Learning Through All Methods

"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." (D&C 88:118) (The italics are mine.) God wants us to learn, and there are many ways to learn. Not everyone is going to have the faith alone to accept something as divine or not. We have our minds, and as with anything God has given us, we are expected to use and take care of them. There are things that are true that aren't readily understood (but most people I've met anyway) to be part of the restored gospel. The gospel has the ultimate answers for how we are to live live, but for some useful answers about the nature of existence itself, ther are some other sources. Of course, once understanding is had, one can find where the specific truth is in the context of the restored gospel. By having, and continuing to develop, gospel knowledge, one can more readily recognize truth when found in the world.

 I took physics and chemistry in both high school and college. I find science fascinating and something that deserves to be encouraged and understood. The goal of science (as I understand it) is to find out how a certain phenomenon (like a physical event or chemical reaction) works. There's a law in science, the law of conservation of matter. This law states that matter can be neither created or destroyed, it can only change form. The same principle in science applies to energy. That is why, when you understand all factors, a formula can be devised. In chemical reactions, nothing is either created or destroyed. Things change form, and sometimes that form change involves the giving off of heat. In physics, the before and after states of an event are equal, since nothing is truly lost (assuming you have all the variables accounted for and the event is isolated from outside interference). At the start of my mission, I discovered these three short passages in the Doctrine and Covenants:

1) "There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes" (D&C 131:7)
My thought: All things, including spiritual things, have some sort of physical existence. The tricky thing with spirit is that it's not  readily definable or measurable by the means of external, physical obeservation.

2) "For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ." (D&C 84:45)
My thought: Everything that is truth is called light, because all truths brighten our understanding, removing the darkness of ignorance.

3) "Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." (D&C 93:29)
My thought: Everything about a person that's not their body is their spirit or "intelligence." Such cannot be either created or destroyed.

My conclusion: Things can only be created out of pre-existing material. The creation of man did not occur from nothing. The same with the Earth (see Abraham 3:24). The creation involved material that was already there. One of the living apostles, Russell M Nelson, once said: "I testify that the earth and all life upon it are of divine origin. The Creation did not happen by chance. It did not come ex nihilo (out of nothing)." (The Creation, given in April 2000 general conference). Bruce R McConkie, a member of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles, who in now deceased, once said: "all truth is in agreement, that true religion and true science bear the same witness, and that in the true and full sense, true science is part of true religion." (The Seven Deadly Heresies, given in June 1980 BYU fireside). Truth is truth, no matter it's initial source to us.   Of course, we must have an understanding and a testimony, which are related but not necessarily the same thing. Once we have some sort of testimony and the resultant intellectual understanding, then we can build upon those with further truth.

A big idea that is stressed in the church is receving your answers to prayer. It's my experience that our prayers are answered, but those answers don't often come immediately. Instead, I have often been left to think about what I'm praying about for a while, and then I'll receive my answer. A revelation received early in the history of the church reads: "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.  But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong" (D&C 9:7-9). We are to do what we can to figure out the answer, and ask God if our conclusion is right. In my experience, having this type of attitude in my prayers generally brings answers a little quicker, but of course it requires more time and effort.

Now, in any field of learning, does understanding, let alone knowledge, come all at once? NO. Our understanding comes gradually, and if we don't something, it's unlikely that we're going to understand the next step. For instance, algebra is not taught in early elementary school math classes. Instead, the basics of addition and subtraction are taught first,then comes multiplication and division, and it is only after those very basic things are understood (ideally) that basic principles of algebra (isolating variables, order of operations, etc.) are taught. With the gospel, we learn "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little" (2 Nephi 28:30, see also Isaiah 28:9-10). One is not going to understand everything about the gospel when they consider it from an outside perspective. Gospel knowledge, for me anyway, has come through practical experience.

As I make an effort to apply the gospel in my life, I gradually understand more and more. When I'm not so diligent in living the gospel, my understanding decreases. If at any point I get prideful and think "I know enough, I don't need to have or learn more," that's when I start to have problems with my gospel understanding. Pride gets in the way of all learning, especially of spiritual things. Now of course this approach to gospel knowledge requires faith. Faith is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 see also Alma 32:21) It gets very difficult at times, but I can honestly say that it has been worth the struggle. I do not come anywhere near a perfect knowledge, and if fact, the more I learn, the more I understand just how much there is still to learn. Furthermore, the more I learn, both by study and by faith, the stronger my testimony becomes. Are there days where I don't intellectually understand what I receive spiritually? Yes. But, that intellectual understanding has come for me through practical experience (especially the application of a principle), and it comes gradually, over time. Such can come to ANYONE who seeks it with "sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ" (Moroni 10:4), regardless of their current economic status, academic achievment, family past, or anything else. God truly loves all of us, His children. Because of that love, He provides guidance and knowledge in a way that comforts us and encourages us to grow further.

Joy

Lately, in my hour a day of personal scripture study, I've been looking up every passage that I can in the New Testament and the Book of Mormon that has anything to do with joy. There are other scriptural book in the standard works, including the Old Testament, but I am most familiar with the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. When I become more familiar with the other books, I will search what they have to say about joy, but I suspect it is largely the same as what I have learned so far. Fact is, the gospel is going to be the same, no matter who's saying it. But, different viewpoints often bring a broader and deeper understanding on a given topic. Multiple sources provides stronger evidence.

Joy: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires (from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy)
Rejoice:to feel joy or great delight (from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rejoice)

First, what we take joy in affects the duration of it. If we rejoice in the things of this world alone, (like having money or creature comforts) then our joy will be very short lived. If we take joy in the things that aren't just of this world (like family relationships or our relationship to and with God) then our joy will be longer lasting, and if we remain faithful, eternal. In other words, we need to choose what we set our hearts on.

Second, not only are the sources of eternal joy longer lasting, they can be more intense. I have come to this conclusion because, in some of the passages that I've come across so far (as of June 26, 2012), there's an idea that such joy is beyond the power of words alone to fully describe. Words can and do help, but they do not give the full picture or image.

Third, we are to rejoice in the fact of our salvation and its source: Jesus Christ. The best source of individual joy is in our own salvation. Such is the "peace which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). Such joy can always be there for us, provided that we are making a solid effort of being truly Christlike, which requires repentance whenever we sin. The more strive to be like Christ, the more joy we will experience because someone else is choosing to repent and bring their lives more in harmony with God's will. Some the best experiences I have had on a mission have been where someone that I cared about chose to clean up their lives. For some, this involved the ordinance of baptism, and for others, this involved recommitting themselves to the gospel. For all, greater joy, happiness, and peace has resulted from their decision.

In my study so far, there are two scriptures that I feel greatly demonstrate the point I'm trying to make here: John 16:20-22 and 2 Nephi 2.

John 16:20-22, the words of the Savior spoken to the Apostles after the last supper, just before the events of Gethsemane and Calvary.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."

The Apostles are about to see their Messiah arrested, and later crucified. To their minds, such events cannot happen because they are expecting Christ to free Jersualem from Roman rule and fulfill the prophecies associated with the Second Coming of Christ. Seeing part of Christ's suffering, torture, cruelty, rejection, and an ignomious and painful death, it is natural that they would sorrow. But Christ promises that He will see them again, as a resurrected being after having completed the Atonement. Seeing that would mean, among many other things, that He was speaking truth and that their salvation is there. No wonder that, when they are later preaching the gospel of Christ, they count it joy, and do not really dwell on, the things they suffer.

Someone who just gave birth is, in my own opinion, not just going to instantly forget the pain that came from 9 months of pregnancy and the process of labor. Their body will remind them of that. But, because of their child being there, they won't focus on what they've been through.  Instead, they will dwell on much more happy things, putting their efforts now into making sure that the child has the best childhood possible. Their love and joy is, in my view, more intense because of the pain and trial that they have experienced.

The joy of our salvation can be the same way. Life is hard, and often very cruel and unfair. But, such things are not the sum total of our existence. Just as a pregnant woman needs to maintain good physical health in order to have a healthy child, so we need to keep our spiritual health in good condition. We can have personal experiences that teach us, assure us, and bring us of God's love and our own salvation. Those who have those experiences focus on them and the joy which is impossible to completely articulate. They do not dwell on all the pain they've gone through to arrive at the point. There's better things to focus on.

2 Nephi 2 an amazing chapter in the Book of Mormon. Part of what makes this chapter amazing for me is verse 25 which reads: "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." This statement is made in the context of Lehi, a prophet of God, talking about how opposition is a fact of existence. It is a fact of life that, we do not begin to truly understand something until we have experienced, in some way, its opposite. We don't truly know why we like candy until we bite into something sour. We don't fully appreciate air conditioning until we been outside on a hot summer day, which for me growing up in Arizona, was really hot. Like at least 110 degrees every day for at least four months hot. It is the same thing with joy. I have come to understand, recognize, and appreciate genuine joy because I've had to deal with misery. Now, God wants us to be happy, and while our trials and afflictions may not be immediately removed (if ever), by relying on the Atonement, we understand (in part for me at this point) how to enjoy life in the midst of trial. Furthermore, when we rely on the Atonement, we are able to bear our burdens much better than we would otherwise.

It is my testimony that the trials in our life can teach us, among many other things, what true joy is. When we rely on the grace of Jesus Christ, we are able to endure hard and tragic things far better than we would be able to otherwise. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both love us, and since They are both omniscient, They both know what is truly best for us. When we do what they encourage us to do, we enjoy life far better. It's been my experience that, the more I strive to live the gospel, the more I am able to enjoy the little things. The joy that I have experienced (and currently do amdist the frustrations of daily living) is available to any and all who seek it.

Thanks for reading my thoughts. Hopefully they weren't too much like a rant.

History and Repentance

When I was in high school, I took World History sophomore year and U.S. History junior year. At some point in the year, both of my teachers, Blair Haddle and Micah Behrend, both said something along the lines of: "those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it." History is the records of events involving nations, groups, movements, people. More specifically, history gives us the general trends of behavior: their triumophs, innovations, mistakes, and disasters. History seems to have volumes full of nothing but the bad decisions and atrocities of man, from the detailed biographies on a single person to a broad look at an entire nation's existence.

Well, it's a bit of an understatement, but nobody is perfect. In the words of Bruce R McConkie, "There has only been one perfect person, and that's the Lord Jesus." Everyone is going to do and/or think something that they shouldn't. So, how can we, as individuals, learn from our mistakes without being condemned by them? My answer may be simple, but it is part of the reason why I live the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and why I am now a missionary. The answer: repent.

Repentance is correcting our lives in order to bring them closer into harmony with God's will. There are steps in the process of repentance, but there is not any one fixed list of things to do. These are the basics, but the application of them differs depending on the person and the situation.

1) Acknowledge our wrongdoing(s). We simply cannot correct what we do not understand to be a problem.

2) Confess. I know that whenever I make a mistake, I generally try to hide it. Something that repentance will do is remove pride from our lives. All sins need to be confessed to God. If our sins have harmed another person, as they tend to do, we need to tell them what we've done.

3) Ask for forgiveness. The people that we confess to also need to hear our apology. Pretty much all sin is a result of pride, and by asking forgiveness, we humble ourselves even more. Also, by asking forgiveness, and furthering the rest of the repentance process, we are no longer responsible for what we did. With forgiveness and sincere repentance, the other person now has the responsibility to forgive you. Some things take longer to forgive, but don't worry about that. Them forgiving you is their job, not yours.

4) Stop sinning. This is an obvious step, but depending on the sin, it can be a hard one. Pretty much all sins, after some time, become habit forming. Stopping sinning also involves striving never to do it again, ever. This is a tough one, but it is doable. We may slip, but the important thing to get up again after falling down.

5) Rely on the Savior. The Atonement of Jesus Christ takes effect not only at the end of the repentance process, but throughout it. Jesus is the Savior, He saves people. If you're having a bad day, pray for strength and wisdom.

Repentance is a change of heart and a change of behavior. So, it cannot be truly done on one's deathbed. We need to repent while we are alive, preferably now. There is a passage in The Book of Mormon (Alma 34:31-15) that is quite clear on repentance. In short, do not put it off. It has been my personal experience that repentance enables us to have a fuller measure of the love of God in our lives. That being said, I do not want to put that off, but by having that fuller measure than I currently have, I become a better man.

Repentance enables each of us to learn from our own history without being condemned by it. There's a quote that I like to use. "If I couldn't repent, I'd be woefully discouraged." This was said by J. Golden Kimball, who was a general authority of the church back in the 1920s and 1930s. He had a somewhat rough life, and as such, had some bad habits that he struggled to completely overcome. Nonetheless, he never gave up, continuing to do what we could.

Some people, when asked about why they behave a certain way and treat others the way they do, say soemthing along the lines of "It's because of my past that I am the way I am, and there's not much I can do about that." I used to be exactly the same way. But thankfully, I've learned from that mistake. Repentance is a process of change, and everyone has the potential to change because everyone has individual agency. Our repentance efforts, which are manifestiations of our faith, enable us to having the cleansing power of Christ's Atonement in our lives. In terms of past events, The Atonement allows us to learn from our history without having that history define us. Those who hold to a position of "I can't change" don't truly understand the Atonement.

The way I look at my past is like driving a car with a rearview mirror. We need that mirror in order to see what is behind us. It is a tool that enables us to see, among other things, if we can safely move into another lane of traffic. It also enables us to manuever the car safely while it is in reverse, for example, when pulling out of a parking spot or parallel parking. But, as pretty much everyone in the United States knows, cars are meant to be driven forward, not backward. And, as anyone who drives a car can tell, if you arent' paying attention to the road, you crash into things. Well, dwelling on one's past is like focusing on the rearview mirror while the car's in drive. Eventually, you're going to crash into something or somebody, and you'll also cause hassle for other people on the road.

A couple of years ago, there was a general conference talk that was on this topic (click here). The gist of it is: the Atonement of Christ allows us to put the garbage of our pasts behind us. Insisting on dwelling such things is very unwise and often destroys the good of our present lives.

Learn from the past, enjoy your present, and plan for the future with confidence and optimism. When we live the gospel of Jesus Christ to the best of our abilities, things eventually work out. We still have to deal with hard, often tragic things, but such is life. None are spared. By relying on the Savior, we are able to learn from the hard things and come out better than we would have otherwise.

Going home soon

I recently received my "pink slip." Every missionary receives one about three months before they normally go home, just so that the necessary information is had, thus enabling travel arrangements to be made. One thing that the pink slip gives is your release date, which for me is July 31, 2012. For those who do not know, I started my mission on July 28, 2010. As of April 19, I have been a full-time missionary in the California Santa Rosa Mission for 21 months or so. I've known for a while that at some point in the future I was going to go home, but now that date is pretty much set. There's no denying or getting around it now, my days are numbered. I want to make these thee months that I still have my best. I want to finish out on a high note.

(My days as a full-time missionary are now numbered.)

Being a missionary is how I define myself now. Now, of course, anyone who talks to me for more than two minutes will realize, if I don't tell them sooner, that I am not anywhere near perfect. I'm still a flawed 21-year old young man. But, I am more than that. I am one who has been the receipient of many blessings from God. Those blessings, largely the result of my faith and living the gospel of Jesus Christ, have changed my worldview. Such blessings have come to me packaged in hard work and inconvience. Fact is, if any of us want to learn and/or grow, we are going to have to do something inconvient, and possible painful, eventually.

Before my mission, I was not very happy. I had very little hope for society, and I despised anything involving people at all. I'm happy to report now that my outlook is not the same anymore. I still think that many parts of society are less than ideal, but I have hope now for the future. Let's face it: you and I are not going to like everyone we come into contact with. But, like I mentioned in an earlier post (here it is) , when we are kind to people, we will receive more kindness from people in return. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Also, everyone has problems, whether they are minor or major. People are different, coming from different backgrounds and having different education and experiences. Everyone has a story. And of course, as this seems to happen to me a lot when I knock doors, you may have just caught someone at a bad time.

Staying happy is not easy with the world that way it is. Things beyond our control can devastate our lives, removing things and people that are dear to us. People that we thought were trustworthy betray us, offenses are received, and we aren't always able to have thenice things that others seem to have. Point is, if I felt so inclined, I could write a very long post on every reason not to be happy. I'm not going to subject anyone who reads this or myself to that.  But, in spite of all the bad things that exist in life, there are plenty of good reasons to be happy, or at least not dwelling on misery. Between human nature and the way society currently is, it is easier to seeon the bad than the good. But, once we see the good, we can find it in the middle of bad things and situations.

God wants us to be happy and progress. Everything that he asks us to do is ultimately for our good. If only we could have the perspective He has. We can understand (to some limited degree) why some things happen when we keep in mind two things: God is literally our Father in Heaven, and every individual, while imperfect, has the capability and the responsibility to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ for themselves. We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we always have the ability to control how we react.

Iron Rod and Iron Yoke

So I've recently had an interesting idea lodge itself into my head.

Missionaries have study time built into their daily schedule: one hour of free study, by themselves. This has been a great blessing in my life because I have been able to understand, to some limited degree, just how applicable and relevant the scriptures (that is to say, The Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price available here) in today's day and age. Basically, despite our technology, society today faces essentially the same problems that people have faced throughout human history. Human nature is still largely the same, we just have cooler toys.

The idea that I have in my head is this: the word of God can be used to bring us closer to God (and therefore make us happier) or keep us from God (and therefore make us miserable.) In The Book of Mormon, there is a symbolic dream that refers to the spiritual condition of each and every individual person. (1 Nephi 8,  the meaning of elements of the dream given in 1 Nephi 11) One element of the dream is a "rod of iron", which represents the word of God. People who clung to this rod of iron were able to receive the love of God, despite having their path obscured by mists of darkness.  Those who did not cling to this rod wandered off the path and were lost. A little later in the Book of Mormon,(1 Nephi 13) a prophet of God is able to see the history of the world, past and future. Shortly after he sees the ministry of Christ and the 12 Apostles, he sees the devil deceiving the world using a church. The devil brings the saints of God (all followers of God) into bondage with "a yoke of iron."

I've read these passages multiple times, but it was only recently that I noticed that the rod and the yoke are made of the same material: iron. So I pondered for a little bit. I thought along the lines of: what is the signficance of that fact? And, I have an anwer. Of course, this is entirely my own opinion, but so is this entire blog (aside from the links I put in). The answer that I received is that the "yoke of iron" represents the evil use, misue, and abuse of Holy Writ.

Here's an example of how scripture can be entirely misused to suit one's motives:
In the Old Testament, it says that "children suck" (Genesis 21:7) Therefore, children are not good, because they suck.

Of course this thinking is entirely wrong. Modern connotations of words were applied to a thing where it wasn't intended at all, scripture is quoted without any context whatsoever, and the conclusion contradicts what the scriptures actually teach. (For example, Psalms 127:3-5 and Matthew 19:13-15)
 It is that type of logic that enables the word of God to be used as a form of bondage. It is that type of thinking that has led to the very ugly  parts of religious history. Such things are not of God, but are of the devil, plain and simple. The devil loves to misquote and twist scripture (Luke 4:9-13)

Our own knowledge of the scriptures can enable us to see through the twisting of scripture. But you don't have to be learned in the scriptures, or ancient languages, or history, or anything else really, in order to understand when they aren't used properly. God will not have us without any guidance. We can ask of Him, through prayer, and we will receive the truth. (James 1:5-6, Moroni 10:4-5)

This is a topic that I feel stronly about. That is because, anyone who is familiar with history can see that bad things have happened when the word of God is ignored and/or misunderstood. While scripture is contained within the forms of literature and language, it cannot be fully understood by academic understanding alone. Since they were written by the spirit of prophecy, which is testimony of Jesus Christ, (Revelation 19:10), scripture can only be truly understood by one having a similar Spirit. Having academic knowledge can help, but that it not what we are to rely on. We are to have faith and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Consider this:

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:12-14) Just using our natural thinking alone will not help us understand what we need to. In the words of Hugh Nibley, "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."

It is my testimony that the scriptures are meant for our guidance through life. Everyone is going to have their challenges, none are immune to that fact of life. When we have regular scripture study and live what we understand of them and learn from them, we are able to get through our challenges better. We learn from our experiences and are able to see the good in an otherwise bad thing.

The Golden Rule and Optimism

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12
This is the passage often referred to as "the golden rule." In essence, it says: If you want people to treat you a certain way, them you treat them that way. Sounds like a simple idea, but it has immense implications. One implication that I've found in my life is that I am much more optimistic about the future.

Lately I've had the opportunity to consider optimism and whether it's a valid outlook on reality and history. I served 4.5 months, middle of October to middle of February, in Clearlake, California. This place used to be a tiny resort town, because the lake called Clearlake used to be a tourist and vacation attraction in the state of California. Well at some point Clearlake stopped being clear, and as a result, the industry supporting that town left. Nothing else has replaced that. A large portion of that town is unemployed, and has had a history of drug and alcohol use, and that's if they aren't using now. The kids that live there largely don't know any better type of life, and so they cause a lot of damage to themselves, family, and friends without realizing the full implications of their actions. The people that I talked to regularly seemed to have no hope, and no manners either.

That's sounds pretty depressing right? I was pretty bummed out when I was first working there. I was miserable, and the place felt like a prison.

One day, I realized that the people that live in that place are largely the "forgotten people", or the downtrodden, of society: drug addicts, those with mental disorders, the poor, and the immediate family of such people, especially the children. Society at large seems to have given up on these people, written them off as somehow less than human. These people have hard lives. Some of that hardness is the result of their own choices, and some of it is the result of where they live and their economic standing. Whatever the source of the hardness in their lives doesn't truly matter because these people are in need of hope and kindness, and Clearlake seemed to have a tragically short supply of both.


So, I decided to try something new: be the type of person that I hoped to find. I wanted to find polite, hopeful people trying their hardest to make a better situation for themselves and their family. So I needed to be that type of person, and show it. This took me a while, but I was able to have those things more in my thoughts than when I first arrived at Clearlake. Once that happened, I found people like that. And some people that I had written off in my mind as not worth the effort to talk to showed that they were indeed worth the effort of talking to. Of course, there were still those had no desire to change, and while I was sad for their sakes, I also realized that people are capable of using their agency in order to change at almost any point in their lives. I cannot, and neither can anyone else, force a positive and uplifting change to happen to another person. At some point, they have to make the choice themselves to change.

No one is capable of living a perfect sinless life. It is part of human nature to err in judgment and make mistakes. Sometimes the mistakes are small, and sometimes they are huge. The only person that has ever lived a sinless life has been Jesus Christ.  As such, we need to keep in mind that when working with other people, that we too are imperfect. Christ taught in the New Testament that we need to refrain from making judgments of other people because we have our faults and those faults obstruct our view. (Matthew 7:1-5, Luke 6:41-42) To put this idea into bumper sticker language: "Don't judge me because I sin differently than you do." In fact, a member of the First Presidency of the church recently talked about this. (Click here for that talk in various formats.)


In closing, please remember that everyone has moral agency, the ability to discern and choose between good and evil. There are going to be somethings that are simply beyond our ability to control or influence. But, we always have control of our attitude and our outlook. When we dwell on how awful the world is, how unjust society can be, and how awful our lives are, we are missing the good things of the world. Yes, there is evil, and it is prevalent in modern society. But, by choosing to be optimistic, we are combating the evil, and that is something that requires a lot of effort and is worth the struggle. Being optimistic does not, by itself, make one blind to the existence of human sufferings and trial. What being optimistic does is allows you, as it did me, to face those problems and find how to address those issues far better than a pessimistic, self-defeating attitude. part of my testimony of the gospel revolves around faith. If we have faith, we are more likely to find/achieve what we are looking for. If we have faith that there isn't much, if any, good left in the world, then we are likely to find that. Likewise, if our faith is toward optimism, you will find good in people.

The Straight and Narrow Path

The gospel is often referred to as "the straight and narrow path" Here's some references:

Matthew 7:13-14,1 Nephi 8 ,2 Nephi 31:18-21, 2 Nephi 9:41

My definition of the phrase "straight and narrow path":

Straight: constant in the same direction, undeviating, unchanging.

Narrow: some room, but not much. This path is an either or thing: you're either on it or you're not. There's not much wiggle room.

Path: something that we travel step by step, gradually progressing on towards the destination.

This straight and narrow path, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is something that we are to walk on throughout our lives. What we need to do to get on and/or stay on that path is simple. The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, but it is the temptations we face and our mortal (i.e. fallen) natures that make it seem complicated.

Getting on the path isn't the easiest thing in the world. But staying on the path is, in my opinion, more difficult than getting on. Staying on the path can be habitual for us. It's one thing for us to form a new habit, but it is another thing to break an existing habit, whether good or bad.

It doesn't really matter in what direction we diverge into. If we're off the path, we're off the path. Satan will  try to get us off the path, and he doesn't care what direction we go, as long as we're not on the path.

To demonstrate: the family is ordained of God. The vast majority of people will have the opportunity of having children. To not have children because you wish to avoid the responsibility of child-rearing is a departure from the straight and narrow. Likewise, using reproductive abilities outside of the bounds of a legal and lawful marriage between a man and woman is a departure. They are opposite extremes, but either will accomplish Satan's objective of having us depart from the path and journey closer toward total misery. (Here's a concise statement on the family)

Misery loves company. Satan is totally miserable, and seeks the misery of each and every one of us.

Matthew 6:24
We must make the choice between serving God or serving mammon, that is to say, seeking solely after the things of this world like money. At some point, every one of us must make the choice, this is a matter where it is impossible for us to sit on the fence through life. We can not have our cake and eat it too. It's just not going to work. Or, if the image of cake isn't working for ya, think of it this way:



(The musician is simply unable to play both pieces of music at the same time. If she were to attempt to do so, all that would result would be chaos, frustration, pandemonium. Unpleasant noise instead of music)

In the scriptures, living the gospel of Jesus Christ is sometimes referred to as "being in Zion," with Zion being defined as "the pure in heart." (D&C 97:21) Living a worldly lifestyle, with the obsession on reputation, money, and power, is also referred to as Babylon. Neal A Maxwell, a modern day apostle of Jesus Christ, said something to the effect of: "we cannot establish our residence in Zion while having a summer cottage in Babylon." In order to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives, we must have our hearts dedicated to it. We cannot be on the fence, not trying to be on the path while still holding on to our favorite sinful habits.

In case I've gotten you worried, keep in mind that none of us are going to be perfect while we are alive. That's just not going to happen. Everyone is going to make a mistake once in a while, if not on an everyday, every hour, and/or every minute basis. In the final judgment, we are going to be judged on the intents of our hearts. (D&C 137:7-9) If we're having trouble with something, we can pray for help. It has been my experience that the help does come, but we still need to be doing what we know we need to do.

The Book of Mormon and The Holy Bible

When a missionary like myself begins to teach someone about the gospel of Jesus Christ and about the church, they can talk about The Holy Bible. That is because The Holy Bible is accepted in The Church of Jesus Christ as scripture. One point of belief, also known as an article of faith, states that " We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." (Article of Faith #8)


The Holy Bible is the word of God. That is what I believe. I also believe that the collection of books, letters, songs, and poems that make up the Bible were not always handled by men inspired by God. Because of that, when translations were made, error crept into the texts. In my opinion, error lies not so much in what remains, but more in what was removed. Translation also refers to more than just the process of converting knowledge from one language to another. Translation also refers to how one understands a passage, that is how one interprets it. This is where the Book of Mormon comes in for Latter-Day Saints.


In determining how an event occurred, having multiple sources brings a clearer picture into view. In law, a case is made stronger by having multiple witnesses. In research, a position is strengthened with multiple sources. In science, multiple experiments strengthen a hypothesis.  The basic principle is this: the more you have, the better your understanding.


All Christians have the Holy Bible as scripture. But, there are many different ways to interpret and understand the Bible. And these interpretations are widely different, so how the question is, which interpretation?  The Book of Mormon helps all who read the Bible understand how passages showed be understood..

For instance, there's debate on whether or not baptism is necessary to enter heaven (defined here as the dwelling place of God)? There are verses in the Holy bible that are quite clear on this requirement. (John 3:1-5. Of course there are other verses, but this passage says it succinctly.) The Book of Mormon clarifies any doubt by likewise saying that baptism is necessary. (2 Nephi 31) The Book of Mormon acts as an independent source to verify the Holy Bible's position on doctrine and its statement about Jesus: that He is the Christ.. A general authority (a high calling in the church) spoke about this recently. Click here to read, watch, listen, and/or download the talk that he gave. The Book of Mormon itself says that it is not the only book in existence with the gospel of Jesus Christ in it. Mormon, the main prophet who compiled the record together, knew that there was going to be another book. He urges those who read to, "lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

 For behold, this (The Book of Mormon) is written for the intent that ye may believe that (The Holy Bible); and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them." (Mormon 7:8-9)

As it says in the title page, the main purpose of The Book of Mormon is to convince "Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ". (Here you go) I believe the Holy Bible to be the word of God. I believe that God wants us to be stregthened in our belief and faith. Paul taught that spiritual truths can only be understood by receiving the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:9-14) God has also given us the ability to think, ponder, and reason. As such, we can use our minds to strengthen our beliefs (I prefer the word testimonies). Consider this: there exist two seperate records, from nations that were simply unable to communicate with each other. Both of those records (which are available here) have the same statement: that a man named Jesus of Nazareth is in fact the Son of God who made it possible, through His suffering, for us to be forgiven of our sins, have peace of mind in this life, and return to the presence of God after we die. Remember that intellect alone will not give you a testimony, it can only strengthen it. One's testimony comes from the Holy Ghost, often as a result of living the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Inter-faith discussion

Someone very wise once said that in comparing faiths/religons, there should be three rules followed:
1) When you want to learn about a faith, talk to those who practice it. Don't talk to their critics.
2) Compare best with best, not best with worst.
3) Leave room for "holy envy." (Look for something that you like about the other person's viewpoint.)
 
I've been transferred from Clearlake to Cloverdale. Recently, I had a very nice conversation with a young man who is a practicing seventh-day adventist. He asked some questions about my faith, my background. I answered his questions calmly and gladly. We then asked him some questions about his faith, which he gladly answered. Of course, since we're both Christians, we both cited passages from the Holy Bible in discussing our beliefs. This 22 year old man is very strong in his faith. He is acting according to the knowledge that he has. The thing that I loved about this meeting was that neither me, my companion, or this man, who is around my age, were contentious. None of us were trying to prove each other wrong, no one was contentious. Simply put, we were believers of the Lord Jesus Christ discussing our opinions on various topics.

This was a pleasant, although rare occurence. Unfortunately, a large portion of my mission has had those who are staunch in their faith trying to argue or contend with me and my companion at the time. There's a passage in The Book of Mormon about this: 3 Nephi 11:27. When talking with others, or considering their views, don't get argumentative or contentious. The devil does not want anyone to learn, but knowledge truly is power that can be used against him. Therefore, he will try to get us irked and angry, so that we are blind and unable to see the truth that the other person has. Every person, no matter what their religious background, has at least one piece of genuine, from God, truth. Truth is truth, no matter the source.

If you have a strong opinon about topics of faith and belief, please remember that others will not necessarily share your beliefs. If you feel that your position is defendable intellectually, be careful. Something that needs to be kept in mind is that, no one person knows everything. Remember also that learning comes piece by piece, and if we have have an attitude of "I know it all" or "I know enough", we are unable to learn anything new and we begin to lsoe that which we had. (2 Nephi 28:30)

Agency

My purpose as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. The three verbs of that sentence are invite, help, and receive. Those words describe how a missionary is supposed to work with others and how I strive to teach.

Invite means to ask or request that one attend an event or do something. Whenever I meet with someone, I intend on inviting them to live some principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The specifics of what I invite them to do depend on the person, on what they need at that time. A person given an invitation is free to accept or reject: the choice is theirs and the consequences of that choice likewise belong solely to them.

Help means to provide assistance, to make easier or less difficult. Change can be a very difficult thing, especially if it is a change in worldview or lifestyle. Anyone that gets baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has embarked on a major life change. They are giving up their old ways and embracing a new life as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Naturally, there is going to be some opposition to that decision. It is part of a missionary's calling to render any assistance they can to the people they are working with. Most of the time, that assistance comes through study and prayer. What I try to do is to help people understand how they can study the scriptures for themselves, and pray to God for specific help with their challenges. Sometimes, the assistance that missionaries render is more physical, such as helping someone move or do yard work.We try to help people in whatever way we can.

Receive means to accept for one's self. Conversion to the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a decision on the part of the person meeting with the missionaries. At some point, they have to make a conscious decision to believe. What missionaries do is invite people to live a gospel principle, such as a living a life of virtue. The person meeting with the missionaries makes the decision. They will continue to look into the church based on their experiences resulting from their decision. We ask people to live gospel principles because each missionary knows that living those principles brings blessings. We are doing so in our own lives, we are aware of what we receive as a result, and we want to share that.

Missionaries share the gospel with all who will listen because they want those people to be happy. God wants us to be happy, and it is my experience and my testimony that applying the principles of the gospel into our daily lives will make us happier than any other choice of lifestyle. We impart knowledge and then it is up to the investigator (one who is looking into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) to act on that knowledge. We can not force a true conversion. A true conversion is the result of choice and one having a witness from the Holy Ghost.

It is up to the individual to choose whom they will follow. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24) It is impossible for us to serve both Jesus Christ and the devil. We have to make a choice. That opposition exists so that we have an actual choice. If there was only one option, we wouldn't have a meaningful choice at all. Having agency would then be pointless. By having opposition we are able to meaningfully exercise our ability to choose. There is opposition in all thing (2 Nephi 2:11), so we are to exercise our agency, makes decisions, in all things. We are responsible for acting according to our moral conscience and understanding.

Every choice we make has consequences. Anytime we receive a blessing from God, it is because we were keeping one of the commandments. When we choose an action, we choose the consequence of that action. Action and consequence are inseparable. We are "free to choose liberty and eternal life" through Jesus Christ or "captivity and death" through Satan. (2 Nephi 2:27) When exercising your agency, we all (myself included) need to remember this counsel: "wickedness never was happiness." (Alma 41:10)

Charity

As I mentioned earlier, one of my favorite hymns is A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
 The reason why it is one of my favorites is because of the message it gives. The song tells the story of a man who comes across a stranger and helps him with him physical needs. This is not just a one-time occurrence, but it happens repeatedly. Every time the man helps the stranger, he finds that his own problems are not as bad, and that his capacity to love and be loved increases. Verses 6 and 7 are, in my opinion, the most powerful of all 7 verses.

Verse 6 reads:

In pris’n I saw him next, condemned

To meet a traitor’s doom at morn.

The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,

And honored him ’mid shame and scorn.

My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,

He asked if I for him would die.

The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,

But my free spirit cried, “I will!"

Verse 7:

Then in a moment to my view

The stranger started from disguise.

The tokens in His hands I knew;

The Savior stood before mine eyes.

He spake, and my poor name He named,

“Of Me thou hast not been ashamed.

These deeds shall thy memorial be;

Fear not, thou didst them unto Me.” 

The theme for the entire song is expressed in the last two lines, spoken by the Savior: "These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto Me."  Whatever we do to someone else, it is as if we were performing them to the Savior directly, which the man did unknowingly throughout the song. Each hymn in the hymnbook has scripture references listed at the bottom of the page so that you can start a study of the theme or topic. The references for hymn #29 are found in The New Testament (Matthew 25:31-40) and in The Book or Mormon (Mosiah 2:17).

What we do for others is an evidence or expression of how we feel about them. If we are motivated by unselfish love, our actions will likely be to the long term benefit of those we affect. If our motivations are primarily self-serving or worse, antagonistic, our effects will be negative and damaging. In the Church of Jesus Christ, we teach that the love that Christ had for each person is totally unselfish. His love is totally for our benefit, and it cost Him and continues to cost Him immensely. We also teach that charity, defined as the pure love of Christ, can be had in some degree by every person. This is the type of love that continues to love another person, even when that love hurts and is unacknowledged. People are still imperfect, and they will be imperfect their entire lives, so their love will likely be imperfect, but we seek for it, strive for it, and pursue any way of improving our own love, in order to emulate Jesus Christ, who is the example for all of us to follow. Our charity is intertwined with faith and hope: by affecting one attribute, you affect all three. This is demonstrated in The Book of Mormon: Moroni 7:40-48.  In the New Testament, the apostle Paul speaks about this pure love of Christ, saying that if we don't have charity, any other spiritual and/or religious attainment, any other benevolent action, is pointless. He describes charity and says that by having charity, we increase in understanding and are able to grasp more and more of what the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ means for each of us. This is found in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13.

When I talk with people about the gospel of Jesus Christ, my main motivation is to share with them what has brought peace and happiness into my life. I try to treat everyone with respect and courtesy while still maintaining a comfortable attitude and atmosphere. Of course, I am not anywhere near perfect. Can not stress that enough. I sometimes have difficulty maintaining a respectful attitude and a comfortable atmosphere. Those times where I have specifically sought for charity have helped me become a kinder, less selfish man. It is my hope that any and all who read this (or meet with me in person) will look past my flaws and imperfections, keep an open mind, and begin to understand what I am trying to convey. 


The gospel of Jesus Christ is understood best by studying the scriptures for yourself and praying to God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, about a concern or question. God does answer prayers, especially if we mean to act on the answer we receive. If we want to be more charitable, more loving to others, study the scriptures about that topic, and pray for an increase in love. God will grant you understanding and that increase, but will take time and effort on our part before we fully recognize the answer we receive. Understanding and having charity comes the same way. It is a lifelong pursuit.

Music and Church

I've always felt that music can be very powerful.  There's simply something about it that expresses emotion more effectively than words alone. As with all forms of expression, music can be used for good or evil. How it's used depends on the person using it. In the church, music is present in virtually every meeting of some sort of congregation. This is because the proper song can set the mood and make it easier for each person to feel the Spirit of the Lord. Here's some of my favorite songs from the Hymnbook of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Lead, Kindly Light
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
I Believe In Christ
Now Let Us Rejoice
A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
The Morning Breaks
The Spirit of God
Nearer, My God, To Thee
Come, Come, Ye Saints
High On The Mountain Top
How Firm A Foundation

All of these links lead to the church music section of lds.org, the church's official website. The songs are presented in the arrangements given in the hymnbook. What you hear on the website would be the same tune that you would hear in a normal church meeting, except it would most likely be played on just an organ or just a piano. I would personally recommend clicking on the "words and music" button and then playing the song.

Whenever I sing a religious song, especially one of the hymns in the hymnbook, I feel that I'm expressing myself better than I could with words alone. Singing those songs is like prayer to me. Thankfully, God doesn't require us to sing well, or even on key.  If He did, I'd have a major problem. I can't sing on key to save my life. God knows the desires of our hearts, and appreciates our actions of faith and devotion, even if we aren't that skilled in performing them.

Now when I finish my mission and return to Glendale, Arizona at the beginning of August, I will be listening to regular music much more than I do now.  But, I will maintain the appreciation for church music that I've developed over the past 18 months. I will also use the discerning taste that I've developed to find good music and ignore the bad. There is plenty of good music available for us to enjoy, we just need to be picky about what we listen to. If we aren't picky, we can find ourselves in darker modes of thought than we would have imagined.

God's involvement in our lives

Part of the message that I share with the people that I work with is that God is real, He actually exists, that He cares about what is happening in our lives, and that He is involved in them.

Our life is a time of learning and testing. The main purpose of the tests of life is to see whether or not we will keep the commandments of God.  In other words, living the gospel of Jesus Christ is not going to be easy. There will be times when it is easier to compromise your moral standards, go with the crowd, or give up your beliefs altogether. Being a disciple of Christ is not the easy way; staying on the straight and narrow path can be rather inconvenient.

A question that everyone must face multiple times in their lives is: "Is God really involved in the lives of man?" What makes this a tough question is the simple fact that human beings are capable of horrendous abominations. In other words, the problem is simply man's inhumanity to man. Naturally, there are questions associated with this one, but I'm only going to give my answer to this one at this time.

Before I can give my answer to this question, there is something I must explain first. One of the gifts that God has given each and every person is agency: the power and ability to choose our outlook and lifestyle.  Individual moral agency will NEVER removed from any individual by any divinely sanctioned means. While there are some circumstances that are genuinely beyond our control, we are capable of choosing our views and exercising our agency on those things we can control.

Now my answer to the question "Is God really involved in the lives of man?" : YES.  It is my testimony that God is not only involved in the lives of the rich and power, but He is also involved in the life of each individual person, from a newborn infant to a five-star general. God's involvement is quiet. Spectacular, amazing, mind-boggling things, like dividing a large body of water in half to create a land route for a migrating nation, can and do happen, but those events are rare. That's why such events are written in the scriptures. And in the case of the Exodus of Israel, that's why the prophets in the scriptures kept referring to it. (The story of the parting of the Red Sea is found in Exodus 14) When prophets later in biblical history wanted to remind the people of God's power, they would refer back to that event. But that is not the average form of God's interaction with individuals and peoples. The average form of God's interaction with man is quiet.  This requires the individual to seek God out first with his heart.  If a person doesn't have their heart in it, they aren't likely to find God. Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7-11)
Once you understand the evidence of His involvement, you begin to see it more and more. And, because God loves us, He will answer any questions or concerns we have in our hearts. We simply need to pray and ask in faith. He will not get angry at us for asking (James 1:5-6)

Sometimes, part of the test of mortality is not finding what they want, and sometimes, the test is actually finding what they want.  In this world, it is possible to live a lifestyle that prevents a person from intellectually grasping the concept of God. Whenever we as individuals feel like God isn't there or that He's not talking to us, it is, by and large, because we have some unresolved sin to repent of. It is my testimony that God is involved in our lives on a regular, if not daily, basis and that sin can prevent us from recognizing that. Furthermore, because of Christ's suffering, we can be forgiven.

Note: all of the scriptures that I refer to are from the King James Version of the Bible.