Broken

I've been thinking a lot about the phrase "I'm broken", these past few days. It's made me consider what it means to be broken, in all it's forms, and how that relates to the Gospel. After all, we are to strive for a broken heart and contrite spirit. 

So I ask myself, what does it mean to be broken? We can be broken in our heart, our mind, or our body. To be broken in mind refers to mental illness. In body refers to physical disability. But what about the heart?

We often hear the term "broken heart" when referring to the result of being dumped by a girl/boy friend. In this sense it means that the love of your life has been ripped from your heart, leaving only a hole.

In a very real sense, this is what The Lord is asking for when he says he wants us to have a broken heart. Only, that which gets ripped from our heart is anything that keeps us from Him. 

We are to Love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength, and then our neighbor as ourself. That love should pretty much consume all the faculties of our heart, leaving no room for worldly or non righteous desires. 

Often when we experience a spiritual broken heart, what happens is we suddenly realize that our other desires, weaknesses, pursuits and appetites are not bringing us peace. We have to realize that they are merely our little rebellious acts that keep us from God. We are broken as we make this realization, and rip them out of our hearts, leaving only a hole where they once were. Like a building burned down to its frame, we are humbled to the sole basic truth that we are children of god. 

This is truly what happens when we break a horse. The process of breaking a horse is one that replaces the horses will with that of the master. So it is with us. When we have a broken heart we view the Master's desires as more important than our desires. We obediently follow Him, instead of following our selfish and prideful whims and desires. We tame the inner beast.

Humility has been described as comparing ourselves to God, and desiring to be like Him.

Our contrite spirit tells us that our ways were wrong in the sight of god, and urges us to reconcile with Him. As we do so, the Grace from Christ's atonement literally fills us, not only repairing the hole in our heart, but lifting it to much heigher heights.

Top-Secret Superpower for a happy Marriage

Hey you! Yup, you, the newly married or newly engaged couple. I've got a little secret I'm going to let you in on about successful marriages. You see, there's a top secret superpower that much of today's world doesn't know about. Oh they think they know, but most of them just don't get it. 

Top-secret superpower of a happy Marriage: LOVE

I know what you're saying. We know what love is-we see it in the movies all the time. Love is when you feel so passionately toward another person that you can't resist attacking their mouth in hungry, soul-aching (and often slobbery) kisses.

But guess what? You're wrong. Don't feel bad, it's society's fault (we might add some of the blame to Satan's shoulders as well). That isn't love, it's lust. I know it starts with the same letter and all, but it just isn't the same thing. 

You see, Lust is Satan's counterfeit for Love. To define the differences as simply as I can, Lust is Selfish, but Love is Selfless.

Lust is concerned with me and I. It is a soul-aching need that we satisfy regardless of the needs of the other person. It is selfishly possessive of others, but loyal to none. Lust is an action word, but It doesn't focus on giving and lifting others up, but rather on taking and lifting our own self.

Love, on the other hand is concerned with service and caring for the other person. It is loyal and trustworthy. Love, too, is an action word. Because we love we act and do things for others. We care about their needs, feelings and cares and seek to ease, uplift and honor them. 

Jesus taught that the greatest two commandments are based on Love: Love God, and love your neighbor. Is it any wonder that Satan would try to replace love with his counterfeit?

Love is huge and can fill volumes of books and seminars and study, but it can be brought down to two focuses for strengthening your marriage. Interestingly they come from Jesus' two great commandments:

1) Love God with your whole soul

If we love God, we serve Him. We honor Him by our thoughts and deeds. We strive to do all He has asked of us, including keeping the commandments and magnifying our callings. We talk with Him often and cherish communication with Him. We don't let anything take priority in our lives, money, cars, sports, careers-for these become our idols. We strive to become a better person. We go to His House as often as we can and strive to align our heart and will with His.

2) Love your spouse as yourself

If we love our spouse, we serve them. We honor them by our thoughts and deeds. We strive to make their life as easy and joyful as possible. We talk with them often and cherish communication with them. We don't let anything but God take higher priority than them in our lives: money, cars, sports, careers-for these become our idols. We strive to become a better person-not because they nag us, but because we love them and want to offer to them our best self. We're less interested in being "right" and more focused on being kind. We go home and on dates as often as we can and strive to align our heart and will with theirs.

In truth, when God joined Adam and Eve together, he called them "Helpmeets". For each couple, that term literally means we will help our spouse "meet" (or come unto) God. That is your role, and it can only be accomplished as you, yourself, strives to come unto God. We're like an equalateral triangle, with husband and wife at bottom corners and God at the top. If one wishes to come closer to God, then you have to come closer to your spouse too.

So try the top-secret superpower today! It really is as simple as love.

The Commandment to Love

Ever since I was little, with rules and chores and laws imposed by parents, society and governments, I've been fascinated by Matthew's account of the cunning Pharisee who tried to test the Savior by asking Him which commandment was greatest. The savior put him to shame and answered as simply and clearly as he could: 1st Love God with all your heart, soul and mind. 2nd Love your neighbor as your self.

As a child I was very interested to find that all we have to do is obey two commandments. Could it really be that simple? I wondered. 

As I matured and my understanding of the gospel grew, I realized the truth: it is that simple, and that difficult.

You see, each of the commandments has it's root in those two commandments. For Example: 

•Don't steal - if you Love your neighbor then you won't steal from them. But if you express your gratitude to God for all you have, you won't have the desire to steal, either.

•Don't take the Lord's name in vain - of course if you love God you wouldn't do that. But if you loved your neighbor then you wouldn't be likely to blaspheme or use foul language around them either.

I've since come to realize that the reason to obey every commandment is built upon those two commandments. Of course Jesus taught this in his mortal ministry, "if ye love me, keep my commandments".  

John taught that if we love God, then we keep His commandments-and that since we love Him, the commandments are not grevious or hard to do (1 John 3:5)

Could it really be all about love? 

What about tithing? If we love God then it is easy to give back 10%. And if we love our neighbor, we want a place for them to worship-be it for our immediate neighbor or our neighbors in 3rd World Countries.

What about modesty? If we love God then we cherish this gift we call a body. We also seek to use it to glorify God, not draw attention to ourselves. If we love our neighbor, then we wouldn't want to impose our immodesty on anyone.

I could go on and on. 

So . . . . What? How does this help? Does this help? Does it change anything?

That's up to you. What does it mean to you that all the commandments are based on love? How does that change your attitude on all the rules, laws, commandments and principles? How important is love?

 It's all about love. Can you see why Moroni taught that we should all pray to God with all the energy of our soul to be filled with love? Why John taught that God is Love, and that we should be as he is? Is it any wonder that Satan has blinded the eyes of the people to believe that lust is love, and that selfishness is the way to happiness? He too knows that Love is the Answer, and he'll do anything he can to hide it.

Modesty Unveiled

I have been saddened by the many arguments about modesty and the reasons people give for not teaching modesty to their kids. Some say it oppresses them, others that modesty teaches their daughter that they are responsible for the sinful thoughts of others. They say modesty should be whatever you're comfortable wearing. That popularity and fashion are more important than modesty. Or that the female body is not evil and therefore we shouldn't treat it like it is by hiding it. I read one blog where a mother said she "taught her sons in such a way so that if a parade of naked women were to march past his face he wouldn't have sinful thoughts, therefore if the boys are taught properly then the girls don't need to oppress themselves with this outdated ideal."

In this self-centered society with an "I'll do what I want and who cares what you think about it" mentality, is it any wonder that we are more concerned about the "rights" of an individual than God's laws of morality?

I applaud this woman for teaching her sons to respect women, though I am reminded of the gun rights activist woman who similarly boasted that she had taught her kids to fear and never touch a gun, therefore guns should not be controlled, all we needed to do was educate our kids. But when her children were placed in a controlled setting where a gun happened to be present, and they saw that their mother wasn't there, they grabbed the gun and began playing with it.

You see, educating our boys is very important, but that needs to go hand in hand with teaching our daughters to respect themselves and dress modestly. In truth, boys have a hard enough time controlling their physical desires as it is, without their peers flaunting their god-given sexual appeal. 

But that isn't the biggest reason why we should dress and teach our children to dress modestly. Our number one reason should be:

1. To Honor God
1. This should be our number one reason to keep all commandments. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to Love God (Matt. 22:36-38). And that if we Love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). John even taught that when we love God, then the commandments are not grevious or oppressive (1 John 5:3).
2. We better recognize how modesty glorifies God when we understand what modesty really is. "True to the Faith" explains: “Modesty is an attitude of humility and decency in dress, grooming, language, and behavior. If you are modest, you do not draw undue attention to yourself. Instead, you seek to ‘glorify God in your body, and in your spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:20). The Lord has always set the example of glorifying the Father. During His mortal ministry, the Savior never drew attention to Himself but rather pointed His followers to the Father, teaching, “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me” (John 12:44). In attitude, appearance, word, and deed, the Savior taught us about the importance of modesty. (See Apr. 2014 Ensign, If Your Eye Be Single to My Glory) This is what He meant when He said we should "Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and Glorify God" (Matt. 5:16).
3. Part of honoring God is expressing gratitude for the gifts he gives. Your body is an incredibly wonderful gift from God, one that we should respect and protect.
   
2. To Respect myself
1. When we dress modestly we send a message to others that we respect ourselves. That we are children of God and have worth in who we are, not just in the attention we can get from the skin we show. The way we dress affects how we view and treat ourselves. To put it more bluntly, the way you dress and act represent what you think about yourself. And that in turn sends a message to others about what part of you that you deem is most important. If you respect yourself, you view yourself as a child of god, not a spawn of the flesh, and you reflect that knowledge in your dress, grooming and behavior.
3. To Respect Others
1. The Lord taught that the second greatest commandment is to love others (Matt. 22:39). When we love others, we seek to lift up, inspire and ease their burdens (see Mosiah 18:8-9). The Lord's golden rule is to treat others how you want to be treated (Matt. 7:12). Yet in today's self-centered society of "I'll do what I want and who cares what you think about it" mentality, many believe they should not be responsible for the way we affect others with our manner of speech or dress. And before we argue about whether our appearace affects others and whether we should be concerned about that, let me say inoquivicolly that: 
1. It is true that a man is responsible for his own thoughts and actions. It is also true that a women’s body is sacred, special, and in no way wicked or evil. It is absolutely false, however, that exposing your body to a man or woman in a non-marital setting isn’t an offense to that individual. Men and Women are divinely endowed with powerful physical reactions to each other that are difficult to control. It’s instinct and it’s nature and it is there for a beautiful purpose. If you present that temptation, man or woman, to the opposite sex outside of the appropriate bounds, mark my words, you will be held responsible for it before God. You are not responsible for how they choose to react to it, but you are definitely responsible for imposing it upon them.
2. If you were on a diet, you wouldn't want your friends to flaunt donuts and ice cream in your face, right? The same is true for modesty, though to a much higher degree. When we love others as ourselves we don't desire to make it more difficult for them to have pure and chaste minds while around us. On the contrary, we desire to help them reach their full spiritual potential and not be a stumbling block for them.
4. To Protect myself
1. Protection from heartbreak. When we dress immodestly we make it difficult for others to see past our appearance to the person we are inside. Therefore, friendship and/or romance is based on appearance instead of being grounded on truth. It has been said that if a girl dresses immodestly, then some boys will place her on a pedastool, if for no other reason than to look up her skirt. You want to attract someone who will like you for who you are, not the peeks they steal when around you. That only leads to heartbreak.
2. Protection from abuse. It is true that the way you dress sends a signal to those around you about how they should treat you. If you dress like a cop, you'll be treated like one. The same for a businessperson, a baker, a goodie-goodie, a nerd, a skater or a druggie. And if you dress like an exotic dancer, you will be gawked at and people will expect things from you. This isn't to say that abuse doesn't happen to modestly dressed women, unfortunately it does. But why give others the idea that they can expect you to be loose or a slut. Though you will get attention, and it will seem exciting, this path only ends in sadness.
3. Bottom line: The way we dress signals to others how they should treat us. Save yourself the heartache of being treated poorly and with disrespect.

If you are unsure about whether your dress or grooming is modest, ask yourself, “Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if I were in the Lord’s presence?” You might ask yourself a similar question about your language and behavior: “Would I say these words or participate in these activities if the Lord were present?”

Remember the law of the harvest: whatever you plant in life, will then be your harvest. The Lord taught, “For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light” (D&C 88:40). In other words, if you want to attract someone who has wisdom, truth, virtue and light, then you have to be those things first. Alma understood this principle when he taught: "that which ye do send out shall return unto you again" (Alma 41:15).

The truth is, the way you dress and present yourself tells others how to treat you, AND it represents what you think of yourself. But most importantly, it reflects upon your conviction to honor The Lord.

Gifts of the Spirit

Grace, meaning the Enabling Power of the Atonement, is the power by which we can overcome weakness, magnify our own abilities, gain strength and bless the lives of our fellow brothers and sisters. One of the ways Christ's Grace can bless our lives is through the Gifts of the Spirit. Simply put, the Gifts of the Spirit are attributes of God, given to man to help perfect him and assist in the work of salvation of souls. Every worthy person who has received the Gift of the Holy Ghost has received some gift of the Spirit, though sometimes it is hard to recognize them in ourselves. A good exercise is to pray to know what gifts you have.

Moroni taught us that we can and should also seek and pray for additional gifts for the purpose of being perfected through Christ (Moroni 7:48, 10:30,33). Since they are truly attributes of God and Christ, as we receive them we are literally changed through Christ and perfected in Him (Moroni 10:30-33).

​President George Q. Cannon exhorted the saints: “If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that would make us perfect. If I am an angry man, it is my duty to pray for charity, which suffereth long and is kind. So with all the gifts of the Gospel, they are intended for this purpose.” (in Ashton, Measure of our Hearts, 24-25) This is what the Lord meant when, in Ether 12:26-27, he tells us he can make weak things become strong through His Grace.

I have compiled a list of many different gifts found in the scriptures and words of living prophets. Elder McConkie said there are innumerable gifts, so this list is just a small sampling. A good exercise might be to study this list prayerfully, and seek what gifts you now have, and which ones you need to help overcome one of your weaknesses. Then as Moroni puts it, pray with all the energy of your soul that you will be given that gift (Moroni 7:48). I testify that your sincere, righteous desires will be answered. In many ways God is more willing to bless us than we are to be blessed.

1. Wisdom
2. Knowledge
3. Diversity of Operations (know good from evil)
4. Administration
5. Discernment
6. Tongues
7. Interpretation of tongues
8.  Miracles
9. Faith to Heal
10. Faith To be healed
11. Prophecy
12. To know Jesus is the Christ
13. To believe on other's testimony
14. Empathy
15. tolerance
    
16. patience
    
17. vision
    
18. ability to recognize how the spirit works through you
    
19. faith
    
20. hope
    
21. problem solving (or counseling)
22. wisdom
23. to comfort
24. to be comforted
25. a forgiving heart
26. peacemaker
27. humility
28. a selfless heart
29. charity
30. compassion
31. an understanding heart
32. the gift of listening
33. seeing others' true worth
34. speaking
35. writing
36. translating
37. languages
38. teaching
39. expounding the scriptures
40. bearing testimony
41. service
42. teaching
43. Encouragement (encouraging others to do right)
44. generosity
45. leadership
46. merciful heart
47. cheerful countenance
48. Gift of love
49. Gift to love
50. shunning evil
51. deeply desiring to be involved with good
52. kindness
53. leading by a good example and honor
54. skilled in business
55. hard worker
56. spirituality
57. enjoying church and service in it
58. hope and confidence which comes from living the gospel
59. being in constant communication with God
60. sharing
61. being hospitable (welcoming)
62. Pure motives (intentions
    

I Have Learned

Here are a few things that I have learned recently, and am still learning. Saying I have learned it doesn't necessarily mean I live it, that's a lifelong process. But for whatever it's worth, I have learned:

• That all can change if they humble themselves and apply the transforming power of Grace.
• That the best people have a heightened awareness of what little of the worst is still in them.
• That the future is as bright as our faith.
• That optimism and faith are eternal helpmeets. Hope is equally their offspring and their forbear.
• That an helpmeet (the scriptural term Adam was given for a spouse), is one who helps you meet (meaning come to) God.
• That children are an investment. The more time you invest, the more return you get.
• That children do better when parents actually parent.
• That work is a blessing.
• That the reason we are obedient is just as important as our obedience. And that We are blessed more through obeying because of love and honor to God, than through blind obedience. More if we pay tithing with full purpose of heart, than grudgingly. More if we keep the word of Wisdom so we can be worthy of, and able to hear the spirit, than if we keep it solely for health reasons. 
• That God loves us, regardless of our weaknesses and sins.
• That to be temporally self-reliant means you depend on yourself, whereas being spiritually self-reliant means you depend on God.
• That if you truly love someone, you have to do the hard things that will help them grow and learn. Think of God's purposes of chastising his children. The method is love, the purpose is change.
• That ultimately, modesty is more about honoring God than safety. And that's true for the other commandments too.
• That a bishop's job isn't to hand out advice and be the all-knowing source of answers, but to turn them to the Savior for counsel, advice and direction.
• That when we're told we won't be given anything we can't handle, the "we" referred to is God and us. We're often given things we can't do alone. That's why we have Grace.
• That none of us will ever be truly worthy of the blessings Heavenly Father gives us, but He loves us anyway and gives them to show His love.

"Lived After the Manner of Happiness"

One of my all-time favorite verses of scripture comes from 2 Nephi 5:27 of the Book of Mormon: "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." I've pondered greatly about what that means, and how one can live after the manner of happiness. 
First of all I'm certain that they maintained a Positive Mental Attitude, and definitely had an Attitude of Gratitude, but what else contributed to their happiness? Perhaps some background would help. At this time in Nephite history, they had just landed on the American Continent, the Land of Promise, and started to settle in. Then the rebellious brothers, Laman and Lemuel, decided they wanted to take control by killing Nephi, so Nephi was warned in a dream to take his family and those faithful to the Lord, and flee into the wilderness. 
Soon they found a new place and settled in. So, they were happy because they had to rebuild their homes and lives after fleeing their murderous bothers? Perhaps in one way. But if you study the verses leading up to verse 27 you'll find a few triggers that helped them live in happiness despite their circumstances.

1. They followed the spirit (vs. 5)
2. They moved their families from wickedness (vs. 6-7)
3. They kept the commandments "in all things" (vs. 10; cross reference to Alma 41:10, "Wickedness never was happiness" ) 
4. They worked hard and were industrious in doing good things and providing for their families (vs. 11, 15-17)
5. They focused their lives on the temple (vs. 16)
6. They chose to follow their church leaders, who pointed them to Christ (vs. 26)

Think about this in your own life. Are you happy? Do you do the basic things that bring happiness? Perhaps you're doing all these things, but are somehow just 'going through the motions', and your efforts lack faith and hope? It's kind of like trying to fly an airplane without wings. It's time to add wings to your vessel by 'doing all that you do in the name of [Jesus](Moses 5:8).  By so doing, we consecrate our actions, and thus our very lives, to the source of all true happiness.

"Soul Mates" or "Solo Fate?"

I'm kind of sad when so many wonderful people are so unfortunately single. I know of a few who seem to be looking for 'their soulmate', and are turning down fantastic people left and right. For some reason, no matter how much they are told that soul mates are a myth, they can't give up on their quest to find that one person who fulfills them, who matches their chemistry, who creates some sort of internal spark that jumps from toes to head at the first sight of them.
I know that most of you are not seeking this dream, but the few who are, are holding up the marriage train for others. 
In truth, the only soul mates that ever existed were Adam and Eve. For the rest of us, "any righteous man and woman can and will have a successful and happy marriage if each lives the gospel of Jesus Christ." (Paraphrased from miracle of forgiveness)

So, who you should really be looking for is someone who is committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Who has a relationship with Him and loves and honors Him. Who's future is firmly rooted in the faith and hope of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Who desires not only to be married in the temple, but to have a temple marriage. And especially, one who is first and foremost, your best friend. "Romantic Love' comes and goes, but who would you rather face life's trials and triumphs with more than your best friend.
This is the type of person who obeys the commandments because they love the Lord, not because they're afraid of the consequences. Who selflessly serves, not just does service. For therein lie the Lord's two great commandments: Love the Lord and Love your neighbor as yourself.
And if such is the goal you have for a spouse, shouldn't you be that type of person yourself? 

The same goes for you who have "fallen out of love", or aren't compatible anymore, or just can't get along, or any other of the myriad of other excuses. What's really happening is one or both of you are not living the gospel.
If this is the case for you, go home and spend the next week in study, prayer, and pondering how you can better live the gospel. But focus solely on the changes you yourself need to make. You can't change your spouse, you can only change yourself. I promise you that if you both do so, you will fall back in love and be happy together again.

In truth, you can become your spouse's soul mate as you live the gospel, love God, and love your spouse. 

Christ's Grace

                I believe all my life I’ve only viewed Grace as that eternal balancer of the scales. When the final judgement day comes, and after I’ve done all I can do, Grace will make up for my shortcomings and bridge the gap between my performance and justice. That has been my take of 2 Nephi 25:23 (Saved by grace after all we can do). I believe that many good, strong members believe the same thing. And, it’s true. The scriptures say it is. But that’s not the whole story.

                In the Bible Dictionary, under the heading of Grace, it talks about the kind of grace we just talked about, but it also speaks of grace as an enabling power that gives the faithful and repentant soul strength and assistance to do good works that we otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to our own means. With this usage of the word, Christ doesn’t just step in after we’ve done all we can do, He walks alongside us. He doesn’t just make up the difference, He is the difference. 

                In Alma 7 we read that Christ took upon him our infirmities, pains, afflictions and temptations. Isaiah said He would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. Why did He do all this? Wasn’t the atonement just about overcoming death and sin?

                Jesus Christ suffered all these things and more, so that he would know how to succor His people. He suffered everything possible for man to suffer, so no one would ever be able to say, “But Jesus, you just don’t know how I feel.” And instead, He says to us, “I know how you feel.”

                The Savior’s grace enables us to overcome any hardship, any trial, any pain or sorrow. He’s not just there to grant us forgiveness. He’s also there to lift our heart and strengthen our weaknesses. He’s there so we don’t have to do it alone.

                This is a lesson I’m still working on learning. On my mission, I struggled with the balance between grace and justice. I foolishly thought I could do it all myself, and would only need the Savior’s grace a little at the end (more like a LOT at the end). I felt like I was working hard, and struggling to do what’s right, but never getting anywhere.

                Then one night I had a dream. In it I found myself in a place I assumed was the Spirit World. I knew there was a place where Christ was, but didn’t feel comfortable going there. Instead I cleaned the walls of a building, scrubbing them with a push broom. After a time of hard work, I’d return to the place where Christ was, only to return to my work without having seen the Savior.

                This happened a number of times, and I came to understand that the building was a symbol of my “mansion in heaven” that Christ spoke of when leaving his apostles in Jerusalem. When I woke and wrote down my dream and shared it with my companion, I interpreted it as meaning I had a lot of work to do to be worthy to enter Christ’s presence.

                While this dream has been a special experience for me, it has also hung over my head for many years, as I think of all I need to change so I can feel comfortable in Christ’s presence. What I am only now beginning to realize, is that Christ wasn’t sitting there, sending me away to work on my mansion. Christ told his apostles that He would go to prepare a place for them. He would do it.

                I pridefully thought it was up to me, and foolishly believed I could do it on my own. Little did I realize, that we can’t become like the Savior unless we walk side-by-side with Him. We have to allow him to take His half of the yoke, we can’t do it alone.

                Instead of walking back to my work in shame, all I had to do was ask Him to help. .  Instead of scrubbing endlessly with a push broom, Christ could have come with his pressure-washer and done for me what I couldn’t do for myself.

                You see, grace doesn’t just fill the gap between us and perfection. Grace fills us. It doesn’t just become active after all we can do, it helps us before, during and after all we can do. If we read the verse right, it says: "We (meaning you and I) are saved by grace after (meaning before, during and after) all we (meaning us and Jesus Christ) can do." (2 Nephi 25:23, changes suggested by Brad Wilcox in his book, Continuous Atonement)

           (more about this in a later post)

He is Merciful unto our Weakness

Weakness. Sin. Habit. Laziness. We've all got them. We try to hide them. When really, we need to bring them to Jesus.
Jesus Christ understands our weakness. He's felt them, suffered through them, suffered for them, and overcome them. Only He can succor and strengthen us (D&C62:1) with His Grace, so that our weaknesses become strengths.
Some of our weaknesses were given to us by Him (Ether 12:27). Others come from our choices and lifestyle. If we are brought to an awareness of our weaknesses, then instead of giving up because of the perceived distance we must still go, we should rejoice, knowing that Christ is showing us our weaknesses to help us change (Jacob 4:7, Ether 12:27, D&C 66:3)
All we need do is to come to Him in humility (Ether 12:27), with broken heart and contrite spirit. We have to recognize that we can't do it alone, and plead for His grace to sustain and empower us and Change us.
And through His promise of His Grace, we can stand strong and fear not (D&C 38:14-15), knowing that we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. (Philippians 4:13)
We are told that through the grace of Christ, our weak things may become strengths (Ether 12:27). And that we are blessed with the power of God as we recognize our strengths and humble ourselves. So what can these weaknesses become? What strengths can result from humbling yourself and turning your weaknesses over to the Savior? What gifts of the Spirit might aid you in change?

President George Q. Cannon exhorted the saints: “If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that would make us perfect. If I am an angry man, it is my duty to pray for charity, which suffereth long and is kind. So with all the gifts of the Gospel, they are intended for this purpose.” (in Ashton, Measure of our Hearts, 24-25)

Examples of those with weaknesses:
•(2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Paul prays for a thorn to be removed three times, saying Satan gave him the thorn. But Christ teaches him that through his weakness the power of Christ can be manifest and rest upon him.
•Moses was slow of speech
•Enoch was slow of speech
•Joseph Smith was an unlearned man:

Like all people, Joseph Smith faced the challenges of mortality. Because of his weaknesses, he questioned his personal worthiness before the Lord. Other prophets expressed similar concerns about their personal worthiness and their weaknesses (for example, see 2 Nephi 4:17–19; Moses 6:31). Elder Neal A. Maxwell, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained: “Just as God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (D&C 1:31), as we become more like Him, neither can we. The best people have a heightened awareness of what little of the worst is still in them!” (Notwithstanding My Weakness, 16–17). (The Pearl of Great Price Student Manual, Joseph Smith–History)
“Perhaps there are some who have reconciled themselves to a speckled life, who have found it easier to accept a spiritual status quo than exert the required effort to make the whole of their lives bright. No doubt there are some who believe they possess irrevocable weaknesses and shortcomings—spiritual defects that are incurable, tempers that are insurmountable, ill feelings that are irrepressible, or a lack of faith that is unconquerable. Many such good souls may have plateaued out spiritually. “It is my nature,” they say. But cannot God, creator of all, fashion, shape, add to, modify and help overcome any weakness of any faithful, humble person?” (Elder Callister, Infinite Atonement, 272
I guess the bottom line is, we all have weaknesses and faults. But we should rejoice in them, for through humbling ourselves and turning to Christ, we can transform our lives till we become like He is, so that when He appears we shall be like Him (Moroni 7:48).

The Even Higher Law

I've always wondered at the fact that God gave Moses the 10 commandments, then Moses destroyed them , saying they were a higher law, and that the children of Israel needed a lower law, thus was born the Law of Moses. So you have a higher law, and a lower law.
Yet when Christ came, he offered the even higher law. "Moses said don't kill, I say he who calls his brother Raca is in danger of heckfire". So now we've got a lower law, a higher law, and an even higher law. And yet, it seems we still focus on the higher law (10 commandments) and base our lives on it.
For me, the even higher law gives the deeper meaning of many of the higher law commandments. Sure we aren't supposed to commit adultery, but the even higher law says we can't even think about it. Lets cut that sin out by the root.
And what about murder? The even higher law says we can't even get angry with our brother, or call him names. Guess you won't ever make it to murder if you don't even get angry with anyone.
So, what about some other things? What about swearing? Is it the words, or the mood you're in when you say them. Probably both. Most swear words are degrading, and hurtful. But you also almost always say them in anger or hate.
What other even higher laws can you see in the commandments we live?

What Cows and the Israelites Teach us About Parenting

Cows

                If you’ve ever watched cows in a field, you’ve seen how they always seem to think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Constantly I see cows reaching through the fence, stretching the wires so they can get to the “better” grass. Unfortunately, their actions have a negative side-effect. By stretching and bending the fences, they weaken them and make openings that-while not big enough for themselves to use as an improvised gate, are big enough for their calves to squeeze through. And, following the example of their parents, they push their way through the fence in search of better grass--often times ending up getting killed by wolves or vehicles.

                Is your home similar to a cow’s field? Do you, as parents stretch the boundaries, knowing it won’t hurt you, but not thinking about the danger your actions pose to your children?

Israelites

                Another example came from the children of Israel. In Judges we read that they were told by the Lord to wipe out the inhabitants of a land so they could take possession of it and keep their purity. But the older generation decided that they could handle the temptations, and it would be better to allow them to remain and become their neighbors. What they didn’t think about was that their children weren’t as strong as they, and many fell to the temptations and evils of the people.

                Now, obviously we aren’t supposed to annihilate all bad examples around us. But do we have to invite less than good influences into our homes. We might think, “This movie has a few bad spots in it, but I can block that out. I'll close my eyes and then it’s ok.” But do we realize that our kids might not be closing their eyes? And that they will dwell on the bad spots, just out of curiosity at first, until they eventually will find a time when you aren’t around, and play the movie to satisfy their curiosity. Do we swear every now and then, believing it doesn’t really hurt us. Do we stretch the borders of truth just a bit, hoping our kids won't catch us?

              Every time we make exceptions for ourselves, we're opening a hole in our moral fence that our kids can squeeze through. Do we really want them out there, past the moral boundaries? Shouldn't we be the examples?

Where did all our faith and conviction go?

Whatever happened to the faith and conviction of saints of old. Tonight in our family scripture study, we were reading about Nephi's faithful courage to 'go and do.' We look back on the examples of the early saints of this dispensation and see much the same attitude. When the Lord called the saints to settle in the mountains in the west, did they back out of the call, claiming ailments and weakness. "Sorry Lord, my toe hurts so I better not go." or "Sorry Lord, it doesn't fit into my schedule."
No! They girded their loins, stood up tall and marched forth (or shuffled if they had to). Many said in their hearts: "I'd rather die on my way to zion, than turn away from the Lord's call."
Where did that conviction, that determination and faith go? Many literally walked themselves to death. Yet how many of us won't teach a primary class if we have a headache. I hear of people not staying through all 3 hours of church because the seats aren't comfortable enough for their backs. Really? Do you want to compare your seats with what the pioneers sat in? Have you sat in the old Tabernacle?
I may be just rambling about something I know nothing about. I'm not old. I'm healthy. But I pray that if I ever get old, or have similar ailments, that I will have the faith to stand and say, "I will go and do what the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he should prepare a way for them that they might accomplish the thing which he hath commanded."
He whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies. It may not be easy. It may be downright hard. But, the call came from the Lord, and the Lord blesses all who do His will.
For many are called, but few are chosen. Why are they not chosen? They haven't learned that in order to be chosen, you have to choose to follow Christ. When we choose to obey the call, we are chosen to receive blessings beyond measure.
I choose to have faith, and to obey.

Law of Consecration

A friend of mine and I were dropping off furniture donated by members of our ward to a needy family, and the usual thoughts entered my head about hoping the needy family wasn't taking advantage of us, when my friends said, "The Law of Consecration isn't about the receiver, it's about the giver."
So Profound. King Benjamin said much the same when he said, "ye shall not suffer the beggar to put up his petition to you in vain."
Do we sometimes think we're doing others a favor by not giving?
Wouldn't it be better for us if we just gave?
This was the lesson I needed to learn for the day.

PMA -- Positive Mental Attitude

I love the lessons we can learn from the sons of Lehi with regards to the difference our attitude makes. Think about it, Nephi and Laman and Lemeul all experienced the same things. They had left all their belongings and home, even lost their riches in trade for the brass plates, were traveling in the desert to a place their father had seen in vision. How did they react?

Laman and Lemuel: (1 Nephi 17:20-21)

20  And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.
21  Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

Pretty sad overview of their circumstances, right? That last part really hits me, "and we might have been happy." Meaning that they might have been happy if their life were easy and they had all their junk back.

What about Nephi? How did he view things? (1 Nephi 17:1-3)

1  AND it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth.  And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.

2  And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

3  And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

What a difference! Nephi saw the same tribulations, but chose to focus on how the Lord blessed them to meet each challenge. Who do you think was more happy? Even though they experienced the exact same things, Nephi CHOSE to focus on their blessings, and to be happy. 

Are you choosing to be happy today?

Do I have the Faith to Believe God's Word?

            A few years ago I was hiking with my father to the top of a 14,000 foot peak in Colorado and happened to be in the right place at the right time to help in the rescue of a man who had slid down an ice field too fast and tumbled head over heels into a rock field. The circumstances where such that we had to remain later than we planned on the side of the mountain, and by the time the helicopter had taken the man away, it was well into the afternoon. Many of you know that late afternoon is when storms come almost daily when you reach that elevation. We hurried down from the peak as massive black clouds rolled into view. The rain started, then turned to hail. When the lightning started, we still needed to cross a valley to reach the safety of shelter, but in order to do so, we would be the tallest things in the valley, thus perfect lightning rods.

            We said a prayer and felt a peaceful assurance that God would protect us as we crossed the valley, and immediately we set out walking across, with lightning striking on either side of us.

            That day I learned that I had the faith to walk through the midst of a lightning storm. But more than that, I learned that I had faith to believe God’s word.

            The scriptures tell us that God cannot lie, that He is a being of truth and light. Do we have the faith to really believe that?

Every week in church we have the opportunity to hear from some great speakers and teachers (in the LDS church, the talks--or sermons, are given by the members) who accepted a call to teach even though they probably didn’t feel comfortable doing so. They might have worried that they’d forget what to say, or say something dumb. But:

·         Do I believe that if I am given an opportunity to speak or teach a lesson, that God will give me words to speak?

o   God has promised us that if we treasure up in our minds the words of life, it will be given to us what we should say in the very moment that we need it. Do we believe it?

§  Do I exercise my faith by treasuring up in my mind Christ’s words? Do I study the scriptures daily?

§  Do I exercise my faith by accepting and seeking out opportunities to teach God’s word and share my testimony?

In the LDS Church, all positions of leadership are given by inspiration from God. No previous experience or schooling qualifies one for service. We call these positions a calling, meaning we are called of God to serve. I recently received a new calling that has stretched me in ways I didn’t know I could be stretched. When accepting this calling, I had to ask myself:

·         Do I believe God can make me equal to any task?

o   Nephi testified that the Lord giveth no commandments to the children of men, save he prepare a way for them to accomplish that which he commanded them.

§  Do I take on assignments with zeal and enthusiasm, knowing that the Lord will open the way for me to accomplish the task?

§  Do I exercise my faith by asking the Lord’s help, or do I pridefully think I can do it on my own.

·         This one is big for me. My pride says I can do it by myself. But my heart knows I can’t.

I’m probably alone in this next example. I’m sure no one else has had a hectic and stressful day, right? Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and like my day is out of control.

·         Do I believe I can feel peace on a hectic and stressfull day?

o   “Peace I give unto you.” The Lord said. “Not as the world giveth.”

o   I love the stories of the Lord calming the storm and helping Peter to walk on water. For me, I’ve learned that sometimes the Lord calms the storm, sometimes the sailor.

§  Do I exercise my faith by asking God to fill my heart with peace, or do I pridefully try to do it on my own.

·         Honestly, there have been a few times where I’ve prayed for and been filled with peace on a stressful day. But there have been many more days where I’ve tried to deal with it on my own.

What about when I make mistakes. When I choose the way of the world instead of God’s way:

·         Do I believe that Jesus Christ can wash away all my sins?

o   Jesus has said that though our sins be as scarlet, they may be as wool.

§  Do I exercise faith by praying for forgiveness, speaking to my bishop if need be, and giving my burden to the Lord?

·         Or do I try to do it by myself, perhaps thinking, “I made this mess, I’ll fix it.”

o   Can I just kindly say, “you can’t.” You, nor I, nor anyone else can truly repent and receive forgiveness for our sins without  Jesus Christ. It can’t be done. He is the only way.

o   But though I know that myself, I still don’t turn to the Savior as often as I should.

·         Do I believe I have the strength to overcome temptation?

o   “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be ^btempted above that ye are able; but will with the ^ctemptation also make a way to ^descape, that ye may be able to ^ebear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

§  Do I exercise my faith by not putting myself in a position where I know I’ll be tempted?

§  Do I exercise my faith when faced with a temptation by looking for the way out that God has promised us?

All of those things are great, of course they can only be done through the atonement of Jesus Christ. But what about when we are facing difficult decisions in our life?

·         Do I believe that the Spirit can guide me with important decisions in my life?

o   The scriptures say to “Trust in the LORD with all thine ^bheart; and lean not unto thine ^cown ^dunderstanding. In all thy ways ^aacknowledge him, and he shall ^bdirect thy ^cpaths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

§  Do I exercise my faith by obeying the spirit with exactness? Do I exercise my faith by turning to him often in prayer? Do I acknowledge him in all things?

And what about all the problems with the economic issues we’re facing.

·         Do I believe that God will bless me and my family so that we may provide for our needs?

o   How many times in the Book of Mormon did the Lord say: This is a land of promise, if you keep my commandments you shall prosper in the land.

§  Do I exercise my faith by living worthy of the promise?

§  Do I exercise my faith by seeking earnestly for employment and doing my best at my job?

§  Do I exercise my faith by living thrifty and staying out of debt?

I’d like to finish with one that I believe many of us are facing. We try to live by faith, but still, somehow fear worms its way into our lives.

·         Do I live without fear?

o   Take no thought, the morrow will take care of itself.

o   Perfect love casteth out all fear.

o   Doubt not, but be believing

o   Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD

§  Do I exercise my faith by trusting God and putting the future in His hands?

§  Do I exercise faith in the plan of salvation, knowing that all things shall be for our good and that this life isn’t the end.

§  Do I cast my burden of fear on the Lord?

Brothers and sisters, what is your burden? What pulls you down, and causes hardship in your life? What keeps you from the Savior. I testify that if you turn to him, and cast your burden at his feet, that He will take your burden that you may be light.

We've got the promises of the Lord. If we live worthily, we have the power to call down the powers of heaven in our behalf, to fulfill the promises of the Lord. I truly believe He wants to bless us more than we want to be blessed.

Now:

·         Just because we have faith, does that mean that we’ll never suffer?

o   Joseph Smith himself was told that his sufferings would give him experience and be for his good. And if he endured it well, he would be exalted.

o   The purpose of faith isn’t to relieve all discomfort. We can’t expect our faith to rid our lives of all trials and troubles.

§  We can expect our faith to give us insight and hope. To keep us focused on our mission in life. And to turn us to the Savior.

§  Our faith can help us to learn from our experiences, to even thank our Heavenly Father for our trials, knowing that they’ll make us better people.

I love faith. Faith enables hope and brings peace in a troubled world. It gives me direction. Christ truly said: ^aIf ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me.” And Paul, in Phillipians said: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It is my hope that we all might turn to Him more often each day.

I believe Jesus Christ. I believe that all things are possible through Him.