Scriptures

Gaining things that are valuable require work. This is especially true of gaining knowledge, whether secular or spiritual. Getting knowledge, either secular or spiritual, requires going to a source of knowledge, such as a school or an institution with experience in a certain field of study, and/or getting the book(s) and studying by yourself, independent of outside assistance, interpretation, or commentary.  In spiritual terms, the "institution" is a church or congregation, and the "books" are the scriptures. If you want spiritual knowledge, the best method is "and" instead of "or."

The scriptures are not just a historical record, or even a collection of sermons given hundreds of years ago. When some people don't immediately get a scripture, they say that because they're so old, they have no meaning to those who live in the 21st century. Simply put, they are very mistaken.  The contents of those books have been selected by God for our use and benefit.  As archaic and removed from the 21st century as they seem at first, they can be applied to whatever situation we face. (1 Nephi 19:23)  Of course, the solutions to our problems are very rarely, if ever, spelled out, just waiting for us to glance at the page that those words are printed on. Hugh Nibley, a believing Latter-Day Saint and brilliant scholar, once said: "The essential information for solving almost any problem or answering almost any question is all brought together in the scriptures, but it is not put together for us there."


   This is a picture of Hugh Nibley.
(image from http://mormonscholarstestify.org/)


It is up to us to work and obtain our understanding, and that is a lifelong process. PATIENCE IS REQUIRED. (If you want to read Nibley's thoughts on some aspects of the gospel, compiled from some of his various writings after his death, look here)

As a missionary, I act as a guide to help those I work with learn of Jesus Christ, establish a personal relationship with Him, and learn those habits to obtain and maintain a testimony (a firm and strong belief.) One method that I like to use is scripture study. Scriptures are records of God's dealings with certain groups of people. In order for a record to be genuine scripture, it must be written and/or maintained by ordained prophets of God. Because human hands were involved their writing, scriptures are going to have some errors in them. Those errors are small and do not effect the significance of a passage. The scriptures, which I hold to be The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price, are invaluable to us today because they not only have stories of ancient nations and their problems, they act as the medium of inspiration, thus enabling each of us today to receive personal revelation for our problems.

To gain a true understanding of a passage of scripture, one need not have an academic background in ancient history or languages. One need not be versed in ancient literary styles. One does not even need to be learned in the language that the scripture is available in. Of course, having all of these things can be helpful, but they are not necessary to having some understanding. All one needs to have a basic understanding is "the spirit of prophecy," defined as a testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 19:10) As useful and helpful as academic knowledge is, that is not how we learn of the things of God and of eternity. If we use purely academic skills and approaches, the scriptures are going to appear foolish to us. (1 Corinthians 2: 11-14) God expects us to use our mental capabilities in seeking understanding, while keeping in mind that there are simply somethings that our limited and flawed brains cannot fully process without the help of the Holy Ghost. A testimony of Jesus Christ only comes by the whispering of the Holy Ghost, it does not come in any other way.
(1 Corinthians 12:3)

The Holy Ghost does more for us than just confirm and strengthen our testimonies. He can give us guidance for whatever we need. As a missionary, I am to rely on the Holy Ghost for guidance in my work. The fact is, I am not skilled enough by my own to convince or sell someone into joining into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What I do is seek by my personal worthiness to qualify for the companionship and guidance of the Holy Ghost. That is because the Holy Ghost brings ideas into your head that are better than anything you could come up with by yourself. If we act on those ideas, everything will work out in the end.  D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said once that "It is the Holy Ghost that bears witness of your words when you teach and testify. It is the Holy Ghost that, as you speak in hostile venues, puts into your heart what you should say and fulfills the Lord’s promise that “you shall not be confounded before men” (D&C 100:5). It is the Holy Ghost that reveals how you may clear the next seemingly insurmountable hurdle. It is by the Holy Ghost in you that others may feel the pure love of Christ and receive strength to press forward. It is also the Holy Ghost, in His character as the Holy Spirit of Promise, that confirms the validity and efficacy of your covenants and seals God’s promises upon you." (April 2009 General Conference The Power of Covenants)

No matter our situation, no matter what we are facing, we can receive the guidance we need. The Holy Ghost  gives us impressions, thoughts, and feelings.  Those feelings are tricky to describe, since "the peace of God passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).  The Holy Ghost, also known as the Comforter, gives feelings of peace and comfort.  Everyone feels peace and comfort a little bit differently, so they describe it in different terms. Those feelings of comfort, of peace, are real. They are not, as some would claim, figments of our imaginations or the result of our mere wishing what we have come across is genuine.

It is my testimony that regular, prayerful scripture study is a source of inspiration.  The scriptures are the word of God, given to prophets in times past for their circumstances, and preserved for our access.  They are relevant to our lives today, and are one of (if not the main) medium to receive personal revelation. Likewise, it is also my testimony that the Holy Ghost is real, and that we can in fact receive the guidance we need in order to live the gospel and do those things that God wants us to do.

One last thought: remember that knowledge does not come all at once, but gradually over time.(2 Nephi 28:30) There will always be things we don't know and/or don't understand. Our entire lives are learning experiences, and by approaching situations with that mindset, we can get good things out of bad experiences and come closer to God in the middle of tragedy and injustice.

View

Are the two yellow lines different sizes?

(Think for a couple of seconds)

Often in life we focus on the wrong things, ignore truth, and as such, come to incorrect conclusions and faulty perceptions. The biggest objection to religion that I've come across is related to the existence of pain and suffering in life. Pain and suffering are a part of life, there's no question about it. But, there is another fact of life that can be, and in many cases is, ignored. That fact is that our life has a purpose and a plan.  The suffering and pain that people endure, no matter how intense it is, has a purpose.

One purpose, probably the central purpose, of life is to learn. We need to learn about good and evil, and especially to learn how to distinguish between the two. Another thing we need to learn is how to recognize and have joy.  The Book of Mormon is quite clear on learning about joy. Early in the Book of Mormon, Lehi tells his son Jacob that there is opposition in all things. (2 Nephi 2: 11-13)
Consider this: how do you know what something sweet tastes like? Or, how do you know what something bitter tastes like? If you haven't experienced bitter, you don't truly understand what exactly sweet is.  If we never experience a bad car, we don't truly understand, let alone appreciate a good car. It is the same with happiness.  If we never experience a single moment of misery, we do not understand what happiness is. Without the opposition in all things, existence is pointless for us since all things would be the same.  We would never learn, since we could never compare one thing to another.

This means that everyone is to experience tough times, opposition, and trial in the course of their lives.  The presence of hard things, ugly scenarios, and tragedy does not mean that God is not there or that he does not love us.  Sometimes, our tests and trials are the results of our choices. Sometimes, they are the results of the choices of others, and sometimes, they are simply a curve thrown at us.

We may never fully know why some people seem to have it easy, seem to get ahead in life, seem to be rewarded when they don't deserve it, and why others who deserve to have an easy life have everything fall apart. There is a reason that philosophy has been around as long as it has. This is because there are a number of questions related to life's meaning and purpose that any man is simply unable to scientifically, empirically demonstrate to another human.

Truth is truth, no matter how it is learned. I do not claim to know everything.  I try to write only about that which I do know. I can, and do, speculate at times, but when I do, I generally make it known that it is speculation only.

 I know that God exists, and that, as harsh and tragic as life seems, there is purpose and plan behind such events and experiences. I know that the harsh things that have happened in my life have taught me to appreciate the good things more than I did.  Those events have also given me a measure of insight, sympathy, and empathy.

I love to learn through any method I can. The use of the academic methods, centered around logic and reasoning, are great for teaching a lot of things of this world.  But learning by revelation is much more definitive, since that which I learn by revelation will always be true, while the academic concepts taught may be discredited later in life due to new discoveries or a different line of logic/reasoning. Also, there are some things that can only be understood by having the Spirit reveal them to you.(1 Corinthians 2: 9-14) and (Jacob 4:8). The thing with learning by revelation is making sure you understand what exactly you received.

Knowledge

Knowledge is something that we all seek, in some way. There's a difference between knowing of something, understanding something, and having knowledge of something.  Knowing of something is largely believing a rumor.  When I "know of" something, like events on the other side of the planet, I am accepting the claims and report of the information source. "Understanding" something is where you have looked into the report or claim.  You've checked some details, and if there's error in it, you are likely to tell the difference.  "Knowledge" is where, in addition to thorough fact-checking, you have confirmed as much as possible and have established in your mind the truth.

As a missionary, I talk with people about religion. I'm not anywhere near perfect, and simply put, nobody (with one exception) has been or will ever be perfect in all that they do while they are alive.  Our search for "knowledge" about truth, if it is to be 100% accurate, must not be based solely on human reasoning. Thankfully, we have access to a source that is never flawed and is 100% perfect.

That is source is God, our Heavenly Father.  The purpose of mortal life is, in a nutshell, to learn how to choose good even when options to choose bad seem appealing at the moment.  We do not learn everything there is to know all at once. (2 Nephi 28:30) This process of learning requires faith. Faith is trusting in an idea, concept, or person, with or without empirical evidence to back up your position. In religious terms, faith is trusting that God exists or that something truly is of God while not necessarily having physical evidence. (Alma 32:21) If you want something out of the New Testament, here's basically the same passage. (Hebrews 11:1) 

How does one gain faith, or in Mormon terms, how does one gain a testimony?  Remember that faith is not a perfect knowledge. Even with faith, there are things that you are not going to understand. First off, one must want to believe. God has given us our agency, the ability to live, or attempt to live, our life in the way that we want to.  He will not force us to do anything.  He encourages, prods, and points out the blessings, but He does not force.  He will not force! Our desire does not have to be huge.  In fact, we are encouraged to mainly keep an open mind, to run an experiment. (Alma 32:27)

Second, we must pay attention to our feelings.  That which is true, which is of God, will cause us to feel different.  The Book of Mormon describes those feelings as enlargening your soul. (Alma 32:28) There's a passage in the New Testament that describes the feelings more specifically. (Galatians 5:22-23)  We will never be able to fully understand these feelings, but, as Paul says, "the peace of God ... passeth all understanding." (Philippians 4:7) If a concept we are experimenting with results in us having such feelings, then you know that the idea, or word, is good.

As with all great things, one's faith requires regular maintenance.  Faith maintenance is like muscle maintenance.  In order for muscle to remain at the same strength, it must be used regularly. If we stop using the muscle, it weakens. Likewise, our faith must be used regularly just to maintain it's strength.  If we stop using our faith, it will weaken and, if not used for a long enough period of time, it will die completely.  The things that maintain and strengthen our faith are simple things.  Because they are simple, they can be ignored and forgotten, or they can be great habits.

Prayer, scripture study, and regular church attendance are the main things to maintain/strengthen our faith. In addition, our choice of entertainment affects our faith. Our minds are affected by what we see and experience. We are all exposed to things that we would rather avoid, and in many circumstances, such occurrences are unavoidable. Entertainment is completely our choice. If we go out of our way to view positive, uplifting things, we will have an easier time focusing on uplifting things.  Likewise, if most of what we view is trash, then our thoughts are more likely to be trashy.

Remember, learning is a lifelong process.  Each and every day provides at least one new thing to learn.  The day we close our minds to learning is the day life becomes dull and pointless.

If you've reached this point, you have a lot of patience, and thank you for reading. If you want some deeper thoughts on spiritual learning, check this out. It's by Truman G Madsen, someone whose thoughts inspire me greatly.  On How We Know

Talking to People

I am pretty shy and quiet person.  Before I became a missionary, I was one of those guys that would stay at home and never talk to anyone.  Instead, I would either play video games, watch TV/movies, or read novels.  I had developed a view of thorough distrust of anyone I didn't already know.  And for those I did know, I wasn't the person they deserved to know.  This attitude really started for me in 7th grade and by 8th grade, it had taken over my personality. I had become a shy and cynical nerd that thought that there was nothing good to be had from people at all.

Whenever I would venture to talk to anyone, it was awkward and very painful for me.  At times, I felt like I was utterly incapable of communicating to another human being.  There were literally days where I did not say a word to anyone, and there were other days where I said hardly a word to anyone. For the better part of 8 years, my social skills diminished to almost nothing, and because I could avoid it, I never really sought to improve it. Being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has changed that for the better.

I have been out on my mission for a little over 15 months now.  This has been both the hardest and the most rewarding experience I have ever had in my life.  As a missionary, I'm supposed to talk to everyone person that I see.  This is very difficult, at times painful for me.  I'm still awkward in conversation when I don't know the person.  But, I am NOWHERE near as bad as I used to be.  This is because I was forced to confront and admit my problems and issues.  After I had been out in the mission for about 6 months, I had the privilege of working with a missionary who was sympathetic towards my struggles.  This kind man was patient with my reluctance to talk much. He helped me in whatever way he could. We would practice talking to people.  He would give me advice on how to start up conversation.  And then he would allow me to talk to random people that we'd meet on the street.  The main thing he said was, "just imagine that they are your family and start by shooting the breeze about something random, and then talk about the gospel." 

I am more comfortable with talking to people now, but getting to that point has required a lot of hard work and discipline. The main thing that helped was my faith in Jesus Christ.  In middle and high school, I let my faith waiver, and I didn't really try to live what I said I believed.  I was coasting along with my faith, not really doing much of anything to strengthen it and, consequently, not enjoying anything from my faith.  I've prayed alot on my mission, asking my Heavenly Father for strength, help, and comfort.  I prayed specifically for the pain I felt when talking to people to go away, or at least lessen. I've prayed that I would become comfortable working with people. I knew that my prayers would be answered, and I was relying on faith when I prayed, since I was not able to see how God would answer them. Prayers are answered, but they are usually answered by the efforts and actions of other people.  It has been my experience that most of the time, those people do not know what their actions are unless you tell them.  Those experiences that I had with that missionary were an answer to my prayers.  I have likewise had many more experiences with other missionaries that have been answers to prayers.  Answers to prayer are not always, in fact not often, spectacular.  They come quietly and simply, and if we are not open or paying attention, we can miss them.
The mission is not for the weak-hearted or for those who do not believe.  But, when you have a testimony, even if you can't really articulate it, the mission is like miracle-gro for it.  This is because the gospel of Jesus Christ is actually a lifestyle.  It is not merely a philosophical ideal.  Jesus taught that, when we live the gospel, that is when we learn and KNOW if it is real. (John 7:14-17) In short, we learn by doing.  Because of prayer, scripture study, hard work, and discipline, my testimony has been greatly strengthened.  I still have trouble talking to people sometimes, but my testimony, my firm belief, is that the gospel of Jesus Christ can bless lives and fixes the problems people have.  As such, everyone deserves to know about it.

None of us are perfect or will be perfect while we are alive.  But, we are not required to be in order to receive the blessings of the gospel. The amazing thing is that whatever our problems, whatever our imperfections, they can be fixed when we live the gospel of Jesus Christ.  All we need to do is believe and act on our beliefs in faith.  When we rely on the power of God and the grace of Jesus Christ, NOTHING is impossible. (Mark 10:27)

The gospel of Jesus Christ helps us grow and become better people than we are now.  No matter what is going on in your life, there is something that can be improved. All growth brings growing pains, no matter what issue is being worked on. The peace we experience when we live the gospel is not obtainable in any other way.

I'm still not anywhere near perfect. I still have some troubles talking to people.  But, I am better today than I was 15 months ago.  I know that is because I have put my faith in Christ and I try to live what I say I believe.