--which he will, because in his great mercy, he protects those who do not continue on the path of righteousness by taking away that which they knew to be true so that we are not held accountable for that which we used to know. As we use our testimonies, dedicating them to the service of the Lord, that means that we will share them with others for the benefit of all of God's children. As we do this, our testimonies grow within us, and will be added upon. When we do not share our testimonies with others, we really do hinder our ability to do so, and our recollection of what is really important to us.

I know that the key to Eternal Life is doing those small and simple things that the Lord has asked of us. Line upon line, as we consecrate our God-given talents, testimonies, covenants unto the Lord for service in His kingdom, we will be blessed, added upon, and have the wisdom, humility, and hope to endure to the end.

Soap Box Sunday

I really want to do a "soap box" on Sundays...just write down things I learned at church and share my testimony (at least with myself!) Today, we learned about the fact that the small and simple things really do make the difference in our lives.

The speaker in church was talking about the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and as usual with C.S. Lewis, I see a new way to think about a gospel principle. In the book, evil spirits, or "Satan's demons" were discussing how to bring down a human being. In one letter, the more experienced demon tells the other (in so many words--totally paraphrasing!) that the notion that all they do is put evil thoughts into the heads of those they are tempting is ridiculous, because it is so much easier to simply put ordinary, "distracting" thoughts into the heads of the mortals...thus, keeping people occupied in their very temporal daily lives rather than thinking of the "big picture." This way is much more subtle, yet can lead to the same spiritual weakening.

I see this a lot in my own life--I get so distracted by the daily stresses and pressures of home, bills, work, busy schedules etc. and need to remember to take some time to ponder the things that are most important. Keep a prayer in my heart. Read my scriptures and say my prayers daily. The small and simple things are those that the adversary really does not want us to do, because if we are not strengthening our testimonies, we are weakening them by starving them of the spiritual nourishment they need. I need to keep doing those simple things that remind me of my divine nature and what is really important in life, in order to combat the distractions that swirl around me every day. As we continue to keep ourselves focused on Christ and His plan, the presence of the Holy Ghost will be so much stronger in our lives, therefore making us each more intelligent, more protected from the distractions and temptations of the adversary, and more easily entreated to continue on the strait and narrow path.